Your Parents Are…
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Thuban lay on his tummy as he played with his sister's hand. Lyra enjoyed the little game of "Get My Finger" that he often played with her. Ginny had been giving Lyra a fresh nappy, when Thuban entered the house complaining of an upset tummy. The witch left the baby on the blanket with her eldest child while she went for a potion.
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way, Lyra," Thuban whispered. "Dad was just going to ask Mum." He sighed. "Well, maybe he was talking big to Uncle Ron and Bill." The baby cooed. "You're right," Thuban replied. "Daddy is a wizard of action, not a talker."
Ginny reentered the room with a streaming cup. Thuban turned his nose up at it. He thought about protesting but knew it wouldn't help. The wizard had learned many things in his young life; the most important was to take his potion without complaint. You didn't want your mum to find another way to get the potion inside you. There was a good side. He wouldn't have Grandma pestering him to clean his plate. His mum would likely bring him a bowl of soup. Grandma Weasley made the best soups; he'd rather have two or three bowls of it than the other foods she made. Thuban took sip after sip of liquid until the cup was empty. It didn't help, which was no surprise to the little boy. He turned his attention back to his little sister.
"Did that help your tummy, sweetheart?" Ginny asked as she stroked the back of his head.
"A little, Mummy." He turned his head and looked into his mother's eyes. "May Lyra stay down here with me?"
"You have to watch her." Thuban nodded, and Ginny went into the kitchen.
Thuban started to whisper to the baby again. "I shouldn't have filled out that form. Oh, I won't get caught. They will never know what I did. But what if Mum thinks Dad did it?" The boy groaned and touched his belly. "I can't let that happen."
Cam looked into the living room as he started climbing the stairs. He, Serpens and the others were heading to the bathroom to clean up for dinner. The Black heir noticed his older brother holding his tummy. "Mummy, Thuban has a tummy ache."
"I'm O.K., Mum," Thuban called.
Leo was on Ginny's heels as she came into the room. She caressed Thuban's face. "Let's go lay you down upstairs."
He shook his head. "May I please lay here with Lyra? I don't want to be by myself."
The redheaded witch nodded. "You have to lay here. No running around."
"Thank you, Mummy," Thuban replied.
Leo stayed on the blanket with his siblings when Ginny went back into the kitchen. His little hand went to touch Lyra's face. He pulled it away and yelped before it made contact. Leo shook his hand and whined softly. Thuban raised a brow at his little brother. "You scared her."
"She hurt me," Leo responded.
"Put your finger by her hand. Let her touch you first and never touch her face," Thuban advised.
Leo did as told. Lyra batted his finger a number of times before taking hold of it. The two year old smiled brightly. "She like me?"
Thuban frowned and shook his head. "No," he said before smiling at his brother. "She loves you. She doesn't like little ones touching her unless Mummy or Daddy is holding her." The seven year old stroked his sister's cheek, causing the baby to coo.
"She let you touch," Leo observed.
"I'm not little. Mummy lets me hold her. She's going to teach me how to carry Lyra too," he stated with pride.
"You're going to learn to change her smelly nappies too," Cam giggled as he sat on the blanket.
"Will not, I won't have to do that. But soon I'll be able to carry Lyra. I can help Mum by bringing Lyra to her," Thuban replied.
Serpens, Gabe, Brittany and Preston joined the others on the blanket. Preston reached for the baby and received a shock. The same thing happened to Brittany, who cried for her father. Bill entered the room along with many other adults.
The little blonde witch sadly batted her tear-filled eyes at her father as she pointed at Draco and Ginny. "They put a bad spell around Lyra. It hurt me when I tried to touch her."
The adults looked at the new parents. "I didn't even put a ward around her. Thuban was watching her," Ginny stated.
"Lyra do it. She do it all by herself," Leo informed the group.
"She can do a shield charm too," Cam announced.
"I think it's the same magic. Kinda like a Protection Charm," Thuban added. "But mostly Lyra shocks you so you don't touch her when she's scared of you."
