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The Fate Changed Now What?	By : Krysania Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Tom Views: 8638 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I'm not JKR , not own Harry Potter, and consequently earn no money whatsoever.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Tom's pov (continuation)

There were days that Tom Marvolo Riddle literally hated himself: this day, the third in a row, was definitely one of those. He removed himself carefully from around Harry, hurrying with his frozen shower, beyond disgusted with himself and intending to cram as much studying he could before breakfast and later Auror camp. All the while attempting to stay on relatively calm parameters by not reflecting on Harry's heinous betrayal but it was a nearly impossible task.
The echo of his apparent weakness didn't help much with it anyway.
He had always prided himself on his control over any of his emotions, and had he thought that he had dealt with them and the immediate problem admirably when he managed to stay his hand and not instantly kill Harry for all of his boiling hurt and rage. Deciding to delay any and all final decisions until the proper time, but his continuous agitated state these days showed that he couldn't truly handle even that.
All his efforts to come into a dispassionate verdict, based only on his own interests, had failed flat so far and he was coming to the conclusion that it was beyond impossible to view Harry with complete rationality no matter how much he tried it.
He couldn't get past his anger and hurt towards his partner, not even when he tried, couldn't even bear to look at him without wanting to hurt him, destroy him, reduce him to nothing but ashes where he was standing, and yet the moment he actually visualized doing it, that his control slipped even a little while they sparred, his whole soul seized in terror, rendering him incapable to act on deadly intent.
Worse, his nights were full of hunting visions in which he lets his hate loose until he broken him, but it was thanks to those exact dreams that he awoke feeling a sick wretch in the middle of the night and the only thing that could calm him down was Harry's steady breath and his presence.
He had started to doubt his control over his very own actions.
Hell, even into that horrible first night - in which he was too enraged to truly sleep - he still ended taking care of him and, more preposterously, found himself at said morning with his nose buried into Harry's hair (smelling of pine and clear sky) – having moved all the way from the opposite side of their generous kingside bed – The only thing that had saved his dignity was that he always awoke very early and his partner had no idea about it.
Even in the morning duel, he didn't start his rightful retribution until he was certain that Harry could handle it.

. . .He really didn't like what this pattern said about him. . .
Tom was very aware of the intense duality to his feelings, love and hate so deeply intertwined that he wasn't truly certain where the one started and the other ended, but the latest lunacy had literally immolated any balance between then and any equilibrium to his soul. He frankly feared that he was losing the already tenuous links to any sanity he had, he couldn't afford to wait more for a decision…

Minerva's pov
Minerva Helena McGonagall was getting progressively more troubled as the days passed. It wasn't due to something simple like a bad feeling, although there was plenty of that too, but based in actual reality - she had no idea that her life would get so complicated by setting foot into Potter Manor. - But no, the complications had started a bit before that, at the Quidditch game, it was then that she made her two life-changing interconnected decisions:
The first one: to swear herself to Harry, had came after a great deal of thought and yet the act by itself was spontaneous, she simply had to do it. She believed both in his ideas and integrity but also in Tom's ambitiousness and ruthlessness to keep them alive, well, and definitely on track. More, her whole inner being and magic seemed to be compelling her. (Yet she knew there was no form whatsoever of tampering.)
The second one: to give Alphard a chance, after all those years, was a bit hastier but just as heartfelt. Alphard was much more to her than the one person who could make her laugh, (no matter how rare was that by itself) or even one of her two true friends in her early Hogwarts years. (No girl liked her tomboyish attitude and passion for Quidditch, never mind that she was so studious and dreamed so much more for her life path than simply finding a husband.)
He had been a rock to her when she lost her father at her third year and remained so even after his fight with Leonard, up until Lord Charlus offered his family's protection to her and he became a stranger.
If Minerva had guessed the price then she would had preferred to end helped by the poverty stipend and earn her place to the school by her grades, but she was neither asked nor knew. The only thing she knew for sure was that in her fourth year she was in full crush mode and it looked like he ditched her for Riddle's company.
It had hurt her and nor her brother nor Leonard were much help at the time, the later one ending slightly awkward with her for a couple of years. The only person that truly helped her then, had been Professor Dumbledore; he had taken her under his wing, advancing her studies further than her peers' even up to instructing her into the animagus transformation.
But mostly, he had become a true kind mentor and confidante, who patiently heard all her troubles and advised her on how to proceed. (Incidentally never making a noteworthy dispute that it wasn't Tom's entire fault) It was really not strange that she had transferred her crush from Alphard to him.
But transfer or no transfer and remembered pain it was impossible to contain the leapt in her heart when Alphard had surprised her by dragging her into an empty classroom. More so, when he declared that he regretted hurting her with his entire heart and that he had been and was still be deeply in love with her - swearing it to his magic - and begged her to give him a small chance. It was impossible to say no to this.
But it was now that she had to face the consequences to those choices:
It wasn't like she regretted anything of course, not even dragging him to her room after the party and claiming him for her own, (never mind how difficult and awkward it had therefore proved to steal a moment under Lady Potter's roof and eagle eyes, Tom and Harry were definitely the exception.) But she was slowly becoming aware that her relationship with Alphard wasn't something that concerned merely the two of them but affected their entire group.

She had been shocked and dismayed by this, she shouldn't have.
Minerva was a pureblood, she knew the rules. Even her brother, or Lady Dorea, could have arranged something for her if they were so inclined, (she was very thankful they hadn't) never mind her chosen Lord. It didn't mattered that Harry was a halfblood and at normal circumstances he shouldn't even knows he had that right, it was his all the same.
Still, she wholeheartedly trusted Harry; he would never force her into anything, unless it was absolutely necessary, and then only to Alphard, which loved and supported her and would marry her in a flash if only she agreed to it. Her own feelings were getting as much hold and she had started to believe that she was long past her old crush and genuinely loved him just as much.
No, the part that had horrified her so much had utterly nothing to do with love or even her duty to her Lord.
Minerva wanted a family with Alphard too, just not right now. She wanted a career first and the chance to be her own woman before becoming a wife and mother, but she was coming to the conclusion that delaying her dreams a bit, or even managing them not entirely on her own, was hardly the worst that could happen to her.
Alphard and the others had told her that she was overreacting but it was impossible to not grow more and more alarmed after Tom and Harry's fight. She still remembered Tom's terrifying expression after that fight and the others had been just as scared, to the point of staying utterly silent and meek unless asked something.
She had been relieved as the others when this agony ended, Tom had sent Hermione to Harry the moment the revitalising potion was ready and had allowed them to retire for the night not long after. But unlike them she didn't believe the problem was solved, or as Abraxas had put it: 'one of the same.' It took until Christmas day for the others to start agreeing with her.
Minerva was beyond terrified with the consequences should the fight ends up as a permanent one. For one that dream for magical equality among all will be probably forever diminished, if not destroyed beyond measure. Harry was Grey not Light but she doubted that he could pull it off by himself alone, never mind if Tom actively opposed him (assuming of course that even one of them managed to rise politically with their campaign cut in half.)
She was frankly incapable to really contemplate the catastrophic possibilities, like a full civil war for example, and so ended focusing on the more personal ones:
If Tom and Harry parted ways then there was definitely no future for Alphard and her too. Harry would definitely understand and would probably free her, even without her prompting, but she doubted that Tom would simply accept her as neutral, (definitely not if she judged from that brand in Alphard's arm,) and she couldn't see herself following Tom alone.
She respected (and feared) him deeply and acknowledged the pureblood way (Minerva wasn't a hypocrite and couldn't forget how much she had been helped by exactly that way of life,) but she couldn't condone the excluding of all others, as Riddle did before Harry, it was well beyond her.
Well, maybe that kind of wonderment was academic; Alphard had once joked that if Tom ever ended without Harry he would kill them all. She had laughed then, but now that she was thinking about it she wasn't entirely sure that it had been a joke.
They sat for breakfast and Minerva, as the others, examined, more or less, discreetly Harry and Tom for signs of mending to their relationship.

