Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Fooling Fate sequel to Bound	By : goldhorse Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 44179 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That lucky duck JK Rowling does. I don't make any money from this fanfic. I just play with her toys and put them back in relatively good condition.

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
“Mum.”

Hermione turned around and gifted her visitors with a watery smile. Scorpius was first through the door, followed by Ara, Rose, and Jacob. The other children hovered just beyond the entrance, respectful of the fact that the Malfoys needed reassurance that their mother was alright. They didn’t hug the life out of her, as others might expect. Hermione’s children gently touched their fingers to their mother’s face, as if she were an apparition that might vanish in an instant.

“I’m fine,” she said through tears, her voice raspy.

“Oh mum,” Scorpius said sadly. “We were so worried.”

Hermione smiled. “We’re fine, a little banged up, but fine.”

“Where’s dad?” Ara asked softly.

“Here,” Draco called and stepped out from the supply closet at the back of the classroom.

“Dad!” The kids cried and went running to him, skidding to a halt a few feet away when he held his hand up.

“Easy guys,” Draco said tiredly.

The kids each cautiously approached him, touching his face in the same manor. Tears were cascading down everyone’s faces at the tender reunion. The others in the hall quietly filed through the door of the Ancient Runes class followed by Severus and Melody and closed the door. They figured no one needed to know quite how relieved they were. It might give Whorple cause to investigate.

“What happened to you?” Scorpius asked in a strained voice.

Draco sighed and motioned for them all to take a seat. He gingerly perched on the desk, his breath hitching at the pain that the potion he had taken couldn’t quite cut. It took him a few moments to center himself and his jumbled thoughts. The relief at seeing all of his children alive and healthy drilled home just how lucky they were to have survived. Even if he knew they could have escaped at any time, he would gladly die to keep them safe.

“We met the Master,” Draco said as soon as he got the signal from Melody that the room was secured. He waited for the enraged cries to die down before he continued. “It turns out, you’ve all met her as well. Moira MacNeeley.”

“QUIET!” Severus yelled above the den of angry voices that burst out. His deep booming baritone caught everyone’s attention.

“Thank you,” Severus sneered. “Now, I understand that this news is upsetting. However, now that we know who the Master is, we can study her. The first place we look, of course, is Michael MacNeeley. He is extremely angry and will be looking for a whipping boy. Do absolutely nothing to get yourselves targeted today. If you are targeted, come and find one of us and we’ll handle it. Do NOT take matters into your own hands. Stealth is key here.”

“Why can’t we just get the bastard?” James asked bitterly.

Severus gritted his teeth in annoyance. “Do you think I would be alive today if I got fed up with Voldemort and just decided to get the bastard?”

“No,” James said morosely.

“Exactly,” Melody cut it. “Severus is right. We have to lay low for a little while. Now, Hermione and Draco took quite the beating to gather this information for us. Please be careful in how you handle them for the next week or so. We don’t have time to get into details, but suffice it to say that the Master took a hit as well. However, this is only a small battle in a much bigger war. Be on your toes. Now, off with you. Class starts in ten.”

Everyone but the Malfoys and Zandra filed out, murderous looks on their faces. They didn’t like their orders but knew much better than to go against them. However much they wanted to tie MacNeeley to a pole and beat him until he talked, they would need to stay above suspicion. When everyone left, Melody closed the door again.

Zandra stepped forward, grabbing both Hermione and Draco’s hands as gently as she could. Tears streamed down her face. “I know I didn’t get a chance to say it at the Ranch, but thank you. Thank you so much. I-I can’t…just, thank you.”

“Hey,” Draco said with a soft smile. “You’re family now. No thanks needed. Go on now. Best try and put it out of your mind. You’ll need to be in top form today.”

“Yes, of course,” Zandra said, wiping the tears from her face and straightening up impressively. “I’ve already been targeted.”

“Oh?” Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

Zandra smirked. “Mary Alice doesn’t like me, says I’m too pretty.”

Draco chuckled. “Good for you.”

Zandra nodded but her face fell. “Too bad it’s a glamour.”

Draco frowned and made sure he caught her eye. “Sweetheart, the glamour pales. Trust me.”

“You think so?” Zandra’s voice was small.

“I do,” Scorpius answered before Draco could so much as twitch. “You should have heard everyone’s conversations about you at Hogwarts.”

