Chapter Text
Disclaimer: Don't own them, not making any money.
A/N: Well, I didn’t see that coming, did you? Cup of tea in hand, and I’m ready to relax my way toward an ending. Not much left now…to book one. Now is probably the time to tell you that before posting I will have the full story finished. I will post at a predetermined pace that will keep my audience intrigued! Now, let’s get to the fun stuff! Avanti!
Chapter 13
It’s not goodbye…
Summer was coming to Hogwarts and the grounds were in bloom. The giant squid was playing at the top of the lake swatting several balls to shore where a group of second years would catch them and throw them back. It was adding an extra element to their daily run but neither minded much. As they finished their final lap they settled down under their favorite tree. They drained their water bottles and used towels to mop off the sweat of their exertions. It was a warm day and beautifully sunny, but their final week at Hogwarts was ticking away.
“What's the point of continuing classes after finals?” Helen complained. “We took the tests and now what? We start learning second year spells? I don’t get it.”
“It does give us some time to say goodbye without the stress of finals. There is something to be said for that.”
Helen nodded, “This is true, but I could use a lack of classes, and summer homework. Like we haven’t done enough homework already. Oh well, nothing we can do about it now. But Hermione, it’s not goodbye. It’s just see you later. Even when we graduate it won’t be goodbye. You’re my best friend, I’m not letting you go without a fight.”
Hermione leaned into her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “Good, I would rather not let you go. Should we head down to the gym now?”
“Actually, let’s make a stop and head up to the common room. The leaving feast is tomorrow and I still have one more thing I wanted to do before then.”
They made their way through the school and into a familiar larder. A bit of spell work and a couple of boxes of butter beer fit nicely in their pockets. They made their way up to the portrait of the fat lady and the waiting room behind. They hadn’t spent much time in the large circular room on the seventh floor. With its many couches and homework tables. There was no fire today, it wasn’t needed. As a matter of fact, the windows had been thrown open and the late spring breeze was blowing in cooling the room. Most of the house was gathered, laughing and talking about the past year. All conversation stopped as Helen and Hermione entered the room and then cheers broke out. She couldn’t help but smile at the boisterous celebration of her peers. It grew louder when they restored the butter beer.
“Everyone, it’s been a heck of a year. But there is one thing we have yet to do! Hermione here has not learned to relax. So, let’s celebrate, and if you see her so much as look at a book get her another drink!”
The party went on all day, only taking a break for lunch. After spending so little time in Gryffindor it was kind of strange to be with everyone. But still, Helen and Hermione found separation. They sat on the window seat, arms around each other just relaxing as the hour ticked closer and closer to the leaving feast and their final dinner with the seventh years.
They were two children who had grown up mostly alone. Their friends were in the pages of novels and they just didn’t know how to be social in a crowd. That didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy being in a group, but it wasn’t long before they were socially exhausted and needed space. Small groups, three or four people, were okay. They could do those groups for hours. Helen was sure that things would change over time, but for right now they were the dynamic duo of Gryffindor. They were the dream team. There wasn’t anything the two of them couldn’t seem to do and it gave them enough celebrity to be more than welcome in the family.
“We could spend more time up here,” Hermione tried.
“What, you mean next year?”
“Yea, for six years these people are going to be our family, we could make the effort.”
Helen sighed, “Luv, I don’t see my house as my family. I got sorted here and that may come in time, I count nothing out, but I have a family already. I have dad, a crazy group of aunts and uncles, and a sister.”
“You have a sister?”
Helen snorted, “Yea, but she’s kind of dim apparently. Considering she’s the smartest witch in an age that’s saying something. But that’s okay, I love her anyway.”
Hermione pulled away and looked at her startled, “You’re talking about me?”
“You have to ask? We’ve spent every day for almost a year together. We mesh and I don’t have to worry about being myself around you. How many people do you find that you can truly be yourself around?”
Hermione wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tightly and Helen couldn’t resist. She buried her face in the riot of brown curls and kissed the top of Hermione’s head. They sat like that for a while watching the others play before Hermione finally pulled away and stood. She looked at her watch and shook her head at the gathering, no one else was paying the least bit of attention.
“We have to get ready for the feast. Should we tell the others.”
“I got it,” Helen told her, then yelled. “Hey! We have fifteen minutes till dinner. I assume we are still going?”
