A woman with a hollow heart,
A book torn apart,
A withered and dying soul.
A life with no spark
I will not rest until the day you die.
I know this isn't going to be an easy ride.
I will give you the amount of pain you have never dreamed of.
I will crush each and every bone in your body until you stop to scream. ~K.D (me)
The morning in Burrow began in its usual manner: the chirping of birds, the chiming of dreamcatchers, and the screeching of Molly Weasley, calling her children for breakfast...
Arthur Weasley entered the dining hall and gave his beloved wife a quick peck. After patting Percy on the back, he settled at the table and resumed reading about the intriguing subject of 'Why Rubber Ducks Make Baths Better."
Soon Fred and George joined the table, and not really wanting to listen to the screeching of their mother right at the start of their morning, they just took the farthest seats on the table as they continued to think about improving their chameleon tongue to be able to fetch heavier pieces up to a hundred kilograms...
Molly shot them an unimpressed look, tutting at their musings while serving them garlic toast and strawberry pudding.
Fred's gaze met George's, and they both sighed in harmony. Fred handed his pudding to George in exchange for toast. It wasn't surprising that their little exchange went unnoticed, as everyone was engrossed in spoon-feeding Ginny and cooing at her rant about being in a seeker's position in the Holy Harpies or Caudley Canons in the coming future...
"That would be wonderful, dear... wouldn't it, Arthur?" Molly beamed, tousling Ginny's hair. Ginny responded with a glare, and Arthur simply smiled, looking up from his book and nodding before returning to his reading...
"RONALD WEASELY, COME DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT! OR YOU WON'T RECEIVE ANY BREAKFAST OR LUNCH!" Molly then screamed at the top of her lungs, and a loud thump echoed from the stairs, followed by a loud groan of pain, which everyone ignored...
'Yes, perfectly normal...'
Though something was strange for the terror twins, the magic itself in the air was feeling weird...
The Burrow was composed of pure magic, years of dedication, and hard work carried out by Arthur and Molly after they were expelled from the Weasley and Prewett estates. They had constructed the burrow with their affection, but now, an unfamiliar enchantment enveloped the house – a sensation that felt peculiar to the twins. It seemed... warmer? More inviting?
Despite living in the same house for years, they had never felt so comfortable—so tranquil in their own home, a sensation that had washed over them since the previous night. However, no one else appeared to have noticed the change, prompting the twins to keep their observations to themselves... Not that anyone would have taken them seriously anyhow...
As they were and will continue to be the "troublemakers" in their family...
Although they consistently ranked among the top ten students in their classes, their mother never once praised them as she did with their other siblings, and their father was always too busy working to pay the bills for eight mouths to be able to even look at them... Not that they were complaining—they never did—but still-
After several minutes, Arthur glanced at the wall clock and heaved a sigh as he folded his newspaper and closed his book. He offered a smile to everyone, retrieved his briefcase from the table, and set off for the Ministry...
Percy mirrored Arthur's actions, offering a brief nod of acknowledgement to his mother before retreating to his room to resume his studies...
Fred arched an eyebrow at his brother, who shook his head but continued to lick the pudding off the spoon...
"Reckon-raisins would help in improving the taste of gooey-goo-blum?" George wondered, and Fred shook his head.
"-That would limit our reach to the people with raisin allergies," Fred replied, and George gave him a meaningful look and reached for Fred's hand under the table, gently squeezing it.
"Yes, I suppose we should stick with coffee beans-" George's heart swelled as Fred responded with a faint smile before continuing to nibble on the garlic toast using his left hand while his right stayed under the table caressing circles on George's palm.
"We could incorporate agar gel, though," Fred suggested after a brief pause, and before George could respond, a loud thud reverberated through the room. Molly and Ginny's shrieks followed, sounds that the twins had somehow managed to tune out...
"RONALD BEALIUS WEASLEY—WHY ARE YOUR BUTTONS MISMATCHED LIKE SOME HOOLIGAN—WE HAVE-......"
Ron merely blinked, ignoring his mum's scolding, and settled at the breakfast table, eagerly gulping down pumpkin juice while attempting to scoop up his pudding...
Molly rolled her eyes at the antics of her child and glared at the two brats, who were definitely planning some new recipe for disaster... She was about to snap at Ron for not chewing appropriately before swallowing like a pig, but she was cut off by a loud thumping over the windows.