Could it be?
She had to sigh in disappointment. No.

They acted normal, almost flirty, towards one another but Harry was too awake and chirpy for first thing in the morning and she had a very good idea about what kind of deadliness could be hidden behind Tom's too sweet smile.
Minerva and Alphard exchanged a worried look.

. . .Still they were trying to keep things together; nothing was entirely lost yet. . .

They joined hands under the table.

Harry's pov
Harry needed all his acting talent to not squirm under the very concerned glances he received from his friends at the breakfast table. Everyone, even the usually suave Abraxas, had taken to constantly trail his moves with their eyes ever since the fight, some of the braver Gryffindors (namely Leonard) even tried it on Tom but a couple lethal glares had stopped it pretty fast, so he was the only one left to suffer.
Not that it mattered much in the long run; it was just an inconvenience. But the last thing he needed was to get distracted and pressured with questions, he had so many things to do and so little time left before the battle. Ever since the 24th morning he had known that the game was rigged. Tom may have said that he needed to think about it but it had become obvious that he had already taken his decision.
He had had awoken quite gradually and relaxed that day even after all the trouble he initially had to fell asleep in the first place and with all those nightmares, like if he had actually spent the night secure in Tom's arms. But the moment he focused his eyes that idea was instantly dismissed away. More than been alone, more than a cold bed, or a completely closed link, that white silken purse on his nightstand had told him everything he needed to know:
For Tom to return the amulets just like that, without demanding anything in return, meant that they were over, all ties between them cut and, (with thankfully the people who mattered to him confirmedly out of their fight,) all depts from his partner's side paid. He was dead to him.
Tom's behaviour that day confirmed these dreadful conclusions. He ignored him completely, unless in others' presence, not allowing him a single chance to talk about personal things, never mind to truly explain himself and his actions and that pattern continued ever since then, even at the nights.
Harry wasn't sure if he was more offended or hurt to be dosed with sweet dreams potion for Tom to be comfortable to share the same bed with him, but he wasn't going to show his vulnerability just now and complain; he ignored the humiliation and heartache (of every kind) and concentrated on his work.
He wasn't going to simply accept things either. He had his own ideas and plans to deal with the mess. While his rushing objective was and should be the battle with Grindelwald and the safety of his dear ones that didn't meant that he had given up on Tom, much less on their common work and life, (or life in general) he still hoped to get through this.
Tom may currently hate his guts but it certainly didn't obliterate the rest of his feelings, Harry could see it every time they sparred. He wanted to either kill him or fuck him, (sometimes he couldn't even discern which one) but it was exactly that reaction that was giving him an edge to deal with this:
He remembered clearly how far Voldemort had gone to get him and knew that Tom's emotional pendulum could reach just as far on the other side and was preparing accordingly. If it just happened to disappear after dealing with Grindelwald Tom would search the ends of the earth to find him, whether to kill him or something else that was to be seen and totally irrelevant.
He needed only to outwait Tom's anger (which granted could take a long time) but in end they would either patch things between them or came to an end. If he still wanted to kill him, he was going to deal with this too. . . (He still couldn't bear to hurt Tom but, assuming he found the information he needed in time, it was definitely not going to come to this)

. . .Harry just needed to survive the battle first. . .

Hermione's eyes were still insisting to him worryingly, dragging him out of his musings, Harry managed a weak smile, instead of a curse.
God she was the worst! Ever since that hellish Christmas diner she hadn't left him alone even a moment, pressuring him to talk and not even Zev could hold her back. Like if she believed that since she had urged Tom towards him then the whole mess was her personal responsibility. . .
Thankfully he had exactly the necessary thing to set both of them and himself back on the right direction.
"Hey Herm how does your project going, any progress?"
Hermione could be a professional too, her expression and posture sharpened immediately, like if she standing at attention.
"I believe that I'm close to finish with the experimental work; the auditory communication spell can link at least three to five confirmed objects, with extreme clarity I might add, and works at the required distance and probably warding. Aurors Longbottom and Weasley kindly helped in the experimentation by Portkeying in Leipzig and visiting in Hogwarts grounds."
Harry's smile was much easier and real this time, and sent a grateful look at Leonard too. Auror Bones had sanctioned it but his grandfather's approach to his graduated friends had cut a great deal of red tape, making it possible for the spell to be used immediately.
"Excellent, Mione! You are amazing!"
Hermione faintly blushed to his praise but there was still worry to her eyes and she exchanged a look with Zevi.

"Thank you but it's still far from fully completed. While I initially considered it ready for you're testing in parseltongue, as it worked perfectly for Leonard and his friends, a second, private, line of testing, with me and Zevi failed completely. I really don't understand it, the arithmetical equations are perfect." she bites harshly on her bottom lip, clearly hating to disappoint him.
Zev put a comforting arm around her shoulders and nodded just as empathetically.

"The potion too." he added.
Some of the stiffness left Hermione's body and she continued with her rant.

"And yet for some reason it can't stick to us for more than five minutes." she sounded beyond frustrated with this but far from unaware of the probable explanations. Still, she remained silent due to the mixed company.
Harry was far from ignorant too. Even if he couldn't already guess by himself the satisfied glint on Tom's eyes and that small smile gracing his lips would had tipped him at once. Bastard!
Unfortunately his friend didn't leave it only at that small revenge. . .
Tom's lips curved even more, into that, overly charming, artificial smile.

"No need to be fretful Hermione, I'll help you later today and we'll be ready in no time." he said in a friendly, natural tone and Hermione had no choice but agree to this.
It still wasn't the end though; Tom regarded him coyly from under his lashes.

"No need to bother yourself with this Harry, I will take care of everything."
Harry's blood boiled.

Tom not only played with their nerves, using the mark to block the spell, as he had been pissed with them for sharing it with the Aurors in the first place, but he had the damn gall to throw him out from his very own project, his baby.

But before he could explode and demand an explanation for this, probably unwise at this timeframe, he became aware of something else:
All the while his attention had been taken with Hermione and Tom; Minerva had gotten a letter and was currently reading it, grey and trembling like a leaf, Alphard and Leonard reading, just as intently, behind her shoulders.