Draco knelt on the blanket and scooped his little girl into his arms. "You not only have your mother's eyes, you have her magical talent."
"What are you on about, Malfoy?" Ron erupted.
Bill patted Ron's back as he chuckled. "You were too young to remember, mate."
"Maybe the experience was merely too shocking for him to commit to memory," Percy jested.
"Percy," the twins stated with astonishment. "How shockingly witty of you."
"Ginny used to shock us when she was frightened as a baby. You received more than any of us," Bill finished.
Arthur prodded his son-in-law for Lyra. Draco softly groaned but relinquished his daughter to the Weasley patriarch. "You are your mother's daughter, little one," Arthur stated proudly. Lyra yawned as she looked at her grandfather. "Tired? I'll rock you to sleep."
He went to his cushioned rocking chair. The head of the Weasley family turned to the group. "You lot should start dinner. I'll be in after I get this princess to sleep."
Most of the family made their way into the kitchen. Draco paused, not happy that his father-in-law was hogging his daughter. Ginny touched her husband's arm. "Come along. By the end of the month, you'll be wishing he were around to rock her." She kissed Draco's cheek before glancing at her father. "Daddy, lay her down by Thuban once she's asleep."
Draco twisted to see Thuban resting on the blanket. He noticed the boy's pale color for the first time. "Gin, he doesn't look well."
"It's just a tummy ache, honey," Ginny replied.
"I'm OK, Dad. I just want to rest with Lyra," Thuban told his father.
"If he doesn't look better after dinner, we'll take him home," Ginny added.
They left the room without another word. Thuban moved closer to where Arthur rocked Lyra. "Grandpa, I need your help. I didn't think something through before I did it."
Arthur took his eyes off the baby and meet Thuban's. "I'm always here for you, Thuban. What's your problem?"
"Well, I did something, and now I think Mum might think that Dad did it. She'll be really mad at him."
"I need a few more details, Son," Arthur softly said.
"I was asked to be on a real Quidditch team. Not just the little children's league. A league with Seekers and Beaters," Thuban said with excitement. His tone changed as he continued. "Dad wouldn't sign me up. He said he needed to talk to Mum first. I knew Mum would say 'No', and I thought Dad would go along with her." Thuban paused before continuing. "I figured out how to sign myself up. No-one would be able to prove it was me. They would think it was a mistake. By the time they found out, Grandfather would be back. With him on my side, I'd be able to play on the team." Thuban's eyes started to water. "I found out that Dad isn't going to just take 'No' for an answer. He's going to do whatever it takes to make Mum see I should play on a real Quidditch team. If he does that, Mum is going to think Dad signed me up anyway before talking to her. She'll be really mad at him. They'll row. I don't want them to row."
Arthur moved from his chair and sat next to his grandson. He held Lyra with one hand and wiped away Thuban's tear with the other. "You're not worried about being caught?"
"Only way I can get caught is if you or I tell. I have two problems with telling. First, Mum may think I'm covering for Dad. Second, Mum will never let me go to Uncle Gred's shop again," Thuban said.
"Misbehaving can hurt a number of people. I'm not going to tell your secret." He placed the sleeping baby on the blanket. "You should tell your father what you've done. Your crime was against him." He kissed the boy's cheek. "Lie down and rest now. I love you, Thuban."
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Lucius hated being in the Muggle world. They had to create things like computers to make their lives easier. He despised using those things, but he had to. The Muggles placed all their information into them.
Snape had the same loathing for the Muggle item. The Potions Master hissed as he pressed the keys as if they were burning him. However, he hadn't been typing for long when he came across what he was looking for. Severus pressed a couple more buttons then walked to a printer and collected the pages. He motioned to Lucius, and the two wizards gladly left the Muggle library.
They sat in a park outside the building reviewing the Muggle pages that Severus had printed. One announced the marriage of Thomas Petrova, a wealthy Muggle, to Madeline Svetoslav. It gave very little information, however the other two gave them many leads.
