Soul Bound 17

“You know we never asked but have you visited the magical world before?”Narcissa asked Jean from her spot next to the woman with Bellatrix on the other side of her while they walked down the street in Diagon Alley. The trio was on their way to Gringotts for Jean to set up a vault for Hermione. Both sisters decided to go to provide Jean protection in the off chance something happened. Narcissa knew it was unlikely but she would take no chances with Hermione’s mother. Andromeda didn’t come with them because she wanted to spend time with Hermione on her own. Narcissa wasn’t upset about that as Andromeda got the least about of time with Hermione due to her responsibilities of being a mother. That didn’t mean that Narcissa wasn’t going to hog Hermione when they got back to the Granger’s however.

“I came here with Sofia to get my wand.”Jean told her.

“Why did no one mention that?”Bellatrix would have thought someone would have gossiped about Sofia accompanying a random child to get their wand.

“Sofia had me wear expensive robes and told the wand maker I was a distant relative. We didn’t talk to anyone else.”Jean was also wearing expensive robes for this trip. Robes she found very uncomfortable.

“Her known hatred of socializing came in handy for that trip.”Narcissa knew people went out of their way to leave her grandmother alone because of the fact that Sofia made no effort to hide how much she disliked others. Narcissa wondered if it was really the woman hating other people that kept her from socializing or if it was fear they would find out about the prophesies.

“I’m pretty sure that the wand maker knew the truth about my origins. He told me after I matched with my wand that it didn’t matter where someone came from or how powerful their magic was everyone had the same potential to achieve greatness.”Jean had appreciated the man telling her that.

“You have achieved the ultimate greatness in the form of the cutest baby that ever existed.”Bellatrix would use her barehands to kill anyone who said otherwise.

“I’m very proud to be her mother.”Jean said.

“As the years go by she is going to continue to make all of us even prouder.”Narcissa predicted great things from Hermione in the future.

“I can’t wait until we bring her to get her own wand.”Bellatrix really wanted Hermione’s wand core to match hers.

“I can’t either.”Jean wanted to see the look on Hermione’s face when she matched with her wand.

“You are planning on going then?”Narcissa had assumed Jean wouldn’t want to.

“Denis is terrified of the magical world but I don’t mind visiting it. Especially if it’s to take my daughter to get her first wand and her school supplies for Hogwarts. Plus you three will all be there so I’ll be perfectly safe if something happens.”Jean agreed with the sisters on it not being a good idea to say Hermione’s name in public. Not until at least after the trials were over.

“You’re right you would be safe.”Bellatrix liked that Jean trusted them to protect her. The trust was well placed because Bellatrix and her sisters would never let anything happen to Hermione’s mother.

“That being the case I don’t want to miss out on important milestones in my daughter’s life.”Jean wanted to support Hermione in all thing muggle and magical.”It’s going to be hard seeing her off on the train that first time. I already miss her when I’m away from her fifteen minutes I can’t imagine what it will be like when she is gone for months at a time.”

“I’m going to make sure I’m there to see her off. Then travel to the school after the train leaves.”Narcissa didn’t want to miss out on such an important moment.

“I was thinking about riding the train with her.”Bellatrix was sure she could get permission.

“That would ideal. Especially because there are older children on the train.”Jean would prefer the sisters not leaving Hermione alone in the magical world.

“I didn’t even think about the train ride just the boarding.”Narcissa was kicking herself for overlooking that part.”I will have to look into riding it with you.”

“We could have Andy do it to so we can secure the hallway and have someone in her compartment with her.”Bellatrix was already planning out how they would stage and react to threats.

“It would stop others from bothering her.”Narcissa would just have to be the one in the compartment.

“She will want you there. When we were growing up Denis and I wanted each other with us for everything important. Even the non important things. Our soul mate bond makes us want to experience everything together. I actually hate doing things without him. He feels the same. That’s why even though I don’t enjoy some of his hobbies like video games I still play with him.”Jean didn’t mind doing things just because Denis liked them. He did the same for things she liked that he didn’t.

“You don’t think she will fight the bond?”Bellatrix was worried about that.

Jean shook her head.”It doesn’t work like that. The bond pairs you with the other half of your soul. Meaning that everything about them appeals to you. You won’t even consider resisting. I know as I was set on not being matched with someone I didn’t know and had planned to tell Denis that I didn’t want to see him. No matter the consequences it had on the future. Then I took one look in his eyes and all I wanted was to give him a hug. So I did and we have been together ever since.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”Narcissa liked to have that kind of reassurance and would likely need it as the years went by.