Minerva's pov
Minerva honestly adored her older brother but that didn't change the fact he could irritate her to madness with his demands and over-protectiveness. Still he had practically raised her, more a father to her than a brother, and, for all his strictness, never tried to stifle her dreams for anything, so she could tolerate a lot.
However she couldn't help a feeling of apprehension as she saw a new letter appearing besides her cup. (She wasn't sure she agreed with the house's policy of the elves dealing exclusively with the owls either.) It wasn't much of a surprise of course; they were always keeping regular contact, even when he was busy with a case. The difference this time was that Minerva had taken the plunge and informed Fergus that she was seeing someone seriously.
She had refrained from mentioning it was Alphard though, that needed to be said face to face, her brother never had much sympathy for him after he dropt her friendship and had opposed Lord Black and his underhanded ways too many times on court to not personally dislike him and the whole family on principle, (Minerva could sympathise to a point, she really disliked Walburga) this needed careful handling, very careful.
Still her hands trembled a bit even as she opened the letter; Fergus' opinion meant the world to her and she may haven't disclosed the name of her intended but she had been quite frank with her feelings. She took a deep breath and she was ready:
Minerva,
I've never expected that I would end up writing something like this to you, but your current actions have forced me to do so, little sister. I'm deeply disappointed with you. I could understand or even expect something like this at your teenage years, but definitely not right now. I mean, you worked so hard for many years to get that Transfiguration Apprenticeship and yet you just threw it away for a mere whim. This is not the Minnie I knew, you were never irresponsible.
The most deplorable part is that it never even occurred to you that you should have informed me of your recent doings. Imagine my surprise when I received such news from Professor Dumbledore himself. Why Minnie? Why did you have to fall into such a dark crowd? Don't you understand that you are not only putting at risk your future, but mine as well if you continue to befriend them? I could have understood if you had been dazzled by Mr. Evans, you owe him a life-dept after all; and no matter how much I have researched him after that happened, or how much he alarms the good professor, nothing truly untoward can be pinned on him.
But no, it wasn't Evans the one you exposed yourself with, but that little snake from the Black family. How could you do this to me, to you as well? Hadn't he hurt you once before? Are you in such a hurry for a repeat? I can't believe that you are so naive to believe his lies again, Minnie. He probably only wants to add you in his list of girls, but even in the miracle that he is honest with his intentions his father will never approve of such a relationship. Cepheous Black is a hateful man, known for his strong support of the Dark side and his pastime on indebting muggleborns, taking everything they have, and forcing them back into the muggle world. He would never accept you as a bride for his Heir, a girl of no equal means and one that comes from a Light family.
I suppose that it was my mistake for not taking appropriate care of you. I was counting on the contract with the Potters for your settling and later, after that failed, on your devotion to your work and childhood crush to the good professor to keep you away from such blunders while I worked into making you a dowry for the right time, obviously it wasn't enough. Look sister I'm not saying that you don't have a right to live your life as a woman and find someone to create a family with, but it's my right as your brother and Head of House to prevent you from erring and you are tottering way close into destroying our family name. It's not only a matter of how far you dishonoured yourself, I'd rather don't know at all about that matter, but as I've already heard faint rumours of your activities with Mr. Evans and Mr. Black there is a possibility that your reputation is already stained beyond measure and not even the Uirginitatis Potion is truly going to help you to recover.
Still, not everything is lost yet. Professor Dumbledore wanted to dismiss you outright as he believes that you're covering their crimes, (like taking prisoner the Undersecretary's son for blackmail. Poppycock! The good professor maybe took this a bit too far) but I managed to convince him into giving you another chance. Come home Minerva, leave your inappropriate beau behind and accept the professor's offer, its more than generous from his part. You always wanted to teach after all and you can regroup from rumours but not a shameful dismissal. The end of a romance can be traumatic I know, but it won't be the end of the world for you that I promise. . .You will never end a spinster; the scandal will blow over soon and you will be among your people. Who knows, you may even get unexpected offers, professor Dumbledore had been way too furious now that I'm thinking about it. . .Please, little sister, come home, I really don't want to force you as the Head of House.
Your concerned brother
Fergus Ignatius McGonagall
Nothing could have prepared her for this, Minerva was forced to reread twice after the first time; she really couldn't believe in her eyes.
As comprehension set, so did sadness. Anger wasn't far behind and it steeled her to leave without bursting into tears.

"Excuse me." her voice was calm, as she rose from the table, and her gait measured, although she really didn't know where she was going.
Finally her steps led her to the library and she collapsed into an armchair, it was then that the tears came - hot angry tears full of anguish and mute complain - but she closed her eyes tightly, to hold them and her lips pressed firmly together, not wanting to give into her misery and scream, she was stronger than that.
She couldn't believe that Fergus was doing that to her, treating her as if she were a baby, incapable to make her own decisions, but, while she itched to find him and give him a piece of her mind, emotions other than anger were the ones that took dominance to her mind.
It was something more than his implied callousness and definitely his not so implied condescension that hurt her. Minerva was used to fight against that behaviour, although definitely not against her brother, but all the insults of the world weren't compared to the real message. She was forced to choose.
She had, probably foolishly, believed that she would have the time to talk with him, make him see her point, understood. Fergus was usually fair-minded it shouldn't have been that impossible, but she had disregarded how deeply Light oriented he was and more importantly how much respect he held for Professor Dumbledore, both as political mentor and sponsor to his career.
Unless she pretty much complied with this her brother was going to stop regarding her as a sister.
Oh dear God she didn't want to lose him!

But she didn't want to lose Alphard or even her new friends either. . .
Moreover she definitely didn't understand professor Dumbledore's place in the whole mess. Her termination as his apprentice had been honourable for all that it had been devastating but this was anything but, using those underhand tactics he so detested on the Slytherins and hurting her right to the heart.
Minerva had doubted him before and that had led her right here but this was getting so much further than doubt, he was nothing like she believed him to be and neither was her brother. The realization that her judgment was so compromised jarred her to her core.
What else had she misjudged regarding her dear ones?
It was exactly that thought, and the despair and fear that accompanied it, that finally freed a river of tears.

But then, as she was certain that she was losing herself, she felt two comforting hands resting to her shoulders.
"Its all right babe, everything it's going to be alright."
Minerva raised her face almost blindly and met Alphard's eyes, warm and so full of concern that that every doubt she had of this was instantly appeased. Whatever else it may be wrong he truly loved her. She buried her face to his chest.
They stayed silently that way for some restful moments but a small cough forced her to leave her protective nest. She was furious and embarrassed but, judging by his beet red face; Leonard looked just as uncomfortable, if not worse so and very determined.
"I'm really sorry for interrupting you at this moment but I really couldn't wait outside, not after reading," a deep breath and he rushed everything out.

"Your brother's behaviour is narrow-minded, selfish and inexcusable; I didn't expect it from him. But you shouldn't allow him to hurt you like that, Min, nor to dictate your life. You are neither alone nor need him." another breath.

"We have already taken about this, you have been my sister in everything but name for years, should he dare takes that reprehensible step, or even without, my house is yours."
"Leo. . ." she tried to speak.
Minerva wanted to cry again but for a very dissimilar reason, Alphard took it differently and held her even more protectively.
"Hold it right there Leonard, I think you've taken this too fast, Min's brother was positively unpleasant but I can understand him to a point, I'm certain that he will reconcile after our marriage."
Leonard looked startled and Minerva's head was swimming.

"Alphard." she tried again.
It was Alphard's time to look anxious.

