Chapter 56: Change
Two redheads, two blondes and two raven-heads were laughing and snickering at one of the only two men sitting in a loveseat. He wasn’t embarrassed one bit however.
“I can’t believe you fainted!” Marlene succeeded in saying between laughs.
“You, the quintessential Gryffindor, rushing into danger first and thinking later, fainting because Lily told you she’s pregnant is the funniest thing I ever heard.”
“Amy!” Rick immediately protested in outrage at Amelia’s amusement.
“What? I saw you jump head first into the chamber of secrets to see a thousand years old basilisk and Crucio-ed yourself when you were twelve. I can talk!”
“Wait! What?! He did what?!”
“Oh, yes, you don’t know about that story, Andi.” Lily said.
“I certainly do not!”
“Rick and I found out the chamber of secrets during Christmas of his second year as we were exploring the castle. We told the teachers, they got there, killed a sixty foot long Basilisk Salazar Slytherin left there to purge the school of muggle-borns.”
Andromeda looked frantic. “So the stories were true?!”
“Yes.”
“What about crucio-ing himself?” inquired Ted.
“We also found Salazar scriptorium. Except to access it you need to use the Cruciatus on someone otherwise the room you’re locked in stays locked and you die of thirst and hunger. That idiot used it on himself.”
Both Andromeda and Ted looked at Rick as if he had a second head growing next to the first.
“And you fainted when Lily told you she was pregnant?” Andromeda couldn’t believe it.
“I was surprised and overwhelmed by my emotions.” Rick shrugged his shoulders, still not embarrassed. “No need to make a big thing out of it.”
“There is no need, no, but I’m sure making it! It’s hilarious.”
Having enough of the teasing, Rick chose to retaliate. “Honestly, Marlene, you should better focus on your duel with Amelia.”
““What duel?”” asked the two witches in clear confusion.
“Well… There can only be one godmother...”
Both Marlene and Amelia’s expressions changed for a serious one. The glance they shared turned competitive. Both stood up then left, without speaking a single word, for the training room in the basement to determine who would be the godmother. Rick drank from his cup of tea, barely hiding the pleased smile he had on his face. Lily smacked him on the arm hard enough that his tea ended up everywhere but inside his mouth.
“Now, you’ve done it.” she said with a frown.
“They did deserve it. What? You thought I would take their teasing and rubbing lying down?”
“No but I didn’t think you would be that mean.”
“You’re really deciding who’s going to be the godmother on who’s going to win the duel?” wondered Ted aloud.
““Of course not.”” the married couple replied in unison.
“None of them are going to be. Corvus just pranked them.”
“Then who?” Andromeda’s curious look changed to shock when she understood the insistent and heavy glances Rick and Lily were giving her. “ME?!”
““Yes.””
“Marlene and Amelia are like the sisters we wished we had. To us, they are our child’s aunts already.”
“Amelia is focused on her career and wouldn’t have the time to raise a child. Marlene would have more time but running around the world tournament after tournament will not do. A child in their care is not a burden we want to put on their shoulders.” explained Lily.
“You, on the other hand, already have the experience of raising a child. You live with one foot in the magical world and the muggle world, providing even more protection if needed. You have a stable situation on every level and you would share blood no matter how distant. We can’t think of anyone better to pick up our slacks if something happens to us.”
“I…”
Andromeda didn’t know what to say. She looked at her husband but got no help there. She then turned to Dorea who just smiled at her and gave her a nod. Her eyes diverted back to Rick and Lily. They were clearly hoping and expecting a favorable answer.
“I’ll do it. I’ll be the godmother.” She agreed easily. The thought brought a happy smile on her lips.
“What about the godfather?”
“Sorry, Ted. I got to choose who the godmother was, Lily got to choose the godfather.”
“Remus Lupin.” Lily announced and Ted visibly relaxed at the idea. Something that wasn’t missed by Rick.
“Sweet Merlin thank you!” Andromeda exclaimed. “For a moment I thought you’d choose Sirius.”
“Not on my life! How in the living hell could you think I would name Sirius- Sirius! - of all people! He's a child himself!” Lily was quite vocal at this possibility not being one.
“Well… There aren't many male in your entourage. Close ones I mean.”
“That’s true.” Now that Lily thought about it, besides Sirius, Remus and Frank there weren't many men in hers and Rick’s lives. There was Ted, of course but he was busy as hell making a living. And Frank was more Rick’s friend first and foremost. She was closer to his wife Alice. “You still get priority over Remus because of his condition. Even if his relationship with Rhiannon last and turns into something more, there wouldn’t be any problem.”
““Rhiannon?””
“Rhiannon Dee. A beater for the Holyhead Harpies. You met her at our wedding. Dirty Blonde, almost as tall as Rick.”