“But I was fat,” Zandra said with a frown.

Scorpius gave her a wicked grin. “More cushion for the pushin’.”

“Scorpius!” Hermione snapped and then coughed when it scratched her voice.

“What?” Scorpius complained, biting back a smug look at the now tomato colored face Zandra was sporting.

“You will stop being crude,” Draco growled. “Especially around ladies. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir,” Scorpius said, ducking his head and trying to act contrite. He wasn’t the least bit sorry but Draco let it slide anyway.

“Go on Zandra,” Melody said in a strained voice. It took everything she had to keep from laughing at the poor girl. “We’ll be along in a second.”

“Uh,” Zandra croaked. “I…I’m scared.”

“Aiden is waiting for you on the other side of the door,” Melody informed her.

“How do you know that?” Zandra asked.

“I have excellent vision,” Melody said with a smile. “Go now.”

Zandra nodded and ducked out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief when Aiden kicked off the far wall and joined her. They headed off to their first class of the day, Transfiguration.

“Scorpius,” Hermione chided once the door closed.

“I’m not the least bit sorry,” Scorpius started quickly. “She needs some self-esteem. If off-color complements will get it through that thick skull of hers, then I’m going to do it.”

“So, the question remains,” Melody said slowly. “Are they true?”

“Yeah they are,” Ara piped up. “Honestly, the girls all targeted her weight because they were jealous.”

“Did you?” Hermione asked.

Ara colored. “I…well, I didn’t join but…well, I didn’t stop it either.”

Melody sighed. “Not saying anything can be just as bad, you know.”

“I do,” Ara said sadly. “And I’m not proud of it, but it isn’t easy fitting in…being us.”

“We didn’t say we didn’t understand,” Melody broke in. “I just hoped you realized that. Unfortunately, this year can’t be a popularity contest. You’re going to be very much a loner. All of you are. Well, I guess we’re a damned pack, if you put it like that.”

Ara giggled. “I guess so…but I like our pack. Anyway, don’t worry. I won’t be making the same mistake twice.”

“After what you did to Jacquelyn Banes? I should think not.”

Ara’s eyes grew dark. “Bitch had it coming.”

“Oh I agree,” Melody said. “Why don’t you guys catch up with your mom and dad real quick? Sev and I need to get to class.”

Once the two adults filed out, the kids cautiously approached their parents again, opting to hold their hands rather than hug them. If it was one thing they learned quickly, it was that their parents rarely ever withheld affection unless they were in an enormous amount of pain.

“We want you all to know that we love you so much,” Draco said softly. “We’ll be down for a few days but we’ll be just fine. Don’t worry about us.”

“What’s wrong with you two?” Scorpius asked.

“Short story,” Draco said with a frown. “I closely resemble a roasted pig and your mum swallowed a box of nails.”

All four children grimaced at the description but nodded. They were just happy their parents were alive and in one piece…mostly anyway. It was more than they could say for Cadence and Rhapsody. In fact, everyone felt guilty because they still had two living parents. Not wanting to waste any more time, the four students gave their parents kisses on the cheek and made their way to class.

“I hate this,” Hermione whispered.

“Me too, love,” Draco sighed. “Me too. But, I must be off to the infirmary. I’ll be here in an instant if you need me.”

Hermione smiled and then frowned. “Today is going to be very hard.”

Draco nodded. “You can handle it. You’re tough.” With a smirk and a kiss on her cheek, he gingerly made his way out of class, narrowly avoiding the gaggle of third years standing in queue at the door.

“Come in,” Hermione said softly. “Class will start in just a moment.”

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Rhapsody and Cadence had a hard time concentrating in their morning classes. The news of their father had weighed heavily on their minds all day. Instead of gathering for lunch, they opted to go outside for a bit. What started out as an attempt to calm down quickly became a breaking point.

“Hey, you guys okay?” Aiden asked softly from behind them, startling them both. It wasn’t often that anyone could sneak up on them.

Rhapsody turned around to see Aiden and Zandra, both with looks of concern and sadness. She shook her head and collapsed into her sister’s arms again.

“Hey, hey, you know I can’t stand to see you two like this,” Aiden cooed and sat hard on the ground. He scooped both girls off the ground and into his lap, cradling them like dolls.