"It's alright, babe, I understand, you have been pretty clear to me. We will marry when the time is right to us and no later or sooner regardless the pressure."
Leonard justified his self proclaimed role as her little brother by snickering.

"I think she means how on earth you became so serious and mature Alph."
Alphard looked almost affronted.

"I can be serious if need to be." he declared haughtily but there was a strange smile, not entirely of humour, to his lips and he turned to her with shadowed eyes.

"I also know what its like to have an unpleasant sibling; I want to bash Walburga's head pretty much every time she opens her mouth but she is my sister, I love her too, I understand." he sent another glare at Leonard for daring to snort.
Leonard glared back.
Minerva tried and succeeded to not laugh with their antics, if she couldn't control herself and her two mental five year olds how she could ever control a class. . . (She still hoped.)
"Boys?" instant attention, "I appreciate your attempts to cheer me up but we really must face things as they are." she had no intention whatsoever to return home with her tail to her legs but she realised with a shudder that she didn't have a wide area of choices.
Her boys frowned.
"What do you mean by that? We joked around but not regarding you." Leonard was definitely not happy with her.
"I will marry you any day; any time, just say the word." Alphard confirmed, meaning it too.
Minerva bit her lips; the last thing she wanted was to hurt them.

"I know. The problem is that none of you have the last word on the matter." she smiled at Alphard, trying to make him understand.

"My brother is entirely right on one thing at least, there is no way you had the time to inform your father and ask for his acceptance, you definitely can't just spring it to him as a fait accomplice."
Alphard's smile was back to its usual puckish brilliance . . .

"Says who my sweet love? I have promised to keep it for now but come September I will have a job at Hogwarts as flying coach. I will make more than enough to support both of us, even if your dismissal stands, and sooner or later you will have your position back. If my father doesn't like it he can go hang." . . . but there was a steely edge to his voice.
Leonard nodded to all these, smiling smugly, and she came to the irritating conclusion that he knew from before, but she left it alone for now.

It was a very good thing that Alphard was again confiding on him.
Minerva definitely liked that decisively edge to her lover and she found her remaining resistance melting away, but there was still a last, not so easily dismissive, piece.

"What about Tom, you are quite heavily sworn to him, don't you need his approval?" which she doubted that he was going to give at this point.
Leonard made a weird face but didn't dare to say a single word. However Alphard surprised her as he didn't falter even with this.

"But he has already given it, if tacitly, when he approved of Leonard's plan even if it was deserted in the end."
She sent him a look. That was very different.
He met her gaze evenly.

"If he stays so angry with Harry that this is going to set him off then we are dead anyway and I want to have you as my wife now that I still have the chance." another rakish grin,

"but if you are not comfortable with the risk I will understand it if you wish to be far, far away."
Minerva couldn't believe her ears.

Her calculating Slytherin wanted to out-Gryffindor her!

Still, she know Alphard, if he believed it a true danger he wouldn't have opened his mouth, not that it mattered how dangerous it was at the end of things.

"Alright, you are on, I will marry you." she said just as decisively and he beamed.
They weren't given the chance to kiss though, Leonard clapped enthusiastically.

"Brilliant! You are going to stay here of course, when not in the castle, for however long you need to, or whenever you want to."
This Minerva couldn't accept.

"Thank you Leonard but no. I have weighted your family too much already these years, and your mother has enough to her head, I can't accept more." she regarded him calmly.

"I have enough on the bank that we'll be alright until September."
She fervently hoped that Alphard wasn't going to disagree with her, used as he was to more lavish accommodations and her fiancé (Fiancé what a strange, beautiful word!) didn't disappoint her:
"Minnie is right; we will be more than alright. I too have money on my trust account that I'm not idiot enough to give back. It is quite generous; we can last for many years with careful handling if needs to be. Not to mention that I want my wife all to myself if you get me." he winked.
Minerva blushed, Leonard scowled.

I get you fine and I don't mind, its Minerva's reaction that I don't like." he crossed his arms, glaring.

"There is no charity, or dept, between us, there never was. Nor any expectations that you failed, no matter what your prat brother wrote." she couldn't help but flinch and he noticed it.

"I meant it Min; my parents didn't help you expecting a bride, but because you are my friend, so no strings attached."
Minerva tried and failed to hold back a sharp retort.

"It still sounds like charity to me."
Leonard looked like he had started getting angry himself.

"No, your brother gave you to House Potter it was if anything our duty to take care of you."

Alphard nodded at this too.
Minerva wanted to scream. Didn't they understand that this just worsened her sense of obligation instead of lessening it?

"Peace child, my son definitely meant no harm." a soft voice intercepted her mental rand.
Minerva's head turned sharply at the door and she nearly groaned. It was one thing to talk with Leonard and Alphard and quite another to be overheard by her stern benefactress. Leonard may say what he wants, but while Lady Dorea had always been unfailingly gracious to her Minerva had always known that she was under strict observation and found lacking, at least to some extent. It had kept her on alert.

"Lady Potter." she acknowledged faintly as she got up, reconstructing her inner shields.
Lady Dorea got into the room.

"I'm really happy for you and Alphard, Minerva. Congratulations." she couldn't help but wonder if the Lady was completely honest.
"Thank you Lady Dorea." her own voice betrayed nothing and she avoided her gaze the moment it was polite to do so.
"Minerva, child, look at me." startled at the gentleness from the other woman's voice she did.

"My son is right, there was no charity. This was merely the most honourable way for things to be done, but the engagement could have been very real if only you two developed that kind of feelings for each other, so he was also wrong." a pregnant pause.

"If I had any reservations, or I'm more satisfied with the way things concluded for all concerned, that's only due to a personal matter and not from something you did wrong." her voice was haughty but there was something strangely vulnerable, and even apologising, to her stance.
Leonard hurried to get his mother out of the tight spot.

"Min, I'm sterile." he blunted out, "I have known since that accident in Quidditch at second year." another breath fallowed by a self-mocking smile.

"I'm also apparently too Light to be able to conduct a blood adoption."
Alphard, unexpectedly, took this calmly and totally mature, he sent a sympathetic glance and a nod that they will talk later and that was it.
But Minerva, for once, really wasn't, and her surprised gasp was totally heartfelt, she honestly didn't know at all what to do. She wanted to hug Leonard but it could only embarrass him worse, definitely didn't expect this.
"Leonard I'm s…" she tried.
"Don't." his voice was soft but an order, he didn't even let her finish and that was the only hint of how much it bothered him.

He offered an 80% genuine looking smile.

"I'm alright, Min, I'd dealt with it a long time ago it doesn't bothers me. Annette's kids are going to be my heirs and if Meli wants kids we'll deal with it too."
Minerva couldn't help but admire her friend both for his stoicism and acting talent. He was the farther thing from a Slytherin, perpetually open as he was with his emotions, and yet none of the big things were leaked outside, he wasn't that different from Harry.
It still stung a bit that she had been again excluded but she understood too.
"I didn't know that Melissa was Grey!" she commented both to light up things and maybe satisfy something of her limitless curiosity.
It was a mistake though, she realised it almost before Leonard flushed by her remark and she blushed too, as she recalled what she did know for Melissa Longbottom; the girl wasn't all that grey to be able to handle a blood adoption for certain but the Longbottoms were the only other family holding directly from Godric Gryffindor. More, her mother, Callidora, was a Black and distantly related to Lady Potter. A child of hers will be almost as good as a Potter. No wonder why the Lady preferred her.
Leonard guessed some of her thoughts and glared.

