Chapter 40: Chapter 40Summary:OWLs and the drama that follows...
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextChapter 40
Jasmine had ended up falling asleep on the couch shortly after Lily left. She didn't want to wake James up, he wasn't having any nightmares and the poor boy needed sleep. She would sacrifice a bit of dignity to make sure that he felt better, even if he was snuggled into her like she was a throw pillow. It was honestly rather amusing that the Marauders snuggled with her, Jasmine was feared in the school for her dueling prowess, yet, here was James Potter…drooling on her arm.
At least he didn't snore like Sirius' did. Thank Merlin for small mercies.
Sirius woke them both up around six in the morning for quidditch practice. James had looked almost ready to murder his best friend for disturbing his first good night's sleep in nearly a month. The lead Marauder chased Sirius around the room with his wand raised, shouting something about warm-ups.
After practice James did ask if he could maybe talk to Jasmine's mind healer once OWLs were over. She had been more than happy help him set up an appointment once the time came. She'd do anything for him, it's what family was for and she was finding that she enjoyed being part of a family that wanted and protected their own.
Though, it wasn't until later in the afternoon that things started to come to a head. OWLs were beginning to cause fights amongst the fifth-year students as extra assignments were being added onto their already grueling schedules. "Why are they giving us so much work!" Sirius whined after transfiguration, his arms swinging wildly, nearly knocking James' glasses off of his face. McGonagall had been feeling particularly vindictive this morning and gave them three feet worth of an essay to write and a quiz to review for next week.
James shoved Sirius towards a suit of armor on the other side of the hall. Her cousin wasn't in a very forgiving mood since they had just received another large assignment from Slughorn not an hour earlier on sleeping draughts thanks to another one of Sirius' horrifically mistimed comments. "You're the one that asked when we'd actually use theoretical frame working for transfiguration in real life," James hissed from Jasmine's left as he adjusted his glasses.
"I didn't know she'd give us a Merlin's damn essay to write about it!" Sirius nearly shouted down the hallway as he barely avoided a rather sharp bit of armor.
"Give it up, Pads. We all know that you and McGonagall are trying to do Prongs in for captaincy of the quidditch team," Remus joked as he pushed his bag further up his shoulder, a small smile playing on his lips.
Remus, forever the mediator when James and Sirius were in a mood. Jasmine preferred to watch them blow up. It proved to be much more entertaining.
Jasmine snorted, pushing ahead towards the charms classroom, it was always a rather long walk. The boys would drag their feet and make themselves late if they didn't pick up the pace. Yet she always stuck around, since the Marauders always made the walk over so interesting. "Only in Professor McGonagall's wildest nightmares would that be the case. Merlin knows that Sirius couldn't lead a horse to water even if it was dying of thirst," she commented with a casual wave of her hand.
Sirius had the audacity to look hurt. A pale hand hovering over his heart. "You don't think that I feature in Minnie's fantasies?"
"Only if you've been silenced and tied to a chair so you'd actually listen to a lesson," Lily snapped as she passed them, her long hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, the tie holding it together clicked as she passed. There were two little rune etched beads attached to the ends. Jasmine had created the hair tie after her roommate's hair was almost lit on fire earlier in the week. One of the Slytherin's had tried to show Evans what students with her blood status deserved if they don't stay in line. James had managed put it out before any damage was done and ruin the Slytherin's potion, which was just an added perk to the entire situation. The incident had happened in Potions, so naturally nothing had been done about it. Slytherin politics were at play, but at least her hair had been saved, and Parkinson senior had been pranked thoroughly throughout the rest of the day. He still wasn't walking straight.
"I didn't realize that Minnie was into such kinky foreplay," Sirius replied, wiggling his eyebrows at Lily, who scoffed.
"It's Professor McGonagall to you, Black. Show some respect," she hissed before walking off towards Flitwick's class room. Alice and Marlene waved as they passed, shadowing their friend. They hadn't let her out of their sight since the potions incident. With the war looming on the horizon, the students were picking sides and it was rather easy to tell who decided to join Voldemort when it came to muggleborn sentiment.
"Don't expect us to help you with your essay!" Sirius shouted back at them.
Marlene flipped him off as she rounded the corner of the hallway. Not like they'd really need help with Lily as their friend.
