Based on Surpassing Danger chapter 48.

Chapter 73: With A Little Help From My Friends

Theodore Nott sat in his cramped seat, squeezed between Astoria on his left and Hector Carrow on his right, with Flora Carrow and Rivers across the aisle with their escort – who looked about as enthused about this as Theo and the others – in this Muggle flying contraption, and vowed he would never take this sort of Muggle transportation again. If and when he and Astoria returned to England, it would be by some means that didn't involve sitting in a crowd of Muggles for ten hours.

Half an hour into the flight a woman with a trolley reminiscent of the witch on the Hogwarts Express, came down the aisle handing out Muggle drinks and snacks.

"First time flying?" she asked when she reached their row. They nodded. "Don't be nervous. We'll be fine." They nodded politely but none of them said anything. "Let me know if you need anything."

They five of them nodded again, but Theo at least was sure he wouldn't be asking any Muggle for anything.

They ordered their drinks. Theo decided to try something called a Bitter Lemon and couldn't decide whether he liked it or not. It made him sneeze. He wanted desperately to order a glass of wine, but he had been told that he was not of age in the Muggle world and would not be able to do so. And it certainly hadn't helped that apparently in America he would have to wait another four years. Well, once their babysitter got out of the way, he was going to make a few changes to his Muggle identification.

He glowered at Carrow and Rivers who had ordered glasses of wine and was grateful when Rivers ordered a second and slipped it to him. It wasn't long before he fell asleep, hoping that when he awoke they would be at their destination.

Over the next week, Maya, Lee, and Roger were in and out of the house. None of them quite knew what to make of the fact that the Muggles in Sanctuary had taken to what everyone called "Muggle Quidditch." The inability to fly didn't seem to bother them. They simply ran around with the brooms between their legs, which amused Lena and the others greatly.

"Do the Quidditch balls even work for Muggles?" Lena asked Roger. "I know they can't Floo, but they're able to see Diagon Alley and things."

"They work," he said, "but everyone seems to find it much more amusing to throw Muggle balls back and forth since the Muggles can't fly and you can't run fast enough to catch the magical Quidditch balls." He chuckled. "I think the best part's the Snitch. They've got a person dressed in yellow running around and the other players have to catch him." Lena giggled. "I don't know how they manage, since they have to keep a hand on their brooms and therefore can only catch with one hand most of the time. But they seem to be doing all right. The theatre's getting some use too. The Muggles are planning to put on plays and have contests and things."

"I'll have to go see it sometime, it sounds quite fun." She bit her lip. "I feel useless sitting here at home."

"You aren't. Besides, you just had a houseful of adolescent Slytherins, you deserve a break. But if you ever want to do something, there're always things to help out with at Sanctuary. And I'm sure Zach'd love to make some new friends."

On Thursday, Maya and Lena went off to Diagon Alley to do some shopping while Lee, Lindz, Dean, Roger and Anne went to an amateur Quidditch game. Maya and Lena stopped by the Pepper Pot for lunch. Diagon Alley was eerily empty, as was the Pepper Pot, which had been doing a booming business until the Ministry had fallen.

"How's Tapper doing, with Brilly gone?" Maya asked.

"Oh, she's not gone," Crystal said.

"She didn't go with them?"

Crystal shook her head. Maya cast a Muffliato and Crystal gave her a grateful smile. "She's at Hogwarts. They decided it would be too odd to have a house-elf around since they wanted to blend in as much as possible."

Lena's jaw dropped. "As Muggles?" Crystal nodded.

"More or less."

"So they're not going to live in a Wizarding community in America then? Or do you mean they can't?"

"I'm not really sure. Well, the Carrow boy still has to go to school, so he'll be in the magical community. Not sure about the girls."

Lena nodded. "That's going to be a change for him. Going from Hogwarts to an American boys' school. East Coast Wizard's School, wasn't it?" Crystal nodded. Maya started to giggle. "What?"

"Didn't Mrs. Weasley threaten to send Ron there once when she sent him a Howler?"

"I have no idea."

