Chapter Text
“You’re telling me,” Cassius rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Prince is Harry Potter, Kitten is Hermione Granger, Flower is Fleur Delacour, and Cub is Eva McGonagall.”
“McGonagall, who you call Minnie which is very strange, is Bellatrix Lestrage’s second soulmate,” Daphne looked overwhelmed by all this information. “Bellatrix Lestrange is Eva’s birth mother, which makes her Draco’s cousin, and You-Know-Who is Eva’s father.”
“That pretty much sums it up, yeah,” Neville nodded.
“Bloody hell!” Cass sighed.
“No wonder you were willing to spend time with Gryffindor’s Golden Girl . . . ‘it’s for Eva’s sake’, a load of hogwash,” Daphne threw Pansy a triumphant smirk. “I think you owe me a couple of galleons, Warrington.”
“You bet on us?!” Pansy gasped.
“Of course, we bet on you,” Cassius scoffed. “We know your preferences . . . which, what are your parents thinking? . . . We just disagreed on who you liked.”
“You prat!” Draco laughed.
“What did you bet?” Hermione winced as she adjusted her position. I remained as still as possible, knowing that the next time I moved would cause discomfort from how stiff I was getting.
“Daphne bet that Draco finally asked Potter out while Pansy was dating Eva,” Cassius admitted with a pout.
“Cass bet that Draco was still pinning over Wonder Boy here while Pansy was floundering in a gay panic over Eva,” Daphne snickered.
“I was not in a gay panic about Eva!” Pansy threw a pillow at her friend.
“Exhibit A, when Eva walked into the Welcome Feast,” Daphne counted on her finger.
“Exhibit B, literally any time Eva walks into a room,” Cassius continued.
“Okay! We get it!” Pansy cut them off, her voice pitched high in panic.
“Don’t worry, Dove, I react the same way whenever one of you walks into a room,” I nuzzle her stomach, tightening my hold on her waist.
“I can never tell with you,” Pansy sighed, running her fingers through my hair.
“Sure you can,” Luna poked my cheek with her finger. “Eva has to buffer whenever one of you enters a room.”
“Yes, thank you Gealach,” I mutter.
“What I want to know,” Susan spoke up, “is how they didn’t know who Eva’s soulmates were right away if the Black family can identify each other.”
“I think soulmates have to be married before it works that way,” I share a look with Draco. “Uncle Remus is married to Uncle Sirius and Mamaidh is married to Mum. My magic never identified Bill, and he’s Dora’s soulmate.”
“This would be something to ask one of the adults,” Draco shrugged.
“With what happened on Friday, were you able to hear the prophecy when it broke?” Hannah turned her attention to Harry, Neville, and me.
“No,” Neville winced.
“There was too much noise around us,” I closed my eyes, trying to remember if I had caught anything.
“Dumbledore knows the prophecy . . . he told it to me that night, er, morning,” Harry sheepishly admitted.
“You don’t have to tell us, Harrius,” I reassure him quietly, seeing the discomfort in his eyes.
“I just -”
“Evie’s right, you don’t have to tell us until you’re ready,” Cedric affirmed.
“Aye leave fer a few days an’ you lot go and figh’ a group o’ Death Eaters?”
I try to jump off the bed to get to Mamaidh but flop back with a groan as my three girlfriends flinch.
“Mamaidh,” I grit my teeth as Pansy helps me sit on the edge of the bed.
“Don’ strain yerself, rionnag bheag,” Mamaidh gently hugged me. I cling to her robes, frightened that this was only a dream. “Aye’m all righ’, lassie.”
“We thought -” Hermione cut herself off, her voice wet with tears.
“We saw you go down from the astronomy tower,” Pansy quietly finished for her.
“A few stunners won’ keep meh down,” Mamaidh reassured them, one of her hands leaving my shoulders, probably reaching for Pansy.
“You aren’t allowed to leave me too,” Luna tucked herself against my side, effectively entering the hug.
“Aye’m not goin’ anywhere,” Mamaidh reassured.
“Mum’s back in his forces . . . she was the only one to escape the Department of Mysteries,” I mutter.
