A/N: Here we go. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, and yes, I plan on going to the movie at the Midnight show, Wednesday morning.
Chapter 27: Stepping Through the Mirror
***************************Hogwarts*********************************
December 24, 2015
9:15 pm
Albus Dumbledore smiled as he sipped a mug of hot cider, and looked out over the grounds of his beloved school. His smile slipped only faintly, the pain muted by time, as he looked towards a corner of his grounds where a simple hut had stood for years and years. The current Keeper of the Keys and Grounds, resided in the castle, and Hagrid's hut had never been rebuilt after it's razing at the three-day-long battle for the fate of Wizarding Britain.
A faint trail of light came from one side and Dumbledore laughed as he saw fireworks detonate over Hogsmeade, forming giant, flaming images of St. Nick, and reindeer, and giant lighted trees. He paced back over to his desk, and sat in one of the comfortable armchairs fronting it, before retrieving a handful of Christmas cookies.
A flare of fire lit a corner of his office and he looked over, to find a pile of ash filling the dish set under Fawkes perch. "Finally," Dumbledore mused and watched the pile of ashes for a moment, waiting for his Familiar to shake off the ash. He frowned as a minute passed, then five, and no bedraggled chick emerged. He stood and paced over to the perch.
Dumbledore dug through the ashes, and his eyebrow crooked as no chick was present, only an empty plate of ashes. "That is odd."
***********************Godric's Hollow*******************************
December 24, 2015.
11:10 pm.
Hermione sighed contently as she nestled further into Harry's arms, and kissed him softly. She smiled at him as he pulled the soft, furry blanket around them a touch tighter. The light from the large tree in the corner of the room sparkled off Harry's glasses, as the pair cuddled together on the large comfortable couch. She kissed him again, before letting her head fall to the pillow facing his, only an inch separating their noses.
What you thinking? Hermione whispered, and sighed quietly as she felt the tips of his fingers tracing random symbols against the small of her back, taking advantage of the bare strip of skin there.
You can read my mind, why don't you tell me? Harry replied. She smiled and shrugged faintly, her eyes communicating more than enough, for them. I'm just happy, Hermione.
Yeah, me too, she agreed, me too.
Behind them, the rest of the Potter children and their significant others were scattered about the room. Harriet and Sirius were sleeping in a large armchair, with Sirius in the chair normally, and his feet up on a cassock, and Harriet lying sideways across his lap, with her head and the back of her knees resting on the arms of her chair. She held Sirius' hand in her sleep, and snored softly.
Next to the tree, Emilia was lying on her stomach, a pillow under her chin as she leisurely flipped through a copy of Seekers, Chasers, Keepers and Beaters, an Introspective Look at the Development of the Game, it had been an early Christmas present from Rain, since her other 'sister' was currently at Black Manor with Justin, and most likely Nathan and Anastasia. Rain's other present was not quite so...suitable for display in front of her parents. Xander was half snoozing with the back of his head cradled against her side, and Hipper sleeping on his belly in turn.
She paused in her reading to look down and back at him. Smiling, she returned to her book. Emilia sighed a moment later, and slowly rolled to her back, keeping Xander's head where it was, so it ended up on her belly. She let her hands fall down to cradle his head, and her fingers started to play with his hair. "Mum," she said after a moment, softly so as to not ruin the atmosphere.
"Yeah, Em?" Hermione replied without moving, her voice slightly muffled from her position on Harry's chest.
"What time are we supposed to be at Grandmum and Granddad's?"
"Umm," Hermione bit her lip, "For lunch, I think...I believe Anna is at Nathan's tonight." She rolled over, spooning back against Harry, "They just left about two hours ago, miss your grandparents already?" Hermione paused as Winky appeared and started digging around under the tree. After a minute she held up a tiny stuffed lion triumphantly. "Panka lost it again?"
