Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Monday, 1 July

"Are you well, my Lady?" Lettie asked, frowning slightly.

"Pardon?" Ginevra asked, turning to her with a blank look.

"Are you well?" she repeated, her frown deepening.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You've been standing in the same spot for ten minutes. You haven't stopped staring at the Muggles in that time," Lettie added.

Ginevra tore her gaze away from the blood - the Muggles, she corrected herself quickly - and released her grip on the railing. Bits of wood came apart, indicating just how hard she'd been holding it.

"Would you care for some tea, my Lady?" Lettie offered, her gaze moving away from the splintered wood quickly.

Ginevra relented and nodded, letting her companion take her to her room at the far end of the mansion.

It didn't help much; it hadn't in the past week and two days. Even from this distance she could still smell their blood, their cuts, their scrapes, the bruises and the clotted blood beneath the skin. She could almost taste their rushes of adrenaline when a vampire got too close too quickly. The blood was just sitting there, and she couldn't have any of it.

"I'll see if my Lord Draconius can arrange a meeting with you for this afternoon, my Lady," Lettie said as she poured the tea.

"Thank you. If you could organise for me to go to him, that would be much appreciated," Ginevra added as an afterthought.

"Yes, my Lady," she replied with a nod.

They sat in silence for a few moments. The smell became too much for Ginevra and she tried to think of something to do, something to say, anything to distract her from the blood.

"If you would like to inspect your apartment, I believe it is ready now," Lettie announced, drawing her attention immediately.

"The apartment? In Muggle London?" she asked, surprised.

Lettie nodded, looking pleased. "Yes, my Lady. The real estate agent was quite pleasant and gave me phone numbers for all of the tradespeople required to inspect and fix the apartment to proper standards. I believe there was an overcharge, but the allowed expenses covered it," she added quickly.

"A month to do all of that? Are you sure it's ready?" Ginevra asked with a frown.

"There is a severe case of unemployment in the Muggle world at the moment, my Lady. I think most of the workers were pleased to have a job and get their money as soon as they could."

She nodded in response, drinking her tea slowly and methodically to keep her concentration elsewhere. "Please try to organise that then, Lettie. It would be much nicer than our current ... room," Ginevra said.

Lettie patted her arm sympathetically. There was an abandoned ruin halfway between the vampire and Veelan's houses, and it was at this rotting place that Draco and Ginevra were allowed to meet if neither house could accommodate them. The roof had deteriorated so much over the years that no magic could restore it, and Ginevra was often forced to 'eat and run' as she called it. Neither she nor Draco were pleased with the arrangement, but there was little they could do without a place to call their own.

"Have you heard from the others yet?" Ginevra asked, finishing her tea.

"A report came this morning during your training," Lettie replied, pulling the scroll from her robes. "The four twins are still training the Hogwarts students. They are progressing well with their preferred weapons but still have yet to learn to wield both a weapon and a wand.

"Theodore and Millicent are still in Antarctica with Pansy. She is almost completely healed, and requests an audience with you when you are able.

"Seamus and Blaise are in the forest; Neville's whereabouts are unknown and the Night Fairy has also disappeared.

"Colin is on the dragon reserve with his mother, and Apollo is teaching him to use a bow and arrow in human form.

"There is still no word on Luna or Gregory, my Lady," she finished, looking up at Ginevra.

She sighed and nodded. "I hadn't expected one, but I am just glad that I can still feel them in here," she said, tapping her temple. "Schedule a meeting with Pansy for a week's time. Send a scroll to Seamus and Blaise to ask them if they know where Neville is. It's not the nymph's birthing season yet, so he shouldn't be in their world, but it could be possible."

Lettie wrote her instructions on a piece of parchment quickly, putting it in her pocket when Ginevra was silent.

"How is your training going?"

"Well, thank you, my Lady. I am able to sense most vampires in the immediate vicinity now, and my sword work is improving."

"And what about Miles?"

"What about him, my Lady?" she asked, blushing.

"How are things going with him?" Ginevra asked with a slight grin.

"There is nothing happening between him and myself, my Lady."

"But you want it to," she stated matter-of-factly.

"It is a time of war; I do not want to enter into anything rashly when I cannot be certain of the future," Lettie answered diplomatically.

"The truth, Lettie."

"I... I do not understand his attraction to me," she said quietly, not able to look up at Ginevra. "He has the physique of a very attractive twenty year old, and most of the women here are closer to his physical age than me. Most of the women here want him in their beds, yet he wants me. I'm thirty-two in body and almost eighteen in my mental age; he's twenty in body and he's the gods' know how old. I just can't understand it," she repeated, shaking her head.

"Perhaps he does not like women who look younger," Ginevra offered with a smile. "As for the rest of it, you will have to ask him yourself," she added, shrugging. "It's impossible to guess anything accurately and it's much easier to ask the question rather than assuming."

Lettie nodded, sighing. "I know, my Lady."

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Seamus leapt between the trees, hunting the intruder. The person seemed to know exactly where he was going to go, what he was going to do. It was infuriating. Orion burst out of him, eager to hunt.

He notched an arrow on the bow, ready to fire.

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

Orion faded as Seamus heard Luna for the first time in weeks.

Luna?

Put the bow and arrow away, Seamus.

He did as she said, wondering what was going on. A soft tread to his side had Seamus spinning around, his wand at the ready.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Apollo would not be happy," Luna said, gently lowering his wand.

"What are ye doing here? Where have ye been?" Seamus asked, still shocked that she was right in front of him.

"I needed to talk to you, and you wouldn't have left your lover's company for anything less than a threat on the forest," she said, not really answering his questions. "Neville needs your help."

A cold shiver ran down Seamus' spine. "Where is he?" he asked, the words thick in his throat.

"The nymph world, where else?" Luna said simply. "Come, we don't have much time."

She held out her hand. Seamus didn't hesitate, taking her hand. They disappeared immediately, the trees swaying slightly as the wind began to change.

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Draco waited at the ruins, pacing impatiently. He was as eager to see Ginevra as she was him. His fangs pushed out and he hissed slightly.

"Lovely to see you too, Draco," Ginevra said, smirking at him.

He didn't bother answering, instead kissing her intently, his hands cupping her face. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, keeping him close.

A small cough interrupted them and they both pulled away with fangs bared.

"If you would prefer to take this inside, I can take you to the apartment before returning to the vampire mansion," Lettie said, trying not to sound nervous at the fact that both of their eyes were red.

"Very well. Sorry, Lettie," Ginevra said with a slight grin, taking Draco's hand in her own.

Lettie nodded and took their free hands, disappearing to Muggle London. Draco and Ginevra removed their robes, putting them over their arms as they would a coat.

"Would you like a tour, or would you prefer to see everything yourselves?" Lettie asked as they walked to the building.

Ginevra looked around the street, trying to find something a landmark so she'd be able to Apparate at a later date.

"We might have something to eat first and then look around ourselves," Draco replied.

"Of course. I have three sets of keys; one for each of you and one for myself in an emergency," Lettie said, leading them up the stairs.

"That's a good idea," Ginevra said, knowing full well that she'd be able to open the door, keyless or not.

"It was the real estate agent's idea. Apparently Mug... people often lock themselves out of their apartments and have no way of getting back inside without calling a locksmith. I have been told that it is very expensive," Lettie said in a conversational tone as she fished in her small bag to find the key.

Finding it eventually, Lettie opened the door and walked inside to hold it open for Draco and Ginevra. They walked inside to find a very different apartment from the pictures they'd first seen. Lettie smiled at their expressions, quite pleased with the apartment herself.

The kitchen had been altered, as had the bedrooms. The lounge room now had hardwood floors rather than the ugly and stained carpet, the bay window had been restored to its' former glory, and all of the walls had been painted a soft cream colour. Lettie had taken it upon herself to throw out the previous owner's furniture when she'd found cockroaches living in one of the kitchen cabinet drawers.

While Draco and Ginevra had been training, Miles had taken Lettie to various shops in the wizarding world to replace all of the furniture. It hadn't helped that a lot of the sales witches had thought Miles to be Lettie's boytoy, and the looks they gave her had Lettie gripping her wand for most of the time, trying to keep from hexing them. Miles hadn't seemed to mind their looks, and the memory of shopping for a bed brought a blush to her cheeks.

"Thank you for all of this, Lettie. It's wonderful," Ginevra said, smiling at her.

"You're most welcome, my Lady. I'll leave you to look around now. Enjoy your evening, my Lady, my Lord," Lettie replied with a curtsy.

