They Will Appreciate It Someday
January 1st, 1986
Belle magically placed all of her Hogwarts memorabilia into a box. It was the last part of packing their attic. She had several diaries she had kept, along with a few other small pieces of memorabilia and pictures. She added her letters with Alice and Lily to the box, along with pictures of the little boys Belle wished she could help.
Small pieces of her childhood were also included, there wasn't much anymore. Belle had wanted to forget everything. She wanted to release her parents and her siblings more and more.
She'd allowed herself to release her past, but it hurt staring at it.
She physically closed the box and taped it up. She wouldn't ever have to look at it again.
Footsteps sounded as Ed opened the hatch to the attic, "Hey my love, how's it going?"
"Good." Belle lied.
"My parents called to say they are on the way." Ed said before pulling himself into the room. "They sounded excited to spend the afternoon with us."
"Your dad will probably spend it trying to get us to stay." Belle rubbed her neck.
Ed nodded, "He mostly wants to watch the Rose bowl. That will probably be his intent though."
"I'm sorry Ed." Belle said standing up. They were officially moving in a week and his parents weren't thrilled.
"How many times do I have to tell you I want to go?" Ed asked coming into the room and taking both of Belle's hands.
"No, I'm sorry I'm taking you from your parents." Belle shook her head.
"Our kids are getting more and more magical every day, and we can't keep hiding it from them." Ed kissed her hands.
Belle nodded and smiled as he did that, "I just don't want you to think I don't see what they mean to you."
"I am blessed, but now it's our turn to be good parents and do a good job for Jack and Sammy." Ed insisted, "I've always known what loving you meant, so let's do everything we can for them."
"Do you think they appreciate it?" Belle asked with a chuckle, "Because Sammy's been pouting all day because I told her she couldn't use more papers to pretend write a novel anymore."
Ed shrugged, "She's six, I don't think she understands how expensive paper is."
"She's going to learn." Belle laughed, "Maybe she will start writing something meaningful."
"Jack's mad at me because I told him he had to stop playing the recorder." Ed rubbed his own ears, "I understand he wants to learn an instrument so let's sign him up for piano or something, I can't do the screeching noise anymore."
Belle began laughing, "Our children don't know how blessed they really are, so many children aren't as lucky as they are. I certainly wasn't."
Belle's laughter stopped as she thought about the box she'd just closed, "I never had a great relationship with my parents. I was only important to them when I was useful. My mother liked to parade me as her perfect child, but then picked me apart. They had such horrible alliances and they put me in so much danger."
"That's terrible Belle."
"They let me be abused by my brother."
Ed pulled Belle closer and held her in his arms, "Did they know he was hurting you?"
"If they did, they never outwardly acknowledged it. They sent him away for a while, but they never told me or anyone else that they knew. I'm so scared I'm a bad mum and that I'll do to them what they did to me."
"You aren't a bad mom." Ed reassured, "You would never."
"I wouldn't."
"Is that why you are worried about taking me away from my parents?" Ed asked with caution in his tone.
Belle nodded, "Of course it is. I've spent my whole life running and I'm terrified I'm dragging you along."
"I'm not being drug kicking and screaming." Ed laughed now, "We're in this together. We are going to give those kids what they need, as much as we can."
Belle's silence must have been felt as she ran over all of her worries through her mind.
"They will appreciate it someday." Ed kissed his wife. "They will."
December 25th, 2006
"Oh how lovely Jack." Belle said as she examined the little silver bracelet with a tiny pewter flying vulture dangling from it. It had a sapphire eye embedded inside. She reached over and kissed her son's cheek.
"It's meant to be your Patronus of course." Jack lifted his head, "The beautiful and misunderstood vulture."
It had already been an absolutely lovely Christmastime together. Everyone had gathered at Belle and Ed's home for dinner, drinks and movies.