"Yes, Mis..." Hermione crooked an eyebrow, and Winky visibly paused, "yes, Hermyee, he did, he won't sleep without it," Winky explained and Hermione nodded knowingly, the five-year-old son of Dobby and Winky, tended to leave his toys in nooks and crannies all over the house. A fact that still mortified Winky to no end, despite Hermione's insistence that it was all right. Winky nodded and vanished with a quiet POP.
Hermione yawned and wormed her way back, pressing against Harry as the blanket they were huddled under lifted slightly to tuck under her chin, "I think that your dad and I will just kip out here." Emilia nodded and pushed on Xander's head. He opened his eyes and yawned, sitting up at a silent word from Emilia. She looked up and towards the stairs with her eyes and he nodded, standing and pulling her to her feet without any discernable effort at all.
"What about them?" Emilia asked wryly, nodding towards Harriet and Sirius as they continued to doze...She sighed and reached back under her shirt for her wand, "I'll just float them up to bed," she smirked and looked back towards Hermione, "Should I split up the lovebirds, or..."
"Put them together, Em," Hermione said, tiredly, and yawned as she felt Harry had drifted off. "They'd just get up in the middle of the night and wander together anyway. Kinda like you and Xander." Emilia made a mildly affronted face towards her mother and pointed her wand towards the sleeping pair. She took a breath, concentrating on the spell, not wanting to send her brother crashing through the ceiling or something, when a blaring Klaxon ripped through her head.
"Oh bloody hell," Harry groaned as Hermione rolled to the floor in front of the couch and he sat up quickly, forcing a rush of magic through his system to fight off the remnants of sleep.
Hermione closed her eyes and caught her boots as they shot from near the door and dropped them in front of her. She stepped into them and laced them with a thought, absently glad that she had not gotten around to removing her socks. Harriet and Sirius woke with a start. He sat up abruptly and she almost tumbled to the floor, but was stopped as Sirius' hands flashed out instinctively before his eyes ever opened and held her to him.
She gave him a quick kiss as she slipped out of his arms and to the floor, stood, and drew her wand from under the sleeve of her jumper. Sirius stood behind her, and tugged her jumper down to meet her jeans, from where it had ridden up during her nap. Emilia hid a giggle, and shut up as Sirius glared at her.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked towards the kids, who all had their wands in hand, and then back to Harry. His face went blank as he interrogated the wards, and the active defenses that were already zooming on the new arrivals. The four, two human, and two much smaller than human, were moving towards the house, their progress slightly hindered by the calf-deep snow covering the grounds.
Hermione let out a soft gasp and staggered slightly, grabbing onto Harry as if she were still thirteen, as the two humans came close enough for them to identify the newcomers. Her hands shook as she intertwined them around one of Harry's to still them. Harry sat down slowly, pulling Hermione into his lap on the couch as the other four in the house looked at them. "Dobby," Harry said softly and Dobby appeared with a quiet POP, a miniature towel flung over one shoulder.
He clasped his hands together in front of him, "Can I do something for you, M...Harry?"
Harry smiled faintly, "Can you let our guests in, Dobby?" Dobby gave him a slightly befuddled look; then queried the wards himself and his already huge green eyes became enormous. He looked to the door, and then back to Harry, almost as if his own senses were lying to him.
"Dobby would be honored to," he said and vanished with a POP, reappearing next to the door, and opened it, just as a firm knock sounded on the thick, English oak door. The light from the house spilled out the door, outlining a pair in thick, dark cloaks. Their hoods were pulled forward, hiding their faces. A large duffle was thrown over the shoulder of the taller of the pair, who had to be 6'5" if an inch, and a full head to head and a half over his companion, a much slighter figure, obviously a witch.
They took a step into the house, and Harriet slowly stepped forward, slipping her wand back into her sleeve as she moved. "MUMMY, DADDY!" she shrieked and nearly leapt the distance separating them. Ron dropped the bag; it fell to the tile of the entrance with a loud thump and caught her as she jumped into his arms. "You're here, finally," she whispered, her voice muffled by the thick wool of his winter cloak.