How Many Children Were Taken?
Strange circumstances surrounded the birth of Maximus Decimus Meridius Petrova, only grandchild of the wealthy Petrova family.
In 1998 Thomas Petrova married Madeline Svetoslav. Neither of the young couple's parents agreed with the unlikely union. Due to this fact, the couple moved to Sofia and created their own lives away from the judgment of Varna gossip.
The couple, by all accounts, was very happy. Thomas had built a very successful clothing business in the capital city. His accomplishments led to a magazine article three months ago, through which his mother, Mrs. Nataliya Petrova, learned that she was to be a grandmother.
She had countless communications with her son since and finally convinced him into returning to Varna with his wife for a visit. No one would have thought that this visit would end in tragedy, and reveal twenty-five years of baby abductions at St. Marina hospital in Varna.
Madeline Petrova was in her eighth month of pregnancy when she went shopping alone. No one knows the details of her attack, except she was found in an alley with a black cloaked man standing over her. Witnesses couldn't explain where the man went; only that he had taken everything from the woman leaving her with only rags.
When she arrived at St. Marina Hospital, midwife Nastsa Lom assumed Mrs. M. Petrova was a street person.
The midwife delivered the baby alone. According to Ms. Lom the child was stillborn. When Mr. Thomas Petrova arrived at the hospital to identify his wife, he claimed that the stillborn child could not have come from her. The body weight was half of what an ultrasound had shown, plus tests showed the infant had died in utero two months previously. Mrs. M. Petrova had seen a doctor days before leaving for Varna. The Sofia doctor provided information to confirm Mr. Petrova's suspicions. The police only had to trail Ms. Lom for two days before she entered Attorney Fitz Rakovski's offices with a newborn baby boy. The child turned out to be Thomas Petrova's son. An investigation found that Ms. Lom and Attorney Fitz Rakovski had been selling newborns for the last twenty-five years.
Attorney Rakovski handled thousands of adoptions, many of which were confirmed legal. We may never know how many were not.
On the same day that Maximus Decimus Meridius Petrova was found, his mother passed away. She had never regained consciousness after her attack.
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Thomas Petrova Found.
Thomas Petrova was found in Sofia last Thursday. It was the end of a seven year search for his parents. Mr. Petrova disappeared with his three month old son after escaping from the mental ward of Varna Hospital.
Thomas' behavior had been strange after the death of his wife, and it developed into a mental illness. He spoke about wizards in black robes coming for his son. No one ever saw these men. Fearing for their grandson's safety, Mr. Petrova's parents had him committed.
Their fears seem to have been warranted. Thomas was found drunk in a seedy Sofia pub. When asked about the location of his son, Mr. Petrova told officials that the boy was stolen from a Sofia orphanage by wizards.
The grandparents are hopeful that the boy can still be found. Thomas is currently undergoing treatment at Varna Hospital. Hopefully, he will soon remember the location of his son.
Snape looked into the distance. "Let's start with Rakovski's adoption files. Maise's adoptive parents were Edward and Elise La Rossco. If they are in his files, I think it would be safe to say Lis had twins."
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Thuban soaped up the wash cloth and cleaned behind his ears. He ran the cloth over his body one more time. The boy stepped under the shower's spray and washed the shampoo out of his hair and the soap off his body. His parents had just started to let him shower by himself. It was a privilege that he'd earned and didn't want to lose, so he went to extra steps to make sure he was clean. His stomach had felt better after taking a nap at the Burrow, so his mother agreed to him showering instead of bathing with his little brothers.
Stepping out of the shower, Thuban grabbed a towel. He smiled as his hand touched it. His dad was the best, always placing warming charms on the towels. That thought caused his belly to hurt again. Draco Malfoy was a wonderful dad. He deserved a better son, Thuban thought. The little boy dried himself, put on his pajamas and headed for his sitting room, where he heard his parents in the hallway.
"Oh Gin," Draco sighed. "Don't be that way."
"You should have told me when you first got to the Burrow," Ginny softly growled.