"I think it was our third year." She shook her head, still laughing. "Poor Ron, he'd have been miserable over there alone."

"But then Carrow'd have company. As it is, he's alone, poor boy, but he'll survive. At least no one will know who he is, so he'll have a fresh start. He deserves that."

"And the others?" Crystal asked, her tone neutral.

Lena shrugged. "No one'll know who they are either, unless they run into someone else who's fled to America. They'll have to find work, of course. They might be the first of their family to have a profession."

Crystal nodded then a grin lit up her face. "Is it true they flew?"

Lena grinned back, nodding. "They took the Underground to the airport. It must have been quite a horrifying experience for everyone involved. What?" she asked as Crystal burst into a fit of giggles.

"Snakes on a plane!" she cried.

"What?" Lena asked, staring at her.

"That sounds terrifying," Maya said, shivering. "Literal or otherwise."

"Better than Snape on a plane," Lena said.

The three of them couldn't stop laughing for quite some time.

After lunch, Lena and Maya stopped by Fortescue's for an ice cream before they decided to split up: Lena to the apothecary and Maya to the bakery. As they started past Pilliwinkle's Playthings a familiar figure caught Lena's eye and she stopped. Maya went on, but turned around when she realised Lena wasn't beside her. As she followed Lena's gaze, she too froze.

Persis Runcorn stopped as she was coming out of the shop, glancing between them. Her right hand went for her wand and her left hand gripped her purchases tightly.

"I hear congratulations are in order," Lena said, her gaze moving from Runcorn's face to her stomach. "I hear you're expecting a son."

"How'd you hear that, since no one's seen you since–" She faltered as her eyes darted between Lena and Maya who stood on either side of her.

"Just because I haven't been to Diagon Alley doesn't mean I've been cut off from the world. Speaking of which, I'm shocked you'd show your face around here."

"Me?" she asked, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "The current Ministry's far more sympathetic toward people like me. It's the likes of you who should watch your backs. And them," she said looking toward someone behind Lena. "I'm surprised the Ministry's still employing you considering you've married a Muggle. You're brave to be out here at a time like this, Muggle."

Neither Lena nor Maya took their eyes off of Runcorn to look at who she was referring to, but they didn't have to.

"Are you threatening my wife?" Chris Parkinson asked as he stepped forward to put himself between Runcorn and his wife.

"Not at all," Runcorn said sweetly. "I just thought I should warn you. Especially in your condition," she said, her eyes swiveling to Runcorn's wife.

Lena turned her head to see Parkinson's wife, who looked as though she were ready to give birth at any moment.

Runcorn sneered. "Is that why you married her? Because you'd gotten her pregnant? Though why you would have bothered in any case, I will never understand."

"No, you wouldn't," Parkinson said, shaking his head.

"For your information," Parkinson's wife said, glaring at Runcorn. "I'm only five months pregnant. We got married seven months ago."

"But you're so…"

Parkinson's wife smiled. "I'm expecting twins. A boy and a girl."

Runcorn's face hardened. "I see." Her gaze moved back to Parkinson. "Are you sure they're yours?"

Both Parkinsons stiffened with rage and he went for his wand. "How dare you accuse my wife!"

His wife put a restraining hand on his arm. "We should probably be asking you that. Is your husband sure his son is his? I hear he's got a mistress. Who's to say that you don't have someone on the side as well to make up for your husband's deficiencies?"

Lena and Maya's guffaws were drowned out by Runcorn's indignant shriek that made several passersby turn to stare.

"I would never!"

"Then don't accuse someone else of doing so. And nothing you say is going to keep me from being out and about. I've got just as much right as you do."

"You speak to me of rights, Muggle?" Runcorn asked, her eyes narrowing. "You're lucky to still be able to roam freely. But that won't last long. Mark my words. Filth like you will be put in your place soon enough. We've already started purging our world of Mudbloods. You'll be next."

"If we're going to get rid of anyone," Maya said, a soft growl starting in her throat, "it's you. Of all of us here, you're the one who deserves to suffer. You've gotten off quite lightly compared to the rest."