Rhapsody jumped when Zandra laid a timid hand on her shoulder. The small influx of images stopped her mind for a few moments. Zandra, seeing that she had reacted badly, removed her hand like it had been burned.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay,” Rhapsody sniffled. “Really, it isn’t your fault. It happens with everyone…everyone except Aiden, and sometimes even him.”

“A-are you okay?” Zandra asked in a strained voice.

“No, I’m not bloody okay,” Rhapsody huffed. “But it isn’t your fault.”

“Your father,” Zandra breathed, her voice hitching a bit.

Rhapsody nodded and burst into tears again.

“What do you see little joy?” Aiden asked in a silky voice.

“H-he’s gonna flip,” Rhapsody squeaked. “And I don’t know how it ends.”

“And the possibility factor?”

“How’s one percent for every reaction strike ya?” Rhapsody asked sourly.

“As a headache,” Aiden said with a frown. “Do you need something for it?”

Rhapsody shook her head. “It won’t help. They just won’t stop.”

“How about you little pulse?” Aiden asked.

Cadence sniffled before shuddering. “Such darkness, brooding thoughts, horrible wounds, and a plot against us soon.”

Aiden nodded. “That is to be expected. You know I’d take all of your troubles away if I could, for both of you.”

“No living person could survive that,” Rhapsody said softly.

“Survive what?” Zandra growled and then immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to but in, really. I’m just horribly confused.”

Aiden chuckled. “For now, we’ll just say that these two are extremely special and when the weekend comes, we can travel back to the Ranch and see if we can’t answer your questions. I wouldn’t dare say anything here.”

“Oh,” Zandra said, blinking in shock.

“We’ll tell you, we promise,” Rhapsody said softly.

“Back to what you were saying,” Aiden said, his brow now furrowed. “No living person, you said?”

Rhapsody nodded, snuggling further into his chest and pulling Cadence a little tighter to her. “You saw what it did to your dad, and he’s the strongest person I’ve ever met…unaltered, that is.”

“Yes, I understand your point,” Aiden said softly.

“You do know that happened to my dad too, right?”

Aiden nodded. “I remember them saying that he wasn’t right for a very long time afterwards.”

“It changes you,” Rhapsody said. “But from that moment on, he was one hundred percent committed, never faltered after that.”

“I can see that happening,” Aiden said softly. “But why no living being?”

“You never heard how frail my mom was…back when Draco and Hermione first met her did you?”

“No,” Aiden said with a frown.

Rhapsody nodded. “Well, you know Melody was blind, right?”

“Yeah, she says so all the time.”

“Well, mom was frail, made of glass. Understand?”

Aiden nodded slowly. “So…”

“Well, if you are blind and breakable, and you combine Cadence and I, what do you think would happen?”

“Something horrible?” Zandra broke in and then blushed. “Sorry, I really need to spell my mouth shut.”

“Well, you are right,” Cadence said. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Not hard, is it?” Zandra said, biting her lip in contemplation. “I mean, if your bones break like glass and you can’t see, you’d be near death at every turn anyway. I’m not sure what you two combined does, but I do know that Cadence suffers migraines and that you can’t stand being touched by many people. I’d imagine that whatever you two have is a form of what your mother and Melody have. I couldn’t imagine all of that in one person. Alex called it…a gift.”

“It’s a bloody curse most of the time,” Rhapsody said sourly.

Cadence laughed through her tears. “Hufflepuff, the most underestimated house in Hogwarts.”

“The hat was torn between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,” Zandra said softly, a pretty blush appearing on her cheeks.

“I think it made the right choice,” Rhapsody said and reached out her hand. “Go on, touch it.”

Zandra timidly stretched out her hand to touch her fingertips to Rhapsody’s. She almost jerked away when Rhapsody seized up, but Aiden quickly held her hand fast. He shook his head when she gave him a panicked and questioning glance and motioned for her to watch. Her eyes wandered over to Cadence, who had taken her glasses off and was staring at her with unfocused eyes.

“Yes, definitely the right choice,” Rhapsody said after a few minutes, dropping her hand. “Hufflepuff was the best place for you. You have a kind heart Zandra, kinder than most I’ve ever met. Ravenclaw might have fed your intellect, but you would have been jaded by competition. To be jaded so young is never a good idea.”

Zandra shrugged and looked at the ground. “The family is all jaded, your parents the most. They seem wonderful.”

