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A New Way to Live | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP, Post-Hogwarts Characters:Draco Malfoy, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Nymphadora Tonks, Other, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Fluff, Romance Warnings: Sexual Situations Rating: R Reviews: 240 Summary: *** The author has been reminded via the e-mail address on file that this story is listed as incomplete and has not been updated in over 2 years *** SHOCKER OF SHOCKERS! PESKY UPDATES! Sequel to "Harry Potter and the Legend of Infinity." Please read and review ;) before reading this one! Harry and Ron are becoming Aurors, and a new threat is rising. Will Draco return a changed man? How will Harry learn the new ways to love? Hitcount: Story Total: 66787; Chapter Total: 3855 Author's Notes: Ok...the line to murder me forms to the left...queue up behind Breanie everyone. I know I have been unbearable these last several months...I'd like to say Real Life got hold of me, but in actuality I simply got a job and got married. Yes, you read right lads, you're beloved pesky is off the market. I can't tell you all how much I've missed writing and I hope I'll be better at updating...if I'm lucky I'll have another chapter up by Christmas. I love you all and please review to make your extreme displeasure of my absence known. ;) |
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Chapter Seventeen Hurry Up and Wait Reggie groaned inwardly as she tasted the ever-present taste of copper in her mouth. She had lost track of how long she had been held captive. She stared around her disgusting cell for the hundredth time and winced as she turned her head. Reggie rubbed her neck idly and cringed at the matted mess of her hair at the base of her scalp. It was near dawn; she could tell by the soft pink light streaming in through the small barred window at the top of her cell. It gave the dark room a sickly blue tinge and she shuddered uncontrollably. Grime, dust, and bile thickly covered the walls and bars of the chamber. A foul, sour smell permeated from the threadbare bedding and crusty mattress. The surroundings overwhelmed her senses and fuelled her morning sickness. A lone tear escaped her strong eyes as she tried once again to overcome her emotions. Amusing memories of Charlie hovering over her while she emptied the contents of her stomach no longer made her smile in fond remembrance. Instead, she could only feel the despair that seeped through the thick concrete walls and served to further the multitude of tortures she was forced to endure. She had seen little of Narcissa Malfoy since her abduction but had been able to deduce that Fagin Greyback was the one who Stunned her just after Charlie was able to escape with Matthias. She smiled darkly at the knowledge that her husband and baby were safe. Charlie wouldn’t let Matthias fall into Narcissa’s clutches and she’d keep their daughter safe, even if it meant their death. With that last thought in her mind, she heard the ominous clanking of keys and her cell being opened. She didn’t even bother to look up at her captor. Someone grasped her chin forcefully and slapped her with unnecessary force. Reggie took the hit silently, spitting blood out from her cheeks, and waited for the next blow. She didn’t flinch, didn’t whimper. She simply waited. “You are very strong willed, my dear,” a feminine voice crooned. Reggie finally lifted her head to address her kidnappers. Narcissa still had a regal air about her in baby blue robes. A perfect strand of pearls adorned her aristocratic neck, easily visible as the woman looked down her nose at the captive. “I will fight you for as long as I can, m’lady,” Reggie hissed sarcastically. “Such spirit, it’s almost a shame to kill you, almost,” Narcissa dismissed her easily. Reggie didn’t feel an inkling of fear at death and Narcissa knew this. “I’ve got no regrets, m’lady, if you are going to kill me, do it and be done with me.” Narcissa’s shrewd eyes sharpened on her and Reggie smiled in return. “If that is what you wish, my dear, I’ll be happy to accommodate you. Of course, you would lose your child in the process. She’ll die with you. Think about what that would do to your poor husband.” This time Reggie heard several deep chuckles around her. She spotted Fagin hiding in the back and two other brutes flanking Narcissa. “If death is the only way to keep my precious daughter from losing her to you, I swear I would kill her myself,” again she smiled, even going to far as to blow a kiss to Fagin who grinned wolfishly. “Let me have a go at her, Cissy,” Fagin growled. “I can change her mind.” Reggie shuddered inwardly at what the werewolf might do to her, but never let them see it. Narcissa appraised her carefully and summoned an elf to feed her. Reggie sighed quietly as she ate and drank a meagre meal, but felt a little better. “I have wonderful news for you, my child,” Narcissa started once Reggie was finished eating. “I have decided not to kill you yet. Instead, I shall put you into a healing coma until you reach your last few weeks of pregnancy. When you awaken, I shall cut that child from your body. What is even better is that once the child is taken from you, you will return to the coma never to awaken. So you see, you don’t have to worry about death at all.” Narcissa grinned girlishly as Reggie trembled visibly. With a flourish of her wand a muttered dark curse, Reggie slumped to the ground. She was manhandled into her bed and a little elf secured her with intravenous drips for nutrient potions. Narcissa smiled and wiped her hands clean of the disgusting room. “See you in a few months, my dear,” Narcissa cackled as she walked out the door. Reggie’s mind disappeared into her dreams and she said not another word. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Six weeks into the New Year, Ginny quietly crept into the dark, smelly room. No light shined through the windows, though it was a bright and beautiful day. Today had been her last day of psychology courses and she was eager to get to work. However, she had personal business to take care of first. She jostled the growing toddler in her arms and he cooed up at her with a lilting laugh. Hushing the little boy, Ginny set him in his crib with a bottle. Matthias was quite ready for his nap and eased into sleep with his aunt watching over him. Ginny steeled herself and placed the appropriate monitoring and silencing charms on the babe so that he would not be disturbed but could be heard. It was time for her to have a talk with Charlie. As she suspected she found her brother beyond drunk and passed out in his bed. A rank odour assaulted her senses and for a moment, she wondered if he had drunk himself to death. Holding her breath she wrenched the soiled blankets from his body, privately glad he managed to wear bottoms to bed. A muffled groan indicated that her brother was in fact still alive, but did little to sway her determination. Sending a sharp Scourgify at the man, she smiled when he yelped in surprise. Slowly, Charlie came into consciousness and registered someone pointing his wand at him. “Please, kill me,” Charlie whispered hoarsely. “I think not,” Ginny returned with pure venom in her voice. “Ginny? S’hat you?” He slurred rubbing his eyes and sitting up. “It’s time to get up, Charlie. You have things to do today,” she responded throwing a towel at him. “Take a shower and meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes. So help me, Charlie, I’ll come in after you if you are a second late.” Charlie nodded dumbly and winced when she slammed the door. Nine and a half minutes later, Charlie moved into his filthy kitchen and waited for Ginny to yell at him. He had been expecting it. So far, every one of his family members had yelled at him. For the past two weeks, Matthias had been living with his mum at the Burrow. He hated himself for it, but all he could do was drink and Matthias shouldn’t be around that. “I’ve cleared out all the booze, Charlie. What little was left, anyway. You need to go to the store and get some staples so you can feed yourself and your son. Take your money pouch and go to the shop around the corner and get what you need. Be warned though, I’ve warded the flat against any and all drugs. Alcohol, tobacco, anything, it can’t get through. You have an hour. Go.” Charlie stared at his sister with positive distain. Setting his jaw he glared at her. “And what happens if I’m not back?” “I’ll leave,” Ginny answered simply. “Fine, leave, be gone. It doesn’t matter,” Charlie snapped. “Oh, but it does,” Ginny said. “If I leave, no one will be here to watch Matthias.” Charlie’s eyes widened and he hurried into the nursery where he spied his son sleeping quietly. “Get him out of here,” he hissed. “You’re his father and are going to take care of him. You are wasting time. We disconnected your Floo and no one can Apparate in or out of here. Jones warded it against Portkeys. He is safe and it’s time for you to start acting like a parent. You have fifty-five minutes. Go.” Ginny leafed through a magazine on the counter and ignored her brother as he spoke a few profane oaths. She smiled privately when the door slammed as he left the small home. Thirty minutes later he hurried in through the door with several bags of food and supplies. She ignored him as he put the food away and snarled in disgust as he removed the mouldy cheese and rotten eggs from the ice box. “I’ll see you on Sunday. There will be dinner at the Burrow,” Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek. “You can’t leave me here. Take Matthias with you. I can’t deal with this,” he hissed out and clutched her wrist tightly. The next thing he knew he was staring at his sister from the flat of his back. “Let’s get some things clear, Charlie. Matthias is your son. You are his father. He is your responsibility. You will not drink yourself stupid and wallow in your own misery. You will get your arse off that floor and clean this place up while Matthias takes his nap. When he wakes up you will take care of him. You will feed him, hold him, and bathe him. When he cries you will comfort him and when he laughs you will play with him. “You will not hear from anyone in the family for the rest of the week. Today is Monday, Charlie. That gives you a whole week to make amends to your son. On Sunday, you will come to the