“It will get better when she can actually react to you. The fact that she feels secure enough in your arms to sleep and doesn’t cry when you do things for her is a good sign.”Jean easily picked up on the sisters’ worries. That’s why she was quick to tell them about her reaction to the bond with Denis anytime she saw them doubting.

“I can’t wait to take her to the magical creature reserve.”Bellatrix was going to bring a muggle camera with them when they went.

“That will be fun.”Narcissa would enjoy seeing Hermione’s reactions to the creatures.

“You know what will not be fun?”Bellatrix pointed to Gringotts.”Dealing with the goblins.”

“The goblins are perfect nice if you treat them with respect.”Respect being something Narcissa had only see Bellatrix treat the Grangers with in her entire life.

“I’m always respectful.”Bellatrix held the door open for the two women. Following after them she stopped inside the door noticing that there was some kind of commotion going on near the tellers. She quickly put herself in front of Jean and Narcissa.”Stay close to me.”

“Sir you are going to need to leave.”A male goblin said.

“I won’t leave until you give me access to my vault.”A very familiar male voice screamed.

“Is that Ted?”Narcissa looked around Bellatrix spotting her ex brother in law pointing his wand at a goblin.

“Yes that’s Ted.”Bellatrix shook her head at the scene.

“I told you you don’t have vault and I am not going to give you access to someone else’s. Now lower you wand and leave or I will be forced to have you removed.”The goblin warned.

“The vault may be in my wife’s name but the gold inside it belongs to me!”Ted took a step towards the goblin only to find himself tackled to the ground by security guards.”Let go of me.”

“Mr. Edward Tonks I am officially banning you from Gringotts bank. If you come in again you will be arrested for trespassing.”The goblin told him.

Ted was lifted to his feet and dragged to the door where he caught sight of Bellatrix.”This is your fault!! You ruined my marriage!”

“I didn’t do anything but point out your shortcomings.”Bellatrix wasn’t at fault for ruining his marriage. Andromeda would have divorced him a long time ago if she actually married him for love. As it was she only stretched it out because she had to.

“We were happy before you came along.”Ted told her.

“You were happy abusing my sister’s situation.”Bellatrix watched him being dragged to the door screaming more nonsense. Turning her attention to Jean and Narcissa she chuckled.”That isn’t going to win him any points with the public.”

“Thanks to my favorite gossip at the clothing shop he wasn’t starting with any.”Narcissa had been right to use Maria to sell Andromeda’s story. It was well known through society that Ted took advantage of Andromeda’s situation and that he was abusing her financially. Many people had reached out to Andromeda to offer support and just to say how sorry they were she had to go through what she did while married to Ted. They couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

“Let’s go get this over with. This place makes my skin itchy.”Bellatrix hated the bank. It was all stuffy and reminded her of the many places her parents took her to growing up that they made her act like a proper pureblood woman. If she didn’t they would punish her or her sisters.

“Yet you enjoy visiting your vault.”Narcissa took a place in line.

“That’s because I like to look at how much gold I have. Gold that Rod will no longer have ownership of very soon.”Bellatrix liked to be reminded of what she was taking from her husband. Sometime seeing the contents of the vault gave her just the boost she needed to keep playing the game knowing that she was going to take everything from the monster and his mentally impaired brother.

“Next.”A female goblin called out. 

Narcissa noticed the name plate said Herda.”Yes my friend would like to open a vault for her newborn.”

“I need a drop of blood using this knife on this piece of paper.”Herda held out a piece of parchment and a silver knife.

Jean took the items from her and pricked her finger with the knife holding the wound over the paper. Once one drop of blood hit the paper she handed it back to the goblin.”Here you go.”

“Your daughter would be Hermione Black correct?”Herda asked.

“Yes.”Jean replied.

“Hermione Black already has a vault registered to her.”Herda told her.

“What do you mean?”Bellatrix couldn’t think of why Hermione would already have a vault.

Herda turned her attention to Jean.“Do you wish to discuss this in front of these people?”

“Yes they can listen and ask questions if they want.”Jean wanted to know why Hermione already had a vault.

“Hermione inherited Sofia Black’s estate including her vault when she died. As the child hadn’t been born yet it remained in Sofia’s name but with you coming in and doing the heritage test it updated the ownership.”Herda explained.