The information caused a sudden free for all as everyone rushed for the dorms to put away their day clothes and change into their uniforms. Helen and a few of the others left their robes open as they made the trek, as a house, down to the great hall. It was unusually warm for Scotland and the robes made Helen want to break out a book to learn a cooling charm. At least the night would be gorgeous. They entered the great hall to see a cloudless sky overhead. The ceiling painted dazzling oranges, reds, and hints of purple.
It wasn’t often that a house moved as a single unit so when they walked in, two solid lines of Gryffindors, and took their places at the Gryffindor table all conversation stopped. Even the professors looked over at the display and the queen of the pride, McGonagall, sat looking proudly at her lions. A few students trickled into finish filling the room before Dumbledore finally stood.
“It has been quite the year and I wanted to say that I am proud of every one of you. Tomorrow you will leave Hogwarts, some of you for the last time. For those of you who will return I have a few announcements to make. Next year will see many changes, new staff, new professors, and many new students. You will each receive your supply and book lists early this year as well as your class schedules. We want to give you time to plan your days better.
“With that being said, let’s eat!”
The food appeared on the tables and the students dug in. Helen couldn’t help but laugh as she spied the Slytherins continuing to school Ron in proper table etiquette. Everyone was talking about all the packing they had to do, and Helen was wondering if she could just dump her trunk in her dad’s apartment. She hated the idea of lugging that trunk back home.
Once they were done Dumbledore began to hand out all the awards. There were always a stack of them to be passed around at the end of the year. The seventh years received awards for everything from research projects to being teachers assistance and one couldn’t forget the appreciation gifts for the head boy and head girl. Then of course came the long-awaited house cup. She looked up at the Slytherin décor and shook her head, Fred and George had torpedoed their points attacking Ron.
“Now for our final award,” the mention of the house cup caused a hush to fall over the hall. “That’s right, it’s time to award the house cup. The standings are as follows; Gryffindor is in fourth with three hundred and twenty points, Hufflepuff is in third with three hundred and forty, Ravenclaw is in second place with three hundred and forty-five, and finally Slytherin is in first place with three hundred and sixty points.”
The Slytherin table broke into rowdy applause with the rest of the houses applauding politely, “Yes, yes, congratulations seem to be in order. But current events must be taken into consideration. I have some last-minute points to award. To Ronald Weasley I award fifty points for the best played game of wizards chess this school has seen in ages. To Hermione Granger I award fifty points for keeping a clear head in a crisis and thinking her way through it. And finally, to Helen Potter I award fifty points for sticking to her principles no matter the cost. If my math is correct, I think a change of decoration is in order.”
He raised his hands and the tapestries changed from snakes and green to lions and red. The table went wild cheering. Helen and Hermione found themselves crushed in a group hug. They were both grinning when everyone finally pulled away and she looked up to the head table to find her dad smiling. It was a sight that few in the school had ever seen, but his eyes were locked with her as he gave her a small thumbs up. She looked to the headmaster and got a small nod in return. It wasn’t a bad way to close out the year.
They finished their pudding and set off for the common room. The party that had started that morning restarted and went well into the night. Helen and Hermione attended, because the others wouldn’t let them leave. As the clock tolled eleven they finally slipped away to their dorm. They were pretty exhausted. They got changed into their pajamas and Helen opened the window. They both settled down on Helen’s bed and just sat staring out the window for a while.
Hermione finally broke the silence, “What are you doing over the summer?”
“I don’t know, dad has some super-secret plans for the first two weeks, then we will be home for a while. Then right before the school year starts we are going to spend two weeks in LA.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Helen shrugged, “Dad keeps changing the plans on me. I’m thinking about just giving up on finding out. But we will get together for school shopping and at least two fun days. I also owled your parents and they will drop you off for a weekend at my place. So, we do have something to look forward to.”
“Wait, you wrote my parents?”
“Several times, actually,” Helen told her laughing. “That’s how I know your birthday and your middle name.”
“I am going to start talking to your dad more. Turnabout is fair play after all.”
She leaned her head against Hermione’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist, “My dad is yours, luv.”
Hermione shook her head as Helen drifted off continuing to mumble. The breeze through the mountains was cool and the spring was warm, it was relaxing, and they were finally in a calm. No classes, no Voldemort, just a train ride to look forward to and a summer of fun. It wasn’t long before they were both sound asleep.
The train rumbled down the tracks as the student body of Hogwarts made its return to the rest of the world. Draco and Ron were sitting with them in the cabin with Trina happily snuggling in which every lap was most willing to give her pets. It was a happy group that was heading for home. The countryside rolled by, and Helen found herself looking out the window wondering about all the parts of it she had yet to see. She understood how quickly the next six years would pass. School was a blip in life, and before you knew it that time had passed and adulting began. Time with friends would become rarer, traveling would be harder, and the years would tick by like so many seconds on the clock.
