Murmurs came from the young mother as her hand and breath shook after each protective charm was cast over her twin children. There wasn't enough time to do every protection spell, but there was time for the most important ones. Sadly, her time would be up soon, but that never broke the concentration in her eyes as a few drops of sweat rolled down her forehead.
"Lily, let me help you. James is downstairs ready, but I have my wand as well." Sirius said, holding up his wand but silenced quickly as the shaking Potter cast a final spell.
The two infants cooed, looking up at their mum, unknowing of the events about to take place before their eyes. Lily ran her thumb across their cheeks with a loving, sympathetic smile knowing this could be the last time she would see them together or if at all. "My kids, I have nothing I can give but this chance that you may live. I pray we'll meet again if he will deliver us." A quick kiss on their foreheads was given as she lifted her daughter, first placing her in a warm, tight swaddle.
Sirius kept looking out the window while gripping his wand tight. He would glance back to Lily, hoping this plan would work, but he noticed that she stopped and just held onto her daughter awhile longer, "Lily, we need to be going. You know this."
Tears dotted the Potter's eyes as she held her daughter close, rocking her slightly to perhaps get her to sleep before they needed to go out into the world. Carefully, she quieted the fussing baby, "Hush now, my baby, be still love. Don't cry. Sleep as you're rocked by my arms. Sleep and remember my last lullaby. So I'll be with you when you dream..." Lily handed the now sleeping child off to Sirius, helping him hold his goddaughter. "Sirius, please, Sirius, be gentle for me. Such precious cargo you bear. Do you know somewhere they can be free? Sirius deliver them there."
A loud bang with a constant racket and yelling came from down below. There was no time to get the other child to Sirius before The Dark One came up here. So, Lily ushered them out and assured Black that everything would be okay as she went to Harry to calm him down. "Get Y/N out of here now!"
Sirius left with a regretful look in his eyes, leaving behind his closest friends with nothing more than their wands and wooden doors to protect them from the Dark One.
Once they were close to the magical school, Sirius stopped hearing the young one's cries picking up again. He rocked her and looked around frantically, trying to find something or anything to ease her. "Y/N, you're safe now, and safe may you stay, for I have a spell just for you. Grow baby Y/N, come back someday. Come and deliver us too..."
*~-~*
"This is stupid Y/N; Father is going to scold us tenfold. You more than me." My brother complained, grabbing our brooms from the closet. "He will keep both of us home from school for a year if we do this."
"And so a year we will stay. Think of it as a summer blowout right before we get our letters. Come on, Draco." I swung my legs over the broom. Even though our skills are relatively new, our parents started our broom lessons at the beginning of summer. They wanted us to be at the top of the class in the first year. "Live life a little," I smirked at him as I looked over my shoulder through my dark, almost black hair.
I was met with an eye roll, and a scowl as Draco finally got on the broom, "You're unbearable, Y/N."
"First one to the front gate and back is the Triwizard Champion! Ready. Set. Go!" I took off down the stairs of our home as I heard muffle grumbles from my brother. I did cheat, but I didn't care. Through the house, we dodged, and we waved past house elves, statues, and artifacts. A quick look back, I see Draco picking up speed on me.
"Cheater!" He pulled up and became even with the tip of my broom. My brother went out the front door first, with me only a couple of inches behind. I groaned as I tried my best to go fast, "Have to be faster than that little sister!"
"You almost toppled the statue!" I smirked, motioning back.
"You nearly ran over an elf!" Draco dodged a house-elf as I barely missed them.
We sped up to the gate, but Draco didn't have turning control and had to stop to realign himself with our manor as we approached it. I pulled up and looped around, laughing at my brother behind me. Somehow he was already on my tail again. As we closed in on the front door, I pulled back to slow down. Both of us reached the front door at the same time, yelling, "I won!"
"Ahem." A lower and stern voice we both knew painfully came from the opened doors. A look of guilt and fear on our faces appeared as we turned to see our father's face in a scowl, "Get inside. Now."
He pushed us both inside with his cane and took us to the main living room, where our mother sat in a chair. A look of disappointment in her eyes as the three of us came in. House-elves took our riding brooms from us. Our father pointed sharply to the couch in front of the fireplace, "Sit."
The quiet before the lecture storm was the worst part of these punishments. I broke the silence, "Father, it was my fault I egged on Draco-"
He raised his hand, silently ordered me to stop now, "Draco shouldn't have been tempted so easily. That is where the true fault lies." My eyes dropped, I realized that this would be a large lecture and lesson for my brother. "You are about to start your first year at Hogwarts. There is a name, title, and honor you must uphold. Racing is not among those that weigh on your shoulders, Draco." Father emphasized his name.
"Yes, Father," Draco responded, losing that playful spark in his eyes.
"One weak link can break the strongest chain. One weak wizard can end the longest reign." Father moved his black cane right in front of Draco's eyes. "All of our enemies look for a tiny chink and wait for that one weak link. Draco, my son, are you that one weak link?"
My brother was about to answer until he was cut off, "One weak link can break the strongest chain. One weak son can lose us all we've gained. Don't bring us back to that brink. Don't make my worst fears come true. Don't give me a reason to think, Draco. That one weak link is you!" Father's voice got louder at the end of his statement. I looked to my brother and saw fear and defeat in his eyes, "Go upstairs."
That command brought Draco to his feet. If he could run, he would get out of the room to get away from our father's scowl that looked dark due to the fireplace casting a shadow. I was about to leave until I had the thought, "Father, why must you be so hard on him?"
Mum came over and sat next to me. Father left the room without answering my question. "Why is Father so hard on Draco?" She motioned for me to turn around as she started to braid my hair.
"You will never have to carry the burdens your brother will, in the future, Y/N. This is why you will be going to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." I quickly whipped my head around just as she finished braiding with a look of disgust on my face. "You cannot always be there to get your brother out of trouble. Besides, you'll make plenty of wonderful friends there." Mum cupped my cheek and sighed, "Everything will be alright, my love."
A week later, Draco's letter came to go to Hogwarts. We didn't speak much as he was off in Diagon Alley purchasing his school items. Sooner than later, my brother was in Hogwarts. School for me didn't start until a week later. That week was one of the slowest weeks of my life. All I had was the house elves and light conversations with my Mother and Father. I missed my brother. Even if he had a horrible attitude most times, I always liked trying to bring a smile out from him if I could.
Eventually, I went to Beauxbatons and started schooling to become a witch. I enjoyed my time away from home, but I always felt like something was missing. When I came home for the holidays, Draco spoke of this Potter boy. It was like he was obsessed with him. Father told my brother to try and make friends with him. I did not know whatever, and every time I asked, I was either hushed or ignored to a new topic. So the holidays sucked.
Soon it was our third year for both Draco and me. Word spread like wildfire as to who Harry Potter was and the issues he has needed to face at Hogwarts. Due to Potter being the hot topic right now, Father thought sending another Malfoy to Hogwarts would straighten things out. Just like that, I was on my way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What a thrilling year it will be for me.
