\u201cHello, ladies\u201d, Harry smiled at the two nursing mothers. \u201cIf I\u2019m disturbing, just shoo me out\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fine\u201d, Hermione smiled at her best friend. \u201cWe missed you, and I sincerely doubt we\u2019ll surprise you with anything you haven\u2019t seen already\u201d, she glanced at the baby suckling at her breast and grinned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did we miss?\u201d, Lyra looked at him after they kissed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll hell broke loose. People are demanding we conduct a thorough sweep for other such people, and I had to calm them down and convince them that it would be counterproductive to create an atmosphere of paranoia that would alienate and disturb normal and decent wizards over a few fringe lunatics. Also, that we are quite safe and on top of things, and we prefer to remain reactive rather than proactive, because even when the enemies have the advantage of surprise and they make the first move, we\u2019ll just mop them up like we did in the last two cases. Eventually, that argument won and things are starting to calm down\u201d, he grinned. \u201cAlso, it\u2019s good that we lifted the ban on dark magic so Lucius and Narcissa will be in no trouble for using the Cruciatus Curse on the thugs. They confessed everything after I hinted that I might let them talk to my in-laws in private if they are not cooperative\u201d, he laughed. \u201cAlso, Viktor stood there looking murderous, and I seem to have hinted that I might leave the room for some urgent business if their confession took too long or proved to be lacking in detail\u201d.<\/p>\n
Both women giggled. \u201cDid you sweep their base?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cImmediately after they told us everything\u201d, he nodded. \u201cThere was a cellar in the Knockturn Alley and a remote decrepit house out in the countryside. Other than the two unpleasant looking witches brewing potions and lots of squalor and dark artefacts, there wasn\u2019t much to find. I would expect there to be similar groups that we don\u2019t know of, but I think they had little to no contact with this one, and we interrogated the two women to my satisfaction. They hold grudges over this or that Death Eater or dark wizard that got killed or arrested, but since they haven\u2019t done anything wrong we just warned them to stay out of trouble, put them under surveillance and left them alone\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s that, I guess. Nice company Ron was keeping\u201d, Hermione frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt reminded me of the hut of the Gaunts\u201d, Harry nodded. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d see anything similar again, but live and learn, I guess\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cGaunts?\u201d, Lyra looked at him and lifted an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cA remnant of an old pureblood family, heavily inbred, destitute and endlessly arrogant. They all died, but not before the daughter gave birth to Tom Riddle junior, who was best known by his artistic alias\u201d, Harry grinned.<\/p>\n
\u201cLord Voldemort\u201d, Hermione whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly\u201d, he nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease sit down and keep us company\u201d, Hermione begged. \u201cI love Lyra but we miss seeing other people\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be my pleasure. We\u2019ve been missing you too, but you\u2019ve been so busy with the babies, and we had so much work lately with this\u2026\u201d, he shrugged as he sat down. \u201cViktor is still at work, but he\u2019ll be coming shortly\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, I was just talking to Hermione how much I envied her at school. She was smart and good at everything, and people loved her for it and praised her intelligence and magical ability at every turn. But when I did something similar, everybody went silent and looked almost afraid. Hermione noticed the same thing, but we don\u2019t understand why\u201d, she looked at her true love with her beautiful silver eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to feel really sorry for her\u201d, Hermione nodded. \u201cShe was incredibly smart, to the point where I would look at her with my mouth open when she would pull out some quote from an ancient book, that I didn\u2019t even know existed, or I couldn\u2019t read it because it was in Latin, and it seemed like the professors didn\u2019t even know about it, or she would do a spell with incredible ease, and everybody would feel uncomfortable and turn the other way, leaving her standing there and feeling awkward. It was a terrible way to treat someone\u201d, she looked like she was about to cry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I know the reason\u201d, Harry was suddenly serious. \u201cThey had another stellar Slytherin student in living memory. Best in school. Looked handsome and polite. Also incredibly good at magic. Everybody but Dumbledore was charmed by him. I\u2019ve seen the memories\u201d, he frowned. \u201cYou can guess his name, since we already mentioned him\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cTom Riddle\u201d, Hermione put her hand over her mouth in shock.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey thought I might be the next Voldemort\u201d, Lyra was shocked. \u201cBut that actually explains a lot\u201d, she nodded. \u201cThe better I did, the more I reminded them of him when he was my age. And, of course, they did not appreciate the prospects one bit\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that was so incredibly unfair to you\u201d, Hermione actually cried now. \u201cYou never did anything wrong, and you kept paying for other people\u2019s sins regardless\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I always seemed to find myself at the bottom of some deep hole with slippery walls\u201d, Lyra smiled bitterly. \u201cAt least now I understand why. But when it happened, it all felt so unfair I would cry myself to sleep almost every night, at least until Harry started talking to me again. After people saw us holding hands and talking, I think they started giving me the benefit of the doubt\u201d, her smile brightened. \u201cBut I still envied Hermione so much. I would live vicariously \u2013 see her praised for an answer I also knew, and imagined what it would feel like to be praised for it for once\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI praise you now and you\u2019re always embarrassed\u201d, Hermione pointed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, because it feels so good\u201d, Lyra smiled. \u201cI fear I\u2019ll melt into the floor and you\u2019ll have to mop me up\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hermione giggled. \u201cI can\u2019t help myself, because you\u2019re so awesome that you keep deserving every single bit of it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Lyra groaned and hid her face into her baby.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of you are awesome\u201d, Harry smiled. \u201cYou know, Viktor and I were quite scared when the two of you were giving birth, now that we know enough wandless magic to be scared. When you were in labour and going through all that pain, we thought that if one of you reaches for the magical layer on instinct, you might crush the space around you like an empty can of soda. How did you manage to be so disciplined?\u201d<\/p>\n
They thought about it. \u201cI guess I was at peace with it. Accepted the agony. Looking forward to my baby. Praying a little to whoever is out there to look out for me\u201d, Lyra smiled. \u201cI was still new to it so I have to concentrate more, and that\u2019s hard to do under the waves of pain, but I was also at peace with it all. If it were my first pregnancy, where I was really afraid because everything was new, it would be a different matter\u201d, Hermione nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirl, you levitated half a meter above the bed when you were pushing\u201d, Lyra laughed. \u201cThe midwife\u2019s eyes looked like they were about to pop out. Flashes of light and music came from the tears in space that you opened\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hermione was shocked. \u201cI didn\u2019t notice. Why didn\u2019t anyone tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were too relieved it all ended well, I guess\u201d, Lyra kissed her hand. \u201cAlso, it felt amazing, as if you tore through the veil that separates this world from heaven and we could feel the other side a bit\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, if she had it any harder I guess we\u2019d all be on the other side now\u201d, Harry smiled, and it was now Hermione\u2019s turn to hide her face in embarrassment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cHello, ladies\u201d, Harry smiled at the two nursing mothers. \u201cIf I\u2019m disturbing, just shoo me out\u201d. \u201cIt\u2019s fine\u201d, Hermione smiled at her best friend. \u201cWe missed you, and I sincerely doubt we\u2019ll surprise you with anything you haven\u2019t seen already\u201d, … Continue reading