“My grandmother had a vault?”Narcissa was surprised to hear that as pureblood women usually didn’t get their own vault.

“She inherited the vault from.”Herda looked at some paperwork.”Hector Fawley.”

“The Fawley family died out.”Bellatrix had heard her father lament about all the gold and properties the family was rumored to have left behind.

“Sofia Black inherited the entire Fawley family estate. Which now belongs to Hermione Black.”Herda told them.

“What the fuck?”Bellatrix didn’t understand anything that was going on.

“I second that.”Jean didn’t know why Sofia would leave Hermione the Fawley estate.

“Can we see a list of the properties and visit the vault?”Narcissa wanted to know what they were dealing with.

“You would have to see the Fawley family goblin for that.”Herda told them.

“Can we see them now?”Bellatrix didn’t want to wait for answers.

“Meet me at the half door.”Herda pointed to the right where a half door was then stepped down from her seat.

Bellatrix wasted no time following the instructions. Just keeping slow enough she could protect Narcissa and Jean.”Do either of you know what’s going on?”

“I haven’t a clue. Sofia never mentioned any of this.”Jean thought she would have.

“She didn’t say anything to us either.”Narcissa was very unsure why her grandmother didn’t mention it.

“Well hopefully the family goblin will have answers.”Bellatrix waited at the door and when Herda finally opened it she ushered Narcissa and Jean through first before following after them.

Herda led them down a long hallway past several doors stoping at one that was open. She knocked before walking in.”Leta Sofia Black’s heir has been born and her mother would like to know about the estate.”

“That’s great news.”Leta motioned to the chairs.”Please have a seat. Thank you Herda.”

“Thank you.”Narcissa said taking one of the two seats. Jean took the other and Bellatrix stood. Narcissa knew her sister preferred standing because it gave her a chance to pace if she needed to.

“So who is the mother?”Leta asked.

“I am Jean Black. Hermione Black is my daughter.”It felt weird to Jean to use her married name after using Granger for so long.

“What would you like to know about the estate?”Leta asked.

“Can you explain to us exactly how it to came to belong to Sofia?”Narcissa thought that was the best place to start.

“Much like it did Hermione. Hector Fawley was the last of his line and left it to Sofia before she was born. She found out about it when she was 24 years old and was trying to set up her own vault.”Leta explained.

“What was Hector’s reason for leaving it to her?”That’s the part Bellatrix couldn’t figure out.

“That I’m afraid I don’t know. He left her and Hermione both a letter. That and some other things for Hermione. Sofia however left a letter for Hermione’s mother and father.”Leta opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a sealed envelope. He handed it to Jean.”Hermione can to pick up the things Lord Fawley left her when she turns 12.”

“We can’t have them now?”Narcissa wanted to know what Hector left Hermione.

Leta shook his head.”The letter and other things Lord Fawley left for Hermione she can only get when she turns 12.”

“I see.”Narcissa didn’t like having to wait.

“You should know that unless Hermione rejects it like Sofia did when Hermione is old enough she will become the Fawley Head of Household. Without filling the role she will only have limited access to the estate.”Leta told them.

“What the fuck?”Bellatrix repeated for a second time and felt she would many more times in the future when concerning things related to Hermione.

“I need to wait to read the letter with Denis.”Jean wouldn’t even consider reading it without her soulmate.

“Can we still have a list of the holdings Hermione has access to currently. We would also like to visit the vault.”Narcissa wanted to see exactly what they were dealing with.

“That I can do.”Leta stood from his seat and walked over to a file cabinet. Pulling open a drawer he rummaged through it pulling out a file before shutting the drawer. He held it out to Jean.”This is what Hermione can access right now. Once she becomes Head of Household she will be able to access a lot more. To include the family manor.”

“I didn’t even think about the family manor.”Bellatrix wondered what treasures it held.

“I can take you to the vault now if you would like.”Leta said.

Narcissa stood from her seat.”We would like that.”

“Yes that would be nice.”Jean wanted to know what Hermione was going to be inheriting.

“Follow me.”Leta led them out of his office back down the hallway to a railway.”Please stay seated while the cart is moving.”

Bellatrix helped Jean into the cart.”I hope you like moving fast.”

“Denis is the adrenalin junkie not me.”Jean didn’t even like going the speed limit half the time.

“Then just hold on tight and it will be over before you know it.”Narcissa assured her.

Jean opened her mouth to reply only to let out a scream as the cart began moving at incredible speeds.”I don’t like this.”