"You do realize that I live in the same room as her and if I don't answer her questions I will be sleeping on the common room couches until the end of the year," Jasmine reminded them rather dryly, and Remus put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Prongs will do anything that Lily asks. Pads is giving empty threats. We're all a little bit high strung before exams. Not all of us can be prodigies like you when it comes to essay writing and practical spell work."
Now, Remus sounded a bit bitter. So much for him trying to raise the mood. Jasmine did have an unfair advantage…she had nine lives worth of knowledge stored in her head, not to mention that the original Jasmine was a child prodigy in her own right. That girl wouldn't have been the best in the dueling ring without being a gifted witch.
"If you need help in any subject you just need to ask," Jasmine said with a tired sigh, but that didn't seem to put Remus in any better of a mood as they reached the charms classroom. His scarred hand was gripping his bad rather tightly.
James threw his arm over Jasmine's shoulder. "She's my cousin, I get first dibs on any and all schoolwork related questions."
Now, that sounded like an ominous statement.
What kind of mess did she get herself into?
~*~
Charms started with Flitwick coming towards the front of the room with grimace on his face, which never boded well for the rest of the class, especially so close to OWLs. It usually meant they were going to be doing something unrelated to their pending exam. "Today, we are going to be doing something outside of the curriculum.
A low mummer consumed the class. They didn't have time for something they weren't going to be tested on. "What about our exams?" Lily asked just loud enough for it to carry across the room that had suddenly gone silent. She blushed when she realized that the class had gone quiet enough for her to be heard.
Flitwick cleared his throat, his eyes glancing over his podium. "Yes, well, this came from the board of governors. I'm to cover this charm in all of my classes for the next couple days. You are all expected to finish your revisions on your own time for the rest of the week. We will be working the practical application of the patronus charm, which will be extra credit on your OWL exam."
Bloody hell. Didn't the board know how difficult that charm was? Most of them more than likely couldn't produce a corporeal patronus. Most aurors have trouble with it and they needed to know how to produce one.
"Isn't this something that we should be learning in DADA?" A fifth year Ravenclaw asked from the back of the room. They weren't wrong…
"Professor Brightbark claimed that it was better taught in the settings of a charms classroom and since your Professor last year didn't teach you enough for the exams, Brightbark couldn't fit this into his schedule, so, the lesson fell to me."
Jasmine fought the urge to scoff. She had a sinking suspicion that Brightbark couldn't produce a corporeal patronus and he was avoiding teaching the spell for that reason. That man grated on her nerves, making Flitwick do all of the work for teaching this charm.
"So, without further interruption, why don't we start with how to produce a patronus?" Flitwick asked without wasting another moment. Jasmine had a feeling that their professor's arm had been twisted to force him to teach this to his OWL and NEWT students. They had more important things to do than learn something that was going to exhaust them and take time away from their studies, extra credit or not.
A few people raised their hands, Lily and Remus being two of them. Jasmine didn't even bother, since she already knew how to cast this charm and everyone in the school knew it or at least whispered rumors about it.
"Ms. Evans, please explain how to produce a patronus charm."
Lily perked up, her hand going back down, "A patronus is a more obscure spell and is difficult to cast completely. It is typically created using a powerful positive memory along with the incantation of expecto patronum."
Flitwick nodded at her textbook response. "Yes, even very powerful wizards and witches have trouble casting this spell. It needs a surge of positive energy and is used to repel dementors, which are known for sucking the happiness straight out of your soul. Now, why don't we all practice the incantation together before attempting to cast."
They recited the spell multiple times before Flitwick had them thinking of a positive memory. Jasmine was bored to pieces and was drumming her fingers along the desk to a song that wouldn't be written for at least another twenty-five years.
"Now, it will take some time before it becomes easy to cast. You're more than likely going to be exhausted after my class today. So, why don't you all try to cast it at least once before leaving."
Shouts of "Expecto Patronum!" could be heard throughout the room with various results. Lily and James produced thick walls of white mist, while others like Remus and Sirius barely produced anything. Jasmine figured that it would be hard for them to think of something positive enough to create a patronus on their first try. Jasmine was twirling her wand between her fingers as she observed.
"You need a really positive emotion to make it work. A moment that you will always remember, one that never fails to bring a smile to your face," Jasmine coached from the desk she was leaning against. Remus muttered something under his breath and Sirius was shaking his wand like it was some kind of malfunctioning toy.