"Sweetheart, we didn't need your parents adding their two Knuts. It's something you and I need to decide."
"I should have been told right away," Ginny repeated.
Thuban stepped out the door. "I'm ready to be tucked in."
The couple went into the room and tucked their eldest in. When they turned to leave, Thuban called Draco back. The blond wizard sat on the side of his son's bed. "What do you need, mate?"
"I'm really sorry, Daddy. I was only thinking of myself. I really wanted to play with Mr. Keitch. That's why I did it," Thuban stated wiping the tears away.
"Did what, mate?"
"I used transfer tape and moved your signature to the form for Mr. Keitch's team. I signed myself up for the travel team. I'm so sorry, Daddy. I only thought about playing Quidditch. I didn't think about how I was hurting you." Thuban looked down at his hands.
Draco's expression was unreadable. He wasn't trying to hide anything. The wizard truly didn't know what to think. Thuban only showed this form of regret after he'd been caught misbehaving. This was the first time the boy had confessed to misbehavior before being confronted with the proof of his guilt. However, the boy's offence was against him. Anger was fighting its way to the surface. Draco was doing his best to hold it back. Thuban was showing remorse for his actions, not sorrow because he was caught.
Thuban glanced up at his father. "Daddy, say something. I know you deserve a better son than me. I misbehave too much. I'm hard to love-"
"Stop right there," Draco ordered. "I love you, and I always will." He kissed the boy's cheek. "You caught me by surprise. Why'd you tell me this now? Were you afraid you'd get caught?"
"I had the perfect plan. I wouldn't get caught, but Mum might think you lied to her about signing me up. I don't want you rowing because of something I did. I'm sorry, Daddy. I want to fix this," Thuban said looking into his father's eyes.
"Apology accepted, Son," Draco said. "You learned a big lesson today, didn't you?"
"My actions hurt others. I should have just kept trying to talk you and Mum into letting me play," Thuban replied.
"That would have been better, son." Draco kissed the boy again. "Thuban, I'm proud to call you my son. You are a wonderful boy." The wizard playfully tapped his son's nose. "Who makes mistakes from time to time. You get some sleep now. We'll talk more about this in the morning."
Thuban hugged his father. "Alright, Daddy."
As the little wizard cuddled into his bed, he realized that his tummy no longer hurt. This surprised him a bit. He usually worried about his punishment when it wasn't handed out right away. Thuban didn't care this time. Even though he was bad, he was still loved.
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Ginny placed Lyra in her cradle next to her bed. The baby cooed and wiggled before falling back to sleep. Ginny rolled her head to relax and sighed with relief that the day was finally over. Could my babies just stop growing up for one minute, she thought. Why couldn't things stay the same for at least one month?
She was having an internal struggle. The witch was extremely proud that Thuban had been asked to play Quidditch at such a high level. Draco may have given their eldest his first flying lesson, but Ginny had taught him most of his best Chaser moves. She knew he was outstanding at the game, but he was still just a little boy.
The witch sat at her dressing table, brushing her hair and talking to herself. Of course her mirror was listening and responding. "Randolph Keitch was an outstanding Chaser. He was an exceptional captain for fifteen years. He knows a Quidditch player when he sees one." Ginny beamed. "He picked Thuban. I knew he was good but not that good."
She ran the brush through her hair again. "But is Thuban ready for the commitment? Can he deal with practicing two hours, three times a week?"
"He would practice every hour of the day if you allowed it," the mirror replied.
Ginny giggled. "That's true. A racing broom… Is my baby ready for a racing broom?"
"I thought we agreed to start all the children off on trainer brooms? Lyra won't be ready for years," Draco interjected as he entered the room.
"Stop being silly. I was speaking about Thuban," Ginny stated.
He leaned over her, caressed her arm and kissed her cheek. "Lyra's our baby."
"Silly wizard," she responded. "They will always be my babies."
His lips softly brushed hers. "We make beautiful babies."
She playfully pushed him away. "Flirting isn't going to get you a yes and out of discussing this decision."
