Soul Bound 29

“Bella big.”Hermione said. Bellatrix looked to where Hermione pointed and saw a very large hippogriff coming towards them. She wasn’t worried about being hurt because the animal was in a magical pen. Bellatrix and Hermione along with her sisters were at the magical creature reserve celebrating Hermione taking her first steps on her own. The girl had just turned 18 months old and had walked five steps by herself on her first attempt. Bellatrix thought it was worth celebrating and after many reassurances from her and her sisters Jean and Denis agreed to let them take Hermione to the magical creature reserve. The pair had been concerned that Hermione was too young to go but Bellatrix had arranged for the reserve to be closed to the public for the day so they agreed. Bellatrix was glad they did because Hermione seemed to be having a great time.

“You’re right it’s very big.”Bellatrix turned her body so that Hermione who she was holding could see better.

“I don’t think she will have any problems in her care of magical creatures class at Hogwarts.”Narcissa reached out and smoothed the child sized robes Hermione was wearing. Narcissa had them custom made and she thought Hermione looked adorable in them. Then again Narcissa thought Hermione looked adorable in everything she wore. Except when the toddler wore her sisters’ quidditch jerseys instead of Narcissa’s.

“When do you think she will start asking for a pet?”Andromeda had dealt with Nymphadora asking for one easily. All she did was take her daughter to the pet store and have the employee explain to the girl how much work it was to take care of one. That had turned Nymphadora off to the idea.

“As soon as she understands what a pet is.”Bellatrix wouldn’t mind getting one for Hermione but it would have to be a group decision.

“Touch.”Hermione reached out to the hippogriff.

“Sorry sweetheart you can’t touch him.”Narcissa was quick to add when she saw tears come to Hermione’s eyes.”We can however get a you a stuffy that looks like him that you can touch all you want.”

Andromeda laughed.”She has you wrapped tightly around her finger.”

“Like you are any better.”Narcissa had seen Andromeda go over board for Hermione many times.

“You I dare say are worse than us Andy.”Bellatrix did a lot for Hermione but Andromeda was in another league than anyone else in Hermione’s life.

“She deserves it.”Andromeda wasn’t ashamed of what she did for Hermione.

Bellatrix kissed Hermione’s cheek.”That she does.”

“Yuck.”Hermione said pushing Bellatrix’s face away from her.

Bellatrix glared at Andromeda.”Why did you teach her that?”

“I didn’t teach her anything.”Andromeda lied. She taught Hermione to react like that anytime Bellatrix kissed her. Andromeda didn’t dare teach Hermione to do that to Narcissa because her younger sister would have done horrible thing to Andromeda if she found out.

“I know you did.”Bellatrix had caught Andromeda doing it.

“Let’s move on to the next animal.”Narcissa didn’t want to listen to her sisters fighting.

“What’s next?”Andromeda was more than happy to change the subject.

“They have three wounded nifflers they are treating.”Bellatrix told her.

“Are two of those nifflers Ted and Molly.”Andromeda smiled when her sisters and Hermione laughed. Of course Hermione was only laughing because they were.

“That’s right those two deserved to be laughed at.”It still made Bellatrix smile every time she remembered Hermione’s first laugh was directed at Molly.

“I think Ted and Molly would be poor excuses for nifflers.”Narcissa said.

“I just hope they both write more books. The first one each wrote was hilarious.”Bellatrix had enjoyed reading the books that Ted and Molly each wrote. The crazy stories in them were very entertaining.

“They only wrote them because we wrote ours and it sold so well. They likely thought because of our success that theirs would sell just as well.”Andromeda and her sisters had written the book they promised the public and it had been a great success. The day it was released numerous book shops sold out within a few hours of opening. The publisher they signed with told them that it was the best selling book in the history of her business. They were actually getting requests for a second book. Something they were considering writing.

“Seeing all that gold in your vault makes my heart feel very good.”Bellatrix loved hearing every time Andromeda’s vault moved down a level at the bank. It was proof the sisters were adding to the family fortune not just spending it.