“Oh, I remember her. She was quite nice. A bit too sarcastic perhaps. She’s dating Remus?”
“Yes, they clicked together while dancing and have been seeing each other ever since. It’s been difficult between her job and Remus working for the order but they’re not seeing anyone else.”
The order of the phoenix now brought up, the conversation shifted to Andromeda and Ted's security. With the money Ted was earning, he had bought the best wards for their home from Gringotts. That had been quite expensive but something worth it. As the conversation went on, Marlene and Amelia came back from their little duel looking a bit worse for wear. Clothes were ripped and a bit singed. They wore an unhappy expression on their faces which turned into a murderous look when their eyes landed on Rick. The moment they raised their wands in his direction, Rick morphed into a crow and dived into Lily’s chest for protection.
“Nu-huh. You’re on your own.” she replied and pushed him away. He immediately flew into his mother this time and she welcomed him with open arms. In insight it may have been a mistake because she squeezed him to death.
“Get out of your mother’s arms and take your punishment like a man!”
*caw* *caw* Knowing perfectly well how he thought, Marlene understood his answer despite not speaking bird. It was something like: ‘I’m not a man, I’m a crow’. The blonde witch grunted in resignation but swore for a later payback. Amelia was no better.
“I understand why you pranked Marlene but me?”
“Little brother privilege, I bet.” answered Lily. “How did you-”
“I asked Tipsy to tell them when I summoned her for tea.” confessed Dorea. Hearing of his mother’s betrayal Rick tried to leave her embrace but he was effectively a captive.
“To his defense, you both were our first choice and we fought a bit to make the decision. In the end we agreed that it wouldn’t be the best situation possible for the two of you and our child if you were to be responsible for it. You would have done a good job but there wouldn’t have been any stability in your lives. That's why we went with Andy. You still get to be Auntie Mar and Auntie Amy, so it’s not the end of the world. You get the privileges without the duties.”
That calmed the witches down and they lowered their wands. Taking back their seats, Marlene asked a very interesting question.
“Already thought of baby names?”
The conversation shifted back to the baby from there. Andromeda shared her experience with Nymphadora while Ted stayed quiet. Dorea had a sad expression that Rick didn’t miss and, still in his crow form, buried himself further into her chest as a show of support. He knew she was thinking of the fact that she never really got to be a mother. She had met him when he was already a teenager who could take care of himself and while she was motherly her experience as a mom had been quite limited. She didn’t get to hear his first words, nor witness his first steps. His first drawing, his first tooth falling… Most of the first time a child experienced she hadn’t been there. She hadn’t been there to raise him, to educate him and even though it was none of her fault, it tore a hole in her heart. She was the oldest present and she should have been able to offer guidance to her daughter-in-law but she couldn’t.
When the sun began to set, everyone left for their home. After a quick dinner, when it was time for bed, Lily and Rick grabbed Dorea by the hand and brought her to their bedroom.
“We’re cuddling tonight, mom.”
“And you don’t have a choice in this.”
Lily summoned Tipsy and ordered her to bring Dorea’s nightwear. A switching spell later and the older woman was ready for bed. She had not protested despite wanting to. Only because it was inappropriate for her to sleep in the same bed as her grown up son and daughter by marriage. The words of protest never left her throat because she really wanted to snuggle with her son. In part because Rick had been too small for it when he disappeared, in part because she hated sleeping alone in her bed. During their thirty plus years of marriage with Charlus, they had not shared a bed only once. It was when they brought their son home after being reunited. Charlus’ death had taken a real toll on her and while the news of being a grandmother soon pulled her out of the deplorable and miserable state she was, the fight to not revert to it was the hardest when it was time for bed. Nothing hit her more than those moments because it reminded her that she would never share a bed with her husband again. She felt moved by her children’s care of her.
“I’m not cuddling with the both of you dressed like that!”
Both Lily and Rick stopped in their tracks. Rich had only his underwear on and Lily was transfiguring her clothes into a very skimpy short and skin tight T-shirt. Remembering what happened in the shower a few days earlier, Dorea wasn’t ready to experience it again.
“Would you prefer we use usual sleepwear?”
“Yes, Corvus. Please.”
“Suit yourself.” he shrugged and vanished his underwear with his wand.
Dorea’s jaw dropped to the floor as she saw her son get under the cover of the bed entirely naked. Her eyes fixed on the appendage between his legs.
“Had I known you wanted to see me naked again, I wouldn’t have bothered either.” Lily said as she banished her clothes too and pushed a frozen Dorea inside the bed. The older woman ended up in the middle of the married couple and when she caught her bearing she was stuck in her position. Both Rick and Lily were hugging her sides. The former was resting his head above her shoulder, near her neck while the latter was resting her own head onto Dorea’s shoulder, holding her arm into the valley of her breasts.