“It’s almost over.”Bellatrix told her. She didn’t like the color that Jean’s face currently was and wished Andromeda was there to check the woman over. Much to everyone’s relief the ride was over quickly.

Jean stubbled out of the cart.”That was horrible.”

“You get used to things like that in the magical world.”Bellatrix told her.

“I still don’t like it.”Jean would not be visiting a vault ever again after this.

“Follow me.”Leta said. He led them down another hallway passing doors that were overly large.

“What floor are we on?”Narcissa asked.

“We are on the third floor.”Leta said.

Bellatrix whistled.”That must mean the Fawley family was loaded and also explains how Sofia was able to give you and Denis so much gold without anyone noticing.”

“Do the vaults get bigger the lower the number?”Jean guessed that’s how it worked.

“Yes, the Malfoy vault was originally on the sixth floor. Then the Dark Lord came along and now they are on the twelfth.”Narcissa was still upset with all the gold Lucius had given away.

Jean shook her head.”And what good did it do him. Just throwing away all that money.”

“It didn’t do him any good and it ruined his chance to spend it before Hermione takes it from him.”Bellatrix hated that Lucius spent the gold but at least because he did he was going to be going away for a long time.

Leta stepped in front of a door with the Fawley family crest on it. He pulled a knife out of his robes and handed it to Jean.”A fresh drop of blood on the door will open it.”

“You people and your obsession with blood.”Jena grumbled as she pricked her finger with the knife and put her wound on the door. As soon as the blood touched the metal it creaked open.

“Let me get that for you.”Bellatrix offered. She took ahold of the door handle and swung the door open. She gasped in shock when she saw what was in the room.”What the fuck?”

“What is it?”Narcissa asked as she made her way into the vault only to come to a stop once she caught sight of the contents.

“Holy shit.”Jean mumbled as she got her first look of the inside of the vault. There were hundreds of piles of gold stacked to the ceiling. Plus artifacts, paintings, sculptures, bookshelves full of books, magical pictures. There was even a wall full of wands. 

“This is a lot more gold than the Lestrange vault has in it.”Bellatrix had never seen so much gold in one place before.

“Bella come here I think this is grandmother’s wand.”Narcissa pointed to the wand above the name plate that said Sofia Fawley.

Bellatrix carefully picked up the wand and examined it.”I think you’re right but how did it get in here?”

“If I may.”Leta said.”When Sofia died she had one of her house elves bring me the wand to secure in the vault with the rest. The same thing the last Lord Fawley did.”

“Did she say why she did it?”Narcissa asked.

Leta shook his head.”It’s not my place to question people.”

“Do you think we should take anything out of here?”Bellatrix saw some things that were interesting but nothing that she wanted to take that day.

“Jean do you see anything you want to take?”Narcissa didn’t want to take anything until she had a chance to properly look around. That would happen another day however.

Jean shook her head.”I don’t see anything I would want to take with me.”

“Leta would you please get us an inventory of this vault. You can send it through owl to me personally.”Narcissa wanted to know what was in the vault.

“I will happily do that for you Lady Malfoy.”Leta told her.

“Then I think we are done.”Bellatrix would be coming back again to take a closer look at things.”Actually is there a way to give me and my sisters’ access to the vault?”

“Lady Black can make give you access. However Hermione Black will have to regrant you access when she takes over.”Leta said.

“Jean would you mind giving us access to the vault?”Bellatrix didn’t want to have to drag Jean to the bank again.

“I would happily give you access if it means I don’t have to ride in that cart ever again.”Jean never wanted to even see a cart like that again.

“Then let’s go do that.”Narcissa gave one last look at the vault before following after the others. She really didn’t know why her grandmother hid this from all of them. That and why she made Hermione her heir. She could have made any one of the sisters. Andromeda would have been a good choice as Sofia knew that she would have been cut off from the family. It frustrated Narcissa that she would likely never get an answer to her questions. One thing she did know was that Sofia was trustworthy and that meant if she did this it was for a reason. Hopefully what that reason was mentioned in the letter to Jean and Denis. Narcissa didn’t want to have wait 12 years until Hermione got her letter and other items from Lord Fawley. It would be torture. Especially because this was such a big mystery. The Fawley line had died off decades before Sofia was even born so how exactly did Lord Fawley know about her and Hermione. Narcissa held back a sigh. Why couldn’t anything be straight forward when it came to her soulmate?