Deathly Heirs

Chapter 1 - The War Never Ends...

Hermione Granger stalked in the deep, obsidian shadows of the trees. There was no moonlight to illuminate her pale figure as rain poured down from the sky, wetting her unkept ringlets, and causing her dark clothing to stick to her damp skin. In her arms, a small bundle was perfectly still, content in her mothers arms as she kneeled by the base of a tree trunk and watched the mansion across the street. It was large and glamorous, raising three stories into the night sky and surrounded by a brick and rot iron fence.
Inside said fence, the back door to the kitchen was wide open as servants of various ages scurried in and out, setting trash bags in the yard before disappearing them with wands. Turning back to the child who softly began to coo, Hermione brushed strands of strawberry blonde hair away from the child's face,

"Shh, you'll be out of this cold soon,"

"Hermione?"

The young mother turned slightly, seeing two more figures and a small child cautiously stalking through the trees. One of them was Neville Longbottom, half of his face burned away and looking haunting in the soft 'lumos' of his wand, while the other was the short but muscular form of Ginny Weasley, who held a squirming 2 year old Teddy Lupin in her arms,
"What's going on?"

Hermione looked back at the mansion, where one of the windows on the top floor had been flicked on. Inside, the silhouette of a mother could be seen nursing her child, slowly rocking back and forth before disappearing away again. Swallowing her emotions and tugging her own infant closer to her breast, Hermione looked at her friends,

"I think we should do it. Here, at this house,"

"But this is the Malfoy residence," Ginny hissed, setting Teddy down but keeping a firm hand clamped to the back of his collar, "surely you don't think Malfoy won't kill them? If not now, then later when they grow-"

"I know it's a risk," Hermione snapped harshly, eyes alight in the darkness as Ginny winced and clamped her jaw shut, "Draco was an ally once. Any other family, they'll both die immediately. With him...they might just make it through this alive, if not together,"

"Are you sure, Hermione?" Neville pushed, gently but seriously, "we can keep them for a few more days-"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "the Snatchers are already onto us. If they find the children with us..."

"I understand," Neville whispered, "do you need a minute?"

Hermione chuckled painfully, her choked up humor fading to sorrow as she held her child close, trying to make her sobs as quiet as possible as to not wake her,

"I used to think we'd have a lifetime," Hermione rasped, feeling the gentle hands of her friends on her shoulders as they all watched the infant closely, "she'll grow up big and strong. And someday, we might find her again. I'm sure of it,"

"Come on Mione, it's nearly time,"

Hermione nodded with another soft sob, holding her hand out to Teddy who had been quietly standing nearby. His obsidian black hair was sticking to his face, and his expression was grave as he looked down at the small infant in Hermione's arms,
"You know what to do, Teddy?"

The toddler nodded his head slowly, looking between the three grownups and frowning. A single tear slipped from his eye as Hermione reached out to wipe it away, struggling to keep herself together, "you need to be brave, ok? Just like your godfather, and your father and mother. You need to take her, and protect her always. Can you do that, Teddy? Please, protect her,"

Hermione choked as she shifted the weight of her child into the 2 year olds arms, watching as he clamped his hands around her and smiled a bit. Knowing she couldn't escort them to the gate, Hermione waved at Ginny, signaling her to take them. Curling into Neville's embrace, she cried silently as the sound of crunching foliage faded away. Hermione could only imagine the two children, passing through the wide bars of the gate and towards possible death at the hands of the Malfoy's. She felt Neville's hand rub gentle circles between her shoulder blades as footsteps slowly and quietly returned to their hiding spot,

"It's up to them now," Ginny whispered, "Hermione come on, we need to apparate,"

Nodding and swallowing her emotions painfully, Hermione took Ginny and Neville's hands in her own, taking one last glance towards the house where a small figure was entering the servants quarters,

"Goodbye, Juliette Rose, we'll meet again someday,"

And then they were gone, leaving nothing behind as the night once again grew silent.

~•~

(Several years later)

"Achoo!"

16 year old Juliette stumbled chest first out of the fireplace floo onto the marble floor of Malfoy Manor. She was covered head to toe in black soot and ash, causing her vibrant brown eyes to stand out against the undefinable mess that was her face. Coughing up clouds of dust and flexing her bleeding hands, Juliette looked up as a tall shadow was cast over her form,

"How's the weather?"

Teddy's smirk caused Juliette to scoff and hold out her arm for the boy to take, wincing as she was hauled to her feet as ash practically dropped off her in waves. Removing the makeshift wand from his pocket, Teddy vanished it quickly so the floor was once again spotless. He then turned to Juliette, casting a sloppy cleaning charm on her clothes,

"You shouldn't even be using that thing," Juliette grumbled, frowning at her brother as he tucked the crude instrument away again, "it could get you killed, or worse, fired,"

"It's just a little cleaning magic, Jewels, no harm done,"

"Uh, what about the law that 'half-blood wizards aren't allowed wands until they are 21'? Or maybe the one where the 'use of wands by a half-blood wizard must be observed by an overseer'. Or, even, that 'metamorphous aren't allowed to do magic at all?' Did any of that ever occur to you?"

Teddy rocked back and forth on his heels before shrugging his shoulders,

"Nope. Besides, Master Malfoy would be furious with you if he saw the ash on the floor. I just did you a favor, sister,"

"What, can't you tell that I'm grateful?"

Juliette scowled at the blue haired boy, sighing heavily as she looked back at the fireplace and ran a hand through her hair. She had several other fireplaces to clean today, including the parlor, the master bedroom and the kitchen. It would take her all day to complete all the work...

"Hey Jewels, wanna know a secret?" Teddy questioned with a mischievous grin, causing his sister to lift an eyebrow at him. He was up to something whenever he smiled like that,

"What did you do?"

Teddy shrugged again but pulled a green card from his pocket, followed by another one. Two green cards,
"You have to be kidding me," Juliette mumbled, taking the paper in her hand and bending it, "how did you do this?"

Green cards were like gold, earned with spectacular work but rarely given by any Master of the house. It meant any servant in despite their position could have a free day, as long as they wore a tracking spell which would kill them if they didn't return to work the next day,

"Untraceable duplication charm," Teddy whispered, "you do remember what day it is, right?"

Juliette sighed deeply and shook her head,

"Teddy, honestly. I know you want to visit the place where your father and godfather died, especially today. But it's no use going there. We have work to do-and-and the Master and Mistress would surely whip us if we left-"

"Juliette please, I'm 18 now and I'm dying to know. I'll be transferred out to the gardens now that I'm 18. I want to make sure we have at least this day together. Besides...those old ruins don't just mean something to me,"

"Yeah, yeah. They mean something to me too. I know. But..."

Juliette glanced up, groaning at the puppy dog eyes her brother was sending her way. Clenching her teeth, the girl reached out a battered hand to take one of the cards with a small whoop of joy from her brother,

"Only this once, bloody git," Juliette mumbled, walking with her brother as they went to find Master Malfoy to present him with the green cards, "and if we end up dying, it's all your fault,"