"I've missed you, Little Snorkack," Ron replied, holding her to him as Luna wrapped her arms around them both. Harry stood slowly, holding Hermione in his arms as they watched the reunion silently. Pig flitted into the house, flying around Ron's head and spinning around the house rapidly, crashing into a picture of the trio on the mantle and sending it tumbling to the ground. Crookshanks merowed loudly and started to chase the bird, the pair vanished up the stairs and another crash came from somewhere upstairs.
Luna slowly let go of Harriet, and Ron sat her back down on her feet, before reaching up and pulling down his hood.
Hermione gasped quietly as she saw the scar running down through his hair, and through an eye socket. She took a hesitant step forward as Luna pulled her hood down and shook out her fall of long blonde hair.
Luna's Familiar padded into the house, and walked forward like he had always lived there. Stopping stopped next to the fire, Greymalkin exchanged an almost perfunctory sniff with Hipper, before the two Kneazles settled down on the hearthrug.
Ron's eye tracked the felines; then looked back to Hermione and then Harry, the eye leaving a faint glowing trail behind in the slightly dim vestibule. "Hi, Hermione, Harry," Ron said, smiling faintly, "miss me?" In the background, near the tree that was still providing much of the light, Emilia looked back and up at Xander as she slowly resheathed her wand, and a faint flicker of power withdrew from her eyes. He gave her a small smile and kissed her hair, before they took a small step towards the newcomers.
Hermione swallowed, her lip in her teeth as she leaned against Harry's arms, letting them support her weight. "Honestly, Ronald, I know that you like to sleep in, but this is rather ridiculous." Luna snorted loudly as Ron held out his arms and Hermione stepped across, and let him crush her in a hug, though her arms of steel might have just outdone his own. "It's about bloody time," she murmured, her voice cracking.
"I'm sorry, sis," Ron murmured against her hair, tightening his arms for a moment. "Thanks for taking care of Harriet," he added quietly and let her go as Harry finished hugging Luna and kissed her cheek as he backed away.
Hermione just nodded as she stepped over to Luna and pulled her best female friend to her, her sister in all that mattered in the universe.
Luna muttered something in Hermione's ear and kissed her cheek, "Thank you, Hermione, she doesn't seem to have Wrackspurts in her ears or anything."
Hermione grinned, "Well, it was a challenge." She looked over as Harry enveloped Ron in a brotherly hug.
Sirius had stepped forward and was now watching the adults, and occasionally glancing over at Harriet, to find her looking back at him nervously. She took a step towards him, and then paused, glancing back to her parents.
Hermione smirked slightly as she caught sight of the scene out of the corner of her eye.
"Mum," Harriet said softly, her eyes flicking to Sirius' for a heartbeat, an almost imperceptible pause before she looked on at the other two. "This is Em and Xander," she said pointing to the pair. Emilia gave a small wave, and Xander nodded. "Xander is Em's...betrothed," Harriet added after a beat, almost absently. "That's Sirius," she said rather quickly, waving at him, and he nodded to Luna, smiling and mouthing, "Hello."
His eyes cut to Harriet as Luna glanced away, back to Hermione, and she gave him a tiny shake of her head. An apologetic look slipped across her eyes and he gave her a quick, hidden smile.
Luna crooked an eyebrow at Hermione, and Hermione gave her the faintest of nods.
Ron looked between the two of them, and then to Harry, "Do you happen to have anything to eat?"
Luna sighed quietly and gave Hermione a rueful smile. Hermione shrugged slightly, and looked towards the kitchen.
"Come' on, Mate," Harry laughed, grabbing Ron's shoulder and steering him towards the kitchen. "I think there is some turkey left, and I have a half case of Seamus' special microbrew."
"Seamus makes beer?"
"He owns a pub."
"Cool."
*************************Black Manor*******************************
December 25, 2015
1:12 am
Rain carefully opened an inlaid, ornate door, and peered out into the hall. It was dimly lit by a few, widely-spaced sconces from which dim Illumination Orbs spilled light out onto the floor. She padded out into the hall and eased the door closed, her bare feet making absolutely no sound on the inlaid wood floors as she started down the hall, with a glint in her eye.