“We are now considered wealthy in our own right.”Narcissa felt proud that she could fund her own expenses when she needed something. She didn’t want to just rely on Hermione to support her. 

“I honestly don’t know where Ted finds his lawyers. I mean who in their right mind would think that Ted would win a lawsuit against us for defamation of character based on the book. We didn’t even mention him in it. Nor did we mention Dora.”Andromeda had lost count of the many lawsuits Ted and even Molly had filed against them. Their lawyer just took care of them and didn’t bother telling them about all of them anymore.

“Ted can’t read. That being case he didn’t know what was in the book. It is also the reason that he had someone write his own because we all know that Ted could never write like that.”Bellatrix knew that Ted was to lazy to write a book. 

“Molly obviously wrote hers and was very careful not to use our names when talking about us. Her publisher must have warned her about it.”Narcissa and her sisters wouldn’t have hesitated to sue the woman and publisher if she had used their names.

“That book was pure chaos. I couldn’t even understand half of it.”Andromeda had a hard time following the plot of many of the stories Molly told.

“She kept going off on tangents that’s why. Though I did enjoy the chapter where she claimed we admitted to her that we were the Dark Lord’s followers and tried to recruit her on the Dark Lord’s behalf. The reasoning being she was such a respectable pureblood woman and powerful magic user.”Bellatrix had laughed out loud when she read it.

“Fluffy.”Hermione said pointing to the niffler sitting on a rock looking at them. It’s feet had bandages on them.

“You have to be careful around nifflers little one. They will rob you blind.”Andromeda warned.

“Cuddle.”Hermione said.

“He’s hurt so he can’t cuddle but we will see if we can find you a creature to cuddle before we leave.”Andromeda hoped they had a magical creature Hermione could at least touch.

Bellatrix smiled when she felt Hermione sigh.”We will find you something I promise.”

“Cissa.”Hermione reached out her arms towards Narcissa.

“Come here darling.”Narcissa held out her arms for Hermione and positioned the girl so she could still see the creatures while Narcissa held her.

“I like that she is old enough that she is requesting each of us.”Andromeda liked it because it showed that Hermione cared about them.

“She even makes sure not to leave any of us out.”Bellatrix had been impressed with the way Hermione divided her time with the sisters.

“She is almost big enough to sleep in our beds.”That’s what Narcissa was most looking forward to. Being able to cuddle Hermione while she slept.

“She is almost big enough to travel to the Fawley estates.”Andromeda had looked over the list in detail and was excited to get to see what each property was like.

“She has already visited most of the Malfoy and Lestrange ones.”Bellatrix and her sisters had taken Hermione to the houses to get access to certain areas only the Head of Household or the heir could enter. After Jean did the blood test at the bank Hermione magically became the heir and the family magic accepted her. It wouldn’t update on the tapestries until Hermione took over the Head of Household but the estates accepted her. Bellatrix honestly didn’t know how the magic worked. All that mattered is it did and because of it the sisters were able to get their hands on a lot of valuable things. Including both family’s private libraries where they kept all the family’s grimoires that contained the family’s private spells.

“What do you think Lady Greengrass is going to do next now that suing you didn’t work?”Andromeda asked Narcissa.

“We know that she has petitioned to visit with Lucius and Sirius. It’s quite obvious she is trying to push for a divorce. I of course will never agree to it even if she succeeds. Which she won’t because there is no way that the ministry is going to let the wife of a Death Eater visit a Death Eater she has no legal ties to and a man that wasn’t on her side during the war. Especially because she herself was under suspicion. That being the case I think that she will try to rally other pureblood families that don’t have access to their vaults to figure out a way to get to me to hand everything over to the boy.”Narcissa would never give the boy anything.

“I can honestly say I am not surprised that she took custody of the boy and is raising him.”Bellatrix was just surprised that someone hadn’t thought of doing it sooner.

“I just can’t believe that Lucius picked that name for him. Like that would have made you accept the boy as your own.”Andromeda thought if anything it made Narcissa hate the boy even more.