"He won't be playing," Draco stated flatly.
"Draco?" she questioned.
"He forged the forms and signed himself up. We can't let him play now," he stated.
"How'd you find out?"
The wizard sighed. "He confessed. The boy came to the realization that you might accuse me of signing him up."
Ginny stared wide eyed at Draco. "Thuban admitted to an action which he likely wouldn't have been caught at?"
"Yes," the blond wizard replied.
"He did it so I wouldn't blame you?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Merlin, I was wrong," Ginny sighed.
Draco dropped his tall form on the bed. "So was I. I didn't think I was raising another me. I used to do things like this all the time to get my way. I'd do anything to get what I wanted. I didn't care who I hurt. I don't want my sons to be like that."
The redhead lay down next to her husband and cuddled him. "You were a prat in school. I can't disagree. However, you've done a wonderful job raising our sons. They are polite little wizards most of the time." She kissed his cheek. "You mistook my statement. I thought that Thuban wasn't mature enough. His action says otherwise. Draco, our son realized that his dealings could cause us a problem, and he stepped forward. Yes, he committed an offence against you, but he came forward because he cared more about us than about getting what he wanted."
The blond wizard smiled slightly. "So, I haven't done that bad of a job with him."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I think we should let him play on the travel team." Ginny put her finger over his lips to stop him from protesting. "Missing a whole season is too harsh. What do you think about making him miss the first two games and cleaning the stables for a week or two?"
"He'll clean the stables for a month and miss the games." Draco leaned over and kissed her. "I'll keep a close eye on his training. I won't let him play if he's not ready for this level."
"Of course you'll watch him." She returned his kiss. "Because I'll hex you into next year if my baby gets hurt."
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Lucius and Severus hadn't been in Fitz Rakovski's office long when they discovered he was an intelligent lawyer. His files were coded and no spell could decode them. He wasn't a wizard, but he must have had a connection with one. This finding worried Lucius.
"Severus, you must see reason. Kirley's story is true. Why else would…" Lucius started.
"Greedy Wizards in this country often work for Muggle criminals. This proves nothing." Snape paused. "Well, it proves that Rakovski will be of no use to us. His wizard partner surely modified Rakovski's memory so he wouldn't be caught. We'll go see the midwife. If we are lucky Fitz's wizard didn't know her. "
They stepped through the doorway of the visiting room. It was easy to get inside. The wizards told prison officials they were lawyers here to help Ms. Lom with her appeal. Nastsa was willing to listen to them. The old woman felt she had done nothing wrong. She only took babies from the poor and gave them to the rich. The children would have been abused and a burden on society if she hadn't done it. Her actions had saved many in her eyes.
Nastsa walked into the room and sat across from Lucius and Severus. "I haven't had a soda in months. Could you get me one?" the woman pointed at the machine in the corner. Severus got up. This was going to be easier than he'd thought. After purchasing the soda, he placed the truth potion inside it. Returning to the table, he placed the can in front of her.
"Why should I allow you two to handle my appeal? Any lawyer who handles it will become famous," the gray haired stout woman said with an air of superiority.
Lucius waved his wand under the table. Nastsa went mute and started to turn blue. "You need to learn your place, Muggle." He whispered another charm, and Nastsa gasped for air. Lucius whispered a third time before ordering, "Drink your soda."
The woman's eyes glazed over, and she did as she was told. Snape placed a number of charms on the room so they couldn't be heard or seen. When Nastsa set her coke down, Severus stared into her eyes. The wizard searched through her mind.
Pulling a photo of Lis from his coat, Lucius handed it to Nastsa. She looked at it briefly before staring back at Snape. "Tell me about the day you delivered her children."
Severus not only listened to the woman's words but he also used Legimency to read her mind.
"A woman in her thirties brought her in. The young girl had been in labor for hours. I could tell by the conversation that they planned for the older woman to claim the baby as her own. The girl hadn't been to see a doctor during her pregnancy, that much was clear. I placed the monitor on her and found she was having twins." The woman laughed. "This one was too easy. The older woman didn't want to be present for the birth. When she left the room, I gave the girl medications to put her out. I delivered both babies."