Jack had brought his new girlfriend, Maria to Christmas. Belle knew they weren't calling each other by the traditional monikers, but Maria was essentially Jack's girlfriend for all intents and purposes. She was smart enough, with wit to keep up with Jack and enough to work for Hermione's office. She was also very helpful and on her several visits to Belle's home, had acted with nothing but respect for them.
There was something about her though, something Belle couldn't put her finger on. Like she wasn't everything she presented on the surface. Her emotions and actions were incredibly reminiscent of a facade. It was odd enough Jack was dating someone who had worked for his legal team, but it was even odder how interested she seemed in him. She was constantly trying to impress him and go above and beyond. Not that Jack wasn't a good man, it was just he was a felon after all who had a simple job and apartment. Anyone in normal society wouldn't dote on the Minister of Magic the way Maria doted on Jack and the whole family.
Jack liked her as well, he'd even given her a beautiful hummingbird necklace for Christmas. However, he wasn't attempting to impress her, he looked and acted the same way he always had. Overly opinionated but caring and kind with those he cared about most.
To begin the Christmas festivities they'd been opening presents together. Jack was the last to give presents handing out gifts wrapped in Daily Prophet editions. Belle loved her little vulture. Ed admitted he didn't know what a Patronus was, but agreed he would probably have a wolf as his Patronus. Ed held up his stein with a wolf on it aloft as Belle poured a bit of beer into it.
Jack handed a present to Neville next. The two men had put aside their row, dueling on the front lawn during Ed's newly reinstated Thanksgiving.
"A thousand ways to disarm, the modern dueling method." Neville looked over the book cautiously.
"Sorry, Sammy said your Patronus was non-corporeal. I didn't know what to guess yours was, and I wasn't sure what else to get you." He exclaimed before nudging Neville in the side. "I feel for you my friend. Non-corporeal is such a cry for help and a sign of obtrusive thoughts. I do hope eventually you can make happy enough memories someday. "
"Don't worry too much about me Jack. Maybe, I'll make some more happy memories by stunning you again." Neville shrugged with a chuckle and a small side eye towards Samantha. Samantha raised both of her eyebrows in response from across the room.
Maria's eyes became wide as she lifted her head from Jack's shoulder. "You've stunned him before?"
"Yeah, fifth year." Neville shrugged again.
"Right after Sammy did, I was in the hospital wing for a few days." Jack laughed capriciously, "Still rather impressed actually."
"Alright, come on Sammy." Ed requested looking over to Samantha who held a small newspaper covered box in her hands. "I'm getting hungry."
Samantha shakily opened the box. She'd been very quiet all Christmas, shaking intensely. She and Neville weren't really acting normal around each other. They weren't exactly the types for public displays of affection, but they normally held hands or sat together. Today they were on separate sides of the room.
Inside Sammy's present was a small gold lion pin with a ruby in it's mouth.
"A lion." Samantha's hands ran over the pin. A smile grew across her face as she stared at it.
"Yeah, I had bought it well before you informed me of your real Patronus." Jack said as he watched Samantha pin the lion above her heart.
"I still love it." Samantha said rubbing her fingers over the gold circle.
"It goes with your nickname though." Belle observed with a smile, "Which I find much more appropriate."
"Now I am curious, what's your nickname?" Maria asked as she stood to begin cleaning papers off the floor. Jack stopped her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her onto his lap.
"I call her my Little Lion." Belle tilted her head, remembering the little girl she used to be. "I have ever since she was sorted into Gryffindor, she's the first in my family. She really struggled with her volume control during her years at school so I told her that leaders have to be loud which is why she was meant to be a lion."
"I didn't know that was why you were called that." Neville looked up at Samantha from across the room with a small smile. Belle assumed things couldn't be completely wrong between them.
"That's a beautiful nickname. My parents never called me anything particularly nice like that." Maria added, "It's nice to hear and see people have such good relationships with their parents."
Jack reassured before looking between his parents, "They're alright I guess."
Ed smirked a little, "Thanks Jack."