Her hair was falling loose down her back, and was brushed until it shimmered, blue-black in the orb-light. Her long legs were bare, peaking out from under a black silk chemise that fell just to the tops of her thighs, which danced as she slipped down the hall. She paused, and took a breath, her hands shaking slightly as she adjusted the thin strap holding the garment up. Merlin, girl, it's just Justin.
Rain passed a closed door, where she knew that Nathan and Anastasia had not-so-covertly retired to in a fit of giggles from the brunette girl a couple of hours ago. Despite herself, she paused and strained to hear anything from within, but only a curious utter silence greeted her and she shook her head, knowing that they would have put up a Silencing Charm. She smiled to herself and continued on, walking towards the other end of the hall where Justin's room was. He had retired to his bed an hour ago, after walking her to her room and leaving her with a kiss that made her slip inside her room and spend a moment alone on the bed after she shed her jeans.
She took a breath at the memory, a faint flush dusting her cheeks as she slipped carefully past a partially open door, moving quickly through a sliver of spilled yellow light. She froze as she heard voices from within, approaching. As they came near, she ducked back into an alcove. The pair stopped just out of sight.
"I can't do it, Draco," Ginny's voice moaned quietly, "I won't do it and I won't let you either...I won't kill them."
"Do you want to die, Gin?" Draco snapped back lowly, and in the hall, Rain froze utterly, inserting her fist half in her mouth. "Do you think I want to...Merlin damnit woman, do you think I want my own children to hate me...not thirty feet from here, Granger's sister is either shagging my son, or passed out after they are done. And Rain might as well be her other daughter...they both feel that way, hell, she'll probably come after us, when we do it, if we're not careful enough."
Damn right, you bastard, Rain snarled fiercely. She took a step back and her back rammed unseen into a small pedestal holding a ceramic bust of an owl, that Ginny thought was 'cute.' It fell to the floor and shattered, the sound like a gunshot in the stillness. She spun and darted, heading desperately towards Justin's door. Her hand slapped her bare thigh, not finding the wand that would have given her a chance. A step creaked the wood behind her, and a red light filled her vision.
Draco paused in the doorway, his wand still in hand and pointing at her crumpled form when Ginny ran around him and slid to her knees next to Rain. She pulled a dark green, silk robe around her, covering up a negligee of the same color as she ran her hands along Rain's cheek; brushing dark locks out of her eyes. Ginny looked back up at Draco with troubled eyes. "Damn, Justin," he murmured, his eyes slipping down the unconscious girl's body, "I knew you had good taste."
Ginny huffed annoyedly, and pulled down Rain's top to cover, mostly, a set of knickers the same color. "That isn't funny, Draco."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, luv," Draco replied and then sighed, running his free hand over his hair. He knelt next to Rain. He closed his eyes, and then opened them, keeping them away from Ginny and on Rain's face. His mind filled in the huge dark blue eyes that he knew normally dominated her face. "I know it's not, Ginny," he said very quietly. He reached out and ran a finger along her cheek, "I know it's not. I was looking forward to having grandkids, Gin...her eyes and blonde hair...a little girl..." Draco swallowed, and rocked to his feet. "I'm so sorry, Rain...this is all our fault....OBLIVATE."
A yellow fan snapped over her head, lingering for an instant before dissipating. Draco looked to Ginny, "Go make sure that your son is still asleep." Ginny started to say something, but left anyway as he gave her another look.