"Drink more of your soda," Lucius ordered. He looked at Severus.
Snape expression was grave. As he had read Ms. Lom's mind he saw the woman killing a number of sick children and elderly Muggles as they lie in hospital beds. The wizard also saw her killing health woman in the prisons infirmary. He hissed. "Her mind is a mess. This crazy old bat has stolen more than just babies. She has killed more people than the Dark Lord. The woman was just more humane about it." He smirked at the woman. "You're still killing, aren't you? They let you work in the hospital wing here."
"The government should have killed the murders. I'm merely saving my country money," she replied.
"Why do you care what she does to other Muggles?" Lucius inquired.
Severus ignored his friend's question. "What happened to the twin girls you delivered on February 9th, 1978?"
"I gave one to the mother. The other I gave to Fitz. He made sure the second baby left the country. They were both beautiful little girls," Ms. Lom stated.
"Did the mother know she had twins?" Snape asked.
"I was the only one who knew," Ms. Lom whispered. "It was perfect, no one missed the second."
"You bitch," Snape lifted his wand. "Crucio."
The woman screamed in pain. Once she had stopped, Snape started to say the curse again, but Lucius intervened. "Come along, old friend, we have our information."
"She deserves this," Snape growled.
"I agree my friend, however it's not worth getting caught by the Ministry," Lucius replied.
The wizards didn't bother to keep up pretenses, they stood and Disapparated. Ms. Lom was still screaming in pain when the prison guards entered the room ten minutes later.
As the men walked down the dark streets of Varna, Snape emoted to his long time friend. "I wish Lis had told me. We would have never been the happy little family. We likely would have still given the girls to the Svetoslavs. However, I would have stayed with Lis all those months. She wouldn't have been alone, and maybe she wouldn't have been so sad when she returned."
"You can't change things, Severus. You can merely work with the new information," Lucius commented. The blond wizard smiled at his friend. "I've never asked you, how does it feel to be a father and grandfather?"
"Confusing. I've watched you long enough to understand the role of being a father and grandfather. Maisie may not want me in their lives." Severus sighed. "It may be best if she doesn't. I'm not the fatherly type."
"You will convince her." Lucius smirked. "As for being the fatherly type, you're grandchildren will help you become that."
Snape nodded, "That will have to wait. Now that I have most of Maisie's questions answered, I need to learn more about Madeline. I'm hoping that Thomas Petrova has enough of his mind left to tell me."
"It is likely that his mind has been magically altered. We should collect him and take him to St. Mungo's," Lucius stated. "If there is any truth to Mulciber's story, it would be safer in London."
Severus grinned, "And it will get you back to Narcissa."
"A very good side benefit, but not the main reason," Lucius replied.
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The soft whining of Lyra woke Ginny. She hated the idea of leaving the warm embrace of her husband. The witch enjoyed how close he held her after an evening of sex. Lyra cried louder, causing Draco to stir. With the closeness lost, Ginny moved from the bed. She groaned when her feet touched the cold floor.
"Bloody hell, I knew it was too soon," Draco gasped as he jumped from the bed.
"I'm fine, Draco. I was complaining about the cold floor. Lie back-" she looked at the clock. "Shite, it's seven already. You might as well take a shower; the boys are likely already up."
He walked over to her and helped her lie back in bed with Lyra. "Are you sure you're alright?" Draco asked, his voice laced with guilt.
"Stop being ridiculous, if today weren't Sunday, I'd be going to see the midwitch and getting the clear." Ginny stared at him. "I was the one who wouldn't take no for an answer last night."
"You were a vixen," he replied with a smirk.
"Well, that doesn't get you out of our date on Monday. You still need to show me a wonderful evening. I need your undivided attention for a couple of hours." She kissed his cheek. "Be a dear, and see to the boys. We've been leaning on your mother too much."