Molly's brows furrowed as she observed not one, but three large black eagle owls rapping on the windowpanes. Piquing her curiosity, she rose from her seat and cautiously opened the window. A startled squeak escaped her lips as two of the owls swooped onto the dining table's centre, narrowly avoiding a collision with the jar of pumpkin juice. The owls extended their legs towards Ginny and Ron, who gazed at them with wide, owl-like eyes, before carefully untying the letters from their limbs. Another owl hooted impatiently at Molly, fixing her with a stern gaze while extending its leg—
'What is this about?'
Molly frowned while untying her letter, while the twins watched the whole ordeal with confusion...
'And we are missing something... again-' They gave each other knowing looks before turning their attention back to the owls on the table...
Molly opened the envelope with a mix of confusion and curiosity. She was taken aback by the Gringotts seal, as she hadn't made any recent orders, and the monthly account audit had already been completed...
Mrs. Molly Raisel Weasely neé Prewett
We wish to bring to your attention that we have uncovered a betrayer within our ranks who has been linked to you in illicit transactions involving funds and artefacts from the Potter family's vaults. As a shameful act of association with Wix, his life has been fortified, and presently, we are reclaiming the funds and artefacts, along with the corresponding interest, to restore them to their rightful heirs. You are obligated to labour and reimburse the sum of 5000 galleons within the extended period of two years. Failure to fulfil this commitment will result in an escalation of the interest rate, and the final settlement shall be determined in accordance with our regulations.
May your gold flow to repay your debt.
-Sincerely,
Sharpclaw,
Director in chief.
Gringotts.
The parchment dropped from her hands as bile rose up her throat...
' NO- NO- This cannot be happening! This must be a mistake... Albus has promised-'
"MUM!" Ginny exclaimed, horrified, after reading the content of her letter, and Ron basically fell from the chair when he read about the repayment...
George's eyes met Fred's in amusement... It was hilarious to see their loving mother be so scared... They wondered what was happening.
"Mum, what's wrong-"
"Why are you all behaving as you have seen—"
"—a dementor performing a tap dance—"
"-a banshee singing in a chorus-"
"-Voldy in bikini-"
"Damn, that was a good one, Forge-"
"-It was, wasn't it, Gred?"
"-Yeah, I wonder what he must look like, though."
"...what I'm thinking?" Fred grinned mischievously, and George burst into laughter in the otherwise tense room.
"- Voldy in a bikini merchandise! " They both chorused at the same time, and that was what caused Molly to snap out of her reverie as she screeched in rage...
"BOYS, OFF TO YOUR ROOM, NOW!"
"But- Mum-"
"-We haven't completed-"
"-our breakfast yet-"
Molly glared at them as she placed her hands over her hips...
"GO TO YOUR ROOMS RIGHT NOW! I HAVE SOME SERIOUS THINGS TO DISCUSS WITH ALBUS AND YOU ARE JUST CHILDREN." She screamed, and Ron was woken up from the shock and started shrieking about something related to money and vaults, which the twins didn't have time to understand as the glare of their mother stopped them from saying anything, so they just sighed and made their way to their rooms above the dining room, refraining themselves from commenting that they were older than Ronald and Ginevra.
They made mock salute gestures as they ran into the room, grinning, towards their newest invention, extendable ears, which were still in development but were able to hear through basic silencing charms and three-foot walls... Hedwig squawked when Fred nearly crashed into her cage and glared her best 'owl glare' at the sheepishly grinning blokes.
~~~
When Draco and Harry walked into the dining room, all eyes were fixed on them, taking in Draco's flushed appearance and Harry's sly Cheshire grin as he clung to Draco's arm.
'Well, that went faster than I anticipated-' Lucius mused, sharing a discreet glance with his wife. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, mirroring his own. Lucius then shifted his attention to the boys...
'See I called it, Cissa-'
"Would either of you care to explain?" Lucius said in a no-nonsense tone of voice, his face blank, hiding his emotions, that it had Draco wincing, meanwhile, Harry just grinned at him, his emerald eyes twinkling with glee as he dragged Draco towards the same chair beside Lucius on which they sat tomorrow, in the middle of Lucius and Luna, on whose neck Manasha was sleeping, snuggling into her hair...