It wasn't long before Flitwick noticed she wasn't doing anything. "Ms. Peverell, why don't you show us your progress on the spell if you think that practicing his beneath you." Had he forgotten that she had cast this in before? Maybe he didn't believe the rumors.
What a pity.
He just loved to single her out, sometimes she thought he used her as a demonstrator. Sirius and James looked like they wanted to say something to Flitwick, but Jasmine just waved her wand with an almost bored expression. "Expecto Patronum."
Her threstral came trotting out of her wand, ready to attack any dementors that would dare get in its way, and after sensing no danger gave an almost confused shake of its head before it misted away.
"And that is what a corporeal patronus looks like. Take note: everyone's patronus is different. Though there have been instances of complimentary patronus. Those are said to be very rare and are rumored to represent true love. We will try again tomorrow. For homework tonight, I want all of you to think of a positive memory to use for our next class."
It didn't take long for half the class to corner Jasmine and ask her how she managed to cast it. She pushed past most of the to make it to the common room, where she was accosted by the Marauders and led to their dorm room. It wasn't nearly as messy as Jasmine envisioned it to be, there were a few spare robes on the floor and what looked to be a few dog toys, but nothing horrifically gross.
The door locked behind itself and they surrounded her, arms crossed.
James sat her down on his trunk. "How did you do that? I haven't felt this drained since our last five-hour quidditch practice," James complained, flopping down on his bed, a half-finished essay rolled to the floor. He watched it disappear under his bed before he slid halfway off the bed to grope for it on the floor.
Jasmine rolled her eyes and summoned the parchment to her, catching with ease. "Well, I practiced quite a bit until I got it right, but I also don't use a happy memory to cast my patronus."
That caused all three Marauders to look at her funny. "But, then how do you create it?" Remus asked, his nose crinkled as he tried to think of some other way that she produced the charm.
"I use the concept of being happy to create it. I thought itself needs to be the idea of a positive memory for a form to take. The feeling of freedom was what originally helped me create my first corporeal patronus. I wasn't sure if I would ever be free, but it was worth thinking about."
James groaned and covered his face with a pillow. "You use the idea of happiness to create your patronus? No memory?" Sirius clarified and Jasmine nodded. "Brilliant…"
Sirius flopped on the bed, just narrowly missing James's face with his fist. He joined his fellow Marauder in rolling on the bed and groaning into the pillows.
Remus was still sitting on the edge of his bed, thinking. "I can see how that would work. If I try to cast that spell one more time today, I think I'm going to pass out, but next class we'll see how much merit your way has."
Jasmine shrugged before picking up a pillow and swinging it at Sirius and James. Some feathers popped out of the pillow. "Will you two prats cut it out? I can barely hear Remus speak with all the blasted noise your making," she hissed, her eyes narrowed into slits.
The two Marauders turned towards her very slowly, Sirius' hand going towards a stray feather in his hair. "Did Jazz just hit us with a pillow, Prongs?"
"Me thinks she did…"
He pulled a feather out of his mouth.
The two raised their pillows challengingly.
Oh Merlin.
She grabbed another one of Remus' pillows.
"This means war!" Sirius cried as pillows and feathers flew, creating the great pillow fight of 1975.
Notes:I hope you enjoyed!
Leave your comments and kudos below!
~SugarPhantom
Chapter 41: Chapter 41Summary:And the political plot begins to thicken...
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextChapter 41
It was the middle of the second week in April when Jasmine finally received word back from the Malfoy family. Apparently, someone had been trying to block their correspondence, this was the fourth letter they had attempted to send her. Which, figured, since someone was trying to murder Abraxas, but they couldn't say that outright. Merlin, Jasmine hated politics sometimes, there was just too much she wasn't allowed to talk about. Instead, she had to skirt around it.
She glanced at the missive a few times over breakfast, James reading it over her shoulder and mouthing it to Sirius and Remus when they thought she wasn't looking.
Prats.
The verbiage was simple: The Malfoy family was sorry for the long delay and wanted to hold a meeting with her as soon as possible.
Abraxas seemed rather concerned that his personal mail had been blocked by an unknown third party.
It was probably Voldemort.
What a shocker.
She tried not to snort into her morning tea.
Lord Malfoy wanted to meet with her during her next Hogsmeade trip, which was three days away. Jasmine was more than happy to agree. The less time this took, the more likely Abraxas was to survive, and the less likely Lucius was to turn over to Tom's side. The Malfoy Heir was a perfect Slytherin and would do what he thought best for his survival. Jasmine didn't need Voldemort gaining a cunning future business powerhouse on his side this time. She was trying to remove his main support from under him. So far it was working, she'd already stolen his future potions master and the entirety of the House of Black.