“Night, mom.”
Dorea got kissed on both cheeks and the married couple went to sleep on the spot. She didn’t know how long she'd been awake after they fell asleep but after deciding to simply roll with it, she joined them.
The warmth she felt when she woke up the next morning felt good. She had missed this. Missed the proximity, the intimacy. The love. It wasn’t the one she wanted the most but it was the one she needed right now. Her bed companions had not let go of her the entire night, as if they were afraid she’d be gone when they woke up. She wouldn’t have. Her head had said she should but her heart wouldn’t have allowed it. It was yearning too much from human warmth. The mind finally took over when Rick shifted his body in his sleep and she ended up being poked by what she immediately knew was his penis.
That made her move.
With her free arm she pushed her son away (something she never thought she would ever do) and made Lily go off the other. That part had been quite difficult because the redhead had it in an iron grip. After a lot of wiggling and tickling her nose, the lady dowager of House Potter got her arm back and quickly got out of bed. She almost snorted when she saw Lily frown in her sleep and grunt then reach for something with her hands. They found Rick and her body moved to snuggle against him. Only when the redhead was cheek against her husband's chest did her facial expression change for one of contentment and let out a happy sigh.
‘... Rules are needed. I can’t sleep in the same bed as them while they’re naked.’ The thought of not doing it again didn’t even cross Dorea’s mind.
She left the room and began her day as she usually would. By starting with breakfast. When Rick and Lily came down to the kitchen, the topic of last night was never brought forward. Them too, went on with her usual morning routine.
House Potter had been hurt. Badly. But it endured and was now healing. Not the best way Dorea would have wanted but the second best and she was fine with that. What she wasn’t fine and neither was her son, was that Voldemort and his death eaters were still running around. Especially one. The one who killed Charlus. As long as the bastard who took the man from them was still at large, something inside of them would never heal completely.
That was why when Rick wasn’t training quidditch or playing in a game, he was either working on new spells or training with his mother. He couldn’t use dark magic and probably never would without having a severe backlash afterwards. He could endure other people sending dark magic his way without any problem however.They have discussed at large a way to find Charlus’ murderer and what they will do to them. For the latter it was cut and dry to Dorea.
“We kill them. End of story.”
“No.” Her son was clearly not of the same mind as her. Before she could say anything he spoke again. “I refuse to be that merciful, mom.” that brought her to a stop. She looked at Rick with quite a bit of surprise. “I’m more of the mind to make sure they have a long and miserable life. I’m sure you know plenty of curses for that and if not…. Well, you have access to the Black library.”
“...Huh. I wasn’t expecting that kind of answer from you.”
“Me neither.” He looked pensively outside the window of his mother’s boudoir. “I wonder mom… How much of myself will be left at the end of this war. The only answer that I found acceptable is: enough for Lily to still love me. The problem is: How much is that?” She had no answer to give him because she didn’t know.
“It doesn’t matter much if we can’t find them.”
“Oh, I was thinking of using the taboo for that. Make an ambush, you know? If those idiots gave us a way to have access to them, why not use it?”
“The two of us will not be enough.”
“The two of us? You’re taking part in this?”
“Yes. I was content to let the others deal with that Dark Lord. I did my part with Grindelwald, so did your father. But they made it personal.”
“Some of them may be imperiused. I do not mind purging the death eaters scum but not innocent people.”
Dorea had no such scrupule anymore. At least right now but it was her pain and grief talking and she knew it.
“And how do we find out? It’s almost impossible to determine who’s under the curse and who’s not when you don’t know the person well.”
“Not true. The only legal way was, as you said, to be a person who knows the victims and their behavior well but thanks to Bagnold we now have another opportunity.”
“Which is?”
“Using the imperius ourselves. I’m pretty sure you can’t override someone’s imperius with another. You can’t have two masters so to speak.”
His mother had wide eyes when she heard that. Nobody had ever thought of that. One part because the use of the imperius, an unforgivable, was a straight sentence to Azkaban. You wouldn’t want it to be known that you use it even if it failed.
“Now, we can’t do that as we’re not auror but…”
“Amelia.”
“Amelia.” Rick nodded. “And perhaps a few more. Dumbledore’s Order is well intentioned but it’s not enough. I intend to secretly make a second group. One which will be proactive and not reactive.”
“That you will recruit from the Order.” She knew where her son was going and she liked how devious his idea was.
She often wondered why the sorting hat never considered slytherin when he was so much like her. It was only the knowledge of how brave and unambitious he was that reminded her why. That was the one part he had inherited from his father and she was very glad for it.
“Yes. Many are dissatisfied with the way Dumbledore is leading. I’ll see if Frank and Alice are interested first.” Dorea nodded and they discussed at length how to use the taboo in their favor.