Burrow and have dinner with the family. On Sunday night, Harry and I will come over with Jones and Tatum and we will go over the case with you so you know what is being done to save your wife. “I have to go now, Charlie. I want you to think long and hard about how you are going to tell your wife that you abandoned your son after she was kidnapped. How are you going to tell her that you were the first to give up?” Ginny sniffed softly and even from the floor, Charlie could see she was fighting back the tears, though her voice didn’t quake or even rise. Almost wishing she had yelled at him like the others had, waves of guilt swept over him as he pulled himself to his feet. Ginny ignored him and left quietly. As he watched her slip out the door, he tenderly caressed his jaw, which was still sore from her punch. He smirked to himself as he remembered how he and his brothers taught her how to fight all those years ago. He sighed and looked around their home. A thick layer of dust was everywhere. Grime and crusted food decorated the counters of the kitchen and Charlie couldn’t remember the last time he saw his wand. Resigned to his fate, he began to scrub and clean hoping that the endeavour would at least keep the sorrow at bay. An hour later he had found his wand and felt somewhat better about things. His heart still ached for his missing wife, but now, he had his son. He had to take care of Matthias or Reggie would kill him. He heard the soft whimpers from the nursery and knew that Matthias had finally woken up. As he softly entered the room, he felt the tears burn in his eyes as he stared into the baby’s face. Matthias looked so much like Reggie, to him. He watched in awe as his son rolled over. “Da!” the little boy shouted and reached his podgy hands toward his father. Charlie smiled and swallowed thickly as he took his son into his arms and cuddled his precious babe. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Ginny sighed as she let herself into Harry’s flat. Dropping her purse and her wand onto the table she moved towards the fireplace and stared at the pictures. Her eyes paused at the picture taken on Christmas. Reggie let Charlie place several bows on her head and he kissed her face tenderly. In the picture, Reggie laughed and together they turned and smiled to the camera before it repeated itself. Her heart stopped and the emotion caught up with her again. She flattened a hand against her eyes and chocked back a sob, but it was too late she was crying in earnest and felt a pair of strong arms pull her into a solid chest. She spun and cried on Harry. Ginny registered that he was whispering to her but she couldn’t remember what he said. After several minutes of simply being held, she calmed down enough to realize that Harry was wearing nothing but a towel and had clearly just come out of the shower. She laughed at him and he grinned at her in response. “Why don’t you take a hot bath and I’ll put a kettle on?” Harry offered and she loved him for it. She let him push her towards the bathroom and helped her out of her cloak. He disappeared once the steaming water was running and a few candles were lit. She smiled and poured her favourite oils and soaps into the water loving the way it perfumed the air. She piled her hair on the top of her head and secured it in place with a few pins. With a glorious moan, she stepped into the water and succumbed to the heat. Harry returned with the tea service some minutes later, but she could hardly tell the time. She was lost in the luxury of this bath and let it overwhelm her. She accepted her tea and smiled as he perched himself on the sink with his own cup. She sighed as he watched her soak and she took the time to observe him. He was wearing the soft cotton pyjama bottoms that she bought him for Christmas. She smiled at how he didn’t even bother with the top anymore because he knew she would sleep in it. She breathed deep, luxuriating in the fragrances of the bath and closed her eyes. This was one of the things she loved most about Harry. He could sit in perfect silence and let her think just as easily as he could make her laugh. She pulled herself out of her reclining position and scooted closer to the taps. Ginny raised an eyebrow in question and smiled seductively when she saw his pyjamas fall. He stepped in behind her and held her close. Now, she could relax completely. A strong hand rested just below her navel while his other arm trapped her against his chest as it draped across her collarbone. She felt him kissing her hair, her neck, and her shoulder. Her limp body was desperate for his touches and she surrendered when he turned her head to kiss him. They moaned as their lips met and carefully tasted one another. Water splashed out of the tub as Ginny shifted over Harry and moved to face him. Her hands rested on his chest as she sat in his lap. She teased him dangerously as certain parts of their anatomy connected. She grinned as his eyes closed and he grasped her hips tightly in effort to cease the torture. She chuckled at the tiny whimper that escaped when she settled on his thighs, not quite what he had hoped for. She leaned forward and kissed his chest and neck delicately and felt his