Tom could keep the horrifically inbred purebloods to himself, she'd take the ones with some sense left in them…not to say that the Black Family had much sense left, but there were miniscule amounts to be found here and there.
Jasmine was nearly positive that it was Voldemort tampering with her mail this time, or at least someone with Death Eater connections. It didn't seem like Dumbledore's style to tamper with messages and Fudge and Umbridge had only just started working in the ministry, so it wasn't them. Of course, that doesn't mean that they didn't learn their tricks from somewhere else in the future.
It just seemed much more logical for it to be Tom. Keeping Jasmine away from important families was a must after she gained the favor of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Not to mention that she also has the Potter family on her side, a life debt owed by the Prince family, and the business tycoons in the Medvedeva family, who would back her up in a pinch, and their vaults were bottomless when it came to funds.
Mikhail had made it very clear that if she ever needed anything, she was to contact him. His family owed her that much, and there was the fact that they were friends and she had saved his life a few too many times in the arena for him not to feel just a little bit indebted to her. Her friend's parents dealt with combining magical and muggle technology. His mother did the experiments and his father sold them. Between the two they created an empire that could overtake the Black family in wealth. England, for the most part, avoided the Eastern European inventions and they were mostly sold to the Americans, but the family was widely known and highly successful.
In the future, they spent most of their money trying to get their son back from Greyback. It never worked and the two of them always ended up murdered by their son on Greyback's command during Harriet's sixth year. They never gave up on Mikhail and now that Jasmine had memories of the boy that Mikhail was, she understood why. It wasn't just because they loved their son. The Medvedeva family was cursed to have only one worthy heir that they had to blood adopt. Otherwise, the line would die out then and there. His entire family line is barren and had been for generations. Their children are highly coveted since there can only ever be one. It's tricky business, and the family did anything they could to get him back.
But, now there was hope for that family's future. Mikhail was going to have plenty of fun choosing a partner and falling in love this time. He wasn't going to need to deal with the nonsense of being Greyback's second in command.
Speaking of Mikhail, he had sent a letter recently, wondering when he would be able to visit during the summer holiday. Jasmine had readily agreed. While she loved spending every waking moment with her cousin and his friends, it would be nice to see some of her own. Even if they were all scattered across the globe. Theo and Blaise had mentioned that they were trying to figure out a way to visit, even if it only for a day or so.
It was odd, actually being able to have friends over, it wasn't something she really had the option to do before this early on in a life cycle. Getting away from the Dursley's always took time, and usually emancipation, which took place at the end of the summer before her sixth year, if she was lucky. In more than half of her lives, she had to wait till the summer before her seventh year to get away.
Jasmine knew that Euphemia would be more than happy to have any of her friends over. It would make her guardian happy to see that she had the capacity to make friends outside of the Marauders, more proof that she was adjusting to life outside of the ring, even if all of her friends were powerful duelists in their own right.
She knew that her guardians worried about her mental wellbeing and how well she was adjusting to civilian life after her long stint in the dueling arena. Jasmine would try to make them proud of them woman she wanted to become, even if it was with small steps. Lily also wanted Jasmine to visit her in the muggle world. Her roommate planned to show her muggle London for the first time.
All things considered, Jasmine thought that she was doing pretty well socially, for once. Though, first things first, she needed to write a response to the Malfoy family, she had another family patriarch to save.
~*~
"You aren't going by yourself," Sirius said for the hundredth time the morning mere hours before her meeting with the Malfoy family was scheduled. Jasmine had been prepping herself in the common room, going over various charts and bank statements from Gringotts, just in case the Abraxas wanted some kind of incentive for joining her little ragtag group of political allies. James and Sirius offered to help her, they knew more about the Malfoy family than she did, especially Sirius.
His family had been doing business with them for a few generations already, and despite how much Sirius loathed to admit it, he knew a lot about the Black Family business. They mostly dealt in secrets, which had most working in the Department of Mystery, but Orion also invested heavily in other magical enterprises to boost their family's wealth.
From what Sirius had told her, the Malfoy family was from France, which was something that she knew, and that they dealt with magical politics and small potion businesses around the world. They had been very successful the last few generations, but during World War II they moved to England to avoid most of the fighting, having Abraxas finishing his last two years of schooling at Hogwarts.