Draco and Ginevra bid their farewell, although they were slightly confused at her sudden departure. Lettie hurried to leave the building, heading to a side alley and disappearing to the vampire mansion.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ginevra asked, frowning at Draco.

"I think Lettie just noticed how I've been staring at you instead of the apartment," he replied, smirking.

Ginevra laughed softly, kissing him. Her lips moved to his neck and she bit him, drawing blood. With a groan of pleasure, Draco wrapped his arms around her and headed to the bedroom.

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Lettie hurried through the mansion. She didn't want to see anyone, she just wanted to get to her room and relax for the evening. Miles saw her and fell into step beside her, keeping up easily.

"Did they like the apartment?" he asked with a slight grin.

Her thoughts still on the bed incident - honestly, they really shouldn't allow people to lie on their beds when they were that damn sexy - Lettie just nodded in response. She went to open the door to her room.

"Are you sure? You don't look all that happy, Lettie," he replied, taking hold of her arm to stop her.

"I'm fine, Miles. Really," she added, blushing again.

He'd stared at her as he lay on that damn bed, looking at her as if he could imagine her standing before him naked. She'd seen the look on other's faces when she was Lavender, and it seemed that it didn't change, no matter how old the person was.

Miles frowned at her, not looking as though he believed her words. He opened the door to her room and pulled her inside. "We're safe in here, Lettie. No one will hear us. Tell me what's wrong, please," he added, looking at her flushed face.

Lettie's eyes were all but glued to his hand, his cool skin on her own, his fingers wrapped around her arm gently yet firmly. He treated her as if she was precious, and even as Lavender, with her tens of boyfriends, she'd never had someone act that way towards her.

"Lettie?" he said, drawing her attention.

There was that little frown and crease of his eyebrow, showing his concern even more than his tone did. Reaching up, she smoothed it down gently, her face burning.

"Nothing's wrong," she murmured softly, cupping his face.

Miles took her free hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm gently.

"I'm very glad to hear that, Lettie," he said, his voice no more than a whisper.

She bit her lip, rising on her toes, watching him intently. It seemed like it had been forever since she'd done anything like this. What if she did it wrong? What if he didn't want her? She wasn't as young, or as pretty, as she used to be. What if she disgusted him?

Miles waited patiently, his hands clenched at his sides. He would let her make this choice, even if it took years of waiting. He didn't want to rush her and have Lettie regret it. Of course, it didn't stop him from hoping she'd kiss him, the mantra running through his head as he saw her indecision.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Lettie saw that he was barely able to hold himself back. With a tiny smile, she pressed her lips to Miles', kissing him gently. He relaxed beneath her kiss, but still didn't move to touch her. He'd probably lose control over himself then, and he doubted he'd be able to stop.

Lettie clung to his shoulders, licking his lips and delighting in his moan. Gods', she'd missed this. But, even though she was just kissing him, Lettie knew that it was so much more and so different than what she'd experienced before. She was different, and this entire experience would be as well.

Despite his earlier resolve, Miles couldn't help himself from holding her as he kissed her back. Couldn't keep from pressing his body against her, moaning as she licked his lips. It had been too long since his last lover, too long since he'd felt anything other than a butler's concern for someone in the mansion.

"Miles, please," Lettie murmured, sounding breathless.

Her words had him stopping immediately, worried that he'd hurt her. Had he bruised her, bitten her lip, injured her without realising it?

She looked at him in confusion, and when she saw his look, she smiled. "I didn't mean for you to stop."

Lettie kissed him again, softly and briefly this time. Leading him to her bed, she was slightly surprised when he stopped and didn't move.

"I don't want to rush you into anything, Lettie," he said.

"I wasn't going to," she admitted, blushing again. "I just thought it'd be more comfortable to kiss you sitting down," she added, her face reddening further.

He smiled at her, easing her worries almost immediately, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Miles kissed her hand once more and gently pulled Lettie down to him.

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"How is Neville in trouble, exactly?" Seamus asked as they walked through the nymph's forest.

Luna didn't reply for so long that Seamus thought she hadn't heard him. Just as he was about to repeat his question, Luna answered, her voice quiet.

"The nymphs are putting him on trial for using his Birth and Death powers to kill those Death Eaters."

"What? But if he hadn't then those fuckin' bastards would have killed tens more people!" Seamus said, enraged.

"I know that, Seamus. Do try to calm down," she added as an afterthought.

"So how am I supposed to help Nev then?" he asked, trying to redirect his thoughts away from his anger.

"I'm not entirely sure, myself. Let's see how it goes, shall we?" Luna replied with a smile.

Stopping in front of a large weeping willow tree, she murmured something so softly that even Seamus couldn't hear her words. The branches parted and Luna stepped into the shadows. With only a second of hesitation, he followed her inside. A nymph hurried over to Luna when he noticed her, glancing back to the gathered nymphs nervously.

"Lady Cassandra, we are, as always, pleased at your presence. However, it will be necessary for you ... and your friend," the nymph added, seeing Seamus standing behind her, "to wait outside until this trial is over."

"I think we'll be fine here, Tyrone," Luna replied pleasantly, moving to seat herself at the end of the semicircle that had formed around Neville.

Before Tyrone could stop him, Seamus went and sat next to Luna, his eyes never leaving Neville.

Directly across from the gathered nymphs were another smaller assortment of nymphs. They looked older than the others, but it had nothing to do with their flawless beauty. Their eyes showed their age, and it seemed that the purple streaks braided into their hair was an indicator of this as well.

Neville was kneeling before the purple-streaked nymphs, but his back was straight and he held his head high. He was in his nymph form, streaks of green through his own hair. His vine tattoos were brighter than Seamus ever remembered seeing them before, and they were twining around his biceps slowly.

"You understand your charges, Neville. What do you have to say for yourself?" the front nymph, a female with long brunette hair and bright purple streaks, asked.

"I had good reason to do what I did and I don't regret it," Neville said confidently.

"You abused your powers!" a nymph to the side said, looking angry. "You knowingly went against the natural order of Birth and Death!"

"And I would do it over again! Do you really believe that Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters are adhering to the natural order? They are killing more and more wizards and Muggles every day. When the rest of the world is dead, they will turn on us, and I can assure you that they will not stop until every one of us is a slave or killed," Neville said, looking at each of the nymphs in turn.

Seamus watched as Neville's vine tattoos spun faster with his anger, the thorns seemingly invisible.

Murmurs surrounded them, worried and fearful whispers that spread to even those on the judging side.

"We understand, Neville, and we will decide whether we will fight them when the time deems it necessary. However, we are here to deal with your recent actions," the front nymph said, stilling the whispers.

"Oh, it looks like we weren't needed after all," Luna murmured.

Seamus looked to her, finally looking away from Neville. "What do ye mean?" he asked softly.

"Neville, your punishment for the abuse of your power is to stay in the nymph world for three months," the nymph said.

Neville seemed to be waiting for more, and when she didn't say anything more, he nodded. "I accept my punishment and will stay in the nymph world for three months."

"How is tha' fair? He cannae fight if he's stuck here," Seamus hissed to Luna, wondering exactly what she had Seen.

"Patience, Seamus. Neville can explain it later," she murmured, resting her hand on his arm gently.

It seemed that the nymph's word was final and within seconds, Seamus and Luna were the only two left on their side of the tree. On the other side, the judging nymphs left slower until the head nymph was alone. Between them, Neville was still kneeling on the ground.

"Are you well, Terra?" Neville asked, frowning at the nymph.

"Fine, fine. You know I despise politics," she replied, waving his concern away easily.

"Why didn't you give me a date to stay? I can choose to stay here for three months at any time then," he said, sounding confused.

"Exactly. There is a war going on out there, and I do not wish to confine you here when you can be of better use out in the mortal world," she replied fondly, smiling at him.

"Better use?" Neville echoed. "You need me to do something for you?"

Terra laughed softly. "Good observation, Neville. I will ask you later. For now, I suggest you take your lover away before he taints the Judgement Tree," she said, her eyes flicking over to Seamus.

Seamus reddened slightly, but he was only embarrassed at being caught. He'd been staring at Neville hungrily, thinking of every thing he was going to do to him the moment they were alone.

"If you will excuse me, Lady Terra, I do believe it will be best if you tell Neville what you require of him now. Seamus will be pivotal in helping," Luna said, stepping forward.

"I said not to use my title, Cassandra. I have lived for far too long to believe in such trivialities," Terra said, turning to look at Neville once more. "My granddaughter went into the mortal world soon after you came to us. I believe those Death Eaters have taken her and are using her for their evil deeds. She is too innocent a child to have to deal with such negativity."

