Sum: Lost friends, new allies, mass kidnapping, awful pans and inappropriate flirting. And Umbridge, can't forget her. Previous warnings, plus angst, feels and cross generational flirting.

Chaos babe: some are already thinking about it.

Kouru-Kage: Not so much waiting

akitty: Not all of them, just yet.

Note: Rating may go up at some point. Not entirely sure yet

Summer Thoughts

It was a lovely little town, blooming in the summers warmth, with a baffling number of bakeries and little café's as well as the normal collection of butchers, grocers, apothecaries and book shops that you found in any magic town. She couldn't pronounce the name properly but she was already planning future trips. And Mrs Krum had kindly extended an invitation to attend the winter solstice festival with the family. It was spectacular, by all accounts.

The moon looked different here.

"You are supposed to be up early tomorrow."

"We, Millicent, we. You are my chaperone after all, you go where I go."

"Anyanka will keep you out of trouble. I'm not getting up before dawn to climb a mountain."

"More of a large hill really."

Millicent made a low noise that clearly indicated how little he cared about this distinction.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't make my brain be quiet." Her thoughts ran in circles. "You kept the axe."

"It didn't stop being a good axe."

"Do you like Anyanka?"

"Yes."

It was very blunt, for a Slytherin. But she shouldn't think of it in those terms. Despite everything she did, in fact, know better.

"And Victor?"

"He respects you. He makes you smile. Marry him."

"It really isn't that simple."

"No, it never is." Millicent joined Susan at the railing, a hands width taller and far from done growing. "But respect is more important than love; it leaves room for reasonable compromise and common sense. My parents were in love, once. It didn't last."

"And do you respect Ron?"

"He has his moments." A sigh. "But there are reasons that we aren't formally courting and that is one of them."

She could have been a war goddess. Not one of those powder puff Mediterranean jobs that had clearly been thought up by men, but one of the old Celtic or Nordic ones. The ones with proper armour and realistic mussels and a small child in a sling next to the spare axe.

"Why did you come, Millie?"

"Your aunt couldn't and I needed to get away from my uncles before I killed them all and mounted their heads on spikes. This is better, all shall prosper." A wave of her hand. "Go to bed or regret it in, oh, about six hours."

Susan had the feeling that this unexpected friend of hers was either very simple or very complicated and that neither would prevent her from being terribly sensible and in this case, completely right. It was an annoying sort of trait.

Xxxxxxxx

"Oolong tea. No more coffee Amelia, it isn't good for you."

Amelia blinked a few times to find that she had emptied the cafeteria since she last surfaced and the shadows were leaning the other way.

Hannah carefully placed the tray in one of the few clear patches, gave the stacks of parchment a delicate frown and served tea. It smelt divine.

"Did Susan ask you to keep an eye on me?"

"All of us. It's Jackie's turn tomorrow, and then Tracy's. Have you considered getting a personal assistant?"

Amelia huffed derisively. She had, often and deeply enough to count as prayer. But it never worked. Good sectaries were gems, and anyone fortunate to secure one of the few knocking about the Ministry guarded them like a goblins hoard. The remainder were incompetent, lazy or gossiped flagrantly. Or informed directly which almost offended her less.

"Where would I find a decent one?" she sipped the tea and felt herself un-knot. Sweet Listening Gods but Hannah Abbott made a good cup of tea. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." A second cup was poured, and Hannah silently summoned a chair for herself. The Squad had been taking shameless advantage of the very good wards of Bones Hall, and how they blacked the Trace. The results silenced any worries Amelia might have had about the legality. "Mr Crouch retires soon doesn't he?"

"Already has, technically. His replacement starts next week."

"Percy all but ran the department for him last year, and he can make sense of the Ministries filling system." Hannah blushed faintly as Amelia stared blankly at her all-but niece. "It's just an idea, but he is very effective. And you won't have to worry about the aurors intimidating him into things; he grew up with Molly Weasley and the Twins. He'll just threaten them with cutlery.

"Really?"

"Mm. Harry got him a full set of re-enforced cutlery as a wedding gift, charmed to return to their kitchen if, er, misplaced. Percy was rather embarrassed, but Penelope and Oliver just laughed a lot."