"Sirius, I'm going to be fine. I doubt that this new Dark Lord is going to attempt anything right after the attack last month," Jasmine replied with a roll of her eyes. This argument was getting old. She could take care of herself. Hogsmeade had only just opened back up to the public. Anyone below their third year had been banned from going to the village until further notice, much to their chagrin.
The Black Heir groaned, pulling at his robes and throwing on his cloak anyway. "I'm not thinking about this stupid Dark Lord or the dementors. It's Malfoy I'm worried about. Abraxas has been known to get handsy with young witches. His wife died nearly a decade ago and he hasn't been chaste since. I'd rather you have someone with you, and my family is allies with his and yours. I'd be a go between and a chaperone." This wasn't a date, it was a business meeting and as much as she could see Sirius' point, it was a bit much. If Abraxas decided to get handsy, he'd lose his hand. Jasmine wasn't one to let anyone get away with anything.
Merlin, was this really her life? Was she some child that needed to be protected constantly? She was the Master of Death. She saved Sirius' life not too long ago, while he was passed out on the ground.
Jasmine resisted the urge to scream. She knew that Sirius was trying to be a gentleman…she also knew that James had started this argument two days ago and after Jasmine reminded him that he wasn't allied with the Malfoy family, and therefore, couldn't come, which had led them to their current shouting match. As much as she loved her friends, they could be a bit overbearing.
They were in the middle of the common room, it was deserted, everyone with a brain had left as soon as Sirius and Jasmine had started screaming. Now, their fights weren't as spectacular as James and Lily's, but what they lacked in sneering commentary, they made up for with pure stubbornness. "Sirius, you'll just pick a fight with Abraxas if he so much breathes in my direction. I don't need anyone's protection. You don't need to be there to hold my hand. I can take care of myself!"
He pinched the bridge of his nose, his pale fingers dragging along his face. "This has nothing to do with you taking care of yourself. I know you can kill a man with nothing but your bare hands. I'm more worried about how it will make you appear to the English Pureblood public. You need to have someone else male there to stop any rumors going around about your correspondence with Abraxas and any other Lords of Ancient Houses. If the high society witches think that you get your way in the political scene by sleeping around, then no one is ever going to take you seriously! It's more than likely what they're planning on doing! It's just Slytherin enough of a plan to work. Honestly, it sounds like something my Aunt would come up with!" Sirius snapped, fists clenched, jaw squared. They had been fighting like this for over thirty minutes.
James let out a loud sigh, his head hanging upside-down off the couch against the wall, a book balanced on his lap. "Honestly, Jazz, I think you should listen to him. Sirius' family has a lot of influence with the Daily Prophet, if anything is written about either of you, they'll have the piece pulled and person who wrote it fired," James interjected, he'd away up from the transfiguration paper he'd been writing on while they fought. Remus was listening through their two-way mirror. The frilly thing was propped up on some cushions to face the action as James busied himself with work. Remus had been feeling under the weather, so he was stuck in the hospital wing, missing this argument first hand. Even werewolves could catch the flu if they weren't careful.
At least nothing had magically exploded, yet.
"Jazz, I know that you don't want to hear this, but I think both Prongs and Padfoot are right. You might not care about your reputation, but it will help you in the long run if you take extra precautions against slanderous rumors," Remus added levelly, though it was very hard to take him seriously when he sounded congested.
Jasmine played with the ends of her tightly coiled braid, her long hair pinned back and tamed for the afternoon. She had dressed to impress for the occasion and had even done her hair to give the best possible impression. Jasmine wasn't even sixteen yet, so it took quite a bit for anyone to really take her seriously.
Sirius wasn't going to let her have a moment's peace until she said yes. This was a different era of time than she was used to. Harriet had been the girl-who-lived for so long she forgot that people didn't already have a hundred slanderous things to say about her. The social conventions, even though she was only twenty years in the past, really made a difference. Witches weren't quite as free as they were in the nineties.
She let out a long-suffering sigh. Jasmine had a sinking feeling that Sirius and James would follow her to the village whether she agreed with them or not. So, she picked the lesser of two evils. "Fine, come along with me, Sirius, but the moment you say something stupid, I'll curse your mouth shut," she threatened, her finger poking into Sirius' chest.