Seamus stared at Terra, trying to wrap his head around the fact that the nymph had a granddaughter. She looked to be sixteen years old, eighteen at the oldest!

"Why do you think the Death Eaters took her?" Neville asked, frowning.

"I received a message from her three months ago. It was the last time I have heard from her since, and I am worried for her."

Terra stepped back, her hand flying through the air elegantly. As Seamus watched, the air that she touched lit up, much like a permanent firework. Terra's hand fell to her side and she sighed softly. A Dark Mark, lit up with every colour of the rainbow, was hanging in the air in front of her. The snake protruding from the skull's mouth was even moving. It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing Seamus had ever seen.

"How'd ye get a message from 'er?" Seamus asked, looking away from the skull.

"She is my direct descendant, and as such we have a mind connection. The only way it can be stopped is through powerful Dark Magic."

"We will need a picture of her and something that belonged to her, if you don't mind," Neville replied, his gaze still on the skull and snake.

"I have a lock of her hair but no picture. I can show you what she looks like, if you believe that will help?" Terra asked.

Neville nodded, and to Seamus' relief, the Dark Mark disintegrated. Terra drew her granddaughter in the same way as before.

Luna tapped Seamus' shoulder gently and he looked away from the woman forming.

"Take a picture for me. Colin can change it so she looks human," Luna murmured, holding out Colin's camera for him.

"Colin let ye take his camera?" Seamus asked with a chuckle.

"Of course he did. There were threats from me and tears from him, but the end result will make amends for both," she said, smiling brightly.

"I take it ye mean yer plannin' on shaggin' him senseless?" he asked, grinning.

"You have such a filthy mind Seamus. But yes, you're right."

Seamus laughed and turned to the picture once more, taking a few photos as Luna had requested. "They're probably nae ver' good," he admitted, handing the camera back. "I'm nae good at it like..."

Seamus' words were cut off abruptly as Neville kissed him eagerly. His lips curved into a grin and Seamus wrapped his arms around Neville, kissing him back just as passionately.

"Oh, dear. Lucky you waited for me to get the camera," Luna murmured. "Why don't you show Seamus to your place, Neville? I fear Terra was right, it wouldn't do good to taint the Judgement Tree," she added, gently pushing them towards the open branches.

Smiling to herself, Luna turned and left the way Terra had gone.

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Tuesday, 2 July

Gregory shifted slightly, uncomfortable in the ridiculous outfit the King had adorned him with. Apparently, he needed to have something that showed he was a war General, and that something was a blood-red outfit that was too tight for his size. He couldn't wait to leave this room and alter them with magic. Gregory knew that the King wouldn't appreciate him changing the clothes in front of him. No matter if he was the war General or not, the King still didn't like the use of magic near him. It frightened the troll more than he would admit.

"Do we even know where the Dark Lord is? It's a bit difficult to fight him if we don't know where he is," Griselda muttered, looking at the map spread out on the table.

"His last known location was in Little Hangleton, here," Gregory replied, indicating to Riddle House on the map.

She nodded, not looking at him. "That still doesn't tell us where he is now, does it?"

Gregory was pleased that Griselda had stopped staring at him. She barely looked at him now, but it was better than her getting the wrong impression and him having to turn her down. He doubted that it would have been a pleasant outcome.

"My friends are trying to figure out where he is. I will write to them this afternoon and we should know in the fortnight," Gregory replied.

"If that's the case, there's no point in us being in here! Get outside and start training that useless lot!" the King demanded.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Gregory replied with a bow.

He left to the gathered trolls outside. They were all armed, whether with club or a mug of ale. Gregory had the unfortunate experience of being in a drinking contest two nights ago. The ale the trolls drank was far worse than anything he'd ever had in the wizarding world. His head still ached from it.

"Right, who's ready to train?" he asked, grinning at them all.

They cheered, eager for a fight. Ale was drunk and in the crowd, someone was smacked on the head with a club. A brawl began immediately, a mess of limbs and growls from the pile up. Gregory stood back and watched. While they were all preoccupied he altered his clothes with an inward sigh of relief.

Within five minutes, the fight had finished. Trolls were bruised, others were bleeding, but none of them were excessively hurt.

Shaking his head, Gregory sighed. He had a lot of work to do.

"Pair up. I want to see how you go against each other," he called over the groans of pain.

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"I say we stay here for the rest of the day," Draco murmured with a smirk, running his hand along Ginevra's thigh.

"Mmm, that sounds nice, love," she replied, turning in his embrace to kiss him.

He covered her body with his own, deepening the kiss quickly. Turning them over, Ginevra bit his neck and licked at the blood slowly, teasing him. Grinning as she pulled away from him, she gave him a peck on the lips and got off the bed before he could stop her.

"Ginevra," he growled, "Share."

"I shared enough with you last night, Draco," she replied, still grinning. Gathering her clothes spread across the room, Ginevra headed to the bathroom. "Come on, love. The war won't end without us."

"As depressing as that thought is, it's actually true," he muttered, sitting up.

"You wrecked my shirt. Not even magic will be able to save this now," Ginevra muttered, showing him the scraps of material.

"That's my shirt. You did that, love, not me," Draco replied, smirking.

Gathering the rest of the clothes, he joined Ginevra in the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously when he turned on the taps in the shower.

"Having a shower so I can go back to the Veela house. You said that we need to save the world, remember?"

"I know. I just didn't think you'd give up so easily," she replied.

"Who said I was giving up?" Draco said, grabbing her around the waist and stepping into the shower with her.

Ginevra's laughter was cut off by a kiss. With a smirk, Draco moved his lips to her neck and bit the soft flesh gently, sucking and licking at the flowing blood. Pressing his body against hers, he kissed her once more. Ginevra's arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him tight against her as she kissed him back. Draco pulled away slowly, his forehead resting against hers. Reaching behind Draco, Ginevra grabbed the soap and cloth, a grin on her face.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "I think you're just going to waste the soap, love."

"We'll see about that," she replied, moving so they were both under the water.

"It wasn't a challenge, Ginevra," he said.

She replied with a noncommittal sound, already soaping his chest with the washer. Draco relented for the moment - it did feel nice, and it gave him a chance to stare at her breasts for longer than she normally would have allowed - but he assured himself that he wouldn't let her win. Even though it wasn't a challenge.

In a few minutes, all thought of challenges and winning went out of his mind and her hand wrapped around his cock, the soap making her grip slippery. Growling her name, Draco pulled her to him, kissing her eagerly. Her hand continued its' ministration and her lips curved into a smile as his fingers gripped her shoulders tightly.

"We should probably get ready, love. Lettie will be here soon," she said, pulling away.

"Finish what you've started," he said, his voice rough.

With a smirk, Ginevra began to clean him once more.

"Not what I was talking about, Ginevra," he said, pressing his erection between her legs.

Moaning softly, Ginevra ground down against his cock, her breasts rubbing against his wet chest. Unable to hold back, Draco thrust into her, lifting her to gain better access. Ginevra wrapped her legs around his waist, moving in time with his thrusts quickly. Keeping one hand on her hip, Draco ran his nails across her breast. The water from the shower mixed with her blood, diluted red liquid slipping along the curve of her breast. He licked the blood slowly, his lips wrapping around the wound as he sucked harder.

Draco barely noticed when Ginevra took his wrist and bit into it. Ginevra pulled Draco away from her breast as the wound closed and kissed him hard, her tongue and his own blood swirling in his mouth. He kissed her back harder, the taste of her blood mixing with his in their mouths. Holding each other tighter, they moved faster still, Ginevra's fingers balling in his hair as she pulled his head back to bite into his neck. Tightening around his cock inside her, she grinned when he hissed in pleasure and pain, her nails digging into Draco's back.

They were both drowning in a hazy mist of blood and sweat and sex, and some time later, whether it was seconds, minutes, or hours, Ginevra was clenching around Draco tightly, his name spilling from her lips as her orgasm shook her entire world. Draco wasn't too long after, coming hard as Ginevra kissed him.

Sighing contently, Ginevra rested her head against Draco's shoulder, pressing a light kiss to his skin. He pulled out of her gently, setting her on her feet, his hands staying on her hips. Draco took the cloth from Ginevra's clenched hand and cleaned her gently, washing her body in circular motions. Ginevra moaned as his free hand cupped and squeezed her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers. Kissing her, Draco licked her lips, his fingers continuing their assault on her sensitive skin.

There was a knock at the bedroom door and Draco pulled away from Ginevra with a sigh.