hands move in her hair. She shivered slightly and he held her closer to him. His warm hands dripped the hot water down her back and she sighed in ecstasy. Pulling back she looked into his eyes. “Thank you for putting up with me.” He chuckled and kissed her nose. “You put up with me, it’s only fair.” She smiled again. “Thank you for working so hard to find Reggie. I don’t know how we would have gotten through this without you and Ron. You’ve kept everything together.” He held her tight and she spoke again. “Harry, I want to marry you.” “I know, Ginny,” he answered kissing her neck again. “You didn’t ask me at Christmas, I thought you would,” she said. “I suppose I am a little late in asking you this time around, aren’t I? It has been nearly eight months since I asked you last time, hasn’t it?” Harry admitted with a sheepish grin. Ginny nodded and kissed him tenderly. “Will you marry me, Ginny?” He whispered as he kissed her again. “Yes, Harry,” she whispered back as she pulled herself over him again and settled against him intimately. They moved together, no longer speaking, but sharing in something that they never thought they would get. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The next few days passed in a blur of activity. Harry and Ron were working tirelessly on the Devoted Mother case. They searched through every lead and any information in an attempt to find Reggie. Blaise had been taken on by Nott’s team but was the liaison between the two teams for this case. The three men left no stone unturned as they scoured through the information about Narcissa Malfoy and Fagin Greyback. Ron reported daily to Tatum Moody as the search began to dwindle. Harry had been the one to bring Draco into the investigation, knowing that his former enemy did in fact know where his mother was hiding thanks to his father. Lucius had told Draco “she’s on the island” but neither Harry nor Draco knew exactly what to make of this. Draco was subjected to questioning by the Aurors as well as testing by the Healers. They had suspected that Draco had been Obliviated, but it appeared that was not the case. Frustrated with himself, Draco returned once a week to check in with the investigating team. On Thursday, he returned to Ron’s office and sat next to Blaise. Harry was ordering lunch for the group of them. Draco observed Jones and Tatum off in the corner talking quietly with Hannah and Malachi. Ginny was perched on the corner of Harry’s desk and Percy was hovering over the files again on Ron’s desk. Once the food had arrived, they ate quietly waiting for someone to start the train of thought again. Harry sighed into his tea and let things begin. “Okay, where do we want to start?” He asked quietly. “The island,” Ron answered quickly. “Malfoy do you remember anything about it at all?” Draco nodded. “I remember playing on the beaches with my mother. The house itself if huge and could easily house several people, but I don’t know where it was. Father always referred to it as ‘the island.’ All of our homes had names: Malfoy Manor, Lestrange Castle, and so forth. But this place was unnamed. It must be hidden by several enchantments.” Tatum nodded in agreement. “It must be Unplottable and under the Fidelius. Without the Secret Keeper, we have no hope of finding her.” “What about the spell we did to get Lucia?” Draco asked. “Wouldn’t the head of you line be able to retrieve her?” “Theoretically yes, it could work,” Percy answered. “But we would only be able to get the baby. Mum is the head of the Weasley line until she passes the magic on to Bill or me. You see, when a woman marries, she takes on the family status of the family she marries into, unless she is the end of her line. For example, Reggie is the last Craven. Thus, Charlie and Reggie have the option to rebuild her line. Matthias is a Weasley, but they want the new baby to be a Craven. If Mum called for the baby, it would automatically become a Weasley. “Since Reggie never gave up her claim to her name, it means that Mum isn’t the head of Reggie’s line. Reggie is. Regardless, she’s stuck there. We could call for the baby, but we could literally tear the baby out of Reggie if she hasn’t been born yet,” Percy concluded quietly. The room sat in gruesome silence as the imagery took hold. Everyone shuddered privately. Ginny and Harry flipped through the pictures of the Malfoy family estates. The answer had to be there somewhere. Frustrated beyond all belief the Aurors sat quietly. There was no hope. Each lead had been destroyed. Each promising idea had faded. Anger mounting, Draco flung the pictures of his homes across the desk. “I feel like I should be able to save her, but I can’t.” Ginny nodded sadly, “If only we could talk to Lucius. He knew where the island was, so he must know where or at least who the Secret Keeper is, right? It’s almost a shame he’s dead.” Harry looked at Ginny with wide eyes and something fell into place. “I’ll be back.” They watched him storm out of the office and run down the hall towards the Department of Mysteries. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Onc e more Harry sat on the stone steps of the Death Chamber deep within the Department of Mysteries. He was blindfolded again and was waiting quietly for the whispers to drown out and the voices to emerge. Seamus sat close by wondering what Harry was up to. “Hello Harry,” Dumbledore’s voice called out. “Hello sir, is there any way you could find Lucius Malfoy for me?” Harry called back. “I am here, Mr. Potter,” Lucius’s voice responded. “You want to know who the Secret Keeper is, do you not?” “Yes, please. Please, help us,” Harry pleaded. “My wife was quite taken with her new pet wolf; she favours him above everyone else. She trusts him above all others because she has a life debt over him,” Lucius responded. “Great, now we just have to catch one of the most notorious werewolves of all time,” Harry groaned to no one in particular. The whispers had returned and Harry could no longer concentrate on the problems at hand. He turned his back to the veil and lowered his blindfold. He helped Seamus move back up the stairs and to his office before returning to the Aurors. As he walked slowly up the hall, he thought back on all they knew about Narcissa and Fagin. They were after children. They were after Maggie. They wanted to rebuild a generation with hatred and fear. They wanted Maggie. Narcissa fancied herself more powerful than ever before…but something brought Harry back to Maggie. Somehow, that little girl was in the centre of his thoughts and he didn’t know why. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Charlie bounced his screaming son, desperately trying to calm him. The little boy was cutting teeth and nothing Charlie did could calm him. They walked and bounced down the little hallway, but Matthias couldn’t help crying out in pain. After several hours, Charlie was able to sit in the rocker and ease his son to sleep. It had been a full week since Ginny had returned his son and now he was more overwhelmed than ever. Though he was loathed to admit it, he wished he had a little whiskey left to rub into his son’s sore mouth. The alcohol would take the sting out of his gums and let the child sleep, thus letting the exhausted daddy sleep. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this alone. He needed Reggie, but the baby was his only link to her. The last few days had changed little of his demeanour, but he was facing his future with a grim resolve. Reggie was gone and all he had left was his son. He loved Matthias, but the thought of having to watch him grow up without Reggie there with him, terrified him. Matthias cuddled into his father’s arms and sighed. He had big brown eyes, like Charlie, but his nose and mouth was all Reggie. Even his baby red hair had a darker hue to it; maybe it would be brown like his mother’s. Matthias yawned and sucked his fat fist into his mouth. With a deep sigh, Charlie relaxed back into the rocker and simply held a sleeping baby. He was so tired he was sure his hands would shake should he remove them from the tight embrace around his son. Resting his head on the wooden plank on the back of the chair, Charlie watched the cloudy sky change from a dull charcoal colour to a soft lavender, then bright pink, finally a dazzling yellow as the sun breached the horizon. He watched as birds took flight against the cold sky and neighbours rise to their alarms. From this window, he could see the neighbouring flats and their windows. He sat there for another hour or so before he heard the distinct sound of someone coming into his home. They came through the front door and he stiffened. He remembered all to well the attack that stole his wife from him and he clutched his baby in one hand and his wand tightly in the other. He crept to the door as quietly as he could, ears straining to hear any sound. “They must still be asleep,” a woman’s voice whispered. “I don’t fancy waking him, Charlie’s bound to be exhausted. Why don’t you go ahead to the Burrow and I’ll wait here for the baby to wake up. Charlie could use a lie in…” Ron’s voice trailed off. “Mummy, I have to go to the bathroom!” Maggie’s voice announced and Charlie could imagine she was squirming a little. Quickly and quietly, he moved to let his son rest in his pram as he moved to meet his brother in the kitchen. Granted he was very tired, but this was the first time he had seen anyone besides his son since Ginny’s departure. With a finger to his lips, he shushed the family and smiled at Maggie. “The bathroom is just down that hall, sweet girl,” he instructed softly as he placed a kiss on Maggie’s head. He collected Hermione in a hug and let Ron shake his hand as Maggie scampered off. “We’re having breakfast at the Burrow in an hour,” Hermione informed him as she subtly passed a wand over him, checking his health. Charlie chuckled at her and moved into the sink, perching himself on the cabinets. “I’m fine, tired but doing better. Matthias only just got to sleep, poor kid’s cutting teeth.” Hermione nodded. “You must be knackered. Why don’t you take a shower? Ron and Maggie can go on to the Burrow and I’ll keep an eye on the baby while you freshen up?” Charlie smiled and thanked them. Maggie ran straight for her father’s knees, giggling as Ron swept her up and twirled her in his arms. Hermione shook her head at them and pushed Charlie towards the bathroom door. He