Cadence giggled. “They are wonderful, but they’re hardened too. They are leery, understandably so, almost to the point of being standoffish. They keep their families close to their hearts and don’t want to share them. You’re not like that. I mean, you’ve changed over the summer, but, Rhap?”

Rhapsody snorted. “You wouldn’t have survived what you did if anything would have changed.”

“How do you know that?” Zandra asked softly.

Rhapsody grinned. “I’m a know-it-all.”

“Yeah she is,” Aiden chuckled, earning him a smack in the stomach.

“All joking aside,” Rhapsody said softly, “Hufflepuff saved your life.”

“Huh,” Zandra said in astonishment.

“Best get out of here,” Cadence said softly. “Whorple’s sent her minion to retrieve us.”

“Lovely,” Aiden growled. “Come on then. Glamour those tears. We’ll talk later, okay?”

The girls nodded and quickly climbed off Aiden’s lap. In moments, they were back in order and looked as if nothing had ever bothered them. One needed only to look at their eyes to see the pain in them.

“You know,” Zandra said softly as they walked inside. “You said a living person.”

“Yes,” Rhapsody said curiously.

“Well, your dad technically isn’t anymore…is he?”

“I-“ Rhapsody stopped mid stride. Her eyes looked like saucers, mouth gaped open.

“Are you trying to mimic the werewolf statue at Hogwarts?” Aiden asked dryly.

Rhapsody quickly snapped out of it, looking much happier than she had a few seconds ago. She snatched Aiden by the ear, bringing him as close to her mouth as she could get him.

“She’s a bloody genius and if you don’t claim her, I swear I’ll rip those fangs out of your head and wear them as a necklace.”

“Gees,” Aiden hissed and pried her fingers loose. “I get the point.”

“You’d better,” Rhapsody said menacingly and then kissed him on the nose.

“That doesn’t negate the fact that you tried to rip my bloody ear off,” Aiden growled but walked on behind her.

Rhapsody smirked. “Sure it doesn’t.”

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“Everyone here?” Melody asked as she stalked into her quarters.

“All present and accounted for, Sir!” Zach said with a click of his heels and a salute.

“Keep that up, and you’ll be a ma’am. Is that understood?” Melody snapped.

“Yes, ma’am,” Zach said glumly.

“Now then, we are going to be breaking the rules tonight.”

“We break the rules every night,” James snickered.

Melody shot him a warning look, effectively shutting him up. “We will be port keying to the Ranch so we can meet with everyone. This will be Harry and Ginny’s last week home with Lily and Cecil. They will be joining us next week…if we can figure out how to get them through a bloody day without falling apart.”

“Lots of headache spells,” Draco muttered.

“I was hoping for a little better plan,” Melody said flatly. “Anyway, we’ll all go over what Hermione and Draco have learned, meet the children, and…and see Philippe.”

“Um, can I talk to you for a second?” Rhapsody asked softly as Melody pulled the familiar rope out of her pocket.

“Sure sweetheart. Sev, can you get everyone in line while we have a chat?”

Melody motioned for Rhapsody to meet her in the corner before erecting a privacy bubble. It wasn’t often that Rhapsody requested a side meeting, so she knew it was important.

“What’s on your mind sweetie?” Melody asked as gently as she could. She didn’t want to push but they didn’t have much time.

“I-uh- well, I know mom’s probably out of her gourd right about now.”

Melody frowned. “I won’t lie to you. She’s not taking this well at all.”

“I know.” Rhapsody closed her eyes in pain. “But Zandra had a good idea today.”

“What is it?” Melody asked.

“Well, I’m not sure I want to say anything just yet,” Rhapsody hedged. “Not until I can, um, get further insight?”

“You want to touch me?” Melody asked.

Rhapsody nodded. “Yeah, but um, not here. I don’t want anyone around when we do this, not even mom.”

“Whatever you are planning, you think letting her in on it will put her over.”

Rhapsody took a deep breath. “There’s that…and the fact that you could both die.”

Melody blinked for a moment. “Sounds serious. You will let me in on your findings, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Rhapsody said with a serious look. “I just…I want to be sure. Before Zandra said anything, there were a hundred possibilities, each as even as the next. And now, there are two hundred. I think that if I touched you and purposefully looked for it, I might could narrow it down.”

“You mean to color the visions by choosing a path before you look,” Melody clarified.