"We'll be out in a few minutes, Lettie," Ginevra called, knowing it was her companion.

They both heard the bedroom door shut quietly in response. Draco kissed Ginevra once more and they cleaned themselves quickly, each glancing at each other longingly.

"Don't be long, love," Ginevra said, stepping out of the shower.

Draco watched her wrap a towel around her body, and as she left into the bedroom, he turned the shower to a colder temperature. He finished his shower in time to see Ginevra walking out of the wardrobe, black tights and a loose green shirt on. When she saw him, she took the shirt off and threw it to him. He caught it easily, almost losing his hold on the towel wrapped around his waist.

"I heard you turn the shower to cold so I warmed your shirt for you," she said, grinning.

"What would I do without you?" he drawled, smirking at her. He could smell her on his shirt, he realised, his eyes closing as he breathed in the heady scent.

When she didn't respond immediately, he frowned and looked up at her. Ginevra was staring at the top of his towel, chewing her bottom lip. Smirking in satisfaction, Draco 'accidentally' dropped his towel. Her moan came unbidden and was soon captured by his mouth.

"We... we can't," she murmured, breathless.

She hadn't meant to stare. She'd seen it all before, and there'd been no reason to stare. But his body, the water, the blasted towel... All of it had just made her want to jump on him and fuck him silly. Again.

"Lettie's ... waiting for us," Ginevra added, trying to remember how to join words to create coherent sentences.

"She can wait longer then," he replied, his hand returning to its' earlier position at her breast.

"My Lady? Is everything all right?" Lettie asked, knocking on the door.

Ginevra could barely hold back her moan. Draco's hands were intent on making her brain turn to mush. And they were doing an explicably wonderful job of it. It would be a shame to stop their work, really...

"F-Fine... Give us another half hour... Hour," she corrected at Draco's low growl against her neck.

"Of course, my Lady. My apologies," Lettie replied, leaving the apartment quickly.

Draco bit into Ginevra's neck, his fingers working to undo her shirt. He planned on using their extra hour wisely...

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"Does our dear little sister look different to you, Forge?" George asked, nudging his twin and nodding over to Ginevra.

"Why yes, Gred, I believe she does..." Fred replied, grinning.

She was walking around the training students, giving tips and help every so often, but she seemed preoccupied. If the smile on her face was anything to go by, the twins would bet their life savings Ginevra had spent the night with Draco.

"Don't want to think about that, do we Gred?" Fred said, wrinkling his nose.

"Not at all, Forge. Our sister needs to be brought back to reality."

"All that time in the clouds isn't good for her head," he agreed with a nod.

"Oh, Ginevra?" Fred and George called.

She walked over, unsuspecting and unguarded. This just wouldn't do... The twins looped their arms around Ginevra's and walked her down to the forest, ignoring the questions from their friends.

"What's going on?" Ginevra asked, frowning in confusion.

"We needed to get you alone," they replied, going further into the forest.

When they were both past the wards, Fred and George Apparated with a loud combined bang.

Arriving at their destination, the twins held Ginevra steady as she gathered her bearings.

"Where are we? Why did you need to get me alone? We need to go back. Now!" she said, glaring at them.

"You were the one who asked us to keep this a secret, dearest," they replied, ignoring her look.

Fred and George led her up to the house that she hadn't seen, passing through the gate without blinking an eyelid.

Ginevra realised that she recognised the house. "Ollivander?" she asked, looking to them.

They just nodded in response and knocked on the door.

It was opened a few minutes later to reveal a weary yet smiling Ollivander.

"Welcome, do come in," he murmured, ushering them inside. "Pleasure to see you again, Ginevra," he said, shaking her hand. "I've been wondering when you'd come," Ollivander added, looking at the twins.

"Sorry, old chap. It's taken a while to get Ginevra on her own, you see," Fred said, shaking his hand.

"She's a popular one these days, what with the war starting and such," George finished, shaking Ollivander's free hand.

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid that she will become more ... popular as time goes on," he said. "Tea?" he asked, leading them into the small lounge room.

"Yes, please," Ginevra said, sitting on the seat he indicated.

"Two sugars for us, chap. Ginevra will just have one; she's had enough sugar today," Fred said, cutting off with a grunt when George nudged him sharply.

Ginevra glared, her hand curled into tight fist. She was going to kill them...

"Very well," Ollivander said, the corner of his lips quirking. "Here you are, dear," he said, handing the cup to Ginevra.

Her cheeks were red and she took the cup with lowered eyes.

"You love him very much, don't you?" Ollivander asked, sipping at his tea.

"Of course she does!" Fred said, glaring.

"You think our sister would shag someone she didn't love?" George said angrily.

"Well, then you should know better than to reprimand someone in love," Ollivander replied simply, smiling at Ginevra.

The twins went silent, looking at each other as they tried to think of a response.

"How are you, Ginevra? You look weary," Ollivander said sympathetically.

She was surprised at the question; no one had asked it of her in a while. "I am feeling weary, to be honest, Mr. Ollivander. The war hasn't even begun yet and I already wish it was over," she said truthfully.

He chuckled softly, sipping at his tea. "Please, call me Oscar. I doubt that you are the only one who feels that way, Ginevra. Just think of those who are required to wait out the war with nothing to do to help," Oscar said.

Ginevra nodded, sipping at her own tea. She noticed a small bag around his neck, and all of her visions that even mentioned that bag hit her at once.

"There is something you could do, Oscar," Ginevra said, smiling at him.

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Draco looked around at the students, trying to find Ginevra between the fights, swords, and spells.

"Padma, do you know where Ginevra is?" he asked, heading over to her.

"I haven't seen her for most of the morning," she replied with a brief frown.

There was a loud clash beside them, and Padma turned to the students with a glare. "You're supposed to hold onto the sword, not try to throw it at your opponent! That move doesn't work any more than your dagger throwing did yesterday!"

"Sorry, Padma," Terry said quickly, grabbing his sword and leaving as fast as possible.

"Ask Parvati, she might know," Padma said, going after Terry to make sure he didn't try the same stunt again.

Draco frowned slightly. He had the feeling that Padma was avoiding the question. Seeing Parvati across the pitch, Draco headed towards her.

"Malfoy! Get a shield and get into the air! The students need archery practice on a moving target," Moody said with a sadistic grin.

Draco repressed a glare. The Order member was still pissed off at them for what they'd done to the Death Eaters. The Order had found out, of course. Most of their spies had escaped the attack, thinking it was an Order mission they hadn't heard about yet. Those that hadn't escaped had Ginevra's red wave pass through them with minimal damage. Apparently, it had taken three wizards to calm Moody down, and Draco could still see his eye twitching in anger when he looked at any of them. In Moody's opinion, they'd let Voldemort escape and had spent time uselessly killing Death Eaters. The Muggles hadn't mattered to him as much as Voldemort being alive. If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was still alive, then he'd just be able to capture and torture more Muggles as revenge, or just for kicks.

"Just a minute, Professor. I'm looking for Ginevra," Draco said, trying to go around him.

"She's a big girl and can look after herself, Malfoy. Now, grab a shield and fly," Moody said roughly, glaring at him. "And none of that Veelan stuff again. They need a proper experience," he added, shoving a shield at him.

Sighing heavily, Draco donned the shield on his arm and turned into a Veelan. Repressing his Veelan hormones, he flapped his wings a few times to get into the air. An arrow shot at Draco without warning, quickly directing all of his thoughts to the task on hand. He was almost certain that Moody had shot that...

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"Well, that was a pleasant time," George said, folding the long parchment and putting it in Fred's pocket.

"Wonderfully pleasant, I dare say," Fred agreed with a nod. "We all got jobs to keep us busy," he said, grinning.

"We should have all of the ingredients Ollivander needs by the end of next week. It depends how long our supplier takes," George added.

"We'll let you know when Ollivander's done with the bags, okay?" Fred added.

"Thank you, I appreciate all that you're doing," she said, hugging them both. "I was wondering if you could do something else for me?" Ginevra asked, feeling guilty for taking up so much of their time.

"What is it?" they asked warily.

"I need you to organise better security for Oscar," she replied.

"How do you mean? He's in that place with a Secret Keeper; he'll never be found now," the twins replied, frowning.

"He might be in there with a Secret Keeper, but the Potter's had one too," she said, making them go silent. "I'll show you what I mean," Ginevra added, holding her hands out.

Fred and George took her hands without hesitation. With a loving smile at their trust, Ginevra showed them the vision she'd had about Ollivander all those months ago.

"Couldn't hurt to have extra protection," Fred murmured when the images faded.

