Chapter 4
A Child Prodigy or Two
A/N: My muse, Maggie, is simple girl. All she likes are plot bunnies and reviews. So be kind to Maggie and feed her review cookies please.
Big thanks to my beta Lbandoly for her hard work. She has spent countless hours editing and providing plot help for my stories. She makes my writing possible.
No copyright infringement intended. All characters are the property of JKR, Scholastic, and any number of other companies with more money than I've ever dreamed of seeing. I didn't make any money off of this, so please don't sue.
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The gentlemen joined the ladies and the children who were already seated. The meal was a lively affair. Sere and Kat had a host of questions for the visitors. More than once Kat would be caught tossing bits of food across the table at her sister. It was Severus that realized she wasn't actually tossing it.
"How long as Katharine been controlling her magic?"
Ginny smiled. It took a trained eye to realize the girls were using wandless magic to irritate one another. "A little over three years now wouldn't you say Draco?"
"About that long yes. Kat was six or so. Sere was younger. She was five maybe."
Minerva gave both the girls a long look of appraisal. "You both realize how rare it is for children to focus their powers before being given a wand don't you?"
"We hadn't until Kat was put in St. Margaret's for Magical Maladies for liquid cochineal poisoning. The healer noticed the girls tossing a pillow back and forth from bed to bed without ever touching it."
"How did she ever get her hands on enough cochineal to be poisoned by it?"
Katharine gave her father a look that said she still begged to be forgiven. "I was in daddy's potions lab. He told me to never go in there, but I wanted to look at all the pretty bottles. I didn't know it would hurt me. The bottle looked just like the one my favorite cream soda comes in. I thought daddy has left one down there because sometimes he sneaks extras from the kitchen for me when mumma isn't looking."
Draco looked at his daughter who was on the verge of tears at just the thought of what she had done. "Its okay love, it's all over and done with, with no lasting harm done." Draco turned his attention back to his godfather and the headmistress. "The healer pointed out what they were doing and then suggested they be tested to see just how much they could control it."
"And?"
"And what uncle?"
"Well certainly if they have been tested, they are already being taught."
Ginny smiled. "I teach them. So far Sere has made it through most of the second year charms and transfigurations work totally wandless. Potions she is not so gifted with. In fact Neville might have been better than she is with a cauldron. Kat is fairly good at first year charms but lacks any ability for wandless transfiguration so far. However after her little venture into drinking potions ingredients she has proven very apt with them. She is constantly badgering someone to let her brew something. It's a bit disturbing to know that a nine year old can actually brew a sleeping draught without help I must admit."
Severus cracked the barest hint of a grin at the thought of such promise from a child so young. Draco had be the last child he had known that had shown any promise with a cauldron so early in life. "Well Miss Katharine, you just might have to prove your skill young lady. I dare say your father was not quite so skilled with a cauldron at such a tender age. He was rather talented, but not so as to make a perfect sleeping draught. I know for a fact your mother was not. She didn't begin to show any decent ability at the task until her second year."
Ginny visibly paled at the thought of her first year of potions under the master at her table. "I claim circumstances beyond my control for my lack of ability during my first year."
"I do suppose you would have that right. It's not like `he' would have been any help to you. After all he couldn't brew a simple pain killing draught for himself in all the years I knew him."
The girls looked between their parents and the dark-haired man as if they were speaking a foreign language that didn't make a drop of sense to them at all.
Minerva was paying no attention to the belittlement of Ginny's potions talents. No she was still on the previous conversation. She simply couldn't believe her eyes or ears. It had been ages since she had heard of any child manipulating their magic wandlessly to such an extent. Sure there were those things that happened when a child's temper rose or when they were hurt or upset. But to consciously control it enough to practice spells was just unheard of. But for not one sibling but both to be doing so was a miracle in itself. "You must have received letters from every magical school in the northern hemisphere for Serenity then."
"We have professor McGonagall. In fact I was actually wondering if she would receive one from Hogwarts the way the others just seemed to keep coming. For weeks it's seems like we've gotten a letter a day."
"You should have known she would. I know you think sending her to Hogwarts could be unsafe for her, but you know I will not allow anything to happen to any of my students. No matter what your particular fear, she would be well kept inside those walls."
"I know professor. I just don't want to cause her any problems when they could be so easily fixed by sending her elsewhere."