“Can I even do that?”

“Your mom does it more than you can think. It’s how she narrows down the outcome. You’ve done it before.”

“Yeah but…not like this. We would…well, we’d essentially be trying to trick them.”

“I see,” Melody said softly. “Well, we’ll go to the back and you can take a look then and we’ll talk afterwards.”

“Thank you,” Rhapsody breathed.

Melody smiled. “Who better to understand you than someone in the same boat, right?”

Rhapsody nodded and smiled, a real smile, for the first time since the adults had gone on the mission to Khrones. She joined the others without a word, holding on tight as they were whisked away to the Ranch. The first thing that caught her attention was the pained wheezing that came from the pure couple.

“Here, you’ll need this,” Alex said, startling them all. He handed a few healing potions to Hermione and Draco.

“Thanks,” Draco croaked after he downed his. “That was awful.”

“Better than apparating,” Alex said with a shrug.

“Where is he?” Rhapsody asked before anyone could speak.

Alex’s eyes were full of pain and remorse as he looked at his niece. “In his bed. Your mother wouldn’t hear of him turning anywhere else. Would you like to see him now?”

Rhapsody shook her head. “Not just yet. Cadence, you can if you want to. I’m…I’m just not ready.”

“I’ll wait for you,” Cadence said softly.

Alex nodded. “Whatever you are comfortable with. Melody, did you have an order you wanted to do this in?”

Melody nodded and stepped forward, dragging Severus along behind her. “First things first, we need to relay what Hermione and Draco found out. I’m going to do it in short bullet point form with no interruptions. Feel free to take notes. Everyone ready?”

She was rewarded with several bewildered nods.

“Good. Number one, yes Moira MacNeeley is the Master. From what Hermione and Draco managed to gather, she is in possession of an amulet of great power. I have yet to take a thorough look at the pensieve, but from what they describe, I’d say it was some sort of Ancient Egyptian artifact. I’ll get back to you on that.

“That takes us to number two. As of now, we have no clue whether or not Michael MacNeeley is aware of his sister’s hobby. Until we are certain, please do not provoke him anymore. You are all to become model students in his class. If he suspects foul play, direct him to Severus. I’m sure he’s dying to set the record straight.

“On to number three. Your Ancient Runes teacher, John Sanders, is part of the Master’s group. We believe he is just a minion, but we could be wrong. When he finally recovers from the cursing Moira gave him, I want you to act the same way in his class. We’re talking angelic. I know that’s a stretch for all of you, but you must do it until we can figure out exactly where we stand.

“Whorple has made the number four spot. Judging from her reaction this morning, I believe she’s merely a sock puppet for Moira. What that means for us is that we need to be exceptionally careful. We could accidentally tip her from puppet to full blown believer with the wrong action. Sneaky will be the word of the day from now on.

“This last one will be a shock to you all. It seems that Draco has a slightly younger half-brother. Cygnus Lucian LeStrange-Malfoy is the son of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange. This combination alone is bound to make him a little wacko. Add that to the fact that Moira is the one who raised him, and you get a certified crazy. You’ve all seen pictures and pensieves of Lucius. Cygnus is his spitting image, only with black eyes. If you see him, run. Do not engage. Do not hesitate. Run. I mean it. He seems to have normal intellect and power, but we’ve been wrong before.”

Melody took a deep breath and motioned for Severus to take the floor. She gave a subtle nod to Rhapsody and the two set off across the field. They were given strange looks, but the children knew better than to interrupt. Rhapsody had every right to be upset and they figured she needed some privacy. The fact that Cadence didn’t tag along was a bit strange, but they went with it.

“Now,” Severus said, gaining everyone’s attention. “Are there any questions?”

“I have one,” Aiden said softly.

“Yes son?”

“Why couldn’t anyone see this coming?”

Severus closed his eyes in understanding. Yes, that was the question. Were the fated twins losing their powers? Perhaps the gods were losing their touch. Or was it something decidedly more sinister? Was Moira playing with the black spots the fates couldn’t control? Still, the children deserved answers.

“Unfortunately,” Severus began, “we’ve been flying blind for a long time now. Some things are clear… others are not. It is something that is beyond even the gods’ control and we must accept it and work around it. Sometimes the right path is the unlit one and we all need to keep this in mind. Is there anything else?”

“Why didn’t dad know about his brother?” Scorpious breathed.