"I really like Meli; I wouldn't be engaged to her if it wasn't the case."
Minerva couldn't help a smile.

This was her friend, putting his family above everything but never without using his heart!

"I know."
Alphard looked a bit too interested by the byplay and she squeezed his hand in reassurance. . .and he was supposedly such a womaniser!
Lady Dorea sent her a teasing look for this, making her flush and wonder again if the Lady was a Legimens.

"I hope that you are feeling better now child." her tone was undoubtedly warm and approving.
Minerva, for once, took it as face value.

"Thank you Lady Dorea. Sorry for putting my nose to the family secrets."
Dorea made an imperious dismissive gesture.

"Nonsense Minerva dear, it was concerning you, and you have proven yourself a member of this family ten times over." she took a light contemplative tone.

"Maybe I should write to that brother of yours and explain a few things, it looks like he'd forgotten the contract, you are entirely under our House's protection and he has absolutely no right to you, well except for courtesy's sake. What do you think dear?"
Minerva was horrified; on one part it was heartening that even Lady Potter was ready to go such lengths for her, but on the other Fergus were fairly hot-headed and there was no predicament on where it could lead.

"Oh please no, Lady Dorea. I will handle Fergus myself. If he believes himself insulted to his honour he may even go as far as to demand a duel."
Alphard smiled cruelly.

"Let him ask, it's an ancient custom to duel for a bride's hand, I find it fitting." he sent her a softer look.

"Don't worry love, I can protect myself and won't hurt him too much."
Minerva wasn't impressed.

"What if he goes against Leonard instead? He could use the contract and declare that House Potter didn't guard my honour as it should." she blushed horribly as she spoke but it needed to be said no matter that it sickened her just the mere idea.
Strangely Lady Dorea didn't look all that concerned and Alphard muttered something about: "melting his inwards if he tried."
Leonard sent her a baleful glare.

"Thanks Min, a lot."
Minerva glared back while she tried to find the words to explain.

"Leonard I…"
The glare wasn't dropped.

"Save it, I know you care but I'm not that weak anymore. Your brother tops me by a decade and he's good but I learned a lot the last days in Auror camp and sparring with the guys, I will be ok."
Alphard suddenly had a very sly expression.

"Why on earth should you face him, weren't a talk few days ago that you aren't the Head of the House?"
Leonard got at once.

"Harry won't take the ring but it doesn't change facts, he is currently the Head of the House." a pause.

"Hey you are brilliant!"
Alphard bowed teasingly.

"I'm trying."
Well, that explained Lady Potter's calm.
But Minerva was ready to curse them both.

"Are you two hearing yourselves? I'm angry with my brother but not that much, Harry will slaughter him."
Alphard tried to calm her.

"Came now Minnie, Harry is not that bloodthirsty, a few humiliating curses and that will be all."
Minerva felt like a traitor but she said it.

"Only if he is at his right mind…"
Leonard put a comforting hand to her shoulder.

"There is no need for things to go anywhere nears a duel; I've read the letter too… Fergus sounded truly impressed by Harry's reputation, maybe that will be enough to deter him… I don't care what he says I will make the announcement right after the battle, I'm sure that my father will agree."
"Announcement what announcement?" a very soft voice interrupted them from the door.

Harry's pov
Harry was shocked speechless as Minerva fled the dining room, no matter in how a dignified way she did so. Leonard and Alphard exchanged a look and got up and followed her. The tension mounted even more at this but no one was crass enough to break the silence, not even the seven years old.
Dorea sipped a bit of her coffee and took the discarded letter, reading it calmly between more sips, but even after it was deserted she remained locked in deep contemplation. She didn't let any emotions or thoughts to show though; too much of a Slytherin for that, but the very fact that she needed to was very worrying by itself.
However, that was making it even more unbecoming and intrusive for them to ask.
Neither Dorea volunteered any information in the end, just a crispy:

"Excuse me." and a barely softer, "Annette, stay here." as she left. Nevertheless she, quite conveniently, left the letter at the table.
It was admittedly just a circumspect invitation but, even with Dorea's sanctioning, Harry wasn't that comfortable with breaching Minerva's privacy. Tom, on the other hand, didn't have that kind of sensitivities and grabbed it at the mere moment it took Harry to make up his mind. Not that he approved.
"Hey!" he protested, even if just by honour token.
Tom barely graced him with a raised eyebrow, diving instantly to the letter; he read it rapidly and then all but shoved it into Harry's hands.

"Read." he ordered, radiating such a laced tension that Harry decided to leave the fight for afterwards, it was so disconnecting.
The letter by itself was much worse than he expected and made even less sense too. It set Harry's blood to boil with anger and indignation, to the point of making him consider even Cruciatus, but thankfully only for a moment and he managed to force himself to calm down, somewhat, and concentrate on tamer curses for a definite later deal with Minerva's brother.
"What the hell is that?" he asked sheathing, throwing the letter away.

No, more than sheathing, feeling sullied.
Weirdly, Tom sent him an exultant smile.

"Dumbledore's move – Finally." his voice was full of satisfaction but he still had the presence of mind to reply on parseltongue, due to the presence of small curious ears.
Weirdly still, he pocketed the discarded letter like if it was something very valuable to him
Harry could see it too, after a couple deep breaths and a moment of forced clear thinking.

"I don't get why you are so happy about it?" he grumbled.
Tom sent him a look, but that was it. He seemed to have totally forgotten his anger and appeared the closer to enthusiastic that Harry had ever seen him.

"Think, darling," he whispered feverishly, taking his hands,

"we didn't act in any direct way against him and yet we already got him cornered."
Harry wouldn't get that far and definitely didn't like the timing.

"Even if you are right, it's the cornered ones that are the most dangerous." he pointed out, ignoring the other's hands.
Even that wasn't enough to curb Tom's elation.

"Maybe so, but cornered people make mistakes," he left him go, but only to accompany his words with gestures.

"Dumbledore definitely did." a sly look, "or did you missed Silveror's McGonagall disrespect, or his disappointment that his sister didn't managed to snatch you for a husband?"
Harry couldn't help an angry scowl; he didn't even want to think about the later part.

"It could be irrelevant." he protested.
Tom sent him a superior smirk.

"On the contrary, darling, it's an actual proof that the good Silveror has his very own agenda." his eyes glinted with calculations on how he could use such a thing.
Harry sighed inwardly.

"It could be a trap for all you know." the reply was instinctual.

Immediately, he bites his lips, he definitely shouldn't have said that.
If he got Minerva's brother killed he would never forgive himself.
Nothing changed on Tom's expression.

"I'm well aware of that fact." he got up. "Now, let's go." he grabbed Harry's right hand and started dragging him, (using Harry's mark for added help.
Harry complied but wasn't exactly happy with this.

"Where on earth are we going?"
Tom sent him a look that indicated he was an idiot.

"To the library of course, I trust Lady Potter to stop them from doing something foolish but it will be hardly enough to support our interests. Fergus McGonagall needs to be here post haste."
Harry stopped in his tracks making Tom stubble and glare daggers but he held his ground.