"Well, I think I'm going to get our Christmas dinner going." Belle said after making sure the newspapers were cleaned up. "Samantha, why don't you mix the martinis please?"
Samantha stood up, fixing her skirt, "Oh you know I can't turn down Martinis."
"Do you need help Belle?" Maria asked trying to pull herself from Jack's lap again. Jack kept his arms around her waist and was laughing slightly.
"Oh, no I am going to employ Samantha." Belle laughed, honestly wanting to spend a bit of alone time with her daughter. "She's a rotten cook, but she pours better cocktails. I don't partake myself so my tastes are far off."
The two entered the kitchen and Belle began her investigating.
"What do you think of her?" Belle asked tilting her head towards Maria in the other room. Belle summoned her ingredients to put into the oven.
Samantha raised her eyebrows, "Jack thinks a lot of her, Neville says she was a good kid while he was at school. Ginny doesn't like her."
"I asked what you thought of her." Belle reminded as she checked the seasoning.
"I think she's fine. She's not twice his age and attempting to kill me, so I'll take what I can get." Samantha shrugged as she waved her wand to begin pouring the gin, "I don't think she likes me is the real observation. She's too nice to me, like diplomatically too nice."
"Probably trying to make a good impression." Belle nodded, making sure her ingredients were properly poured over the meat.
Samantha watched as she took one of the martini glasses and sipped, "Probably, Neville thinks I'm overthinking it."
"You two seem a bit tense today." Belle observed, "Just an observation."
"We had a row last night." Samantha said as she leaned against the counter. She took a swig out of the nearly empty bottle of gin before putting it back on the shelf.
Belle laughed remembering a holiday row or two, "The holidays will do that."
"It wasn't about the holidays." Samantha's hands were shaking again. "You know how I had a theory about what was wrong with me?"
Samantha had come to Belle at Thanksgiving, after having gone to a healer for her mind. They wanted to do blood work on her, which wasn't typical.
"Oh no Samantha." Belle gasped out.
"Well I got a letter from the healer and I refused to open it till after Christmas." Samantha shook her head, "But Neville opened it."
"Without asking you first?" Belle wasn't comfortable with that thought.
"Yeah, I'm not mad at him anymore. I'd have probably done it if the roles were reversed." Samantha admitted with a roll of her eyes. "It was pretty ridiculous of me not to just open it up."
"A little selfish Sam." Belle observed knowing it was a touch harsh.
"I know."
"Only in some ways, you also know what that letter could mean to those you love." Belle touched her daughter's shoulders, "What did the letter say?"
Samantha breathed out, "Exactly what we thought it would, I have a Blood ma-ma-malediction. They want me to see a specialist "
The words cut deeply beneath Belle's skin. It was her family's curse and it was hurting her baby. Belle pulled Samantha into a hug.
"We don't know what kind it is." Samantha continued as Belle let go a little and wiped the tears from her daughter's face, "Or what it will effect quite yet. But do me a favor, don't tell Jack or Dad yet, I want to have a normal Christmas."
Belle understood that, "You can tell them on your own time."
"That's the plan." Samantha said as they let go.
Belle put her hand beneath her daughter's chin, "My brave little lion, you have to take care of yourself."
"I know."
"That's beautiful Sammy." Belle said looking at a little butterfly necklace on Sammy's neck. She wanted to change the subject desperately. She was worried for her daughter, but she also recognized her daughter's desire for normality.
"It was Neville's mum's." Samantha explained touching it a little, her hand shook as she did. Belle's mind trailed to the girl who had made paper butterflies for her birthday. "Augusta wanted me to wear it when we went to see them this morning."
"How did that go?" Belle asked painfully wondering how her friend was after all these years.
"She let me hold," Samantha held up her hands into air quotes, "'Neville' which is a baby doll. It's sad really, the Healers think she believes that Neville is just a friend of Augusta's. She's never quite realized that time has passed."