Draco flicked his wand and Rain floated up into the air and hovered in front of him as he walked down the hall to his younger son's room. They moved into the room, finding a room decorated in a manner that would have probably killed his paternal grandfather on the spot from sheer apoplexy. Justin was still sleeping and occupying a large, black platform bed that dominated one wall, set under a large, framed autographed poster from a Muggle SciFi movie with the head of the bed pushed into a corner. A pair of racked swords hung on a rack under that, directly over the head of the bed, one of which Draco had recovered from the Malfoy vaults below the manor. Its jet-black, leaf-shaped blade was covered in dark silver dragonhide, and its wire-wrapped hilt gleamed dimly in the light from a pair of candles on the bedside table. Rain had begun teaching her boyfriend in the use of the sword, last school year, and in fact that teaching had been the impetus for the pair of them to get together. The other sword in the rack was a reproduction of Obi-Wan's lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith.
Several other pieces of modern, jet-black furniture were scattered about the room, filling it. A bookshelf was overstuffed with books, papers and assorted memorabilia, and a model of a Muggle starfighter, one of the newest American ones, rested on the top of the shelves. Draco looked over to Ginny as he floated Rain in, and slowly maneuvered her until she landed lightly on the bed next to Justin.
Ginny bit her lip but slowly pulled the dark blue sheets out from under the girl and tucked her in, her heart beating painfully as she bent down and kissed Rain's forehead. She grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him back to the door. She grabbed his wand and flicked it at Rain, sending a half-strength Enervate at her, just enough to dispel the worst of the stunner. They mostly pulled the door closed and watched as Rain moved in her sleep, to rest her head on Justin's shoulder.
Draco pulled the door closed and it latched with a soft click, before Ginny wrapped both arms around him and sobbed quietly into his chest.
****************************The Burrow**********************************
December 25, 2015.
11:05 am
Molly Weasley frowned slightly as she looked over at the expanded kitchen table and watched as the women of the Weasley clan worked on various tasks of to prepare the Christmas Feast that would soon ensue. She watched as Ginny was directing a potato peeler with her wand. She frowned as Rain, who had tagged along with Ginny and the rest, slowly stirred a batter; though, Molly had been rather impressed with her skills with a kitchen knife deboning a chicken for a soup.
Both Angelina and Alicia were sitting across from her, setting out rolls onto a large cooking sheet, taking them as Virginia wadded them from a bowl of dough. Angelina gave her daughter a smile, and took a wad of roll from her to start another sheet.
"It is rather a shame that Nathan couldn't be here," Molly said as she turned from the stove and set a large pot on the counter with a flick of her wand. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked at Ginny.
Ginny shrugged and directed the now-peeled potatoes to the sink with a flick of her wand. It started washing them and she wondered absently what her husband was doing and if he needed saving from her brothers, "He's with Anna, Mum," Ginny smiled vaguely, "she was so happy last night."
Molly frowned faintly as she started to stir the pot with her wand, "He should be with his family."
"He is," Ginny replied as she stood and walked over to the coldbox, pouring herself a goblet of Pumpkin Juice. She waved the glass around the room and got a nod from Rain. Pouring another, she sent the glass over to her with a flick of her wand. "Anna's as much his family now as we are, Mum."
Molly looked over at her from the pot, her eyes flickered almost imperceptibly towards Rain, and then back to Ginny. "Still he should be with us, on Christmas, of course he's not the only one, that should be."
Angelina and Alicia gave each other discreet looks and looked back to their tasks. Ginny did not comment further, giving up for now, she had already heard it from her mother all morning.
"I just don't see what the attraction is to Jane and Roger's...I know they are Anna's grandparents, but you would have thought at least he would have come here."
She wiped her hands on her apron again, "I suppose that it's too late now," she said in a strangely light tone. Molly smiled as she sat at the table opposite Virginia, "So, Virginia, has some strapping young Gryffindor lad caught your eye yet? I heard that you didn't take a date to the Yule Ball, I can't believe some sixth year didn't snap you up."
Rain caught Angelina's eye, and watched as she gave a miniscule shake of her head.
Virginia shrugged, "There wasn't really a boy who I liked," she explained and gave her mum a slightly hopeless look.
Molly did not seem to notice, "What about that nice boy from Star's Hollow...I hear he's going into sixth year, he's a Hufflepuff."