"Why would we need a Silveror, don't we have enough on our plate already?"
Tom rolled his eyes.

"Exactly because of this, not that we'll won't need him on many other things too, in the long run, but the letter proves that Dumbledore started a actual smear campaign to discredit us. An actual legal representative to the Ministry will neutralise it, never mind help us pass as far less dangerous and law abiding than we are."
He was right on the actual points, but Harry couldn't help a laugh.

"And you chose Dumbledore's lawyer for that?"

Tom definitely deserved that red shirt in all its connotations!
Not that he had found the right circumstances to give it to him.

His laughter died in a sad note.
Tom sent him an imperious look, like he was above such things, but his lips tightened imperceptibly. Still, his voice didn't change timbre.

"Who better? There won't be found a finer cover and it could confuse Dumbledore to no end."
Talk about high stakes!
Harry didn't know if he was getting more impressed or irritated with the other's boldness, his mind flashing uneasily to the last war and Dumbledore's tactics, and decided to cut the chase.

"Why waste him on just that then?" he asked with complete nonchalance.

"We can also feed him with the information of our choosing and let Dumbledore think that he has a direct leak to us." he wasn't entirely sarcastic though.
He had been furious at using Minerva to that role but he had to admit that the thought of using her git of a brother didn't make him feel guilty to the least.
Tom sent him a small approving smile, obviously more than pleased with him.

"Excellent suggestion, sweetheart!"
Harry wasn't all that comfortable with the warm tingles to his stomach due to that smile but was getting even less so with the stark realisation of what he had been idiotic enough to start.

"It's too risky." he back-pedalled.
Tom sent him an evaluating look.

"Come now Harry, the danger to us is far lesser than the benefits, as you are fully aware else you wouldn't have offered in the first place." he tried to sweet-talk him.
Harry bites his lips, weighing things.

"I wasn't exactly thinking." he admitted. Tom was right though, Fergus McGonagall was going to be the perfect mouthpiece for them. . .
'If he won't share anything and everything he could find for us first!'
The last thought was involuntary, Harry had no intention to share it, but it happened. He blanched.
Tom's lips parted in an acutely cruel smile.
"He will face the natural consequences in such a case." his voice was lilting and deceptively innocent for all its finality.
Harry ground his teeth until he thought that he could break them, he had no idea what it scared him more, his partner's emerging reckless streak, or the risk to the Silveror's life.

"Tom, please!?" the plea emerged right from his very heart.
Unfortunately it didn't have the result that he was hoping for.
The last remains of warmth left Tom's face; his eyes became two pieces of bruise coloured ice.

"I would be careful with your pleas right now, darling, because they have the exact opposite effect to me." he said in the same musical voice, laced with cold humour.
He definitely hadn't forgotten his anger or his reasons for it.
But in the next moment even that had been smoothed out, like it had never been there, he smiled.

"But that doesn't mean that the estimated Silveror is written off for death. We can't trust him, of course, maybe never will, but we'll only give him the exact information we want shared, not a grain more. So, you see, he's quite safe, even if he fancies himself a double agent."
To Harry that smile felt like the closing of heavy doors to his face, throwing him out completely of Tom's psyche.

"Do I have your word?" he tried to find even a scrap of relief to the other's acquiescence, but it felt such a hollow victory.
Tom sent him an ironic smirk, for all that he seemed ready to comply in a more or less indifferent way, but suddenly their attention got drawn into something else.
They hadn't made it all the way to their destination yet, nevertheless Minerva's defeated, dry, voice was distinctive enough to reach them.

"Only if he is at his right mind…"
Harry stopped, feeling like he had been doused with freezing water, knowing instinctually that it was referring to him and hoping, even as he tried to deny it, that he heard wrong, but Leonard's answer shattered the illusion.
He honestly wished that he was anywhere but here and turned to leave, but once again Tom didn't share his mood. Face like a storm, his partner grabbed him again and sauntered inside, all the while intoning in his softest voice:

"Announcement what announcement?"

Everyone paled with their entrance, even Lady Dorea, but Leonard, although shaken, strengthened his body.

"That Harry is a Potter, of course." he said it like it was the simplest thing.
Harry was speechless for a moment but Tom didn't even look surprised by this.

"I don't see anything wrong with this proposal." he responded indifferently but Harry noticed the tug of malicious humour to his lips.
He barely held back an expletive. However, knowing that there was nothing he could currently do with his partner's particular mood, focused entirely on Leonard.
"No." he was going to avoid setting them with a direct confrontation with Dumbledore to his last breath.

"Look, its not that I don't appreciate it but it's too dangerous for now."
Leonard nodded attentively but gifted him with a sunny smile.

"I know; that's why I'm waiting for after the battle."
An aggravating sigh found its way out from Harry's chest; he had a feeling that this was going to turn into a full out fight. Still, he tried to put it mildly once more.

"I doubt it will be much safer after then either."
His friends started looking very uncomfortable with the arriving confrontation but the only other Potter by blood stiffened.

"So when do you plan for public disclosure?" Leonard's voice was calm but something in his stance reminded him of Ron right before a fight.
Harry didn't want a fight but the least he owed to Leonard was honesty. He decided to leave nothing to doubt.

"Never.- I believe that it will be best for the family and me if our connection remains forever obscured to the public eye."
He expected anger - and there was that too, but it was also so much worse, his grandfather looked utterly shocked and hurt by this.

"So you don't think that we are good enough to be your family." his voice was bitter.
Harry sucked his breath; he couldn't believe that Leonard even thought that, never mind asked.

"NO." his own voice was hoarse.

"You three treated me as true family, much better than mi…" he stopped mid-word and corrected,

"Than I even hoped for and I need you all safe." he ignored the welling of amusement he started sensing from his partner.
Leonard's eyes widened at his misspoke and the word "Who?" left his mouth. Harry didn't need much effort to guess the rest.

'Who was the Potter that has mistreated you?' however, with terrible restrain, for him, his grandfather let it go and asked the next thing popping into his mind.

"So it's a matter of courage?"
Harry scolded.

"Of course not, but you have and a little kid's safety to think about." surely, that was going to work.
Leonard scolded right back.

"That one was below the belt; Annette is far safer than other children, with so many skilled wizards to the house, or will any of you leave her unprotected to danger?"
Harry was at a loss with this reaction but stubbornly kept on insisting.

"It's still dangerous."
Dorea chose to interfere then.

"I know dear, but the time we did what was safer instead of right is in the past." her eyes passed from him to Tom alight with apology and Harry instantly know that her son had informed her that they knew.
Tom stiffened besides him but didn't dignify this with an answer.

Harry swore inside and decided to change tactics.

"You told me that you consider me Head of the House, don't my wishes count at all?" even to this he wasn't comfortable to order directly.
Leonard smirked.

"Of course they do but as you refused the ring they don't weigh all that much. We Potters stand together no matter what." it was impossible for Harry to miss the double meaning, Dorea nodded at this too.
. . .And if he accepted the ring it was going to become public too! He honestly started to panic.
Something attempting to pass for a dry cough sounded from Tom due to this while 'Looks like you got a taste from your own medicine, darling.' was practically sing-sung into his mind.
The teasing cleared Harry's head, making him able to deal with this. There was only one graceful way for him to retread, really.