"That's horrible." Belle remembered how much Alice had loved her son.
"Yeah, his poor dad though, he hasn't acknowledged anyone or anything but Alice in fifteen years." Samantha put her hands into her pockets, "Unless they play music. Then he taps his fingers."
"Poor man." Belle tried to not let her grief take over.
"Augusta hoped if I wore the necklace Alice might remember it, but she, well Alice thinks I'm someone else." Samantha flashed a timid but knowing smile towards her mum.
Belle froze slightly and put down the bowl in her hands. "Who does she think you are?"
"Alice thinks I'm someone who likes to draw." Samantha said, her eyes droopy. "She's rather disappointed when it isn't very good. I'm a writer, I'm no artist."
A few days later Belle accompanied the little couple to a ward dedicated to permanent spell damage. They stood outside the ward and looked through a glass window.
Belle wanted to look away at first, Alice was a shell of the beauty she'd been. Paper thin and all the bloom in her face was gone. Her pretty blonde hair was tangled around her face. Age had of course taken a toll, but Belle wondered what she'd look like if the torture of her mind hadn't taken its' share as well. Frank she assumed was the bed in the corner beside Alice.
"Wait here, watch through the window." Neville insisted, stopping Belle before she could enter right away, a smile almost as wide as the smile he had when Samantha agreed to marry him.
Samantha went into the little ward, passing a once famous author and a few others. Alice saw Samantha walking over to her and grabbed her hand. She made Samantha sit on the end of Alice's bed.
Alice used her arms and began making motions directly in front of her. She handed Samantha a small pad of paper and a crayon. She waved her hand above the paper like she should be doing something.
Samantha began doodling on the scrap paper, but Alice's smile began to fade. She shook her head and her eyebrows furrowed. She crumpled up the paper and handed her another one.
"She doesn't think Sammy is much for drawing." Neville said, still smiling.
"May I see her?" Belle asked nervously, "I could try to draw for her."
Neville nodded leading Belle into the room. A healer or two in the room seemed to perk up.
"Samantha, might I try?" Belle asked making both women look up.
Samantha nodded standing up quickly.
Belle sat down beside Alice who's eyes shifted as she saw her.
Belle took the paper and crayon sketched from memory, she sketched a beautiful gown inspired by the ribbons at Honeydukes. It was a bit cruder than the sketch Belle had done years before considering it was done with crayon, but it was the same dress.
As she sketched, Neville handed his mother a small packaged sugared butterfly wing. "See mum, it's Belle. It's your friend."
Alice smiled at the sketch as Belle finished. She clapped her hands. She handed Belle the butterfly wing candy wrapper, as if to give her a gift.
As she handed it to her, Belle briefly recognized the smile on her face. It was the smile she'd worn the day she'd first tried on the gown from Belle.
"Good to see you too Alice." Belle said smiling back at her.
Alice grabbed her doll and lightly handed it to Belle.
"Oh thank you." Belle said bouncing the baby like it were a real one. "He's really a lovely person, well, the person I know anyway, not the doll."
Alice looked around now, frantically. Like she was looking for something.
"What's wrong?" Belle asked looking back to Neville and Samantha.
Neville looked as dumbfounded as Belle felt, "I dunno. She's never done this."
Alice took her baby back before taking one of her hands and touching Belle's stomach.
"Are you looking for my baby?" Belle asked rocking her arms like there should be a baby there.
Alice reached her hand again.
Belle reached out for her daughter's shaking hand. "My baby, Alice this is my baby."
Alice's eyes darted to Samantha and her face softened. The hastiness stopped, she didn't look like she fully understood, but she stopped looking around.
"My baby Alice, my Samantha." Belle said feeling her breathe quicken, "She's friends with your Neville, just like you wanted."
Alice's eyes darted between the couple who stood behind them. She smiled but no one could know if she understood for sure. They stayed a bit longer, with Belle drawing Alice a few more pictures.