“Lucius was a master occlumens,” Severus said gravely. “If he didn’t want someone to know something, they wouldn’t.”

“How much younger?” Jacob asked timidly.

“He claims a few months,” Severus said. “His birth provides us with a clue to start looking. If Moira raised Cygnus from a babe, and was able to do so while keeping correspondence up with Voldemort, then we can safely deduce two things. She’s been in possession of that amulet for a very long time and there has to be a link we’ve missed in between Voldemort and the MacNeeleys.”

“Dormer,” Hermione rasped suddenly. It had all just clicked into place.

“Beg pardon?” Severus asked curiously.

“Dormer is the key. You said he was one of Voldemort’s but was supposedly killed by Arthur Weasley. His coming to America, serving Moira, and the experiments migrating here can’t all be circumstance, can it?”

“An interesting point,” Severus drawled, mulling it over in his mind. “We’ll have to see what we can find out.”

“Michael MacNeeley is the only person who might know all the answers right now,” Aiden said softly. “And it isn’t like we can tackle him in the hallway and force a bottle of veriteserum down his throat, is it?”

“Not bloody likely,” Zach said with a snort.

“No, he’ll be suspicious of everyone in the family,” Cadence said softly, her eyes furrowed in thought. “Zandra is family now too, and we made that quite clear today so that’s out. We need someone who isn’t associated with the family, someone loyal to us, someone who looks innocent enough to lure MacNeeley into a false sense of security. What would be absolutely amazing would be if they could do what Rhap could without a touch.”

“Emily,” James breathed.

“What was that?” Cadence asked.

“That girl, the twin that the Master is after,” James said a bit louder. “Melody said she can crack occlumency walls like an egg, snatch the thoughts right out of your head. Could she do that to MacNeeley? He wouldn’t be suspicious if he didn’t know what she could do. I mean, no one would touch him. He wouldn’t be suspicious of his food and drink.”

“But there’s a problem there,” Aiden countered. “If she can read thoughts, then she’s limited to what he’s thinking at the time, not past or future ones.”

“Aiden is correct,” Severus broke in. “Emily is only able to hear thoughts that are passing through the brain at that moment. I am sure once trained, she could look deeper, but not without detection.”

“What if someone prompted him?” Zandra cut in and blushed when everyone looked at her. “Well, I mean, he’s already suspicious of all of us. Maybe she can be conveniently passing by when one of us makes a comment… like maybe the fact that we’re glad the nurse is gone. I’m sure he couldn’t help but think about it then. And we can make different comments until we get a clearer picture.”

“It’s certainly a smart plan,” Draco commended. “We get all the information we need with him none the wiser. And, should we need to take more drastic measures later, that option is still open to us.”

“You forget that Miss Creevey will need to agree to this plan,” Severus said.

“She will,” Rose said softly. “She’s just so grateful that someone is watching over Martin that she’s willing to do whatever we need.”

“She’s still got a target on her back,” Jacob growled.

“That she does,” Severus broke in. “However, I hardly doubt that MacNeeley would notice. Mary Alice might have her sights set on the girl, but she’ll want to keep that information close to the vest, as it were. She wouldn’t want someone to steal her idea.”

“I know just the teacher Gregory will go to for assistance, too,” Severus said darkly.

Before anyone else could respond, a very pale Melody and Rhapsody came stumbling up to them.

“My gods,” Alex cried and grabbed them both just before they collapsed. “What in Merlin’s name have you two been doing?”

“Seeing,” Melody said hoarsely, her eyes wet with tears.

“What sweetheart?” Alex asked, his voice strained.

“A loophole,” Rhapsody croaked. “Really small, but still there.”

“Care to share with the class?” Severus drawled in a perfect imitation of Melody.

“Not yet,” Melody said. “It isn’t time.”

Alex pursed his lips but nodded all the same. “Are we ready to meet the children now?”

“Wait,” Zandra said in a tiny voice. “This is killing me. Everyone knows what’s going on but me.”

“Book,” Melody whispered.

Alex nodded. “Severus, it’s in our bedroom, bottom drawer of the chest. Can you get it?”

Severus nodded and disappeared in a flash to retrieve Melody’s well-worn copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. When he returned, he had the book already opened to the page. Without a word, he handed it to Zandra.