"She loves being leaned on, but for you I'll go." He headed into the shower.
Ginny sat feeding Lyra. She couldn't stop the giggles escaping her as she heard Draco singing as he showered. "Your daddy is always making up little songs, most of them are funny."
The bedroom door flew open. Leo ran inside, crawled on the bed and cuddled up with Ginny. "Grandfadder mean. I no like him no more," the two-year-old cried into Ginny's shoulder.
"Hush, baby. He'll return Monday, and you'll get to spend all evening with him," Ginny replied.
Leo shook his head. "He no like me. Me no like him."
Serpens popped his head in the room, then he removed it and yelled. "Only Mummy's in here." He entered the room a short time later with his oldest brothers. Draco entered the room at the same time, causing Cam to roll his eyes.
"You're not going to start kissing Mummy, are you?" Cam sighed. "Cause we're hungry and the elves say we have to have an adult with us."
"Isn't your Grandmother up?" Draco inquired.
"She's up," Thuban giggled. "She's just really busy."
"Busy?" Draco asked puzzled.
The three oldest boys giggled. Serpens spoke, "Her and Grandfather are busy kissing."
"Tipsy let Grandfather in a couple of minutes ago. He went straight for Grandmother," Thuban said.
Serpens nodded. "He didn't even say hello to Leo."
Draco picked up his crying two-year-old. "Grandfather still loves you, little mate. He's just funny when he's been away from Grandmother too long. I can tell you stories."
"It's funny to see them act like you and Mummy," Cam puffed. He turned up his face in disgust. "He touched her bottom."
"We'll give them some privacy," Ginny stated.
"If we give them too much privacy they might make a baby," Serpens giggled.
"Don't be silly. Grandmother wanted more babies, but the deities only gave them Daddy." Cam shook his head at his brother's silliness.
Tipsy popped into the room. "Master," she said to Draco. "Yous parents being downstairs. They be wondering if yous be coming to breakfast?"
"I believe your grandfather is ready to greet you. Come along, boys." Draco started to shoo his sons out the door.
"I'll shower and see you all soon," Ginny informed her family.
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The senior Malfoys were still sharing whispered affirmations of love as Draco entered the family parlor. Leo clung closer to his father. The toddler wasn't used to Lucius ignoring him. Draco cleared his throat to acquire his parents' attention. "Mother. Father."
Lucius turned, his smile fading with the lack of greeting he received from his grandsons. Leo seemed to tighten his hold on Draco when Lucius met his eyes. It had always been the same with Draco also. It seemed the longer he was away, the colder his welcome was when he returned. Lucius decided he wasn't going to take this anymore.
"Why the cold shoulder, boys? I thought you'd be excited to see me," Lucius huffed.
Draco chuckled, "Are you ready for them to welcome you home? You were a bit too busy to notice them the first time."
"The first time?" Lucius sniffed. "I haven't seen them in two weeks."
"You're joking, right?" Thuban asked. "Grandmother was taking us to the dining room when Tipsy let you in."
Leo gave his grandfather a dirty look. "You push me away."
Serpens giggled into his hand. "You were too busy kissing Grandmother."
"I…" Lucius looked at his son.
"It was always the same," Draco informed his father. "I could climb up your back and you wouldn't notice me until you'd greeted Mother properly."
"My apologies." Lucius knelt down and opened his arms. "May I have my wel-"
The old wizard didn't get his last words out before three of his grandsons ran into him.
"We missed you."
"We're happy you came home early."
"You were gone so long."
As he hugged the boys, Lucius' eyes went to Leo. "I missed you all too. Leo, little man, may I please have a hug?"
"NO! Me should be first," Leo demanded.
"Leo," Draco firmly corrected.
Lucius shook his head. "My wife is always first." He held his arms out to take his youngest grandson. Leo refused to go to the man.
"Finally," Ginny sighed. "You get to see his stubborn-" She paused. "I'm sorry. Welcome back, Lucius. I hope everything went well on your trip."