"We are going to talk about this later." he was going to postpone this talk (the whole thing in general) for as far as he could. . .
The Potters seemed ready to disagree and Tom took pity on him.

That or, more probable, was thoroughly bored. . .
"Amusing as this was, we've come here for a different matter." his partner abruptly changed the subtext.

With all eyes to him he brought out the letter and offers it to Minerva in a graceful move.

"You forgot this on the table." he told her lightly.
Minerva paled even more and her "thank you" as she took it was full of discomfort.
Harry's heat got to her and decided to lead the talk to make it easier for Minerva.

"Actually, I remembered that your brother is a Silveror and I wanted to ask you something."
Minerva's look of acute disquiet turned to puzzlement and a bit of gratefulness that he didn't just blurt out her family problems.

"I'm not sure that I will be able to help you but go ahead." she finally told him.
Harry smiled.

"As you know there was a bit of trouble at the Ministry at the last days, we are not going to step back now, but we'll probably need legal support to not end up in Azkaban."
Minerva's bewilderment turned to true incomprehension.

"And you want my brother's assistance?" she sounded shocked.
Harry's smile widened.

"Why yes, you told me he is the best, no?"
Tom took it from there.

"Actually it depends upon him. Will he be able to hold the clause of secrecy first of all?"
Minerva looked offended with the otherwise suggestion.

"Of course he will." she crossed her arms, "Even if he doesn't take your case he will either accept an obliviation or take an oath of non disclosure, or both. That's the way he works." a pause.

"But he will never reveal the secrets of other clients or former ones either." she warned.
Tom looked indifferent with the last part.

"Excellent! He seems the perfect man for our needs. Arrange a meeting for the soonest possible." he smiled like the matter was closed.
Minerva seemed to be considering at how to best answer.

"There is a slight problem with that. Fergus is very Light oriented, I doubt that he will accept your case. Furthermore our relationship is currently strained, going for breaking, so I doubt that I will be able to persuade him." she didn't add a 'my Lord' but it was somehow heard.
Alphard stood besides her in silent support.
Harry felt horrible, he had no idea that she would choose to cut the ties at once, it didn't fit with the great affection he knew she held for her brother.

"It can't be that bad, I'm sure that everything will turn out okay with a bit of talk." he know he sounded horrible, but he believed it on the most part and was going to make it sure too.
She sent him a tremulous smile and lowered her eyes but Tom hadn't finished with her yet.

"Come now Minerva," he told her lightly, dropping the mask that he didn't know.

"you can't believe that your brother will disown you for that? You will marry, of course, within the week." his voice was deceptively gentle but there wasn't the slightest doubt that it was an absolute order.
Alphard obviously didn't expect something so final.

"Gladly, my Lord," the honorific got out instinctually in response to that tone, and then he seemed to snap out of it.

"But why so fast, when even a bit of organization will make sure there won't be any talk?"
A shadow seemed to pass from Tom's face at being questioned and then it smoothed out to something so good-natured that even those that ate up his act would have been suspicious. Harry started to have a very bad feeling.

"You can ignore it of course, Alphard, and start organizing the most brilliant marriage ceremony and reception you can, but are you ready to risk losing Minerva over it?"
Leonard started to get a clue and tried to step back while Alphard's face darkened.

"What do you mean?" his voice was respectful but promised unbearable pain to anyone daring to stop them.
Tom's hand fell heavy to his shoulder.

"Harry here has taken a very interesting oath at Leonard's prompting. Should you be unwilling, or unable, to fulfil your obligations in dearest Minerva our golden boy is to immediately take your place."
A muffled gasp heard to that oh so delightful piece of information and Harry face palmed.
"I can't believe..." Dorea sounded embarrassed.
But Tom hadn't finished yet with his point.

"Should anything happen to you in the battle I'm sure that your brother in law will be only too happy to accept the fulfilment to said oath."
A pained cry suddenly heard from a startled Leonard but it wasn't instigated from Alphard. Minerva's grave and tight lipped expression left no doubt to the matter.
But Leonard wasn't the type to accept even just deserts and glared, rubbing his prickling arms.

"Honestly, what's your problem? I've already told you that I consider you a part of my family, what's more natural than ensuring you will become Lady Potter instead of being left unprotected?"
Minerva looked even angrier and Harry cringed at the look she sent him, after favouring Leonard. He tried to explain.

"Look, I've never intended to enforce this without your consent, I just wanted to help you in case you ended facing a scandal without any actual support."
She didn't seem that reassured from this, she nodded her acceptance of his apology but obviously remained far from happy with him. Alphard, on the contrary, didn't do even that. He looked betrayed and very likely contemplating on which one to hex first.
"Enough." Tom's tone indicated that he wasn't to suffer another word to that particularly matter;

"Deal with that frivolity later." a breath. "Minerva, will you write to your brother to come here? With Lady Potter's approval of course." he softened it marginally.
Minerva was jarred from the change but definitely didn't lack courage, she strengthened her shoulders.

"Will he be safe if I do?" the tone was respectful but ready to become far less so.
"Yes, you have my word to this." Harry interfered, making his point to both Minerva and Tom. He definitely planned to keep it.
Minerva looked marginally relieved to this, but Tom pointedly ignored him and gave his own answer.

"Assuming he keeps to his professional principles, yes. But should he accepts our case and choose to disclose sensitive information I can't guarantee his survival."
Minerva looked faintly green but accepting more or less.

"I understand. I believe that there won't be any problems with that but I will talk to him to ensure it."
A cruel smile touched Tom's lips.
Excellent!" he cast a tempus, it was a quartet to nine.

"I'm leaving you to your revenge then, but I would prefer it if the letter was sent before our departure for Auror camp." it was definitely another order.
And he left the room, just like that. Leaving Harry to face - with Leonard - a very disapproving Dorea, an angry and insulted Minerva, and a fuming and hurt Alphard. But Harry just squared his shoulders ready to face what he had done.
He was undoubtedly going to spend some very unpleasant moments, for the disappointment he caused most of all, but there was a definite silver lining to the whole matter.

Tom definitely still cared, however angry, to make such a big matter for something so unlikely to happen and while he acted like Harry didn't exist to him anymore he still heard him out and respected his opinion, but more importantly kept on refereeing to his current and future plans in the pronoun 'we'.