"Hannah, if it would not be deeply wrong on several levels I would kiss you."

"I will politely thank you not to. You are good as family."

"I agree entirely. Do you think he would agree?"

"I think so, yes. Fudge knows he's one of us, which rather limits him in the Ministry, and they aren't planning on children just yet. Besides, he knows that Susan and I love you."

It she stopped to think about it the sheer loyalty implied by those last few words would scare her.

"It would be close to perfect. Everyone knows how good he is but most of the political ones won't dare try to pouch him for at least a year because of Fudge. But surely Crouch's replacement...?"

"Will be political, and chosen by the minister. Offer him an interview, hm? Now drink your tea. Supper is in an hour and we need to remind your stomach what it is supposed to be for."

From anyone else Amelia would have found that to be a judgemental sort of statement. But from Hannah it was full of gentle warmth and near maternal concern.

The girl was just too damn nice. It was really no wonder that she had to start fires to compensate.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Remus?"

"Hm?"

"Harry smells sad all the time."

The werewolf sighed softly, rolling closer to glory in Sirius's body pressed against his own once more.

"No, sometimes he smells angry instead." He didn't contest the snort, it was a fair response. "I thought we might show him the Animagus Reveal potion, it would make for a good distraction."

"He's more than strong enough for the shift. But, I never talked to my parents when I was unhappy. It worries me that he doesn't talk to us."

"I suspect that our godson does not, as a rule, tell anyone anything. And he is at that age, of course."

"We can't fix it if we don't know what the problem is."

"…Can we just work on killing Voldemort and let the teenage internal crisis work itself out? Please?"

"I don't think that counts as good parenting?"

"I don't think we count as parents Sirius."

A soft sigh.

"No, we don't. I'd like us to be parents though."

They had never spoken of it, not after Azkaban. Wanted, yes, but…

"Siri, you know I can't carry a child."

"Yeah. Turns out, I can." Sirius smiled crookedly at his consorts shocked expression. "Once the was is over, of course, and I'd have to be careful. Really, really careful. Basically muggle for the entire pregnancy but-"

Remus might have pounced on him, but Sirius was not complaining.

Xxxxxxxxx

After some discussion Tracy and Hermione had agreed to sit a mere three OWL's a year early. It left them in the odd position of being notably well educated but without the five OWL's that would have made them legal adults. But they felt it was safest for now. Fudge was less likely to hear about it this way.

Muggle Studies had been an obvious and easy pass. They followed it with charms and DADA as their research indicated that, between the tournament related research and Susan's Boat Camp of Violence they were working comfortable at sixth year level.

This did not stop them from panicking, just a little, as they waited for their results but nothing could.

"Miss Davis!"

She twitched, drew strength from Hermione's gentle squeeze of her hand and walked slowly to collect her results.

"Mia, open it for me, I can't."

"You are brilliant." Hermione leaned it, gifting her a soft, lingering kiss as Gryffindor courage rose in the face of another's fear. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, please. I can't look."

Hermione did it quickly, like ripping off a plaster.

"Two out standing's and an exceeds expectations in Muggle Studies." She frowned as her beloved whimpered. "Tracy, that's better than most who take them in fifth year get."

"Yes, but-" Tracy waved her hands inarticulately.

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione felt, just a little, that the desk wizard was sneering at her. She had felt that several times today, in fact. Something might have to be done.

"Here. You do mine."

"Two out standing's and an exceeds expectations in charms."

"Oh, I knew my summoning charm was sub-par!"

Hermione found herself in another kiss, longer and no less sweet. Eventually they parted for air.

"Tracy? Dearest?"

"I was afraid we wouldn't be equal anymore."

"I wouldn't love you less for being cleverer than me Tracy."

Tray blinked sharply. Hermione recalled her absently spoken words and turned beat red.

"I do actually mean that."

"Thank the Goddesses, I was afraid it was just me."

The desk wizard shortly came and pointedly asked them to leave. Apparently their display of affection was disruptive.

Xxxxxxx

Jackie was teaching Neville to weave a basket, mismatched eyes peacefully fixed on his steady hands and effortlessly holding the brunets full attention on their project.