Rick spoke with Lily about his idea. He wanted the opinion of his moral compass. He couldn’t trust his mother for this when they thought alike. No, he needed his beloved wife to set him straight if he was going too far. After taking the time to think deeply about it, Lily told him that no it wasn’t too far but it could. As such she made him promise that he would not kill or rather murder anyone. She knew better than to ask such a thing of Dorea however.
When the next meeting or the Order happened, Rick accompanied Lily. It had been almost a year since he went to one and he wasn’t surprised to see that a few members were not present. ‘Killed in action because of a stupid leadership,’ he thought. That or they were not the last to arrive which was possible since Marlene wasn’t there and they had a floo call earlier in the day. He noticed Frank and Alice’s presence however.
“Alice is pregnant.” was the whisper he heard from Lily as they made their way to their friends, greeting other members in the way.
“How do you know?”
“Both have the same stupid smile on their faces as we do.”
Rick said nothing to that and just observed the Longbottoms’ expressions. They were clearly happy in a ‘I know something you don’t’ way.
“Congratulations!” Lily said as she took Alice in her arms while Rick gave a handshake to Frank.
“How did-”
“Your smile, Alice. I see it everyday in the mirror in the morning.” the redhead replied smugly and the blonde took a second to understand what was being implied. She almost squealed her happiness but was content in just hugging Lily again.
“How far along?”
“Almost three months.”
“Same.”
“I guess we weren’t the only ones busy on Halloween.” Rick joked.
While the two wives were already making plans for play dates between their children, Rick took Frank apart to have a talk.
“Are you satisfied with the direction the Order is taking?”
Frank looked at Rick pensively for a moment with a frown. Wondering what this was about. Considering that it was Rick’s first visit in ages it wasn’t difficult to understand that he wasn’t here just to share the news of Lily’s pregnancy.
“No.” was his short answer. After a second he spoke up again. “I know we’re doing good but it’s not enough. We’re losing. Bit by bit but we’re losing despite all the good we do. The reports are… awful. More and more people disappear or are found dead. I know you, Rick. You have an idea in mind so spill it.”
Rick pulled out his wand and cast a muffliato around them so no one would hear their conversation.
“I want to create a small group whose purpose is to be proactive. We capture death eaters, make them spill everything they know and lock them up for the rest of the war. Not in Azkaban of course, they’d be out in no time with the Dementors joining him. I was thinking more of a prison we’ll make ourselves and once we’ve dealt with him we put them there.”
“It’s highly illegal.”
“As is the Order.” Rick pointed out. “Should it be known that some aurors are part of it, they’d be in deeper shit than those who are not.”
“...True.” After thinking a bit more, Frank asked a very important question. “How? I’m all for catching death eaters but we don't know where they are, and we certainly can’t take them right under the order’s nose during one of their raids.”
“We don’t need to chase after them, Frank. They’ll come to us. All thanks to the taboo.”
The heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom looked at Rick with shock on his face. Using the enemy’s own tool of terror against them was not something anyone thought about. Using the taboo signified that people who have spoken the Dark Lord’s name would die after all.
“That’s crazy! You’re crazy! But Merlin’s beard, it could work.”
“For a time.”
“A time?”
“It’s possible that after losing too many of his followers he might appear himself and not alone.”
“... Then we’ll deal with him properly then.” The determination in Frank’s voice couldn’t be missed. If anything he sounded almost eager.
“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear. I’m working on wards and runic arrays which would help. I’ll give you the details at a later date. One more thing… The group will be… violent, Frank. I’m not seeking out to take lives and I’m not asking the members to either but I will not put a restriction on it. I know that my mother will not hesitate.”
“Your mother is taking part?!”
“Yes. And she wants blood. Specifically from the one who killed my father and while I got her to promise to not go all kill first question later…”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised…I don’t like this, Rick but I understand and won’t make a fuss. Not like I care if a death eater dies, just of the people around me taking lives. My only real problem is the innocent people imperioused.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I found a way to know who is and who’s not under the curse.”
“Really?! That would help greatly!”
“Yes. I’ll talk to you about it later too. It’s one of the reasons I need aurors in the group in truth. Only them can use it legally.”
Frank gave him a dubious look “... You’re seriously thinking about the legality of things when everything else is illegal?”
“Between a few years in Azkaban and a lifetime sentence, there is a big difference. It will make sense. I promise.”
“... Very well. What about the Order?”
“I intend to still be part of it. The information network is too great to give up. Do you know anyone in the order that would be interested? Lily told me she hasn’t been paying much attention to the Order’s internal affair.”
“Moody. He’s always butting heads with Albus and his decisions even though he follows them. Then there are the Shacklebolts, Cramer, Meadows, Sirius…”
Rick nodded and the conversation ended there as Dumbledore made his entrance which started the meeting on the spot.