"Oh, yes," Runcorn said. "Fearing for my family's lives is 'getting off lightly' is it?"

Lena took a step toward Runcorn. "I don't see anyone burning down your house or torturing you in front of your children and making them watch. Or torturing your children to get you to do what they want. We don't hurt children," she said through gritted teeth. "Unlike your lot. I made that quite clear to Vane when I went to see her afterward. I told her I'd wait until she was an adult to exact my revenge." She bared her teeth and Runcorn took a step back.

"I didn't – I wouldn't hurt anyone. Especially not children."

"You plotted to kidnap one," Maya said as she too, came forward, moving closer to Lena. Persis looked around wildly, but there was no one nearby to help. "And ended up kidnapping three. Graham is dead because of you," Maya said, her expression full of rage and sorrow.

"I had nothing to do with your cousin's death! That was all Alecto Carrow's doing! If he hadn't been stupid enough to put himself in the way, to protect a Mudblood and a half-blood brat–"

Maya lunged at her and Lena grabbed her by the back of her robes, struggling to control her own rage.

"Not now," Lena hissed. "We'll think of something later when she's least expecting it."

Maya's lips curved into a smile and she relaxed. Lena let go.

Chris Parkinson stepped forward. "I would leave if I were you. If they decide to hex you, I won't stop them. In fact, I might join in."

Runcorn glanced around at them before she turned on the spot and Apparated away. Lena let go of Maya's robes and the four of them stared at each other for a few moments.

"Thank you," Maya said, straightening her robes.

"We better be off," he said and he took his wife's arm.

"Hey, Parkinson!" Lena called after them. They turned back. "I wish you could have married your wife sooner. It was great fun watching your sister throw a fit!"

He laughed. "You're welcome. I wish I could have been there to see it. And if I'm not mistaken, my decision has decreased her value in other's eyes and I hear the only options she has are Crabbe and Goyle. And if I'm not mistaken she's engaged to one or the other of them now. I should send my condolences, er, congratulations."

"To whom?" Maya asked, lips twitching.

"Both of them. I pity the man marrying my sister. And as much as I pity him, I pity her too, though less so. Imagine having only yourself to talk to."

Lena went with Maya back to the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She hadn't been to either of their shops since the day Graham had been kidnapped. A young woman Lena had never seen before was at the counter. Maya went upstairs to put her purchases away, leaving Lena alone.

She wandered and found Fred in the back room. She had glimpsed him among the mourners at Dumbledore's funeral, but they hadn't spoken in over a month. They nodded at each other and a jolt went through Lena as their eyes met. She remembered that Maya had said Fred was different since George's death, but she hadn't really realised it until now. His joviality was gone and there was a hard edge, and something almost mad to him now.

"Hi," he said, looking up from his work.

"Hi. I never got the chance to really thank you for your help that day."

He turned to toward her and she got a good look at him. His face was pale and twisted in pain. "You're welcome. How are you?"

"All right. You?"

"Coping."

Lena nodded. "I hear you caught Norvir."

He smiled, his expression not unlike the one Lena must have worn when she was dealing with the werewolf. "We did." His expression turned stony. "He gave us a good tip, but we were too late to save the Muggles."

"I heard. I'm sorry."

"We nearly didn't make it either."

Something about the way he said it make Lena uneasy and she was relieved when Fred went back to his work.

Persis Runcorn stalked in through her front door, fuming.

How dare they, filth that they were, how dare they threaten her? How dare they insult her? But of course they would, those Muggle-loving fools! And that Muggle wife of Parkinson's was having twins, and a son to boot. How cruel the world was that even the blood-traitor Parkinson could have a son within a year when it had taken her and Thackery three years to finally get the heir they desperately wanted and deserved.

"I hope they're both Squibs," she hissed. "I'd wish they were both girls so his family name would die with him, but it's too late for that."

She shook her head, pushing those thoughts out of her mind. Her hand slipped down to her stomach. "You will be a powerful wizard, a wonderful wizard who will make us proud."