"Better way to alert us if someone comes in against his will too," George added with a nod.

"We'd better take you back before we get too carried away, dearest sister," Fred said.

"Might never get back to Hogwarts then, and imagine what Draco would say," George said.

"Never mind what he'd say, imagine what he'd do! I like my fingers," his twin replied, wiggling his fingers with a light laugh.

"Right, back to Hogwarts then," they said in unison, moving to take Ginevra's hands once more.

"Actually, I'd like to go to Antarctica. If you don't mind, that is," she added.

They were both sombre in an instant. It was the first time Ginevra had gone to Antarctica since Theodore had moved Pansy to the medical facilities there. Nodding in understanding, Fred and George looped their arms around Ginevra's and Disapparated.

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"You didn't tell me you were coming. Is everything all right, Ginevra?" Theodore asked with a frown, quickly looking her over for any injuries.

"I'm fine, Theo. Fred and George just dropped me off. It was a spur of the moment decision," she added, easing his worries. "How is Pansy?"

"Her body's healed, but she still hasn't woken up. I can't fully assess her mental trauma until then. You can sit with her if you like?" he offered.

Ginevra nodded, following him through the iceberg's corridors. "Where's Millicent?" she asked as they passed the small room filled with books that Millicent was usually in.

"She went out for a run with Remus. There was something about penguins and leopard seals too. Tonks is still sleeping," he added in a whisper. "Don't think she's adjusted to the time zone yet."

"Bugger the time zones. It's the temperature I can't stand," Tonks said through a yawn, opening her door. "Hey Ginevra, long time no see," she added with a grin. "Coffee?" she asked Theodore.

"There's still a couple of cups left in the pot. I made sure they didn't drink it all this time," he added, smirking.

"Thanks ever so much," she said, rubbing her covered arms as she hurried to the kitchen.

"We've moved Pansy to a different room. Just down here," Theodore said, guiding Ginevra down a hallway. "You can hear the ocean in this room, and the sound seems to help her. Well, it's helping according to her brain patterns," he added.

"I'm not really surprised, her being a mermaid and all. Have you tried getting Pansy into water?" she asked curiously.

"Not yet. I'm waiting for her to wake up first. I'm not overly thrilled at the idea of drowning my patient," he drawled.

"I doubt Pansy would drown, and if you're that worried, why don't you get someone to hold her up?" Ginevra asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If Pansy wakes up and still thinks that she's in the hands of Voldemort, she'd consider it an attack and probably hurt whoever was holding her," Theodore replied.

Ginevra agreed after a moment, her arms falling to her sides.

"I'll check that Pansy's all right and then you can see her, okay?" Theodore said, pressing his hand to a small ice formation protruding from the wall of ice. There was a beep, a small flash of green, and the wall opened to reveal a hospital room, Pansy lying on the bed, motionless.

Before Ginevra could move forward, the wall appeared again, obscuring both Theodore and Pansy from view. Pressing her hand to the ice block, Ginevra waited for the wall to open again. It didn't, but the frosted ice began to clear to give her a window into the room.

Theodore was checking Pansy's vitals, his wand floating above her still form as he directed the magic to parts of her body. He frowned a few times at things Ginevra couldn't see or understand, but changed little from what she could see. Finished with his examination, Theodore turned to see Ginevra's head in the door. Stifling a laugh, Theodore opened the door and let her inside.

"Patience is a virtue, you know," he said, grinning at her.

"I was never good at being patient, I've gotten over it," Ginevra replied with a smirk.

"I'll leave you two alone. Let me know if anything happens," Theodore added, leaving the room.

Ginevra turned to Pansy, her smirk fading. The bruises were almost all healed, a yellow colouring to her skin for the worst ones. Cuts and similar wounds had all been healed, most of them without a scar. Theodore had also ensured that there was no internal bleeding. Physically, Pansy was fine.

Sitting beside her friend, Ginevra took Pansy's hand in her own. She wasn't sure what to say, and for a while, she said nothing. Then the silence began to creep in, and Ginevra could almost feel herself suffocating on it. She burst forth with words, sentences, not really knowing or caring what she was saying, anything to fill the void.

"You have to wake up, Pansy. It may be nice to sleep, and you might think all of your problems don't exist, but they do. You have to wake up. I miss you, Pans. I don't know what Theodore or Millicent have told you, but Vincent's dead. He's gone, and you can't follow him. Not yet, Pansy. Gregory's still alive. He's out in the world, waiting for you. I know it. Haven't heard from him in a while, but I know that he'll wait forever. He won't let you go, and that means you can't let go either. You have to wake up. Please, Pansy, please wake up. You have to wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up," she chanted, squeezing Pansy's hand tighter.

Ginevra closed her eyes, mouthing the mantra over. Pouring her emotions and power together, she tried to wake Pansy with magic. First her normal magic as a witch, and then her strengthened magic as a Vampiress.

Pansy didn't move.

Desperate, Ginevra tried to use her magic as Queen of All to wake Pansy up. Lightning crackled, the wind tore at them, the waves outside crashed against the iceberg loudly.

Nothing. Not a sound, a sudden breath, or a response to Ginevra squeezing her hand. Pansy didn't even blink an eyelid.

"Are you all right?" Theodore asked, opening the door. He hurried to check Pansy over, and then looked up to Ginevra. "A storm's starting to brew outside. It's too strong for me to control it, but I've managed to let Millicent know. She'll be back in about five minutes if you want to wait for her?"

"No. I'm sorry, I'm not feeling the best. I might just go back to Hogwarts, if you don't mind," Ginevra said, feeling weak on her feet.

"I'll take you back, Gin. Wouldn't mind getting some more winter clothes before I come back in the middle of a storm," Tonks said at the doorway, her gloved hands gripping a large mug tightly.

Ginevra nodded. "Thanks, Tonks. I'll come back when I can, okay, Theodore?" she said, kissing his cheek. "Look after Pansy for me," she added softly, looking to her friend.

"Of course," he said with a nod. "I'll let Millicent know you dropped by."

"Give her my apologies for not staying," she added, leaving quietly.

"Fireplace is just through here," Tonks said, leading her to a room a few hallways over. "Room's been magicked up to the brim so the fire doesn't melt the ice," she added, putting her mug down and warming her hands in front of the flames. When Ginevra didn't respond, Tonks hurried to get Floo powder from the small container on the floor. "Follow me," she said with a grin, throwing a handful into the fireplace. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmistress McGonagall's office," she said clearly, disappearing instantly.

Ginevra felt out of sorts, as if she was watching her life through someone else's eyes. She watched herself throw Floo powder into the fireplace, say the words, and disappear into the green flames.

Leaving the fireplace, Ginevra thanked Tonks for bringing her back to Hogwarts.

"You right there, Gin?" Tonks asked, seeing her eyes water.

"Fine. I just got some soot in my eyes," Ginevra lied, brushing the tears away.

"Happens all the time... Luckily McGonagall isn't in, she'd hate it if she knew I was using her fireplace to go shopping," Tonks said with a conspiratorial wink. "You sure you're right?" she added when Ginevra didn't even smile back.

"I'm sure. Might just go out and get some fresh air. Have a good time, Tonks. Thanks again," Ginevra added, leaving McGonagall's office before Tonks could say anything else.

Tonks looked to the paintings around her, opening her mouth to ask a question of Dumbledore's portrait. Then she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Throwing Floo powder into the fireplace, Tonks disappeared with a whispered 'Madam Malkins' before McGonagall could catch her.

Minerva stepped into her office, frowning slightly.

"Everything all right, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, looking at her over his glasses.

"I thought I heard the Floo system," she said, turning to look at the fireplace sternly.

"I didn't see a thing, you must be hearing things," Albus said, humming to himself cheerfully.

The other paintings stayed silent, pretending not to see Minerva's enquiring look.

Hoping that fresh air would help her, Ginevra went outside to where the students were training. If the fresh air didn't help, then training might.

"There you are, Ginevra. Where were you?" Draco asked, frowning when he saw that she had been crying.

"Antarctica," she replied, wiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"Oh," he said, understanding at once. "How is Pansy?" Draco asked quietly.

Ginevra shook her head. "Still the same. I couldn't do anything to help her, Draco. Nothing, not even with my supposed power as Queen of All," she said, trying to hold back the sobs of helplessness.

Unsure of what to say, Draco gathered her into a hug.

Around them, the students stopped fighting and training to watch as Ginevra cried in his arms.