"Explain what, Lucy?" Harry cocked his head, and Narcissa spat her tea at the same time Draco made an undignified squeak...
Draco then felt a hand resting on his thigh. He turned to look at Harry, who still bore that foolish grin. Without a second thought, Draco raised the hand on his thigh and pressed a kiss to Harry's palm. ... He knew it was uncouth for public displays of affection to be held at the dinner table; his pureblood manners were cringing at his actions, but the thrill of doing whatever the fuck he wanted, of actually being able to do what he wanted since like forever, left him unable to believe if it was all real... Draco was feeling as if he were in a dream, and he'd wake up to face the cruel world again... So, he needed the physical reminder that everything happening was really real...
'Salazar, don't be a dream; please, no-'
Harry gave Draco a fond look, and Lucius took a moment to take a calming sigh. 'Patience. That is a virtue, isn't it? ' Lucius thought he wanted to snap at Draco's unbecoming behaviour, but he stamped it all down when he saw the look in his son's eyes—the signature Malfoy look, which...
'Oh! Cissa! He is doomed... There is no return... We need to plan a wedding!'
"Mr. Potter," Lucius began, only to be interrupted by Harry.
"Harry, call me Harry." Harry had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop laughing at Draco's amusement at him being able to talk back to Lucius Malfoy...
' Potter really has some guts. ' Blaise and Theo watched in amusement; they wouldn't have dreamed of messing with Lucius like this as the man was clearly intimidating, to say the least...
"—Harry, you must refrain yourself from using that slobbish nickname."
"And what's fun there, Lucy dearest?" Harry pouted, and Neville snorted at his mate's antics.
'It is good to see him talking so freely...'
"For Salazar's sake, I'm Draco's father," Lucius let out a noise that vaguely resembled a grumble.
But Malfoys don't grumble... Thank you very much.
"- And I'm a huge fan of your work." Harry winked and the table howled with laughter; Draco blushed to the tip of his ear, and Narcissa bit her lip not to laugh at her husband's expense...
Lucius took a deep breath and turned to glare at Blaise, who dropped the spoon and raised his hands in peace...
'Malfoys don't curse... especially at the dining table.' Lucius repeated in his mind as he inhaled a deep breath in order to calm himself down.
"You are dead," Lucius muttered under his breath, glaring at Blaise, and Narcissa tilted her head in confusion, which Luna noticed, and she waved at Narcissa.
"I will give you my memories," Luna hummed, on which Lucius snapped.
"You will do no such thing, Miss Lovegood." Lucius glared, and Narcissa placed her hand over his bicep and smiled at Luna.
"I would appreciate that very much," Narcissa said, and Hannah couldn't help but snicker and soon joined everyone else—everyone except Blaise, who was planning to escape his tortuous destiny.
'Salazar... I hate Potter! Ugh!' Blaise groaned and then glared at Potter, who just ignored him, continuing to make lovey-dovey sickening expressions at Draco, his friend, who was resting his head on Potter's shoulder...
'Ughh...'
"And my dragon, would you like to share something?" Narcissa raised her brows with a smile, at which Draco tilted his head back onto Harry's shoulder so he could look into his eyes. Harry hummed in thought.
'We don't have anything to hide... So, we can-'
"Ughhh! You and Mr Potter are so adorable, I'll put you in a boat," Narcissa squealed, cutting off Harry's thoughts, and everyone except Luna and Lucius frowned at her exclamation...
"I'm sorry, you're going to put us in a what?" Draco asked, perplexed, tilting his head. Narcissa blinked, appearing confused.
Harry had to bite his lip to refrain from commenting about the high resemblance of both Malfoys with kittens...
'Ugh! He is so cute, so darn- cute—can cuteness actually kill? Well, I'm kinda immortal anyway, but...
"A boat," Narcissa stated innocently before turning her gaze to Harry...
"- Isn't it what young people say when they think they will make a cute couple?"
Harry blinked and blinked twice before bursting into a fit of laughter...
'Oh, Merlin, this is epic; I need life support; I am dying; I can't-'
Draco, too, was unable to keep himself from chuckling, "You mean you ship us, mother," Draco chortled between chuckles.
"Aren't they the same?" Narcissa frowned and looked at her husband for help, who just smiled discreetly from his cup of tea.
"Mrs Malfoy, you are so precious—" Hannah cooed, and Narcissa blinked, thinking about whether to take it as a compliment or an offence.