"Sam's kinda weird, Grandmum," Virginia replied, as Rain looked down and away, burying her face in her goblet of juice. Angelina sighed very faintly.
"Well what about that nice Bancroft boy in Ravenclaw, I was talking to his grandmother just the other day."
"I'm not interested," Virginia said with a faint hint of exasperation.
"Mum, just leave her alone," Ginny interrupted.
"Nonsense," Molly said waving away Ginny's comment, and both of the Twins' wives flinched, "it's just us girls here. Surely there's some boy who's causing my Gryffindor Princess' heart to flutter."
"Not really."
"I know when Ginny was your age she was bopping from boy to boy, there were always boys clamoring for her attention...and then she had that little fling with Harry...Of course Draco is such a dear..."
Ginny worked her tongue around the inside of her cheek, as Virginia shrugged, "I'm just not interested in any of them."
"What about that Nick Spannercock, he's a nice boy..."
"Damn it, Grandmum, I'm not interested..." Virginia snapped heatedly.
"Virginia Anne Weasley, watch your language, it is not at all lady-like...I'm just trying to..."
"I have a girlfriend, alright?" Virginia growled. Every other woman in the room closed their eyes save Molly, who just cocked her head slightly to the side.
"I know you do, you have all sorts of friends, Rain...that Chastity girl..."
"A girlfriend," Virginia's teeth were clenched, "a girl I snog, cuddle with in the middle of the night when I'm scared, who I am bloody well in love with..."
Molly's face froze and she glared at Angelina, "Well, I never...Do you know what your daughter just said...She..."
Angelina took a breath and slowly stood from the table, "Yes, I know quite well what she said. And she has my full support."
"It must be those awful Muggle ideas," Molly snorted, "I have never heard such ideas...You don't know what you are saying..."
Virginia slowly stood from the table, "Mum, I'm going to go home...I'm not hungry anymore." Angelina nodded, as Molly continued to glare at Virginia. "Goodbye, Grandmother...since you don't seem to want me here..." she spun in place and vanished with a crack that shook the windows.
Molly continued to stare at the empty spot her granddaughter had occupied, before slowly panning her eyes over to her daughter-in-law.
Angelina was glaring, her eyes drilling holes in the front of Molly's gingham dress. She looked to her best friend, and sister-in-law, and received a slow nod, "My daughter makes her own choices, and I support whatever she chooses." She stepped away from the table, "Now if you will excuse me, Mum, I am going to go find my husband, and just perhaps, I will not decide to remember just how many hexes I know."
Angelina walked from the room, her fists clenched at her sides. Molly looked around at the women remaining, and Ginny took a slow breath, "Rain, honey," she said softly, "why don't you go and find Justin, I'm sure by now his uncles are driving him spare." Rain nodded briskly, her hair flipped into her face and she brushed it out of her eyes as she vanished with a soft POP. Alicia followed without a word, leaving Ginny alone in the room with her mother.
Molly did not wait for Ginny to open her mouth, "I can not believe it...She must have learned this from those outlandish ideas..."
"Mum..." Ginny interrupted, "Shut it." She dropper her hands to her hips, "Your only concern should be to support your grandchildren's choices. Virginia is almost an..."
"She is only fifteen, she does not know what she wants...."
"What are you going to do, Mum, feed her a love potion to fall for someone you approve of...seems to think that was attempted before...And I'm still paying for it, Merlin-damn it..."
"That was your own choice, Ginerva."
"Because you had fed me what was right for me all my bloody life," Ginny hissed. "You've already driven Harriet to hide from you, so you want all of them to do so, because if it's a choice between you and their friends, they'll chose their friends. Just like I should have, just like the rest of your children did the last time you pulled this shit." Ginny huffed and vanished with a POP, looking for Draco, and possibly some sanity in the day that had started so darkly.
A/N: I know a lot of you were looking for a happy Christmas, but all is not always sunny and light. Next chapter, yes, Molly will find out that R/L are home. And Ron gets an offer he can't refuse.