"Excuse me, my Lord. I will take my Lady back to the vampire mansion now. She is upsetting the students and she needs to rest. My Lady has had a very emotional day," Lettie said, taking Ginevra from Draco's hold.

"All right. Thank you, Lettie. Rest well, love. I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured in Ginevra's ear, kissing her wet cheek.

With a brief sombre smile, Lettie disappeared with Ginevra.

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Thursday, 4 July

Dear Seamus and Blaise,

I hope this letter finds you both well.

My Lady is wondering if you have seen or heard from Neville lately? He is not responding to any of our mind calls and the owls are returning undelivered.

In response to Blaise's last letter, the Muggles are doing quite well. They are gaining weight and no longer seem afraid of the Vampires, although my Lady tells me that their lack of fear is mostly for show. The children have adjusted better than the adults, but I doubt that would surprise you. The Vampire Council is deciding whether to send the Muggles back to their world with memory modifications, or if it would be impossible to remove such an experience. I will keep you informed.

If you could please reply as soon as possible with news about Neville, my Lady and I would appreciate it.

Warmest regards,

Lettie.

Seamus read the letter from Lettie, wondering how he should respond.

"What's wrong, Irish?" Neville asked, wrapping his arms around Seamus' waist as he read the letter over his shoulder.

"What should I say? I cannae 'xactly say the truth, now can I?" he muttered.

"You'll have to lie and say you haven't seen me. Same as you, Blaise," Neville added, looking over to their lover.

Blaise was lying on the bed, looking very pleased with himself. "I don't think I can lie about not having seen your delectable body, love," he replied with a smirk.

"In tha' case, I say we fuck him until he cannae think anymore," Seamus said, moving towards Blaise with a carnal glint in his eye.

"We can't, Irish. As much as I would love to make Blaise's brain turn to mush, we have to leave. We don't know what the Death Eater's are doing to Terra's granddaughter," Neville said. "You saw what they did to Pansy, and she's not even a nymph," he added, his voice quiet.

Seamus stopped where he was immediately and nodded, feeling a bit ashamed. "Ah well, you have somethin' ter look forward ter when we get back," he said to Blaise with a slight grin, kissing him briefly.

"Before you go..." Blaise said, waiting until he had their attention. "Why can't you just tell Ginevra the truth? She's worried about you and just wants to know where you are."

"Terra was very specific that only Seamus and I know what is happening, and it was only after Luna talked to her that she allowed you to know as well," Neville said.

"Then could I just tell Ginevra that you're in the nymph world?" Blaise asked, frowning.

Neville shook his head. "You didn't know that I was in the nymph world before, so you wouldn't know that for certain now. Seamus will just reply that he hasn't seen me, and that should be that for a while. I'm sure the war will occupy Ginevra's time and worry soon enough."

Blaise sighed and got off the bed, walking over to Neville. "Be safe, my love. Look after Irish, and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger," he said, worry lacing his features. He kissed Neville passionately, holding onto him tightly. He pulled away reluctantly and turned to Seamus. "Look after Neville, Irish. That doesn't mean decapitating anyone that looks at him," he added sternly. Ignoring Seamus' disappointed look, he continued, "and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger either, you hear me? If you come back without limbs over something stupid, I'll hit you with your own arm, got it?"

"Yes, Papa. And if I'm extra good, can I get the new Firebolt too?" Seamus asked in a child-like voice, his eyes wide. He smirked and rolled his eyes at Blaise. "Ye really think I'm goin' ter lose limbs over..."

Blaise cut him off with an equally passionate kiss, holding his hands tightly. "Just be safe, Irish. I love you both," he said, taking hold of Neville's hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles lightly. "Now go before I tie you to the bed and never let you leave," he added, his words catching in his throat. He attempted to smile to reassure them that he was fine, that he wouldn't think about them and worry every second they were gone.

Neville kissed Blaise once more, squeezing his hand. "We'll be fine, love."

Love and sadness enveloped Blaise, feelings radiating from Neville.

"Come on, Irish. Let's go find some Death Eaters," he said, turning to Seamus.

"But, the bed. Tying us up an' never lettin' us leave. I vote we do tha' instead," he said, pouting.

Blaise chuckled softly and let go of Seamus' hand. "Go on, Irish. I'll be waiting for you to come back, limbs or no limbs," he added with a grin.

Seamus nodded briefly and kissed Blaise one more time before leaving with Neville.

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"My Lady?" Lettie called, knocking on Ginevra's door.

There was no answer. Frowning slightly, Lettie opened the door slowly, waiting for a response. When there still wasn't one, she looked inside to see that Ginevra wasn't in her room. Searching in her mind, Lettie tried to find Ginevra that way. Leaving the room, she bumped into someone. Hurrying to apologise, Lettie saw that she'd walked into Miles.

"Are you all right, Lettie?" he asked, looking at her in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," she hurried to reassure him, blushing slightly.

Don't think about kissing him, don't think about kissing him, don't think about kissing him...

"I was just wondering where my Lady is. Have you happened to see her?" Lettie asked.

"Yes, actually. Lady Agnes is talking with Ginevra in the dining room. I believe she is asking her opinion about the Muggles," Miles said.

Vampires were hurrying past, merely blurs of colour. Lettie frowned. She had never seen this many vampires in this part of the mansion, nor moving so fast. They usually walked slowly, considering they had all the time in the world to get wherever they were going.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking down the corridor after the rushing vampires to see what had happened.

"Lady Virginia has returned from her travels, and most are eager to hear her worldly tales," Miles said, his tone cold.

Lettie wasn't entirely sure why it felt like her heart was constricting, or why her breathing seemed to shorten. Was it because of Miles' intense dislike for Virginia, so like her own Lady's? Was it due to the possibility that Virginia had tried to seduce Miles? Was she jealous? Would she hate Virginia, or would she too, fall prey to her looks and charms?

"I ... I need to go. I can't see her. I don't want to become one of those," she said, indicating to the vampires who were rushing to be by Virginia's side.

"I am immune to her," Miles murmured quietly. "If you would like, you can see your response to Virginia when she walks by. I can hold you back if you feel the need to fawn at her feet," he added, smiling briefly.

Entranced by his smile, Lettie nodded her agreement. Such a lovely smile, and even lovelier lips. But she wasn't going to think about his lips because then she'd think about kissing him and she wasn't meant to do that for some reason...

Miles moved behind her, his arms around Lettie's waist, holding her against him in case she did try to run to Virginia. He hoped that she wouldn't, but knew that the charms of the vampiress could bring down an entire empire, and in reality, they already had done it.

"Here she comes," Miles murmured in Lettie's ear softly.

Shivering at his lips and breath so close to her, Lettie turned to look at Virginia. Holding her breath, she waited for an emotional or physical response to the beautiful red-headed woman as she went past.

The vampiress' eyes glanced over Lettie and Miles, dismissing them immediately and returning her attention back to the fawning crowd around her. She laughed a tinkling laugh at something one of them said, replying in a high-pitched voice.

Lettie clenched her teeth in pain. Virginia's laughter hurt hear ears, and her voice almost made her physically sick. It took her a moment to get past the revulsion to realise that she hadn't become a blathering idiot over the vampiress. She was almost positive that she wouldn't have been able to do that as Lavender.

A second after that revelation came the realisation that Miles still had his arms around her, despite the fact that Virginia was now long gone. Her face flushed, Lettie tried to stop her body from trembling as he subconsciously moved her tighter against his body.

There was a sigh of frustration behind her and Miles let go of Lettie reluctantly. "I am sorry, Lettie, but Lord Xavier requires my assistance. I will see you later," he said, kissing her hand.

Leaning against the door frame, Lettie fanned herself with the letter in her hand.

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Millicent collapsed into a chair, her entire body trembling from the cold. She shed her wolf form slowing, the transformation painful with her body as cold as it was.

"You... shouldn't... have... stayed... out... so... long," Remus said, collapsing on an armchair across from her.

"Don't... care... Have... to... find... her," Millicent replied, her voice rasping.

Theodore burst into the room, his face covered by a balaclava and goggles. "Did you find her?" he asked, looking between them. His voice was muffled and he hurried to take his mask off, his lips blue from the cold.

"N-n-no," Millicent replied, her teeth chattering.

"Tonks is... still out... there... looking," Remus added, shivering.

Disregarding his own frozen state, Theodore sent warming spells at both Millicent and Remus, waiting until their shivering had subsided. He warmed himself and headed to the kitchen to get some tea for all of them.