“Aye,” Mamaidh sighed, “She wro’e before she lef’. She took Polaris with ‘er.”
“Good,” I stayed in the hug until Madame Pomfrey came and ushered everyone out for the night. Hermione and I were left alone, lying in our respective beds.
“Everything’s going to get more intense now,” Hermione whispered.
“We should continue with the D.A. next year, but I don’t think we should let any younger years join. If they think they can fight, they might lose their lives . . . we don’t have enough time to train them well enough for a war.” I was tired of laying on my right side, but it let me look at Hermione in the next bed over and it was the only position that didn’t put pressure on my back or recently mended ribs.
“I agree,” Hermione said before we whispered goodnight and let sleep find us.
We were released in full health three days before the end of term. The first thing I did after being released was find Mamaidh and stick by her side the entire day. This led to our group hanging out in Mamaidh’s classroom since there were too many of us for her office to hold comfortably. Ron seemed disappointed that he couldn’t convince the others to play a game of quidditch with him before he stormed off.
Mamaidh ended up giving everyone who went to the Department of Mysteries fifty points, claiming it was for alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who. When I asked where my points would go, Mamaidh winked and gave them to Hufflepuff.
I woke from a nightmare on the morning of the annual Lake Day. Mum’s maniacal cackling and taunting voice echoed in my head. I gently untangled myself from the limbs of my sleeping soulmates and got dressed for a run. I had lapped the lake twice by the time Fleur, Harry, and Neville appeared at the lake's edge. I slowed my pace to something better for Neville and we ran in silence, bar the occasional encouraging word for Neville.
“You’re on our team this year?” Harry asked Fleur as we entered the castle.
“Oui,” Fleur laughed. “I won’t take mon chaton from you again.”
“Have you heard the rumors going around,” Neville asked once he had his breathing under control.
“What rumors?” I raised a brow.
“That Rita Skeeter was right last year . . . that you and Harry are dating,” Neville wagged his eyebrows with a sly smirk on his face.
“Bloody Hell, I thought we left that behind us,” Harry groaned as we stopped on the fourth floor.
“To be fair,” I winced, “We have been very tactile this year.”
“Only because we can’t hold our soulmates’ hand without someone possibly putting the pieces together!” Harry flung his arms out in exasperation.
“You are both very tactile people who have been denied touch most of your lives,” Fleur seemed to make her point as she wrapped an arm around both of our waists and we automatically put our arms around her shoulders. “You also lived through a traumatic experience together."
“Fair warning . . . we will probably, most definitely, play this up because it’s hilarious,” I reach around to pinch Harry’s cheek as we part ways with the two Gryffindors to get ready for the day.
“I think we can live with you being affectionate with Harry,” Fleur chuckled, pulling me into a deep kiss as soon as the portrait closed behind us. “As long as you remember you belong to us.”
“Hmm . . . not something I’m in a hurry to forget,” I smile into the next kiss.
Fleur lets me shower first so I can help the House Elves make breakfast. I was met with cheers, elves swarmed my legs as soon as I entered the kitchen. I gave out many hugs, reassuring them that Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t have let me out of the Hospital Wing if I wasn’t okay. I was put at a chopping station where I was sitting down. I chatted with the elves before asking them if they could do the picnic lunch like I do every year.
“Misses Eva,” Mipsey stood on a stool to make her the same height as me while I sat. “We’s tell you the same thing every year. We’s is happy to provide a picnic on the school’s day of fun, you need not be asking us every year.”
“I’m just being polite, Mipsey. I don’t want you to think I expect it of you . . . we can always come in for lunch,” I smile at the indignation on the house elf’s face.
“You’s be getting out of here,” Mipsey shooed me out. “I thinks your mates are still sleeping.”
I leave with a laugh and a thanks. Making my way up to my chambers, I do indeed find my three girlfriends in bed. I shake my head at Fleur, who was dressed for the day and lying on top of the blankets.
“Time to get up, my loves.” I shake their shoulders, getting a groan from Pansy as Hermione stretches with a yawn.