Zevi's pov
Zevi watched Hermione carefully as she pretended to still care about her breakfast and tried to distract the little girl so that she wouldn't' leave to search for the rest of her family, as she clearly wanted.
She seemed relaxed as she engaged the kid, with funny but still educational quizzes, all without being patronizing or condescending about it; she was going to become a great mother some day, but Zevi could see the lines of tension to her face and by the way she moved and he could tell that she was all but trembling from her deep worry.
He couldn't blame her, truly, he was deeply worried about the chasm between Tom and Harry too (more like approaching panicked, but something inside him still hoped) and even the matter about Minerva looked grave, if one judged from the reactions of those in the know, (a domestic he could bet, from what he had observed so far) but he couldn't lie to himself either, it cut even deeper to Hermione than it did to him.
Zevi held no illusions about the whole matter; he knew perfectly well that he was taking a huge risk when he decided to court her. Hermione's heart wasn't wholly free for him to claim her and even if he won her there were strong doubts that he was ever going to own it in it's entirety.
In the start it was merely the shadow of that boy left to the future, Weasley, (he honestly couldn't see what had attracted her to him except maybe common experiences and chemistry, they had absolutely nothing in common) that it was detaining him. Ron Weasley had been her first love and forever immortalised, however unsuitable. He couldn't just barge in and flirt, he would have ended rejected, badly, and lost her friendship in the process;
Then she had fallen for his Lord, which was hardly surprising either. There was no female to the school that hadn't sent admiring, awed, looks towards him. Tom was always the first they noticed and everyone else paled until he dismissed them. (thankfully almost always fast) But it had been so much worse for Hermione.
His beloved girl had fallen for his Lord's intelligence (or sheer genius to be exact) that and the love he held for Harry, as it did make him more than a beautiful face and a brilliant, if scary, mind. If she didn't love Harry just as much, although in a different way, she would have stayed totally consumed with him, utterly ignoring the fact that other men existed. Even if he wasn't loyal on Tom he would had still be unable to compete with him.
Harry was just the cherry on top to the whole matter. Nothing like a lover to her, more like a beloved brother, he had been none the less half the pillar to her whole existence - that and her studies - and even now her entire focus was directed on helping him.
Zevi could hardly blame her on that, his very own centripetal point could be found on Tom and Harry, but he was making space for her too as a friend and life partner. He wished for her to do the same for him but, Alphard, the hormonal idiot, was absolutely right:
If Tom never made a move to her their balance and platonic trio would have kept them (Harry more and Hermione less) happy and Hermione wouldn't have considered to ask for anything more for many, many, years.
It wasn't hopeless for him though, he was a very dear friend to her and things had indeed changed. However much she loved Harry, she had started turning for comfort to him too, going as far as starting seeing him as her safe harbour. Additionally there had being a definite spark to their first kiss - and those following it - and a deepened understanding between them, but he wanted even more.
He wanted to become her first thought in the morning and the last at night, wanted to see her face alight with trust and passion as he would give her pleasure, her first there too if he could, but most deeply he wanted for Hermione to see him even a little bit like he saw her.
Hermione enclosed entire universes inside her heart and soul; she wasn't just finding worlds in her books, like the rest of people, she could find them in the barest scrap of knowledge to those books, more, she could create worlds by merging those scraps.
She didn't have so deep an understanding and fascination with potions, as he did, but she was coming, far, far closer than other people and could understand his feelings to them if only she compared them with her own, regarding her spellwork. He didn't even care for the way she nitpicked on things, for she understood his own passion to detail.
But Hermione wasn't just a brain to him, no matter how rare a genius in magical theory and application. She was a beautiful woman too, one that could inflame him with a smile, or a laugh, the most passionate woman he had met on his life. It didn't matter with what she would choose to work with, she would give it her whole self, and it wouldn't stop to merely inanimate things. She would literally die to defend anyone's rights, but was also able to think before acting to do just that and would put herself on anyone's place.
Zevi wanted a place under her sun too. It didn't matter if he had to put up with the lone candle in her heart for the red haired boy, the girlish longing for the moon she felt for Tom and her latent sisterly/motherly inclinations towards Harry, he was going to win her.
He frankly didn't care for how long he was going to fight for her; he knew he was going to prevail. Rome wasn't built in a day after all, neither did that huge complicated thing between Tom and Harry; it had being years in the making.
There was going to be a time for them too.

Hermione's almost forced laugh and Annette's more genuine one forced his attention to the present. But then he noticed that while the girls were busy with their game Abraxas was just as absorbed reading his own personal correspondence.
There was something bizarre there too, an expression of deep worry and open concern, something very unusual for his sometimes antagonist, but mostly dear friend, there.

Not that Brax didn't feel things, far from it, but as he would have personally put it, it was unbecoming for a Malfoy to show them.
"Pst Brax? Abraxas?" he whispered softly to not draw the girls' attention.

"Is everything alright, you seem tense?" he half expected a polite dismissal and a straightening of the other's posture as it would have been the customary reaction but Brax surprised him once again.
His friend didn't make even the basic attempt to hide his thoughts, or his deeply lined face.

"I'm concerned," he said at least. "This was from Marcella; she had permission to stay with Colette Greengrass until after Boxing Day but my mother wrote to her, telling her to not return until after New Year." a breath. "She had written me that father is sick with dragon pox and that was the reason I was so free to stay away at vacation but such an enforcement implies a far stronger decline."
Zevi couldn't see anything exaggerated with the blond's concerns, he knew how close knit was his family and the fact that had been all but ordered to stay away from home told a lot. Even his own family had let him go for the entirety only because he had already visited earlier for Hanukkah with school's permission. Still…

"I'm sure that if there was immediate danger your mother would have informed you as the Heir."
Brax sent him a bitter smile.

"I know, it's my only comfort. No news is good news." he intoned the last part.

"Sounds a bit ironic though, no?"
"I hope from my heart that he will pull though." Hermione interfered them in a normal voice. She had her young charge colouring in a piece of paper and had put the three of them under a muffing bubble.

"Words alone can help very few things. But I seem to recall the latest cure for dragon pox from my time, Dumbledore's recipe. I'm sure that Zev will test it to make it sure I remember it alright and it truly works." she sent him a persuading look, "Won't you, Zev?"
Zev nodded his keen agreement, not even caring that she volunteered him without really asking, it spoke of trust and comfort that she dared to do this.
"Thank you Hermione! Thank you Zevi! I really appreciate it." Abraxas sounded beyond grateful as he conjured parchment, ink and a quill, to work on his letter to his mother, knowing much better than approaching the library right now and Zevi was again amazed at how different were their lives.
Five years back Brax would have never considered calling a muggleborn friend, now he accepted her help without any single reservation, different lives indeed!
Later, as he and Hermione worked on the ingredients side by side, she leaned a bit against him.
"I'm scared." she confessed softly to his ear, so only he would hear her.

"They have been left for more than a quartet and no one returned so far and we will have to leave for the camp soon."
He took her loosely in his arms.

"Don't be." he whispered right back.

"There is ample reason for concern and I would be lying if I said that I don't worry too, but the fact that Tom took the time to play with Harry's nerves, instead of doing something worse - and more importantly that he still cared enough to involve him in his schemes is a great reason to hope for." a breath.

"Remember what I have told about a deluge to come?" he asked her lightly.
"Yes," she immediately answered him warily, her eidetic memory instantly making the connection.
"We are living it." he put it dryly and they both allowed themselves a cathartic laugh. Hermione remained tense though and after a moment Zevi continued.

"As for Minerva, it can't be something irrevocably, if it was we would have found out by now."
She relaxed a bit and rested the top of her head against his neck.

"I hope to God, Zevi, that you are right."
They stayed that way for a few idyllic moments but before they had the chance to return to their work a childish voice interrupted them.
"Are you two going to marry?" asked Annette, sounding very interested.

"My friend Drusilla became a flower girl to her cousin and I want it too." she informed them with a smile.
A smile that was very fast dropt, as she didn't seem to understand the reason for their huge matching blushings.
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The Fate Changed Now What?