The storm was still raging outside, and despite all of the spells surrounding and within the iceberg to keep it from collapsing, Theodore was certain that it was shaking in the ferocious wind. He'd never seen a storm like this before, and despite the fact that he was an elf who could control the weather, Theodore had to admit that it frightened him a bit. It was as if the entire world was shaking and trying to break apart.

An hour after the storm had begun, something had happened to the magic that powered their lights. Theodore had immediately gone to check on Pansy, his promise to Ginevra ringing in his head. Millicent and Remus had tried to figure out and fix whatever the problem was. By the time they had finished and restored the lighting an hour later, it had taken Millicent a while to realise that Theodore hadn't returned. She'd found him knocked unconscious in Pansy's room, but that wasn't the worst of it. Pansy had disappeared.

Soon after Theodore had regained consciousness, Tonks had returned, armed with new clothes and bright blankets. Somehow, she blamed herself for not being there to stop Pansy's escape, and spent more time than any of them out in the storm trying to find her. It took Theodore longer and longer each time Tonks returned to restore warmth to her body, and Remus had taken to sleeping next to her in his wolf form just to thaw her frozen body.

There was a big crash, a howling of wind, and a loud thud. Hurrying out of the kitchen, Theodore went to the entrance to find the door open, Tonks lying face-first on the floor. She was so cold that she couldn't even move out of the doorway. Using his wand to move her gently, Theodore shut the door behind her, battling against the wind.

Lifting Tonks took more effort than it should have, the woman unable to lift herself or stand in any way. With an extra spurt of magic, Theodore guided her down to the fireplace immediately.

"Remus, she's frozen stiff. I have to get her warm and dry. Can you undress her? Quickly," he added when Remus just sat there, staring at his wife in shock.

With a nod, Remus hurried to do as he asked. His fingers trembled with concern rather than cold as he undressed Tonks from her wet clothes.

"Mill, get some clothes for Tonks. And blankets, lots of blankets," he said.

Millicent was gone instantly. Theodore hurried to the kitchen to get the tea. The warm beverage would be useful when Tonks could hold it. He returned to find Remus hugging a naked Tonks, trying to warm her with his body heat as best as he could.

"Got them," Millicent said, her arms full of clothes and blankets.

"Thank you. Remus, you need to let go of her now," Theodore said softly, gently pulling him away.

Remus sat back, his face pale as he watched Theodore work on his wife's frozen body.

Floating his wand above her form, Theodore quickly administered a slow-releasing heat spell. If she received too much heat at once, her body could go into shock and she could end up comatose. He re-hydrated her, again slowly. It was only a small spell, as Tonks wouldn't be able to receive many liquids without ingesting them herself.

"Remus, can you help me dress her? She needs to stay dry and warm. Mill, put the blankets around her and you two can stay on either side of her. Body heat will help. I need to regulate her temperature. It's going to go up and down for a while as her body gets used to pumping blood again. When she's able to respond, make sure she has a cup of tea. Don't yell or startle her if you can help it," Theodore added.

With Tonks dressed and sitting on the lounge, wrapped in blankets and Remus and Millicent on either side of her, Theodore took her cold hands and closed his eyes. He was going into a trance to keep her temperature stable, as he'd said. What he hadn't told them was that this procedure was as dangerous as Draco going into Vincent's dying mind. If it went wrong in any way, Theodore could die.

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Listening out for noises, Luna carefully made her way down to the stables at the vampire mansion. She stopped at the first stable. The stable next to it was empty, but not for lack of animal.

"Hello, Leo-Bestia-Famulus," Luna said cheerfully, smiling at the manticore. "How are you today?"

"I am well this morning, and yourself?" Leo asked with a small bow.

"Oh, quite well, thank you. I'm just waiting for the right moment to get inside without being noticed. I have a few minutes, so I thought it would be pleasant to say hello," she replied, still smiling. "I hope the vampires are treating you well?"

"They mostly avoid me out of fear, but I am allowed to feed without restriction, and I would never betray that show of trust by showing my displeasure. The Queen... Ginevra," he corrected, "keeps me company, and if not her, then her companion. They are not afraid of me, and neither are you," Leo said, sounding pleased.

"No, I am not. I know your loyalty to Ginevra and I will never be afraid of you, Leo," Luna murmured, stroking his head gently.

He purred happily.

"I am sorry to leave you so soon, but I must go now or I will be discovered," she said.

"Of course. Thank you," Leo said.

Keeping her footsteps silent, Luna made her way up to the mansion and slipped in through the servant's door. There was a crash of pots in the kitchen nearby. Using the distraction, she hurried past the open door without being seen. Ducking into a crevice in the wall, Luna stilled immediately. Further up the corridor, Virginia and her admirers passed by. Waiting five seconds longer, Luna continued up the corridor and walked into the library. She scaled the bookcase nimbly and walked along the top of the wooden structure, her feet barely leaving marks in the dust. Luna stopped suddenly.

Below her, a vampire was searching the bookcase for something. He wouldn't find it and would leave in twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... The vampire huffed in annoyance and left quickly.

Jumping to the next bookcase, Luna landed with the tiniest of sounds. This was the moment that could reveal her and ruin everything. She stayed crouched down, listening intently. Outside, a bird trilled a happy note. Recognising the sound from a vision, Luna stood once more, relieved that she wouldn't be found. She climbed down the bookcase, tapping her wand on a brick in the wall. An opening appeared and Luna went into the dark passage, cobwebs sticking to her skin. The wall closed up behind her.

Hearing Ginevra's voice and then Agnes', Luna realised that she was in the right place. She stayed inside the wall and waited patiently for Agnes to finish talking with Ginevra. She didn't want to alert either of them to her presence for the moment. There were things that needed to be said out of Ginevra's earshot, and Agnes and Xavier were the only two strong enough to create and maintain a sound barrier for such a conversation to take place.

"I would like you to think of their fate, much as you would one of your friends, my daughter. They were found and rescued by you and your friends, and as such, you should have a say in what happens to them now. Do not look so alarmed, my daughter," Agnes said with a smile. "You are not required to make the decision straight away. You have time to think over it, as does the rest of the Council. Perhaps you should talk to the Muggles themselves, I am certain that they would like to have a say in it," she added, patting Ginevra's shoulder gently.

"Of course, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied, bowing to her. "Thank you for speaking with me of the matter."

"You are quite welcome," Agnes replied, smiling once more.

In a matter of seconds, Ginevra had disappeared from the room, and the door was closed behind her. Seeing that it was clear for her to reveal herself, Luna opened the passage in the wall and stepped into the room. Before she even had time to take in a breath, a dagger was pressed against her throat.

"Lady Ca..." Agnes began to say.

Luna hurried to put her hand over Agnes' mouth so she wouldn't finish her sentence. The dagger was removed from her throat when Agnes realised that it was still pressed against her firmly. Luna put a finger to her lips for silence. Waiting until Agnes had erected the barrier, she stepped back and healed the bruising around her throat.

"I am sorry, Lady Cassandra. I did not know that it was you," Agnes said apologetically.

"No need for apologies, Lady Agnes. I did not want to alert Ginevra of my presence," Luna replied, letting the vampiress lead her to a seat.

"Is something wrong between yourself and Ginevra?" Agnes asked with a slight frown.

"Not at all. She is worrying over me more than she should, but then, Ginevra always has worried about those closest to her," Luna mused with a small smile. "I have come to talk to you about her future, and it is something that she cannot hear at this present time," she explained.

Agnes nodded, and realising that Luna wasn't able to see her nod, coughed slightly in embarrassment. "Please, continue."

"Thank you," Luna said with a smile. "Ginevra must learn to control her powers as Queen of All, and while she must first gain control over her power as a vampiress, the two are interwoven. If she had not become a vampiress, then Ginevra would never have become the Queen of All, and if she had not been destined to be the Queen of All, she would never have been a vampiress.

"You see, her transformation is no longer reliant simply on her genes, dormant or otherwise. Those dormant genes in the Weasley females died along with Arthur Weasley's great-great-great-grandmother. The gods are taking an interest in mortal lives once more, and the Sisters of Fate deemed long ago that Ginevra would be the greatest power the world has ever seen, should she acknowledge it.

"Despite the fact that Ginevra is here and a vampiress, she has not yet accepted her Queen status. As such, she will not be able to vanquish her demons," Luna said, trailing off. She wiped a tear from her eye quickly, the images that she had Seen flowing through her mind again.

"While I do not like Virginia, is it necessary to label her a demon?" Agnes asked, frowning slightly. She'd seen demons over the years, and Virginia may have had a demonic attitude, but she was certainly no demon.