"Thank you?"
Then Harry gave Draco's hand a gentle squeeze and discreetly nodded at him. In response, Draco offered a soft smile before he spoke up, saying, "Harry and I are together." With that, the hall was filled with loud sighs of relief.
"Bloody finally," Blaise muttered, and Theo nodded in agreement... They literally had had the front row seats for Draco's rambling about "Pottah's stupidity" in the Slytherin common room for years, and man, that was something...
"At least now, you won't rant about how Malfoy is up to something, and you can feel it-" Neville pipped up and gave Harry a grin, to which Harry stuck his tongue out at him as if it were the most mature thing to do...
"He ranted about me?" Draco raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely intrigued. Neville playfully groaned in response.
"For years!" Neville exclaimed before giving Harry an apologetic smile, "Sorry, mate, but that was overbearing!"
Harry just shrugged, not denying the comment.
'Well, it is the truth after all-'
"And Draco, darling, you did climb a freaking tree for Potter," Blaise said finally when it didn't seem like he was going to shoot with a crucio anymore...
Draco let out a loud groan, hiding his face in his hands....
'Salazar- this is embarrassing-'
"Not to mention the badges," Theo pipped up, and Blaise nodded, grinning evilly as he recalled the hype Draco had created to get Potter's attention in the fourth year, making everyone in their dorms literally work their arses off to master the charm works...
"THAT HASN'T EVEN HAPPENED YET... MerLIN!" Draco shouted, prompting snorts and laughter from everyone in the room.
"But back then you did keep us awake the whole night just to design the colour schemes of the badges and charms, darling," Blaise smirked and dunked the spoon that was thrown on top of his head...
Harry shook his head, a fond smile on his lips as he recollected those moments. He glanced at Lucius, raising his eyebrows. Lucius returned the look with an amused expression before turning his attention to his son...
"-Draco, just so you're aware, now I won't be hearing your Potter rants either," Lucius deadpanned, though a glint of amusement shimmered in his eyes, causing Harry to burst into laughter. He was finding himself growing rather fond of Lucius...
"I do no such thing—" Draco crossed his arms, but Lucius merely arched an eyebrow at him, a response that caused Draco to flush with embarrassment...
"Oh, come on, Malfoy, Lucius's first words were, 'I've heard a lot about you.' I know I'm charming; no need to keep it under wraps." Harry grinned, prompting Draco to huff, not even attempting to deny the statement...
After a few moments, once the laughter had subsided, Draco finally spoke, his gaze shifting between Lucius and Narcissa, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Are both of you alright with this?"
Couldn't keep in control, Narcissa stood up from her seat and engulfed Draco in a bear hug, murmuring sweet things in Draco's ear...
"I am so happy, my darling." Narcissa kissed Draco's head and affectionately patted Harry's head before gracefully returning to her seat.
No one except Harry and Lucius noticed the small tears that fell from Draco's eyes, and Harry squeezed Draco's thigh for comfort...
"And I am proud that you've chosen the finest partner, one with a rather illustrious family lineage," Lucius acknowledged Harry with a nod before continuing. "Unifying our families will be splendid, and any heirs born will undoubtedly possess a remarkable blend of magical heritage," Lucius declared with pride, causing Draco to snort but also blush at the mention of heirs.
Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes...
'Malfoys being Malfoys'
Though a faint tint of blush appeared on his cheeks...
Suddenly, Harry felt something slither up his leg. He looked down to see Manasha gracefully climbing his limbs before hissing into his ear, "Have you finally completed the mating dance?" With that, Harry choked on his own breath.
"I'm sssssorry, what?!" Harry exclaimed-hissed, a mix of surprise in his hiss, causing Draco's body to momentarily freeze at the sound. He had always found Parseltongue rather fascinating, after all...
"Have you completed the pre-mating ritualsssss, with the white boy?" Manasha rephrased it, as if that somehow made it sound any better...
'Oh, Merlin- I am not having this talk- no-'
"Why don't you ask him yourssself, hmm?" Harry suggested, his cheeks turning a shade of pink, and Manasha nodded in agreement before slithering towards Draco.
"Hello, there white boy-" Manasha hissed, to which Draco just tilted his head in confusion, blinking at the ascending creature...