“Good morning, Cub,” Hermione sits up as Pansy tries to bury herself into Fleur.
“Are you ready for Lake Day?” I brush the hair from Hermione’s face, kissing her forehead.
“Yes,” the Gryffindor flung the blankets off of Pansy and onto Fleur, who squawked in offense as she finally got up.
“Was there a reason I had to be covered in the blankets?” the veela asked, straightening her tank top.
“It was either that or you fell to the floor,” Hermione pulled her into a kiss before disappearing into the bathroom.
“She’s got a point,” I smirked.
“She always has a point,” Fleur fondly rolled her eyes, snaking her arms around my waist.
“You’re damned right I do! You should listen to me more often,” Hermione called through the door. We share a laugh as Pansy finally drags herself out of bed. She wedged her way into the middle of mine and Fleur’s embrace, her hands sneaking under my cut-off shirt.
“You’re glamour’s not on,” Pansy observed, her fingers finding one of my scars, lightly following it higher up my back.
“I haven’t put it on yet,” I press my nose into her hair, shivering slightly at her cool fingers.
“You know we’ll never think lower of you, oui? We love you for you,” Fleur caught my eyes over Pansy’s head, her hand cupping my jaw.
“I know,” I close my eyes, soaking in their gentle touches.
“Can we?” Hermione asked, her hands grabbing the hem of my shirt. I didn’t hear her come out of the bathroom. I take a deep breath and gently separate from them so I can turn my back as I take my shirt off.
“These are from Devon?” Pansy was the first to break the silence.
“Most of them,” I hug my arms around my stomach, feeling vulnerable.
“ You are beautiful, little warrior. These are proof of your resilience, ” chills race along my spine as lips press to the top of the biggest scar.
“Fleur’s right, Love. This is proof that you’re a survivor. Nothing can keep you down,” Hermione agreed. Fingers lightly traced scars and I bite my lip to keep the burning behind my eyes at bay.
“I didn’t want you to worry,” I finally whispered.
“We’re always going to worry about you, Darling,” Pansy laughed, her arms winding around my waist to tangle our fingers together. “It comes with having three girlfriends while a war is brewing.”
“And you’re at the center of it,” Fleur added. I silently put my glamour on and raise Pansy’s hands to place kisses on the backs.
“Also, I love your swimsuit,” Hermione chuckled as I released Pansy to face them once more.
“Especially since we can see your abs,” Pansy agreed.
“What is your obsession with my abs?” I laugh, accepting my shirt Fleur handed over.
“Enough, if you start waxing poetic about how stunning our girlfriend is we are going to be late for Lake Day,” Fleur took Pansy by her shoulders and guided her into the bathroom. Hermione and I laugh and start gathering the things we need to bring down with us.
We had a relaxed day playing games and suntanning at the shore of the lake. Fleur would participate in games that didn’t require her to get in the lake, but would otherwise be lying on the blanket next to the three snakes enjoying the sun. Harry was taking great joy in partnering with me for most games as we exchanged light touches here and there, years of training together making us experts on silent communication.
We got many whispers as people noticed. I was glad that the concealment charm on our tattoos was working because I’m sure there would’ve been a bigger uproar at the sight of our ink. The best part of the day, though, was when Umbridge had tried to sneak out during dinner, only for Peeves to chase her from the premises by whacking her alternately with a walking stick and a sock full of chalk.
The only reason students would ever cheer for Umbridge was as she ran down the path away from them, never to return. I saw my friends off on the train and had one last meeting with Pomona about our summer plans before Flooing home. Mamaidh and I stood in the sitting room for a few seconds as we felt the absence of Mum’s presence.
“Send letters to your friends,” Mamaidh said as she gathered her bag and started moving toward the stairs. “We’ll spend a few days at Bournemouth before you have to leave.”
“Thank you!” I kissed Mamaidh’s cheek as I sprinted past her up the stairs. I grab a pen from my desk and write the information to my soulmates. I write letters to the others and send them off. The sound of apparition comes from downstairs and I abandon my trunk to sprint down the stairs. Sirius, Remus, and Harry were standing in the sitting room, Anastacia flying in the window to deliver Harry’s letter.