Ron and Harry played chess on the terrace, the remains of afternoon tea lingering on the other table. Harry was losing comprehensively, which said a lot about where hi attention was.

He normally put up a much better fight than this.

"Check in three moves."

Harry stared blankly at the board for a moment, and tipped over his king with a sigh.

Ron hastily hid his frown.

"The Twins think that is hilarious." He nodded to the basket weavers. "But they never got past the prep lessons, so eh."

"They don't quite have the patience for it."

"True. Mum found their stash of order form. Not impressed. They're grounded till Dad and Ginny talk her round."

"Ginny?"

"Knock it off man, she's practically sane these days."

"As you say Ronald."

"Bite me. Hey, why aren't you doing your potions NEWT?" He'd heard about it from Hazel, who was more than slightly livid. "You're got it in the bag."

"Perhaps, but I can no longer begin my apprenticeship before leaving Hogwarts so there would be no point."

"Goddamn Voldemort. Couldn't he have waited just three years?"

"We would have left Hogwarts by then, and be free to hunt him down without needing parental permission. It wouldn't work."

"Mm, point. Percy would have a puppet Minister in place at the very least. Snake-shorts wouldn't get a look in."

Harry opened his mouth, closed it again and pulled a awesome face.

"Snake, shorts?"

Ron gave him a very wide, slightly lascivious and utterly insane grin.

"They're very flexible."

Harry was saved from having to respond to that by Neville letting go of a willow strip at precisely the wrong moment. The healer gratefully went to deal with the welt.

Augusta drifted onto the terrace, glanced over her grandson and one time ward. Looked at the chess board and check mated Ron with a single move.

"Yeah. He hadn't noticed that."

"I would rather like o know the cause of this, depression."

"No kidding." He smiled at her glare. "I would rather like to tell you, Lady Longbottom, but you're not my family."

She glared a little harder, and then surrendered.

"Dumbledore is no longer Chief of the Wizzengamott, and Minerva McGonagall is now Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"…He's still alive though."

"Where you expecting him to just keel over?"

Ron twirled the black king between his fingers.

"Well, I figured he'd have a bit of help on the way but…" He frowned, and began resetting the white pieces. "The King's an idea, either Harry of Dumbledore as the Queen, the Dogfathers are knights, Actual Moody…"

"Rook."

Yeah? Cool. So, the spy has to be a bishop, least he swaps with Remus but…" He frowned. "Who are his pawns? We don't need the expensive pieces, we have our own. He brings the cannon fodder or why bother?"

When he glanced up Augusta seemed very pale.

"Did I put my foot in my mouth?"

"And your finger on the point. He called them the Order of the Phoenix. Some even survived the war, whole."

Ron may or may not have whimpered a little at that. Not that he really knew what she meant but the tone just, hurt.

Xxxxxxxx

Arabella sat quiet in her parlour, gazing pensively out of the open window, absently playing with her sons think black curls as he rested his head in her lap.

"Why did you not say sooner?"

"You were happy with Remus and Sirius. I wanted you to be able to keep that." He stared vacantly at the pattern on her skirt. "I'm sorry, Mama. I can't recall you happier than you were with them."

"Ah was 'appy with dem. Dey are wonderful friends an' very dear to me." He voice made him curl up slightly. "But you are ma' son, de only child of ma blood. Ah will always choose you over all others. Ma children come first."

"I didn't want you to have to choose."

"An' Indigo wanted de same for you, but de decision was made before de choice existed. We did not speak false when we called dem family. Ah could no more pick dem over ma children den dey could pick me over Arry. Ah would not 'ave dem any other way." She waved a hand, pretending not to notice the light catch on her wedding ring, her first and the one she wore between conquests. How long had it been on her finger now? Over a year at least. "So et es. Tell your sista to come 'ome, hm? Ah miss ma babies. An' remind your brother to visit 'es old Ma-ji. 'As been to long, and et es past time ah meet 'is new kids."

"Yes mama. Love you."

"Dat es de entire point you silly boy."

