Lion Rampant

Chapter 4

Jean Granger stood close to the three sleeping children, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Things were not supposed to go this way. Why had this all happened? Fate seemed eager to toss her back into a world where she would be shunned and disliked.

Oh she knew she would be unhappily dragged back into that world someday. There was no escaping it. From the day of Hermione's very first magical outburst Jane knew that hiding from the wizarding world was no longer an option. Her only wish was that it would've waited till Hermione was 11.

She sighed deeply.

If only her daughter had just a bit more of her husband's blood, maybe then she wouldn't have had to reveal her past to a family she hoped could understand all her lies. That conversation had not happened yet but it would happen soon.

The children lay very still on their sofas, only the rise and fall of their chests showed that they still lived. Even though she could no longer wield magic she could still clearly see it and the magic flowing between these three children was like nothing she had ever experienced.

It shone in shades of green, red and purple. The colors flowed through the children's bodies steadily. It did not strengthen but neither did it weaken. Only when the voices of the others' rose did the magic appear to do anything at all. With each harsh word the brilliant colors flashed almost in warning.

Was the magic that bound these children sentient?

It had been so beautiful that she had wanted to touch it at first but after years of magical training she was no fool. So she stood there observing it. Hoping that whatever it was it would not endanger the children in any way.

William looked around at the women gathered in his home. He knew this conversation might turn ugly and already some things had been said to his wife that puzzled him greatly. It wasn't just the words that bothered him but the strange way Jean interacted with Mrs. Dursley that had him more than a little confused. Had they known each other at some point in time that he was not aware of? If so, why had Jean never mentioned Petunia and her clearly dead servant?

He assumed the walking corpse would have gotten at least a brief mention.

He sighed softly, there was no need to think so heavily on these things. Everything always happens for a reason, or so his father always said. William seemed to stand a bit taller before he clapped loudly to draw everyone's attention to himself.

"Ladies it will do us no good to lie to each other. So I propose that we all identify ourselves completely before we discuss this unusual situation our families have fallen into."

William noticed the grimace that crossed his wife's face as he spoke and he knew there was something she didn't want to say. There had never been anything they hadn't told each other. What could worry her so much?

The French woman stood and William once again brought his attention to the situation.

"I am Apolline Delacour. My daughters and I have come here from France to seek sanctuary from hunters who have recently taken a liking to Veela."

She took a small breath before continuing.

"You see my mother was a full blooded Veela who chose to mate to a pure blooded wizard. These hunters came close to breaking our wards last month and I lost my husband in the attack. Due to that I made the decision to flee our home for the safety of my children."

Her eyes shone with a vicious determination that only a mother protecting her young could feel.

"My father is securing another of our properties for us but till then I will not let those barbarians harm my girls."

Petunia placed a calming hand on Apolline's shoulder.

"I know what it's like to lose a husband." She looked towards Vernon. "Vernon here is my second husband, but as you all can tell he is a modified inferius. He has been very helpful in this form but it was never a love match."

She withdrew her hand from Apolline's shoulder and seemed to fall in to an old memory. William noticed the way she wrapped her arms around her torso and just held on. It seemed unpleasant just to watch the play of emotions on her face. Petunia rubbed her arms and seemed to pull herself together before she continued.

"I lost the love of my life and my sister 7 years ago on Halloween night. I wasn't well known in the wizarding world, only having enough magic to classify myself as a lioness demon, however my husband and sister were quite well known. Because of the old blood line my husband came from both of their deaths were posted in the news paper."

Petunia looked around the room nervously. William's blood ran cold as everything she said seemed to ring a bell in the far back of his mind. Lioness sisters normally mated to the same man and the only man whose death he could think of from that time was someone both sides of the wizarding war wanted dead.

Apolline reared up in shock.

"How dare you! I ran to this place in order to protect my children and just by simply running into you, anyone following you could have hurt my daugther."

Flames shot out of her body and viciously tossed themselves at everyone in the room. William stood and pushed his own powers out to meet the flames before Jean and Petunia could be burned. He tried to shield the children too but he didn't need to bother. Vernon had risen from the sofa he had been sharing with the only two conscious children and used his own body to block them all. Whatever Petunia had done to modify his body seemed to have made him fire resistant.

William began to sweat from the flames and he worried if he would have to remodel this room as well. He really wasn't sure how much it would be to cover up a few scorch marks. This conversation seemed to being costing him more than just his patience.

Apolline wanted to scream at them. After all she had gone through, the loss of her husband and being driven from her home just to keep her daughters from harm and now this!

There was no way she would let Fleur anywhere near the remaining members of the Potter family. Oh she knew exactly who Petunia had been married to. Even in France they had heard of the deaths of James and Lily Potter and the strange disappearance of their young son Harry.

Flames licked her skin hotly but did not burn her. The inferius had protected the children and for that she was grateful. Never had she lost control like this. Not even as a young child exploring her powers for the first time. Calming slightly, she reigned in her flames and extinguished them.

William's harsh gaze landed on her before he spoke.

"There is no need to make any rash decisions here, after all we are here for the children. We all want what is best for them."

Apolline stared between Petunia and William, her temper threatening to break loose again. Before that could happen she walked away from them and went to gather Fleur in her arms. Gabrielle peered fearfully from behind the giant inferius and it was her gaze alone that made Apolline feel guilty for her lack of control. She never wanted her children to fear her.
"I do dare because my children are my life after I lost my husband in an attack, I've heard everything about how they hunted and looked for your husband and sister. Now you tell me that boy" She sneered at them "may be a reason I would lose my daughter, after all they are still looking for him aren't they?

Petunia could only nod, "You are correct, we ran from either the so called light and dark fractions wanting to make use of Harry for their own gain. I put our buisnesses on pause so nothing would change nor would we lose them."

"I won't let my daughter be dragged into their games or risk her life after all our family had been through. What do you think they would do to quarter veela? They will not offer her a chair and tea to discuss this. No, I know what they will do to her as it has almost happened to me as well." She lowered her head at them, her fist tightening as she spoke. The only way she could be sure that this boys fame never led to the loss of her daughter was to completely remove him from her life. The further the better. She had heard that nothing but death and sorrow followed the Potter family.

Apoline straightened herself and quickly strolled over to where her daughter lay unconscious. She gently lifted her oldest daughter into her arms and called for Gabrielle to join them.

"I hope you Grangers the best of luck in protecting your daughter."

Apoline looked at Petunia with a stare that held anger, fear and pity.

"Mrs. Potter you have done well staying under the radar of wizarding kind. I hope for the sake of your children you will keep it that way."

Without a glance back the French veela quickly stormed out of the Granger's home.

Fleur looked around, only noticing a black nothingness all around her. Something tugged inside of her as two lights slowly came into her line of visionary they came closer and closer her inner veela stirred with interes. The lights sparked her curiosity and she couldn't wait to get a closer look at them.

Everything suddenly became still before she felt an invisible force harshly pull her away from the shining lights. Fleur struggled to reach out to those flicking lights as they seemed to go in and out of focus, her breathing started to quicken as she was pulled and once her mother passed the door she could no longer feel it, in fact she felt the cold surrounding her now driving out all the reaming heat inside her body. She shivered already drawing into herself to preserve the last bits heat before she completely slipped into unconsciousness.

William looked towards his wife, "What was that look that you and Mrs. Potter shared love? Somehow you two know each other when you told me you were a non magical. Now that I think about it, you weren't really surprised that our daughter had a spurt of magic when she was younger."

Jean looked back at him and simply nodded.

"I guess it's time I told you the truth. My real name is ...."