Narcissa was on the brink of panic, her grip on Lucius' hand tightening as she watched the venomous snake approach her child. Lucius, on the other hand, observed the scene with intrigued composure, memories of a similar scene at Gringotts resurfacing.
"Harry?" Draco furrowed his brows in confusion, his gaze shifting between Harry and the snake.
"You can't understand her?" Harry asked, frowning slightly. Draco shook his head, only vaguely remembering the events at Gringotts the day before, as Manasha approached and gazed into his eyes.
"Tell him to call his ssserpent, to his skin; I am feeling his bird on sssurface-" Manasha hissed, and Harry turned towards Luna to clear his confusion.
Their eyes met, and after a few moments of their bizarre silent conversation, Harry turned back towards Draco.
"Draco, I need you to imagine yourself as a snake. I know it sounds stupid, but yeah, you close your eyes and imagine yourself being a snake, hissing at Manasha; that is—" Harry said, awkwardly scratching his neck.
Draco frowned but nodded; closing his eyes, he imagined himself to be a serpent... His blood dropped the temperature... He felt something shift inside him. Draco's tongue felt tingling... His head felt lightheaded. He focused on the feelings. In the back of his head, the primal and raw magic erupted from his core, making his skin sparkle silver.
Narcissa gasped along with Hannah and Theo as they watched Draco with fascination as if he were a unique specimen, making something in Harry's chest burn, but he decided to take it down as he bit his tongue to calm his emotions...
Finally, Draco opened his eyes, and Manasha's tongue flickered gently over his face.
"Hello again, white boy—" Manasha hissed.
"Ssssalazar'sss Ballssss!" Draco cursed and almost fell from his stool... Almost.
"Sssso very uncouth of you, hatchling'ssss boy-" Manasha teased, and Harry snorted at the title directed at Draco.
Narcissa just couldn't believe that she was hearing her son 'talk' to a serpent, and Lucius squeezed her hand, his eyes giving a look that said he would explain later.
"I— I— I— can ssspeak to you?" Draco whispered hesitantly, awe evident in his voice.
"An excellent obssservation, Malfoy-" Harry grinned when Draco glared at him.
"But how?" Draco asked the black snake instead of his newly made 'lover'.
'Oh! Salazar! I have a lover-'
"Due to your Occamy inheritance, white boy-"
"But then why wassssn't I able to understand you in the firsssst place?" Draco tilted his head, and Manasha slithered closer to him so that now she was half on Harry and half on Draco's lap.
"Occamiessss Share a link between reptilessss and aves. They are halve birds, halve ssserpents, and I can taste some Veela lineage in your ancestry, ssso you are more of a bird than a serpent. Yesterday, your sssensesss were overwhelmed with the magical surge, and your both characters were on the sssurface-" Manasha hissed, and it seemed like she was mocking Draco, on which he furrowed his brows.
"SSsso?"
"-Ssso White boy, your serpentine abilities are in the minority and will only function if you intend them to function; it's different from Parsssselmagic-" Manasha provided information, and Draco nodded... It made some sense, as Malfoys were known to have Veela ancestry in their lineage, so it was not much of a shock to him, but he pondered what abilities he might have...
As if sensing Draco's thought, Harry tapped on his shoulder and smiled before saying, "The gifts will be discovered when the time comes. They will outshine the throne when the world burns-"
Harry sounded so much like Lovegood that it made Draco snap in frustration.
"And you know thissss, how?"
Harry's grin grew, his gaze briefly flickering towards Lovegood, who was serenely munching on a croissant. Then, his eyes locked onto Draco's.
"The Nargalessss told me-" Harry said with so much intensity that it made Draco gulp before shifting in his seat.
"Enough now; your mom isss on the verge of passing out, ssso we should end the converssssation in this language-" Harry tutted, and Draco turned to look at his mother, whose jaw was hanging open and whose face looked paler than ever.
"Okay, how do I end thisss?"
"Think of reversing it, like thinking about you being a human, I guess." Harry shrugged and looked at Luna, who gave him a smile, her eyes foggy.
'Typical Luna...'
'Ugh! He's so bloody cute—' Harry couldn't resist and planted a quick peck on Draco's cheek before turning to Luna to resume their conversation.
"You are the best, my little moon," he said, smiling at the girl, and everyone sighed at the weird interaction.