The perception of time was a funny thing. The better the times the faster time ticked away, and the bad times seemed to dwell around forever. A happy hour could seem like a second and a second of agony could seem like an hour. It was the same with the ride home. Getting to where you were going always seemed to take forever, there was the excitement and anticipation of a new experience, and fun trip. But the ride home was always quicker that the ride there. You didn’t have that extension that went with wanting to get to your destination. You were returning to the usual. It was time to go back to cooking meals, taking out the trash, and the normal humdrum of life.
But for now she was returning to a life of adventure. She and her dad would go and explore the world together and that humdrum would be a welcome diversion. But if she was being honest, she craved that humble normality. She felt bad for that. Her dad tried his best to provide her a life that was wondrous, and she sat around thinking of all the things she was missing. But she just couldn’t help it. Moments like this brought the thoughts crashing down on her. Hermione, Ron, and Draco would step off the train into the arms of their mothers. With the exception of Draco the others would find their dads smiling proudly. If dad got done early enough, she could expect his dark presence awaiting her, and maybe a folds of the robes hug. But no mum, no birth dad, just her on a bustling train platform trying to be properly happy so she didn’t hurt her dad’s feelings.
She was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with her. She had a great dad and a great life. She loved the git with all her heart, and yet… There was a hole in her heart. There was this space that would always be reserved for a wisp of memory of her parents, for the what ifs and the images she had crafted in her mind. But maybe that was enough. Maybe it was enough that she at least knew what they looked like, heard the stories, knew them through the eyes of their friends. It wasn’t perfect, but it was more than a lot of people got. She couldn’t imagine that life. She would be lost without at least this touchstone to her parents.
“If you go any deeper into that dark cloud you’ll turn into Severus,” Draco informed her.
“Would that be so bad? I would make a very good snarky bitch. I’ve been well trained.”
Draco snorted, “I know he didn’t teach you that word.”
“Oh, you would be surprised. You haven’t been there when one of his experiments fails. He can make a sailor blush. And with his language skills it’s a rather impressive spectacle.”
Hermione grinned, “I can only imagine. He wouldn’t be offended, you know that right?”
“Offended by what?”
“Every time you start to think about your parents you get this far away look and you absently rub your fingers together. Like you were doing a minute ago.”
“I know he wouldn’t,” she admitted. “But I can’t help but feel it would hurt him on some level.”
Draco grabbed her hands, “Helen, sweetie, talk to him. I’ve heard him talking to my parents and I know how much he misses yours, every day. You’re in this together.”
“Okay, everyone back to their seats. My issues aren’t a topic for discussion. Ronald,” she deflected, “what are your plans over the summer?”
“Nothing special really, we might visit my brother in Romania. Dad’s been having trouble getting time off, but I’m hoping it happens. Otherwise, I’ll just be at home doing chores and trying to avoid the twins.”
“Well, I already know what Draco is doing. Besides potty training Trina.”
“Yea, summer in France. Mum doesn’t want to have to avoid the Profit anymore. They have really started hounding her about d… my father.”
Helen patted his back in understanding, “I’m…um…. sure the rumors aren’t true Draco. And hey, you got dad and I to look forward to!”
Hermione looked up, “You’re going to France?”
“Oh heck no.” Helen gasped holding her hand to her heart, “Never even suggest that to dad, he’ll go all historical on you. You do NOT want to hear the hour-long discourse on everything wrong with France from inception to today. But if you’re in the mood to aggravate him you can always leave little French flags around his classroom. Especially if you dip into the French flags through history.”
Hermione looked confused, “What's his problem with the French?”
Helen shrugged, “I honestly have no clue. British pride maybe. Or it was the French waiter that refused to take his order. Apparently, his French wasn’t understandable. Whatever it is, we have never been back to France.”
Draco laughed, “Do you remember that time when the guy from the French Ministry came to that party mum threw and Severus chucked him in the fountain?”
“I thought your mum was going to lose it then I noticed she was trying not to laugh and applaud.”
“Can you blame her? Man was a stuck-up snob.”
Hermione pointed out the window, “We’re almost there.”
Helen’s smile lit the cabin, “Okay, three months and we are back together. Hermione and I have been keeping a secret, and with her permission I’m going to let the two of you in on it.” She nodded so Helen continued, “Okay then, when we get back to Hogwarts meet us at the entrance to the dungeons.”