"My dear Agnes, I am not referring to Virginia. I am talking about Ginevra herself," Luna said. "If she doesn't accept or acknowledge her role as Queen, then she will never be able to defeat the evil side of herself."

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Lettie stayed a few steps behind Ginevra as they walked to the makeshift hospital the Muggles were in.

"Make sure I don't do anything, okay Lettie? I don't want to scare them any more than they already are," Ginevra said, her jaw clenched.

"Yes, my Lady," Lettie replied, moving forward and looping her arm through Ginevra's.

She may not have been strong enough to keep Ginevra back, but Lettie could at least get her out of the makeshift hospital before she did something she'd regret.

"Thank you," Ginevra murmured, opening the doors and walking inside.

Lettie bit her tongue to keep from crying out in pain as Ginevra clutched her arm tightly. Ginevra started to turn into a vampiress almost immediately, lightning cracking in her hair. Lettie tried to disappear with her, but she was struck by a lightning bolt that jolted her arm away from Ginevra.

The hospital doors closed and locked behind them. Screams began to echo through the room, the adults gathering children to their bodies in an effort to protect them.

Lettie tried to grab Ginevra again, but she was backhanded so hard that she went flying through the air and crashed into the doors with a thud. She hurried to get on her feet once more, running at Ginevra. Dodging her hand, Lettie tried to hold any part of her that she could. She had to get Ginevra away. Lightning crackled along Ginevra's body, shocking Lettie fiercely. She struggled to keep her grasp and concentrate on disappearing. More lightning struck her over and over.

"No!" a woman cried nearby.

Losing her concentration and grip, Lettie turned to see one of the children running to them. He had escaped the woman's hold and was now running towards Ginevra, seemingly entranced. Unable to do anything to stop Ginevra, Lettie tried to block the boy before he was injured or worse. He was faster than she'd judged, and Lettie barely managed to grab his arm. She was weakened by the lightning, and the boy pried himself loose, continuing towards the vampiress.

Stopping in front of Ginevra, he looked up at her with a look of wonder.

Ginevra stared down at the boy, her eyes red and lightning crackling even more fiercely. She was so hungry and he was so fearless. How easy it would be. So very easy. Just one bite and no one could stop her. She reached out a hand slowly.

Smiling, the boy held out his hand.

A child held out his hand between the bars. Trusting her to help them, trusting all of their lives in her hands. He wasn't afraid of her because he'd already seen things that were far worse. She'd taken his hand then, silently taking responsibility for all of them, child and adult alike...

Her hand dropped to her side quickly, and Ginevra's vampiress side disappeared instantly.

Unfazed, the boy took her hand, nuzzling his face against her leg.Around them, the screams came to a stop.

"Are... are you all right, my Lady?" Lettie asked softly, ready to pull the boy away.

"I'm all right now, Lettie... Let me see your hands," Ginevra murmured, stroking the boy's head gently.

Seeing that everything was all right once more, the adult Muggles slowly and warily released their holds on the children. The hospital doors unlocked.

Lettie held her hands out, covered in burns from the lightning.

"I'm sorry, my friend. Forgive me for this," Ginevra said sadly.

She let go of the boy and with a smile at her, he went to the other children. Ginevra took hold of Lettie's hands gently. Lettie held back her hiss of pain and tried to redirect her thoughts. A red transparent sphere surrounded their joined hands, and with a small burst of light, it disappeared. Lettie looked at her newly healed hands in wonder. There wasn't even a scar.

"H-how did..." she began to ask, and then she saw Ginevra swaying on her feet.

Blackened burns and bleeding cuts covered her hands and arms, each one tripled and deeper than the ones Lettie had received. Ginevra saw the look of concern on Lettie's face and then as she collapsed forward, she saw no more. Lettie hurried to hold her upright. Blood dripped from Ginevra's fingertips, small circles of blood staining the stones below.

"Are you all right? Do you need help?" a man asked, still keeping his distance.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern," she replied, lifting Ginevra by her hips and carrying her outside quickly.

Sensing the urgency, Miles was beside her in a matter of seconds. Wordlessly, he helped Lettie carry Ginevra to the mansion's medical area.

"Lightning burns and cuts," Lettie answered when the healers asked what had happened. "She took them from me," she added.

"She needs to re-grow the skin so we'll be keeping your mistress here overnight. There's little you can do, so I suggest you return to your rooms and wash the blood off," a healer said, turning her attention back to Ginevra.

Lettie didn't move, she just stared at Ginevra lying on the bed. The white sheets were already turning red with blood and black with charred skin. Seeing that she was going into shock, Miles led her out of the room quickly.

"I'll get a cup of tea for you, okay?" he murmured in her ear.

Lettie nodded briefly, her mind still relaying the images of Ginevra's arms.

What happened? Is Ginevra all right? Draco asked urgently.

Ginevra burnt me with lightning, and then took them back threefold. She will be fine. She just needs to regrow her skin, and the healers are keeping her overnight, Lettie replied quickly. She hadn't realised she'd been thinking that strongly.

You're sure she's okay? Parvati asked in concern.

I'm sure. The healers here are very good, Lettie told them, trying to keep her emotions reassuring.

What about you? Are you all right? Padma asked.

Fine. Miles is making sure I don't go into shock, she said, an image of Miles sending to them.

So that's Miles! Padma said, cackling.

Padma, leave Lettie alone, Parvati said sternly.

Their thoughts all stopped and Lettie sighed in relief.

Miles came into the room, carrying a mug of tea carefully. She smiled at him and took the offered mug, blushing slightly.

"Ginevra will be fine, you know. The healers here treat this sort of thing all the time," Miles said, trying to be reassuring.

"Really?" she asked in surprise, sipping her tea.

He nodded with a grin. "You know of Lorcan d'Eath?"

"The half-vampire singer?"

"That's him," he confirmed with a nod. "He had to spend a week covered in balms and bandages. He got the nickname 'the Mummy' because of it. He wandered around the mansion at night trying to scare everyone," Miles said, chuckling.

Miles continued to talk of the vampires in the mansion in an effort to keep Lettie's mind off Ginevra, who was still lying unconscious in the medic area.

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Tonks opened her eyes slowly. She kept her breathing regulated - a trick she'd learnt at the Ministry - as she tried to work out where she was. Theodore was sitting in front of her, holding her hands in his own. Millicent and Remus were on either side of her, their heat all but radiating from their bodies.

"Don't move, Tonks," Theodore said.

He opened his eyes slowly as well. Looking up at her, he gently let go of her hands.

"You almost died," he said, struggling to stand.

His body was stiff and his bones cracked as he righted himself properly.

"Wait there, I'll get some chocolate for you," he said, leaving to go to the kitchen.

Tonks frowned. She'd almost died? Her face crinkled into a confused state as she tried to remember why she'd almost died, or even how. She remembered the cold, the storm outside, but there wasn't much else. It took Tonks a few minutes to even remember why she'd gone outside in the first place.

A trail. She'd been following a trail, the wind and snow whipping at her as if it were trying to cut her open. But she hadn't cared. She'd needed to do this, to follow the trail, to find... What? No, not what. Who. She'd gone outside - all of them had - to find Pansy.

Theodore came back into the room with a block of chocolate. Tonks was sitting upright, staring at the flames without really seeing them.

"Are you okay, Tonks?" he asked, worried that he'd missed something and she was going into shock.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I know what happened to Pansy. I followed her trail and ... She went into the ocean," Tonks said. "Would she have survived that? It's below freezing out there," she said, shivering at the reminiscent cold.

"I don't know, Tonks. I really don't know," he said, shaking his head.

Theodore sighed, handing Tonks a row of chocolate before it melted in the warm room. He took some for himself and bit into it, wondering exactly how he'd tell Ginevra that he failed her.

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Approximately 1100 kilometres away...

Pansy continued to swim with what was left her depleting energy. She had barely just begun to warm up from the sub-temperatures of the Amundsen Sea.

Going up to the surface, Pansy kept her gills under water and tried to gauge how far away from land she was. She could see land up ahead, indicated by the lights shining in houses and building. Hope renewed her energy, and Pansy went back beneath the water, swimming towards the land with renewed energy.

The energy didn't last long, and Pansy was barely able to navigate past the docked yachts and boats. Using the very last of her energy, Pansy made it to a secluded beach and dragged herself ashore.

As her vision began to go dark, she saw a tiny light moving towards her. Then Pansy's world went black and the light disappeared entirely.

A lit wand dropped next to Pansy's body, and with a sigh, the wand's owner followed.

"You left too soon, Water Pansy."

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End of the twenty ninth chapter.

Thank you for reading!

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