Xxxxxxxxx

Narcisa studied the list of properties with a faint frown and an intense expression that her sisters would have known, and worried about.

The manor had not been built to house 20 children, or 18 if she excluded her eldest children and she half felt that she should. There were bedrooms enough, at present, but only because Thomas and Joseph could not be separated, Anita and Ziza demanded the same and Tobey didn't care where he slept as long as his little sister was nearby.

The little psychic looked so much better already.

Then there was the matter of their tutors to be considered. The fey had taken over their care and management with an easy serenity that Narcissa found a little disconcerting but they could not teach magic they had never cared to learn. Those who could must be housed, and, guarded.

One of the new tutors was a werewolf, allegiance secured with a large cage in the cellar and wolfbane. The second a muggleborn who had found the insular world of magical academia decidedly closed to him. Narcissa was inclined to trust both of them, one needed them to much to risk her place and the other would sell his soul for access to the Malfoy libraries.

The third was Isabella Rockwood. That was an uncomfortable sort of arrangement.

But enough, the manor was overfull and a secondary base must be located or created. Liz was clearly itching to locate more of her lost muggleborn kindred and they too must be housed. But where?

She could not use the Black properties without gaining Sirius's permission, which was no longer likely to be granted, and the Malfoys houses tended to be made along the same lines as the manor. Beautiful, elegant and slightly continental in style, and decidedly not made to hold to many for too long.

Splitting the children up would be difficult. The two groups were blending in a way that could only be counted a good thing and restoring the original lines would be impractical as well. Age would be the logical dividing factor, but would meet with strenuous resistance from the first group.

Indigo would want to keep Liz near, as much as was possible, and Mary had to stay close until she was more in control of her powers, which meant Toby was staying as well.

That left Leonard as the eldest, and she didn't want him leaving Liz's sphere of influence. The sixteen year old apperated though basic wards as though they were not there, like a house elf in that respect. Not quite so unstoppable, the manors centuries old, layered and re-enforced wards limited him, but he could still leave at any time though the entrance hall. Something about the floo connection no doubt, leaving him room to slip though the gap it required to function. But he respected Liz, or perhaps feared her, and did as she asked. And he would refrain from his mad cap popping in and out around her, least she acidify the air again and leave him with burns.

He had been warned, to be fair, and she hadn't hurt him too badly.

A cottage in Cornwall, no. Flat in Madrid, no. And nothing near a glacier regardless of its size. Why were there no castles or strongholds? The Malfoys had made their strength on conquest and carefully constructed marriage contracts. Surely one of them had kept the castle they bumped their spouse off for? But it seemed no, blast the families tendency towards magnificent gardens.

She turned the final page, half despairing.

Hm. Disused hospital, constructed by muggles, purchased and warded in the year 1904 on the orders of Lady Lucrezia Malfoy and her consort Ethelreid of the House of Wessex. Currently empty but maintained by a modest number of house elves.

Narcissa re-read the entry interestedly. She had never met Lucrezia, the older woman had, if she recalled correctly, passed away when Lucius was small. Something about stealing an island? But Abraxas had always sounded respectful when he mentioned his lady mother.

It couldn't hurt to look at it anyway.

Xxxxxxxx

"Do you like her, Mama?"

Anyanka glanced up to see her youngest son in the doorway. He stood straight these days, and it made him look even more like her father than he already had.

"Don't stand in doorways Victor." He smiled slightly at her words and obediently settled in the chair opposite her, half hunching for a moment before catching himself. "I do like her, but I do not like her place in Britain's war."

He frowned, and curled over slightly.

"I will not ask her to abandon her friends or aunt."

"She would have no man who did. But she will be in danger, and you also if you follow her and I think you plan to."

"I do not intend to abandon her."

"I known, but would you be of any use to her? You are not a skilful duellist, could you protect yourself."

"I am not quite that bad Mama, and our knowledge of the darker magic's could be of use, in time."

"But not yet?"

"Nothing is happening yet."

Anyanka sighed. Her stubborn son, he go that from both his parents.

"Then you are decided, my victory? Then go with her now or do not go at all. Loves forged in wars rarely outlast them."

Next time: Unexpected Guests