"We will have them soon, brother dearest," she replied, her hand raised to untangle a strand of Harry's hair, and Harry instinctively leaned into her touch...
"Am I back?" Draco's voice came out hoarse and dry, followed by a cough. Harry swiftly grabbed a glass of water, offering it to Draco and assisting him.
"Yes," Harry affirmed, patting Draco's back gently, while Lucius cleared his throat.
"While it was undeniably fascinating, would you care to elaborate on what transpired?"
"Oh, Father, apparently I have some serpent genes, so I can speak and recognise Parseltongue if I concentrate enough," Draco replied in a monotone, but a ghost smile was on his lips, which no one noticed.
Before anyone could react, the fireplace emitted a ringing sound, indicating someone had just arrived through Floo Network.
The rhythmic tapping of heels resonated in the room, drawing all attention as a woman entered. Rising from his seat, Blaise hurried towards her, a joyful expression lighting up his face.
"Mama!" Blaise's exclamation filled the air, and the woman enveloped him in a tight embrace...
Draco offered a soft smile, understanding the depth of Blaise's emotions – he, too, had lost his mother during the war.
"Tesorino, why did you vanish without even informing me of your whereabouts, hmm?" A voice that could rival a nightingale's song echoed through the dining hall, heralding the entrance of a stunning woman. Her rich, dark-chocolate skin appeared to radiate a natural glow, unmarred by any imperfection. Her attire clung to her curvaceous figure with elegance, cascading in a silk cascade of red waves from her hips. Her regal countenance was perfectly framed by her long chestnut hair...
'No wonder she gets so many husbands.' Harry mused.
"I'm sorry, mama-" Blaise sighed when Issabella fondly ruffled his hair.
"Just promise me you won't disappear like that again, alright? Organizing your father's funeral wasn't something I had planned for so soon," Issabella chided gently. Blaise chuckled at her words, savoring the flowery fragrance that enveloped her. Issabella wrestled with maintaining a stern expression, battling the urge to break into a smile.
"What number was he, mama?"
"Sixth," Blaise shook his head, a fond smile gracing his lips. This was the feeling he had longed for – the warmth of his mother's presence... When he had lost her; it felt like the end of his world. He had never laughed freely after that day...
But now, he was finally alive and feeling happy again...
'I will save her at all costs—no, not again-'
"Why did you drop him so soon, huh?" Blaise queried, though he was well aware of the answer.
"It's hardly my fault that he was able to abduct my Cerbiatto Mio to impregnate me with his offspring," Issabella smirked, her words dripping with a mix of amusement and disdain, "-or so he may have thought."
Their embrace concluded, and Blaise playfully tugged the woman towards the table...
Meanwhile, Narcissa glared at the look on Lucius' face.
' Yes, she is beautiful, but really?'
"Ah, I believe I was not expecting to have the company of so many children—" Issabella gave Blaise a pointed look, but he just shrugged, smiling like a puppy who had finally reconciled with its owner, and then she looked at Draco, who rubbed the back of his neck, uneasily, but was not responding as he always did while in her presence. She frowned, wondering what was wrong with her magic, and then finally her eyes landed on Harry.
Her brows raised, but she didn't vocalise her surprise; Potter was looking different... good kind of different —than she had ever seen him in the prophet... Even Issabella was only able to recognise him due to the infamous scar, which was also lighter than she had seen.
"You must be Mr. Potter," Issabella said, coming up and holding out her hand. "I have read much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you-"
Harry kissed her hand and gave her a smile, saying, "It's my pleasure to be blessed with your company, ma'am. You are simply enchanting."
Issabella laughed, and even Hannah was mesmerised by the sultry sound that she made as she shifted in her seat.
Blaise shot a glare at Harry, who simply raised an eyebrow in response...
"Just as suave as your mother before you." Issabella remarked, playfully patting his cheek.
"My mother?" Harry inquired, slightly taken aback, as he had expected to be likened to his father in such situations.
"Yes, your mother was quite the charmer, Mr. Potter," Issabella remarked with a smile, and Harry had to blink when he felt Manasha raise her head, flicking her tongue towards Issabella, who eyed the snake, mesmerised.
Harry's intense gaze locked onto her brown eyes, and a mischievous smirk curled his lips as Issabella gasped in astonishment. The dampening of her magic, the tingling of her core – all of it was an unexpected sensation, urging her to submit to the teenager's presence. Yet, she valiantly fought the urges, maintaining her composure as her gaze met Harry's once again...