returned to his sister-in-law singing softly to his son as she rocked him lightly in her arms. A towel still on his rusty head, he watched her with sad eyes. Reggie should be the one to hold Matthias the way Hermione was…it wasn’t fair. He cleared his throat tightly and ran the towel over his head a few times to expel the remaining water. “I hope you don’t mind, but I froze a few of your spoons. There is a topical analgesic potion on them. It numbs the mucus and glandular orifices of the body. The frozen spoons plus the potion cuts the edge of the pain, or so I’m told by another Healer,” Hermione provided. “Hermione you are a goddess. Did I ever tell you that?” Charlie asked as he swept the babe out of her arms. He was entranced by the way Matthias played and laughed into his wet hair. Hermione laughed at the baby’s giggles. “Well, boys, we best be off before Gramma Molly sends out a search.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Roast chicken, breads, boiled potatoes, and all other forms of food heavily adorned the antique buffet Molly Weasley owned. Her family was eating in earnest at the Burrow and she smiled out to her children and young friends. The twins passed new treats under the table to the children and were greatly disappointed when Amina was the only one to really take any interest tonight. Remus and his boys ate peckishly as the full moon was that night. Achy and tired, Remus observed as his boys barely ate and whinged at any major activity. With a heavy sigh, he collected their cloaks prepared to return to Grimmauld Place with his two sons and spend the night in their refurbished basement. As he collected Samuel, Thadeus held on to Maggie. He whimpered tiredly into her shoulder. “It hurts so much. I don’t want to go!” “I’ll come to you, Deus. I’ll make the pain go away,” Maggie told him back, clearly unaware that her beloved Uncle Harry had heard the entire exchange. “Maggie you can’t go with Deus and Samuel tonight. You could get hurt,” he said in his best ‘stern uncle’ voice. Maggie shook her head. “I didn’t get hurt last time.” By now, several people had heard the exchange and were worriedly butting in. “What do you mean ‘last time’!?” Hermione yelled out above the roar of questions. “Remus, what are they talking about?” Tonks gasped out when Ron and Hermione stared hard in their direction. “I can’t tell you. She won’t let me,” he mumbled weakly. “Who won’t!” Hermione shrieked. “I made him promise, Mummy. Don’t be mad at him,” Maggie cried as Ron lifted her away from Thadeus and into his arms. “You best tell us what you lot are talking about, sweet girl,” Ron said calmly. Maggie took a deep breath and nodded to Remus. He exhaled heavily as he promise was annulled and he smiled weakly at her. For the first time, in a very long time, Remus looked out to see someone he cared deeply for frightened because of him. Hermione watched him warily and he didn’t even know where to begin. “Maggie is not your typical witch. She is very powerful. Beyond that, for someone so young, she has astonishing control over her magic. Something about her has always struck me as special. Perhaps it was the way she could make me feel better, when the aches of the transformation just wouldn’t fade. It might have been the way Thadeus and Samuel never had to hide their pain from her. I couldn’t place it for the longest time. “It wasn’t until I realized how seriously Fagin Greyback was after Maggie that I realized what she was. Maggie will be a Den Mother,” Remus finished quietly. “A Den Mother? What the bloody hell is that!?” Hermione screamed again. She turned to her husband who’s face was decidedly ashen. “Are you certain?” Ron whispered, clutching his daughter closer to his chest. “She has already begun the rituals to establish the pack,” Remus confessed. “I wanted to tell you so badly, but I couldn’t defy her. It would ruin everything she has established and would cause later discord among the pack.” Hermione looked around the room. The Weasleys, the Malfoys, the Lupins, even the Dursleys, her entire family was fixated on this conversation. Molly observed her with sadness in her eyes and nodded resolutely as only the matriarch of a family could. “Susan, Roni, girls its time to get those babies to bed. Hagar, Petunia will you help me clear this mess up. Bill, take Ron and Hermione into the living room and explain things. Maggie, will you let your Uncle Bill talk to your Mummy and Daddy? They don’t understand and are very scared for you.” Again Maggie nodded and they left to begin a very long conversation. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Bi ll sat with his youngest brother and Hermione waiting to hear something that would make sense of this nonsense. “A long time ago, a witch, Melina, cast a spell trying to free her lover, Wilhelm. Her jealous sister, Calanthe, had cursed him into the form of a wolf. In the process of trying to cure him, Melina created the first werewolf. Basically, history states that he was doomed to live as a wolf with the full cravings and desires of the beasts for one night of the month. Calanthe was furious that Melina and Wilhelm had found a way to be together despite her sorcery. “Calanthe threw herself into all magicks in an attempt to sway Wilhelm to her charms. In the end, she finally came upon a spell that would give her complete control over the werewolf. One night, she forced him as a wolf to bed her. She became pregnant and stole away to another country to give birth. When she returned, she was furious to find that Wilhelm had once again returned to Melina. “Devastated that the only man she ever loved betrayed her yet again, she sought retribution from all of men. She cursed the werewolf Wilhelm to hunt as all wolves do. She cursed him to seek out the flesh of other men,” here Bill paused and stared at Hermione, knowing she was listening whole-heartedly. “Years passed and Calanthe died. Melina took Calanthe’s daughter and raised her. The child grew up hated by her Aunt Melina and rejected by her father because of her delusional mother’s affections. But the child was powerful in her own right. She retained her mother’s power to control the wolf. The child, Abigail, used the power over the wolf to control him. She helped him heal, kept him from being so hungry that he no longer had to infect people during his transformation. “It was her kindness and devotion to her cursed father that drove her to find a way to alter her powers over the wolves. In her desperation to make her father love her, she altered Calanthe’s dark magic into something beyond light and dark. The spell she created established that with the birth of a new Alpha Werewolf, a Den Mother would be created…essentially the Alpha female of a wolf pack. This witch would become the matriarch over a pack of werewolves. She could control them in their transformed state. She could even remove the threat of werewolves world wide.” “I don’t understand,” Hermione interrupted. “If that is the case, why are they still so feared?” Bill sighed as he observed Maggie carefully. “Often the Den Mother’s are found out before they come of age. The males of a pack can sense them. To be the mate of the Den Mother would give that person automatic dominance over the entire pack. While the Den Mother can control the pack, they were often abused and tortured while the Alpha male was in his human form, thus giving the control back to the Alpha male. “True Alpha males were killed so others could take their places. Den Mother’s were murdered by society simply because they didn’t want anyone with that kind of power over the pack. The final straw was a witch, Scilliana. She was an evil, vile woman who used her powers over her pack to create the likes of Fenrir Greyback. The pack tortured hundreds, including murdering a Spanish princess due to marry one of the muggle Queen Victoria’s sons,” Bill finished tiredly. Ron took a deep breath and looked deeply into Hermione’s eyes. “Shortly after that, the Ministry condemned all Den Mother’s to exile. They are not even spoken of in society anymore. They were removed from the history books and have been forgotten for the most part. No one openly claims to be a Den Mother, because they know that they will be banished from society, if not arrested on site on some trumped up charge.” “I still don’t understand. If Maggie is a Den Mother, wouldn’t the werewolves fear her? She could control them,” Hermione asked looking between Bill and Ron. “Since she is so young, she won’t have established her mate yet. The hormones simply aren’t there for her to seek out a mate. Once she establishes that mate she will cut herself and let him lick the wound. The blood and saliva will form a bond between the wolf and Den Mother. She will become the Alpha female and he will become the Alpha male of the pack they build,” Bill informed them. “What did Remus mean when he said that she has started the rituals to establish the pack?” Ron asked while wrapping an arm around his wife. “I can’t be certain since I don’t go through the transformation with them, but more than likely she recognizes Remus as an elder, a leader of a pack. She probably sees Samuel and Thadeus as potential mates with equal power, but has not determined her own mate. More so, as she grows older and begins to sense werewolves, she will probably begin to build a pack of friends who transform, each having their own rank and place within the pack,” Bill answered. “And Fagin wants her because he wants to establish himself as her mate by force then use her power over his peers and become worse than his brother ever was,” Hermione concluded. “All of this, it circles around Maggie. We will have to use Maggie to draw Fagin out. Fagin will lead us to Narcissa and onto Reggie,” Ron groaned and started to pace. By now, Hermione recognized the severity of the situation and was crying openly. Someone was going to hurt her little girl. Maggie would be at the centre of another war that they were trying desperately to end before it began. She wanted to hide, to run, and to take the power from Maggie. A fleeting thought flew through her mind and she wondered if this was how Lily had felt. In the end, it hadn’t mattered. No matter what happened, Harry had to face his destiny and Hermione knew that Maggie would too. All they could do was hurry up and wait for the plans to be set. |
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