When Lena got home, Roger met her at the door.

"How was the match?"

Instead of answering, he asked, "Really, can't you go out to Diagon Alley without getting into trouble? What did you do?"

"Who says I did anything?"

He sighed. "You've got that 'I'm proud of myself' look on your face."

She grinned. "We ran into Runcorn and the Parkinsons in Diagon Alley."

"Which one?"

"The wife, and the brother and his wife – I never did get her name."

"I assume there were no pleasantries exchanged."

"And hardly any threats." Roger surveyed her. "Really. I just told her I told Vane that I'd wait until she was an adult to get my revenge on her. And made it clear that of all of us she was the one who deserved Azkaban. And that was only after she threatened Parkinson's wife. They're having twins."

"Really?"

"A boy and a girl. She's five months along, so they'll be in the same year as the Runcorn boy. Hogwarts will be quite an interesting place when the next generation gets there."

"I'm glad nothing happened, but really, you've got to be careful, given the current Ministry."

"I know. I was. I stopped Maya from hexing her after she made a comment about Graham."

Roger's jaw tightened. "Of course she'd say something like that. I wouldn't have blamed either of you if had hexed her."

Persis Runcorn invaded Lena's nightmares now. It was she who held her son hostage, and not Death Eaters or the werewolf.

"Where is he?" Lena demanded, then saw the baby in Runcorn's arms and reached out. "Give him back!"

"What are you talking about?" Runcorn asked, her arms tightening around the baby boy she held. "This is my son. You never had one." She turned the baby so Lena could see his face and indeed this was not Zach, though he looked to be about the same age. This baby was a replica of Thackery Runcorn. Runcorn smiled, though it wasn't a nice smile. "Now it's my turn to be happy."

Runcorn's cruel laughter echoed as she turned and disappeared into the darkness. Lena started to run after them, but tripped. She started to fall forward and her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into Roger's face, which was creased in concern.

"Sorry I keep waking you up like this. I can sleep elsewhere–"

"No, it's fine," he said, brushing the hair from her face. "And you don't. I'm usually already awake."

"You don't ever seem to have any nightmares."

"I do. I'm just frozen in terror and I can't scream."

She nodded. "What do you dream about?"

"Losing you and Zach." His voice grew ragged. She curled up against him, laying her head on his chest. He rested a hand on her back and ran his other hand through her hair, his gaze fixed above her head. "Watching them hurt you and not being able to do anything about it. Trying to keep them from making me hurt you." He lowered his gaze to her face and kissed her. "So I don't mind that you wake me up because then I know you're here and safe."

Lena smiled at him, unsure of what to say. "Why didn't you tell me? And don't tell me it's because you want to spare me," she said as he shifted guiltily. She sat up and took his hands in hers. "Don't shut me out. Please."

He nodded but turned away. She put a hand on his shoulder. He laced his fingers into hers, but he didn't look back.

"I–I–"

He paused, struggling for words. Then he let go of her hand and flung himself out of bed. He stopped at the door, one hand resting on the doorknob as the other raked through his hair.

"You resent me, don't you?" she asked. He whirled around to face her, his eyes wide. "I don't blame you," she went on as he gaped at her. "You should. I got to deal with the people who kidnapped Zach and Natalie and killed Graham and you didn't. You might never get that chance." She paused, debating whether to go on.

"What?" Roger asked. He crossed back to the bed and sat down, facing her. "Whatever it is, you can say it."

"I know you said once that you'd have done what I did, but as angry as you were at them, as much as you hated them, I don't think you could have."

"You don't think so?" To Lena's relief, he didn't sound angry. Almost amused, really.

"No. You're not like me. Even if no one – or no one besides me – was there – you're too decent, too...gallant to do a thing like that."

"You really think so?" he asked.

She shifted so she could see his face. "Would you have?"

He pondered this for a minute. "No," he said "I don't think I would have. I would have killed him, but I wouldn't have tortured him. But I'm glad someone did. I'm only disappointed that I didn't get to watch someone pay the price for what they did."