“Read it aloud please,” Melody said. “There are a few here that haven’t heard the story before.”

Zandra cleared her voice and began:

The Paranoid Prince

Once upon a time, there was a young prince. He was the fourth of six children and the only male. The king had grown frail and it was time to decide who was to become his successor. By law, the eldest was to inherit the crown but the king felt that the crown should go to his son. The daughters of the king were furious but had no power in which to sway the king’s mind.

After the prince was deemed the successor, he became paranoid that his older sisters would try to trick him into giving up the crown. He went to the local wizard and pleaded for a way to be able to see his enemy’s every move and disguise. The wizard told him that if he could find two people in which he could entrust, he would enchant them with such abilities.

The prince searched and searched before he finally decided that his youngest sisters, a set of twins, were loyal to him. The wizard kept his promise in exchange for a place to practice his magic safely. The prince found a grove of trees that he swore to protect. Should the protection ever fail, the prince would be killed. In turn, the sisters were granted abilities never heard of before.

One sister was granted the ability to see the true measure of a person. The other was granted the ability to know their hearts and minds. Together, the sisters would know the enemy’s every move. However, they must never be separated and never use their gifts for their own personal gain, less they die.

One day, the oldest of the sisters found out about the deal. She figured out that the sisters only watched her brother and so she attacked the wizard, causing him to flee. Since the promise had been broken, the prince fell down dead. The sister then used the twins for her own gain. Seeing that his creations had been corrupted, the wizard modified the curse. Should the twins ever be exploited, they would pass their traits on to their children or die. Having no successors, they died a week later.

After the death of his beloved son and the twins, the frail king was outraged. The sisters were banished from the kingdom and the crown went to his wife when he died shortly thereafter. She remarried and had another three children, a son and twin girls. Remarkably, the gifts were passed to these twins. When the prince was old enough to rule, he kept his sisters closely guarded and never used their gifts for personal gain.

He searched in vain to find the wizard who had created the gifts but never could. The twins were allowed to marry under the one rule that their secret never be revealed. Grateful for his genuine care, the twins used their gifts to help their brother rule fairly and justly. Since it was done out of love, they were rewarded with large families and prosperous times.

Zandra closed the book with a furrowed brow. “It’s a lovely story, but what does it mean?”

“It’s true,” Melody said.

Zandra’s eyes got impossibly large as reality sunk in. “See the measure of a person…the glasses… perfect vision … know their hearts and minds… a know-it-all… know the enemy’s every move. Oh my gods. It’s… you…but this… how?”

“Not all fairy tales are made up dear, especially those in a wizarding book.”

“So all of these stories are true?”

Melody nodded. “I believe you’ll find the tale of the three brothers most riveting…and an answer for a few of the questions you had about the war.”

“I… wow.”

“Yep,” Melody said tiredly. “That’s about all anyone can say at first. Just…get your thoughts together and we’ll have a chat later. For now, your oath that this will never leave your lips again, if you please.”

Zandra readily took the oath, not having any reason not to trust them. They’d told her their secrets, after all. They knew hers. They were protecting her. They’d even risked their lives to rescue those who were left behind. If there was one thing she did know, it was that she was safe here.

“Shall we meet the children?” Alex asked quietly.

“Oh yes,” Zandra breathed. “I want to see them again.”

Rhapsody sighed sadly at that, knowing what would happen. She had seen it earlier when Zandra had touched her. Jonah would make his move tonight, high from his escape and happy that she managed to do so before him. Even knowing it would happen, she still felt a pang in her heart. She loved Aiden more than life itself and she hated to see him hurting…and hurt he would.

“It has to happen,” Melody reminded her softly. “It’s the only way.”

“Doesn’t make it not hurt,” Rhapsody muttered darkly.

“No, definitely not,” Melody allowed, rubbing her shoulder in a soothing manner.

AN: I'm baaaaaaaAAAAAAk. Did you miss me? Were you thinking I was lying? I hope not. I took the time off to go back and correct all the mistakes I could find. Feel free to proof it for me again. Anyway, things are going to get complicated for a little while. Relationships always are right. No lemons for now, they're too beat up... but soon. Just stick with me. ;) Thanks to everyone for your amazing reviews. I loved them all. Keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing and if you find any errors. Until next time...Love you guys!!!
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Fooling Fate *sequel to Bound*

Fooling Fate sequel to Bound