“I hope you’re both ready for a lot of work,” Hermione told them seriously. “I know I wasn’t.”
The train pulled into the station to a crowd of waving parents. They remained seated calmly while their classmates jostled in the corridors rushing to get off the train that had barely stopped. Helen had no intention of rushing from the train into a mob of pressing bodies trying to get to their destination a little faster. She was willing to be far more sedate in her departure and the others were more than happy to follow her lead. They continued to chat for another five minutes about next year’s classes until the throngs leaving the train had slowed to a trickle and finally collected their baggage and made their way out to the waiting platform with its associated parents. Hermione was swept up in her mum’s arms as soon as her feet were clear of the train and Draco didn’t make it a step further. Ron got a bit more of a reserved welcome, but not by much. Helen spotted her dad and did a double take. He was leaning against a light pole wearing black jeans and a simple green button up.
There were no robes, no light blocked from view, no privacy. Just two arms wrapped around her and a smile she didn’t even try to suppress. Best of all though was the fact that he didn’t rush to put distance between them. He held her tightly for what seemed like hours before finally standing straight and proud. He was the visage of a proud parent and in that moment he was all she would ever need.
“Hello Severus,” Molly Weasley greeted. “And Helen, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Hello Molly. I hope life has been treating you well.”
Helen grinned at the matriarch of the Weasley clan, “Hi Mrs. Weasley! It's so good to see you.”
“We will have to schedule the school shopping trip so we can all spend some time together,” Molly offered.
“I’d love that. I’ll get dad to send you an owl so we can work out the details.” She looked at Hermione and smiled, “If you’ll excuse me.”
She walked over to where a very excited Hermione was filling in her parents on the year she had spent away. While they had seen her during the winter break there was still a lot to talk about and Hermione seemed to be trying to get it all out in one breath. Helen tried waiting, but the diatribe didn’t seem ready to abate any time soon, so she finally pulled a sugar quill from her pocket and stuck it in Hermione’s mouth.
“Hello Mister and Mrs. Granger. It's so good to finally meet you in person.
“You must be Helen,” Mrs. Granger said, smiling. “It's nice to meet you finally.”
“If you would like to step over to the group, the parental units are making plans. We would love for you to join us. Mister Granger, just to warn you, Mister Weasley is likely to bombard you with some interesting questions about non-magical items. He’s sweet, but he tends to get about as excited as Hermione here.”
They stood around on the platform for a few minutes while their parents made plans and they plotted all the things they could do when they got back to school. When they finally left the platform and started to head to the cars most of the groups had departed and they had an easy time of getting through the muggle traffic. Helen hugged Hermione tight and promised to owl while they were apart and then she and Severus were off.
“What did you think of your first year at Hogwarts?”
“I think I am going to have to make some time and remind myself that I need to visit my family while I am there. But other than that, I loved it…well, except the whole Quirrellmort thing. Could have done without that trauma in my life.”
“Agreed, but you made it through. You also passed your potions final with flying colors, so you may pick any one reward. We will stop at Diagon Alley before we return to the house.”
Helen knew exactly what she wanted. She also knew her friend well enough to know that she wouldn’t be offended. With that in mind she made a straight line to Elope’s Owl Emporium and found a beautiful snow owl named Hedwig. She still had personal money and she knew someone that would never do this for herself so she found a handsome Northern Pygmy Owl named Sprite which she promptly purchased despite her dad’s harassment about her own not needing a mate and them not starting a bird sanctuary. Once they had their purchases she went outside and wrote a quick note which she attached to Sprites legs.
“Okay little guy, I’m sending you to your master. You’re going to Hermione Granger, the blue Ford Focus on the M1.”
The little owl took off into the sky and Helen watched after him for a bit. Once they were done in the alley they headed to a muggle post office so that Helen could mail Sprite’s cage to Hermione and her dad could send out a few bills then they were back on the road. Helen leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. It had been a long year and she was happy to be on break. She was very tired after all.
A/N: Well, that’s it for book one. Thank you for joining us, and remember kids, only you can prevent forest fires!
Epilogue
Oceans Apart
Lucius wanted to be in the arms of his wife, he wanted to be greeting his son and hearing about his school year, he wanted to be anywhere other than here. He would take eternal damnation in the pits of hell over what was required of him now. He paced the polished black marble floors of what, at one time, had been a grand home. Now it stood in ruins, much like the man who had purchased it so many decades ago. After his fall they had found this place and raided it. They had taken every item from these halls, including the kitchen sink, and carted them off to be examined and destroyed. The house was never sold, no one would think of buying it even had it gone up for sale. Instead it had sat empty, until today. Lucius had been surprised to be summoned here, and by owl no less.