In the midst of it all, Narcissa observed a transformation in Lucius – his demeanor shifting from treating Issabella as if she were a precious jewel to now furrowing his brow at her with concern...
"I'd suggest refraining from employing your allure during our discussion, my lady," Harry remarked with a playful smirk. Draco's eyebrows furrowed as he observed Issabella's gaze fixated on Harry, her expression transitioning into a smile before she shifted her attention to Blaise.
"I suppose you owe me some explanations, mon Amore,"
"Yes, Mama, if you have a seat and continue with the oath......"
~~~
Two hours drifted by, and as they unveiled their identities as time travelers from the future, Issabella's astonishment was palpable. Then, the revelation of the titles that Blaise had inherited left her speechless...
"I need a drink," she said, giving Lucius a pointed look when he shook his head in denial.
"No, Mama. Our priority is reaching the founder's den," Blaise replied gently, causing Issabella to emit a resigned sigh.
Issabella's head was overwhelmed by all the information, but it didn't answer the mystery of why the raven-haired boy made her feel so... submissive? or why her magic seemed to be resonating around the blonde Lovegood girl? She refrained from voicing these questions though, realizing that the abundance of knowledge provided was already overwhelming. For now, she relished the thought of solving these mysteries herself...
Issabella finally said, "I am gifting a set of chocolates to the beloved headmaster -" and her lovely boy laughed, easing some of her worries.
'At least they will be safe now. History won't repeat itself... No, I won't let my baby angel suffer that fate-'
"No, Aunt, I shall be the one to provide him with a taste of what he deserves," Draco venomously interjected. A smile formed on Issabella's lips as she glanced around the table, greeted by the shared grins of everyone present.
The teens—or, er, she should say 'physically," teens—were powerful. She could feel it—the taste of their intoxicating magic, the power, the feeling so grey—
'They are not alone.'
Issabella observed with a mix of fascination and bewilderment as the Lovegood girl began to hum a low, enchanting melody. It was a tune that seemed to stir a shiver down her skin. Then, Harry burst into laughter, his attention focused on the girl as he affectionately petted the snake coiled around his neck.
'Circe, the girl is...'
A few moments later, a white snowy owl gracefully entered the room, trailed by a group of loudly protesting house-elves who seemed determined to prevent it from "disturbing their Queenie."
"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed; his voice filled with emotion... He extended his hand, and the owl landed on his elbow, elegantly, and gave him a look.
If stares could kill, Harry would be dead...
"Oh, girl, I'm so sorry. I left you with them." Harry cooed and tried to pet her head, on which he received an attack by her sharp claws.
"My girl, please, I would have never left you if I knew I was not returning to the Durselys. You know that right-" Harry gave his owl puppy eyes, which made Draco snort...
'Oh, Salazar, this is amusing-'
"Hedwig, please; now that I know, I will complete my bond, love-" Harry tried to bribe the owl, which seemed to work as he was successful in touching her head.
"You will complete that in the night, hatchling." Manasha hissed, giving the owl an approved look.
"Why?" Harry hissed back, and Hedwig tilted her head, staring at the snake with a calculating gaze.
"We don't want you over-exhaussssted, in the middle of the day, do we?"
Harry nodded in understanding, and Hedwig seemed to understand Manasha as well that she extended her leg in front of Harry instead of continuing her death glare.
Taking the parchment from the pouch tied to Hedwig's leg, Harry started to read its contents.
Our dear Harrykins, We would like to meet you right this instant, it's rather important, we cannot discuss it in the letters, we overheard an enlightening conversation and got to know you are in your Aunt Marge's home, the same aunt, who you blew up this year, not that was bad, but we remember the condition of your house, we have a feeling that something is wrong, we are attaching a button in this parchment, that would portkey you to the Leaky Cauldron, where we are waiting for you, in room 677, this portkey is invented by us, so beware of losing your limbs or two, just say 'Feet off the table' to make it activate, but don't be afraid, we would be ready with limb generation, potions, We love you, our dearest brother.
~Love- Gred and Forge
Harry folded the parchment back with a smile.
"It looks like we're about to have some more company," he announced, his tone lighthearted...
***********
~Love-K.D
नमस्ते।