“It’s my own fault for ever discussing baby names in front of him. I should have made some up instead telling him the ones I really wanted to use.”Narcissa had been saddened when she heard that Lucius named his son Draco. It was the name that Narcissa was planing to use for her first son.

“You could still use the name and we could call your son the better Draco.”Bellatrix suggested.

“Although it would be funny I don’t want any link to Lucius or the Malfoy family. Other than the important ones at least.”Narcissa would only consider Jean and Hermione being important links to the Malfoy Family.

“So who do you think is going to sue us next?”Andromeda asked.

“I doubt the Dark Lord’s followers that didn’t get prison time have given up on the idea of gaining access to the Malfoy and Lestrange vaults. So maybe one of them will come forward accusing us of something. Likely that Cissa or myself forced them to do something during the war or that we assaulted them. Even though it is well known by now that we are more than willing to take a truth potion.”Bellatrix didn’t think people would stop coming after them.

“Our lawyer told me that she has had made so much gold since taking us on as clients that she was able to afford a vacation home on the beach in Spain.”Narcissa had actually laughed out loud when the woman told her. 

“She needs a place to relax after dealing with all the idiots that are targeting us.”Andromeda didn’t begrudge their lawyer buying a vacation home due to them. The woman had earned it twice over for dealing with all the Black sisters’ legal trouble.

“She is going to continue earning it when this one comes of age.”Bellatrix expected to spend a large amount of gold every year on their lawyer once Hermione claimed her titles.

“I’m surprised Dumbledore hasn’t come around yet.”Narcissa expect the headmaster to show up months ago asking for gold.

“I am to. It’s makes me wonder what he is planning.”Andromeda didn’t trust Dumbledore.

“Well he got me and Cissa some nice shiny medals.”Bellatrix had been more than happy to accept her medal in honor of the work she did in bringing down the Dark Lord and his followers. 

“Order of Merlin First Class medals at that.”Narcissa didn’t think they would get such a high honor. She did appreciated the large amount of gold they were given along with the medal.

“You two are war heroes with a better standing than most of the people in the Order as only eight of those medals were given out.”Andromeda was very proud of her sisters. She and Nymphadora had clapped the loudest when they were given the medals at the awards ceremony.

“Boring.”Hermione said.

Bellatrix laughed.”Yes Andy is very boring.”

“I’m not boring Bella.”Andromeda was the fun one out of the sisters.

“Do you want to see the next creature darling?”Narcissa asked Hermione earning a nod from the toddler.”Alright what’s the next one?”

Bellatrix looked at the pamphlet the employee gave her.”It says here that we are going to see four unicorns next.”

“They have unicorns?”Andromeda was very surprised to hear that.

“It says that the four they have are all that’s left of their heard which was killed off by a giant attack.”Bellatrix told her.

“That’s because the giants don’t have enough land of their own. They have to take over other creatures’ territories.”Narcissa couldn’t wait until they would be able to help the giants.

Andromeda could easily see what Narcissa was thinking.”Soon Cissa.”

“I know.”Narcissa just hated that there would be many casualties and wounded before that happened.

“Pretty.”Hermione said pointing to the unicorn.

“Very pretty but not as pretty as you.”Bellatrix told her.

“You are gorgeous.”Andromeda agreed. Hermione was as they expected turning into a beautiful girl.

“You see the unicorns. The have magic in their horns. The horns are the things that are sticking out of their noses.”Narcissa explained.

“Horns.”Hermione replied.

“Exactly their horns contain magic but only if the horn or part of it is given willingly. If you steal a horn from a unicorn and try to use it for something magical it will kill you. Many people don’t believe that though and that makes it important to protect unicorns from bad people who want to steal their horns.”Narcissa smiled at the look of concentration Hermione had on her face while she listened.

“I protect.”Hermione declared.

“I’m sure you will do a wonderful job protecting them.”Bellatrix thought unicorns could have no better protecter than Hermione.