The doors to the office finally opened and he marshaled his thoughts to the task ahead. He was a proud pureblood who’s family had betrayed the Dark Lord. He had fooled the courts, fooled his friends, and would continue to do so. He was a loyal Death Eater. He was everything the press accused him of, he was everything the ministry suspected. He sat at his master’s table loyally. He had to believe it. The lies had to be the truth. They had to be as real as his own identity or he would not survive. The office was crowded. For the first time in years they were going to get marching orders from the master, a master who was sharing the bodies of one of his faithful. A servant who was slowly fading away under the overwhelming control of his master.
Lucius knelt, “My Lord.”
“Time is short, the ministry is sure to be here soon to see who is in my home. I want you to take the diary I gave you and find a way to get it into Hogwarts. Don’t worry about anything else, the book only needs to make its way to the school, the rest will take care of itself. You still have it I trust.”
His blood ran cold at the hissed threat implied in those word, “Of course, my lord. The ministry continues to see it as an empty book. If I may ask…”
“You may not, “ Voldemort cut him off. “I want this done Lucius. If you fail me you will share their fate.”
He motioned to the corner where four bodies lay. Lucius couldn’t see who they were but he could venture a guess. It looked like a changing of the guard was coming. He bowed his way out of the room and as soon as he was clear he apparated away. He had to tell Severus of this, but the man was on vacation. He had no way of contacting him and honestly, it wasn’t as if this couldn’t wait. How important could one book be.
Helen looked out over the water as the ship continued to pound its way through the waves. The grand old steamer, the Sea Wizard, was the wizarding worlds answer to sea travel. After so many years of incidents with customs the powers that be had gotten wise and started to come up with more ways to travel internationally, and the Sea Wizard was probably the poshest of them. It was straight out of the roaring twenties and was appropriately appointed. Everything from crystal chandeliers to polished rails and woodwork. She was finding this mode of transit very satisfying. Then she heard a retching sound again and remembered that her dad wasn’t.
Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin: Second Class, Spymaster for the Order of the Phoenix… was chucking the contents of his stomach into the sea. There wasn’t a potion he had taken that had stayed down, no food remained in his stomach, and even muggle sea sickness bands had not helped. She wished there was something she could do for him, but in the end it was beyond her control.
The unfortunate part was that Severus was cutting their time short. They were supposed to take a five day cruise, instead they were now on express service and only had an hour left until the ship apparated to its next location. Helen couldn’t blame him really, three days of creating green waves was likely to take their toll on anyone.
She rubbed his back absently while they waited for the bang that would herald their arrival. He had gone so far as to wait where the gangplank would extend from. He had no intention of being here any longer than needed. Helen could tell that once the plank was extended he was off, even if he had to jump and swim. She giggled at the thought, seeing him in his robes flapping the billowing cloak and managing to fly to shore.
“Just what do you find so amusing young lady?”
“Oh, just imagining the Bat of the Dungeons flapping his wings to get to shore a few minutes earlier.”
He let go another flow of green before growling, “Lucius, I am going to cut your heart out with a spoon.”
“Now don’t be so melodramatic, dad. Someone may think you’re serious.”
“I am. I want to hurt that man. Why would he suggest this means of travel? It is pure torment.”
“I think it’s beautiful. I would wax poetic, but it may make you sicker to talk of the sea. But take a deep breath dad, we are about to apparate.”
There was a loud bang, and the empty sea was replaced by a white sand beach and a volcanic island chain. They pulled up to a dock ten minutes later and Severus tumbled to the ground in a heap. Helen rolled her eyes and found it all quite undignified as she strolled leisurely down the ramp. He had, after all, raised her to be a lady.
“Really father, a man of your years behaving so poorly.”
“Don’t be a brat. Now, let’s head to the hotel.”
“As you wish. By the way, you look good without the goatee. Shows off your strong jawline.”
Severus snorted, “That is hardly the reason I did it. I was tired of having to clean crumbs and potions oils from my beard.”
She smiled at the dismissal, “Okay dad, whatever you say.”
A/N: Just a reminder that we here in the fanfiction community don’t work for money, we work for reviews, stars, and the fun of it. So go ahead and drop a review. As usual, all characters belong to respective authors and no money is changing hands. This has been a work of fanfiction, written for fun and out of a need to examine my own thoughts about the world, both real and literary.