"Yes Mrs. Malfoy, but would she receive the same quality of education?"
"Professor Snape I am not, nor will I ever deny that Hogwarts always has and most certainly always will remain the best magical school on the planet. I'm just saying I don't know if I want to risk my daughter's happiness for the sake of intelligence."
"Maybe your daughter has an opinion since this is her future you are weighing out."
"Uncle that is a low blow even for you."
"Draco, have you ever known me to play fair?"
"Hardly. Oh go on Sere, what's your opinion. It seems my godfather isn't going to drop it till you tell us where you would like to go."
Serenity sat up almost stunned that someone was asking her what she wanted. "I want to go where you and mumma went. You both made it sound like it was a fairly nice place. Even Slytherin house sounds fun when you talk about it Dad. Gryffindor must be the way Mum goes on about it. I know you're both worried, but you've said it yourself Daddy I'm capable of taking care of myself. The others will hardly know more than a few spells at most. I'm ages ahead of them and wandless at that."
Ginny knew better than push her daughter if there was one trait that was purely Weasley in that child it was her stubbornness. Add to that no lack of cunning and unseemly desire to prove her self to her parents and you had one tough mix, or as Draco constantly mentioned a very Slytherin mix. "Sere, your father and I will discuss it. I'm not saying no. I'm just saying let us think about it."
The rest of the meal's conversation stuck to less tense subjects, wine and the vineyards maintaining a large portion of the discussion. Everything from the types of wines the vineyard produced to the quality of the soil that the grapes were grown from. Draco promised both an official tour if they would care to join him the following day.
There was a hearty laugh when a rather small white speckled owl dropped a note into Sere's ice cream bowl. A note that as it turned out was from her grandmother telling her she would be in Milan in a few days and wished to see both Kat and her if her mother would bring them.
Ginny said yes before Sere could even ask. Both girls ran from the dining room to send a note back to their grandmother letting her know they would be there with bells on.
Minerva asked if the girls saw Narcissa often.
"Fairly. A few times a year she makes her way to Italy or Greece. She normally sends an owl to let me know so I can bring the girls to see her. I suspect she is coming now to ask if she may take them somewhere to celebrate the week around Lughnasada. She began taking them for a week's holiday a couple of years ago. It's nearing that time for her to come ask even though she knows full well they look forward to it all year. There isn't a chance in Hades I would say no."
"It's good that she is part of their life if not your own."
"It's her own fault that she doesn't come here. She is completely welcome to, but for reasons I can't begin to fathom she refuses." Draco's voice clearly told of an animosity towards his mother for not visiting his home.
Ginny rubbed his arm and smiled. "Narcissa is a bit weary about the topic of coming here to visit. After all these years, even I've learned to just let that topic lie. She knows she's welcome here. When she finally wishes to, she'll come."
"I do believe I can explain why she refuses." Severus looked up. "Lucius left her and Draco here under guard for some time during the first war. She wasn't allowed to leave the villa for any reason. She grew to resent the place. By the end when the Dark Lord was taken down by Potter she felt very much like a prisoner here. In truth it was probably the only selfless thing Lucius ever did for her or you, Draco, even if he went about it completely wrong."
"Well that certainly would explain why she told me to have Ginny redecorate every single square inch of the entire property when she first handed it over."
With the meal long since over the group retired to the sitting room and talked until Minerva asked after her bag. "I'm afraid I've become quite the old bitty turning in so early. If Severus would be so kind as to see me to town we'll be out of your hair till tomorrow."
"You'll do no such thing. There are enough rooms in this place to house all of Gryffindor house and possibly Slytherin as well. There is no need for you to go into town to stay in an over priced inn that has lumpy beds. You are both more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like."
Draco seconded his wife's suggestion before leading the two up the curving grand staircase to the second floor guest rooms. "The girls' rooms are above you, but if they know what's good for them they are in bed already so there shouldn't be any noise out of them to keep you awake." Draco's voice was more than loud enough to carry to the third floor where the girls were hovering just out of sight.
"Breakfast is whenever you make your way down to the kitchen. The cook can make just about anything you can dream up. Ginny and the girls are normally in the solarium no later than nine working on spells if you care to see what either of them is learning."
"And you?"
"I'm the vino master here. Where do you expect I'll be first thing in the morning uncle?"
Translation:
-- Vino - Wine
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