“I didn’t think you were coming over today,” I hug the two men tightly, glad they were okay after the battle.
“You’re inviting us to Bournemouth for a few days?” Harry had opened his letter.
“Of course! Why not hang out all together one last time before I’m traveling the world?” I smirked at Harry’s awed expression.
“Ah, Sprout taking you to see different plants?” Remus asked.
“No, we’re studying one plant and the effect it has on dragons. So same plant, different dragons,” I shrug.
“Can’t you do something safe for once? Like, I don’t know, Astronomy?” Sirius laughed.
“But dragons, Sirius! Dragons!” I threw my arms out to the side as I gave him an expression of ‘why would you say something so stupid?’ that had Remus laughing.
“What dragons are you going to see?”
Fleur gets home as I’m explaining how we’re traveling and where we’re going. She dropped her trunk off, kissed the top of my head, and headed back out to Gringotts to start her shift. Mamaidh joins us and we talk until Fleur gets home that night. The trio stayed for the night, so we could go to the chateau early in the morning to prepare for the others' arrival.
I wake up before the sun, tangled in Fleur. I savor the moment as long as I can. I was going to have a hard time sleeping while I was traveling.
“ You are awake far too early, little warrior, ” Fleur murmured, nudging her nose against my neck.
“ Why are you awake? ” I tease. The veela shifted, pushing me onto my back so she could settle on top of me. Her wings sprawled out on either side of us and her head rested on my shoulder. I wrap my arms across her lower back, under her wings, accepting my fate as a pillow.
“ You were thinking too loud, ” Fleur answered as soon as she was comfortable.
“ My thoughts would not wake you up, ” I denied. Fleur hummed, conveying her disagreement with my statement.
“ They do, but I do not mind if I can help. ”
“ What did I ever do to deserve you? ” I smile against her hair, leaving a few kisses.
“ Nothing. The world owed you for all the bullshit you’ve had in your life, ” I laugh at her answer.
“ Well, then I wouldn’t change a thing if it means I have you and the others, ” I reaffirm.
“ I think I can speak for the others and say we would’ve liked you to be found by Minnie years sooner, ” Fleur propped herself on one elbow to gaze down at me.
“I can’t wait until the others are here with us permanently,” I sighed, brushing the blonde curtain of hair behind her ear.
“Oui, then Pansy and I can sleep in while you and Hermione do whatever it is you do at this Merlin-forsaken hour,” Fleur teased, bumping her nose against mine.
“I think I’ve turned you into a morning person as long as you get your run in,” I smirk, chasing her smile for a lazy kiss.
“Mmm, speaking of which,” Fleur sighed, sitting up. “I believe it is time for us to get up.”
“Think I can convince the others to run with us?” I check on Yukina and Shaka. They were still asleep on the couch, curled in a pile.
“Pansy would rebel,” Fleur giggled.
“You’re right,” I nod, pulling my hair back into a wolf’s tail. We go downstairs and stretch. Harry joined us with a sleepy grin.
When we finished our run, the three adults were in the kitchen with the house elves making breakfast. We were sent up to get showered and dressed before eating. Bags were packed and it wasn’t long before we were stepping out of the Floo at the Black Chateau in Bournemouth. The house was just as spotless as we left it after the party. There wasn’t much to do besides make a list of groceries and ask Dobby and Pokey to get them.
“Why don’t we go out on the deck while we wait for the others to arrive?” Mamaidh suggested.
“Sounds splendid! I need more sun anyway,” Sirius stripped his shirt off and waltzed out the back door. I share an eye roll with Harry as we follow the man. The sun was shining and I basked in it for a second before taking my shirt off, leaving me in my swimsuit from Lake Day.
“Want to spar a bit?” I asked Harry.
“You’re on!” Harry stripped his shirt off and we raced down the steps to the sand. Going a bit further away, I set Shaka and Yukina down so they could play in the water. Harry does the same with Mataline and I wait for him to make the first move.