"We accomplished all we needed, thank you." Lucius kissed Ginny's cheek. "I can assure you, I've seen Leo's stubborn side." The wizard smirked. "I believe he inherited it from me."
The ex-Death Eater caressed Leo's face. "Love you, little one." Lucius eyed Draco. "Where's my granddaughter?"
"She's sleeping. Let's have breakfast. I'm sure she'll be awake when we've finished," Ginny said.
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"Your mother was a frightened young girl." Snape frowned as he spoke to Maisie. Her husband Scott sat next to her in their den. He patted his wife's hand supportively as Severus continued. "Her mother told me Lis was going to school at Durmstrang. If I had written her or tried to go see her, I would have known the truth. The blame for all these events lies with me."
Snape took a drink of his tea. "Your mother, Lis Mulciber was the little sister of my good friend, Kirley. She was two years younger than I, and she favored me from the first time we meet. I, on the other hand, only longed for one witch, Lily Evans.
"When Lily announced her engagement to James Potter, I started my relationship with Lis. I never loved her and only used her. There was nothing she could do but run off when she learned she was expecting. Lis did what she thought was best. Her aunt and uncle in Varna were unable to have children. Lis planned on having our child and letting Petar and Marija Svetoslav raise it.
"She gave birth at a Muggle hospital to twins, but only the midwife who delivered the babies knew there were two. The Muggle woman stole you and sold you to an American Muggle family."
Maisie nodded at her father. "You and my mother were Death Eaters. You killed Muggles. She died trying to destroy the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters."
"That was my fault also. Lis joined the Death Eaters because of me. She was assigned the deadly mission because Lord Voldemort learned she had concealed her pregnancy from him," Snape replied.
"Why would he care?" Maisie asked.
Severus sighed. "The Dark Lord wanted total control of his followers plus I also believe that he was her father. I can't prove it, only that you are not of Mulciber blood."
"Kill his own blood for having an illegitimate child? Something he had done himself?" Maisie spouted in disbelief.
"It may have been a punishment for Anne Mulciber, your grandmother, for she was the one who hatched the plan. He assigned a deadly mission to Draco Malfoy to punish Lucius for his failures." Snape stared into his daughter's eyes. "Do not try to rationalize the actions of that mad man."
"If he was mad, why did you follow him?" Maisie inquired.
"He wasn't only mad. The Dark Lord was very persuasive. I was young. My Muggle father made my childhood hell. I held Muggles responsible for all of my problems, as did Lord Voldemort. As I grew, I saw the evil in his actions. He harmed the wizarding world. Then he killed my love, Lily Potter, and I turned spy for the Order."
Maisie touched Severus' hand. "You waited until the time was right. Then you and Lucius planned Voldemort's defeat. I've been reading up on Lord Voldemort. When Thuban informed Alex of why British wizards feared Polartongues, I set out to learn all I could."
"Polartongues?" Snape questioned.
"The ability to speak with animals and humans," Maisie informed him.
"You speak to other animals besides snakes?"
"The children and I can speak to any reptile. However, in the States there are wizards known for speaking with different species of animals. It's rare to be able to speak to all species, but there are a few who can." Maisie sat back on the sofa.
"Maybe you aren't of Slytherin blood," Severus stated.
Maisie shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I am. My blood does not dictate my actions. Besides, Slytherin couldn't have been an evil wizard if he started a school. There is good and evil in everyone. You are proof of that. Now, tell me about my sister. Did you meet her?"
"No. She's no longer with us. Madeline, your sister, died nine years ago in childbirth. Voldemort may have had a hand in that. Hopefully, I will learn soon. Her husband is in St. Mungo's. A combination of a poorly performed Imperius curse and Memory Charms have his mind a mess right now. The Healers believe they can put him right in a month or two," Snape informed her.
"What of Madeline's baby?" Maisie questioned.
"We can't locate him. We hope his father can tell us soon." Snape took a drink of his tea.
Maisie nodded. "Thank you. Will you join us for lunch?"
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