“I think she is already showing her instincts to be a protecter.”Andromeda had seen it in the way Hermione was quick to sooth anyone’s hurt feelings.

“She is really in tune with the three of us.”Narcissa liked that Hermione was so affectionate with her and her sisters.

“It will only be more pronounced as she gets older.”Bellatrix said.”Speaking of getting older. I need to go shopping in the magical world soon. Hermione grew out of my quidditch uniform again.”

“That means she grew out ours as well.”Andromeda like Bellatrix and Narcissa bought Hermione a new uniform every time she grew out of it.

“I fly?”Hermione asked.

“You will get to fly soon little one.”Narcissa knew that Hermione wanted to ride on a broom but Jean and Denis didn’t think she was old enough yet. Hermione did get to watch the sisters and Nymphadora play quidditch and every time someone said the name of the game Hermione would ask if she could fly.

“I don’t know why she couldn’t take her first broom ride months ago.”Bellatrix had argued about the safety of it but Jean and Denis were unmoved. It annoyed Bellatrix that she was being denied but she wouldn’t go against the couple for fear of losing the privileges she did have with Hermione.

“At least we know that she won’t be afraid of it.”Andromeda figured Hermione would enjoy flying based on her fascination with it.

“She will take to it just as well as Dora did.”Narcissa’s niece was a natural on a broom and Narcissa knew that they would be going to Hogwarts a lot to watch her play quidditch on her house’s team.

“Dora’s definitely going to be a starter when she gets her place on her house’s quidditch team.”Bellatrix had no doubt about that.

“I’m going to talk to her about changing her last name to Black.”Andromeda thought it was only appropriate for her daughter to have the same last name as the rest of the family. To include the Grangers who were really the Blacks.

“I didn’t even think of that.”Narcissa was kicking herself for it.

“We should have done it already.”Bellatrix being the oldest should have thought of it.

“I want to ask her what she thinks first. I don’t think she will want to have the same last name as her father but I want her to have a choice.”Andromeda didn’t want to force her daughter to do anything. Even if it meant she kept Ted’s last name.

“I don’t think she will either. She has never even asked to see or talk to him since you moved out of that home.”Narcissa thought Nymphadora would want the same last name her family had.

“That home that you sold for way more than it was worth.”Bellatrix had been shock when Andromeda told her how much she sold the house for.

“Apparently people want to own the home were the middle Black sister lived with her deadbeat ex-husband.”Andromeda had been just as shocked as her sisters when the real estate agent selling her home told her about the bidding war that had gone on to own the home. The woman told her that so many people wanted it just because a Black sister had lived there. She had also offered to help Andromeda sell any other properties she wanted to get rid of.

“The public still loves us. After everything we have gone through and the many people who tried to discredit us and bring us down we are still standing tall.’’Bellatrix expected people to go after them in the future but wasn’t worried about it. She had her sisters and Hermione. They could get through anything together.

“And we will continue standing tall.”Narcissa would not bow to anyone. Feeling Hermione lay her head on her shoulder Narcissa looked to the sleepy looking child.”Are you tired?”

Hermione shook her head.”No.”

“How about we move on to the next creatures?”Andromeda suggested.

“There are two different kinds left.”Bellatrix regretted getting Hermione so excited to go to the reserve the night before because Hermione had trouble going to sleep. Even waking up later than usual that morning Hermione was still tired. Leading the group to the next creatures Bellatrix thought that the trip had been successful. They didn’t often take Hermione to the magical world because they didn’t want her to get stressed out with the many people some of which were reporters that approached the sisters. There had been a lot of questions about Hermione the first time the sisters took her to the magical world. They made no comments about her though. It didn’t matter what people said or speculated the sisters had never confirmed or denied anything. They simply said no comment. That was how it was going to continue in the future as well. Even when Hermione’s identity was public knowledge Bellatrix and her sisters weren’t going to say anything. They weren’t going to let Hermione say anything either. Bellatrix already had plans to teach Hermione how to deal with the public and the press. It was after all Bellatrix job to protect her soulmate. This time it was from the public.