Harry slipped in the sand a bit as he lunged. We traded blows as we danced around the sand. At some point, people started cheering. Our friends were here. Harry dipped down and scooped a handful of sand up, throwing it at my face. I slammed my eyes shut and tackled Harry to the ground.
“Kick his arse, Darling!”
“You better win this one, babe! I’ve got a couple of galleons on you!”
I break away from Harry’s attempt to put me in a barhold.
“What’s with Slytherins and gambling?” I pant as we get back to our feet.
“It’s part of their charm,” Harry shrugged. I shake my head and fake going for a high hit before sweeping his feet out from under him. I manage to pin one of his arms behind his back and wrap my arm around his throat. He struggled for a bit before finally tapping out.
“Dray’s never going to let me live this down,” Harry groaned.
“He keeps forgetting that I have one more year of training than you do,” I shake my head. I helped the boy up from the ground and we turned to see that everyone was present, even our four new additions to the group. I tilt my head, squinting at the graduated members of our group. There seemed to be something on all their chests, but I couldn’t make it out from this far away.
“You need to stop betting on us!” Harry shouted up the beach at them.
“Not a chance Potter! We make good money off of you!” Daphne hollered back. I laugh at the pout the boy sported.
“Awe, is little Harrius upset?” I coo, pinching his cheek. He smacks my hand away and goes to shove me. I twist out of the way and stick my tongue at him. I giggle as Harry tries again, only to circle him and jump onto his back. He catches my thighs, holding me in place before sprinting toward the deck.
“Did you guys get matching tattoos?” I asked as soon as I hopped from Harry’s back onto the deck. I approach Bill and see a list of names on the left side of his chest.
“Is this . . .” I compare the colors of Hermione and Pansy’s signatures to the colors that appear when their words transfer to my skin. “Gealach?”
“They wanted something more permanent than our bracelets,” Luna supplied.
“Is this why you wanted us to write our names over the bond?” Hermione stepped up next to me.
“Luni was the one to come up with the saying, so we needed her to tell us how the names fell and everything,” Dora chimed in. “It was also her idea to use these colors.”
“I want it,” I spin to pout at Mamaidh. “Can I get it? Please?”
“Can you wait until you’re seventeen before you start getting tattoos?” Mamaidh said with fond exasperation. Everyone who was younger than seventeen tensed and avoided eye contact.
“I know that look,” Sirius pointed to Harry. “What did you do?”
“Alhena Evangeline, did you get a tattoo? How?” Mamaidh looked flabbergasted.
“Wait! Pip has ink? Why didn’t you tell me?! I totally would have gone with you!” Dora gasped.
“To be fair, we were left unsupervised,” Harry tried to defend us.
“How many of you got a tattoo?” Remus looked surprised when we all raised our hands.
“Where are they? We don’t see anything,” Charlie stepped forward, turning me so he could see my back.
“Um . . .” I give Mamaidh a pleading look.
“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, you’re not in trouble! I just want to know who was giving tattoos to minors,” she sighed. The D.A. members all nodded and Fleur permitted the adults to see the hand tattoos.
“This isn’t too bad,” Remus said, taking Fred’s offered hand.
“These are so D.A. members can tell who’s on our side,” George explained.
“Why are there three different symbols?” Sirius scanned Harry’s hands before raising an eyebrow.
“We had enough members we needed to split them up so we could give them adequate training,” I push my hair back from my face, not meeting Mamaidh’s eyes.
“I’m guessing it was you three teaching?” I saw Fleur nod in peripherals.
“And where are your marks?” Remus finally caught on that nothing had appeared on us. Fleur was the first one to reveal her tattoo since she couldn’t get in trouble, being seventeen and all that.
“Look at that!” Dora gushed, stepping closer to see the finer details. Harry went next. Sirius seemed to like the phoenix, at least. When I revealed my dragon, Mamaidh seemed to soften a bit and shook her head.
“Fine, you can get the tattoo . . . you would probably just do it yourself anyway,” Mamaidh sighed.
“I can do it right now!” I beamed.
“Yes, yes, fine. But you can’t give it to the others without their parent’s permission,” she warned, pointing her finger at me. I nod, and pull Charlie to the side so I can study the tattoo in better light.
“Can I, Sirius?” Harry asked.
“Sure, pup,” Sirius chuckled. I commit the tattoo to memory and close my eyes, focusing on the image and nothing else. I perform the spell, gaining the tattoo on the left side of my chest. I open my eyes, blinking a few times to recenter, and turn to Harry who nods enthusiastically. I give him the tattoo as well and turn to Hermione and Pansy with a sheepish smile.
“Hi,” I finally greet them.
“Hello,” Hermione laughed, pulling me in for a hug.
“So, what do you guys usually do when you get together?” Susan asked, looking out across the beach.
“Well, we play games, we talk, we tease each other, we do objectively stupid things,” Charlie lists.
“Who wants to play chicken?!” Ginny shouts, yanking Neville behind her as she runs toward the ocean.
“You’re going down!” Dora crowed, following the younger girl with Bill right behind her.
“It goes like this, pretty much,” I shrug, watching Cedric drag Cassius into the fray.
“You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to . . . Fleur and Gabby stay out of the ocean most of the time so they usually lay on towels and cheer us on,” Hermione said, picking up the forgotten towels to bring down to the beach.
“Us old folks will call you in when lunch is ready,” Remus chuckled.
Over the course of the day, the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs merged seamlessly into our group. We played in the water, had a football and volleyball game, and played a round of TAG. I eventually sat next to Fleur and dozed off in the warm sun. After lunch, we showered and stayed inside catching up with the oldest members of the group. They were appalled when we told them about Umbridge and her reign of terror.
“On other news, how’s Little Sev?” I asked.
“He’s doing great! I recently got him a sweater with a lion eating a snake enchanted on it,” Bill grinned. “Speaking of Little Sev . . . he should be around here somewhere.”
I gasped in delight, sprung up from my seat, and ran to where Akira was with Mamaidh and the Dogfathers. I find them in the sitting room, Little Sev lying on top of Akira as they basked in the sun from the window.
“Hello! How is my godkitten doing?” I crouch down and gently rub his cheek with my thumb. He starts purring as he stretches. I coo at how adorable he is and pick him up, giving Akira a few scratches behind her ears.
“Godkitten?” Sirius snorted.
“Who else would be his godmother? I was the one who convinced Dora to get him,” I sniffed, lifting my nose in the air as I left, the sphinx cat cradled to my chest.
“I love the sweater,” I announce my return, holding Sev up for the others to see the lion eating a snake sweater.
“Did you name him after Professor Snape?” Hannah seemed shocked.
“Look at his grumpy face and tell me he doesn’t remind you of the Dungeon Bat,” Dora defended her choice of name.
The next few days were filled with much the same. We played on the beach most of the day before unwinding in the living room before going to bed. On my last day before leaving, the others went home, leaving me and my soulmates alone. We snuggled together as we had a peaceful day reading. Yukina and Shaka were exploring the beach more, hoping to find something cool in the sand.
“What time do you leave tomorrow?” Pansy asked. She was sitting in my lap, Fleur and Hermione pressed in on either side of me.
“Bright and early . . . there wasn’t a later Portkey,” I rest my chin on her shoulder.
“Where do you go first?” Hermione snuggled in closer.
“Wales . . . we’ll be there for three days before going to the Hebridean Islands.”
“We’ll miss you while you’re gone,” Fleur closed her book and turned so she had her arms around Pansy and me.
“I’m going to miss you too,” I sighed. “I don’t think we’ve gone this long without seeing each other since we’ve met.”
“We haven’t . . . unless we count your time in a coma, but that was only one month, you’re going to be gone for two this time,” Hermione copied Fleur’s actions, abandoning her book for better cuddles.
“I wouldn’t mind if you wrote letters, that way we don’t have to worry about you when we can’t communicate through the bond,” Pansy said.
I promise to write, and we spend the rest of the night cuddled together in bed. When I got up in the morning the other three woke with me. We share one final kiss before going our separate ways. Dragons of the world, here I come.