She saw him physically gulp before he followed her out of the Common Room, James and Remus waving, one from the couch and the other from the mirror.
Notes:I hope you enjoyed!
Leave your comments and kudos below!
~SugarPhantom
Chapter 42: Chapter 42Summary:A meeting with the Malfoy Family...
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextChapter 42
Jasmine figured that this was going to be a long afternoon filled with grumbling and a small bit of teen pettiness from James and Sirius. She might have lived nine lives before this, but sometimes, Jasmine found herself giving into the age she was currently living in. She honestly never really got the chance to act her age in her other nine lives.
Even though Jasmine could see Sirius' point about her needing some kind of chaperon for the sake of her image, she didn't want one. She didn't want a reputation of being someone that needed her allies to save her when she felt that she was in over her head. Jasmine Peverell was no weak-willed witch and she felt that when both James and Sirius ganged up on her, that they were removing her agency. She understood that the times were a bit different here, not that much had changed twenty years in the future, but witches were allowed to speak to older, single men without their virtue being called into question in the nineties, at least that's how it had been for her. There was also the fact that James and Sirius were also raised differently from the companions she was used to having.
Blaise and Theo had always let her make her own decisions, they'd object if they were truly stupid, but for the most part, they let her be. Blaise actively encouraged her dumber ideas, and more often than not, he took part in them. He had never strong armed her with Theo to make her do something she didn't want.
Her Italian friend had grown up with a strong single mother, who killed to protect her child. He had never forgotten how he'd been raised, so he knew better than to try and push any witch around. Theo was Theo. He was an odd duck and just wanted Harri to be herself, and if that meant defeating a dark lord and being a headstrong witch, then so be it.
Propriety be damned.
Honestly, in more lives than one, most of the wizarding world thought that they were in some kind of threesome together. Blaise always thought that it was hilarious and loved teasing The Prophet by making, what could be construed as romantic gestures, towards both Theo and Harriet on a regular basis once they'd leave Hogwarts, and during, if she was being honest with herself.
She sighed, those days were long over. Jasmine was going to have to have a long talk with both her cousin and Sirius when this was over. This was last time she was going to let them dictate what she was going to do.
It was rather quiet as they made their way towards The Three Broomsticks, neither willing to make the first move towards conversation. She could almost see the tension radiating off of Sirius as he walked through the village for the first time since the attack. Then it dawned on her that this might not have been the best idea. Sirius shouldn't be here so soon after the attack, especially not after having just had a rather vicious row with her.
Most students chose not to stray outside. There was still general fear of the dementors returning, not to mention most students were avoiding the still section off areas where the dead bodies had been. They were magically sealed behind a visible blue warding barrier. Jasmine could still feel the touch of Death through the crisp spring air. It was a light touch, nothing oppressive or malevolent, it was almost sorrowful. Three young souls taken before their time.
Even Death could morn the loss of the young. The lifeforce pure, in no way deserving of the fate brought down on them, but Death stopped for no one, save his Master.
For a moment, she could almost swear she saw Death's outline near the magically sectioned off area. The Deity's haunting stare watching her every move. She stopped, no that wasn't right…Death was glaring at Sirius, unblinking as the Black Heir stopped next to her, looking right past Death. Jasmine puckered her lips slightly, about to mentally lay into the Deity to leave Sirius alone, for whatever reason, but in the blink of an eye, Death was gone, leaving no trace of their existence.
Bastard.
What was the Deity planning?
Jasmine rubbed at her good eye just to make sure Death was truly gone. She shouldn't be able to see or feel Death like that until she was seventeen. Her magical core would finish its base development when she reached her majority, only then, could she except the full title as Master of Death and be able to hold the power that comes with the title.
Then again, Death loved breaking the rules to see her whenever possible.
The Deity was rather possessive.
She took a deep breath in, inhaling the living scents of the area, pushing past the visage of Death. Hogsmeade was always a lovely sight in the spring. The flowers had just started blooming across the Hogwarts landscape, a myriad of blues, purples and pinks. Despite what had happened here only a few weeks prior, the area was alive, the dementors touch only going so far as the three children that they lost.
But, Jasmine knew if she didn't do something soon, everything here would be burned to ashes in two decades. It would be during a skirmish with Death Eaters during their first attempt to take Hogwarts. No matter how many different ways she managed to change the timeline as Harriet, Hogsmeade was always burned to the ground.
Jasmine thought that Fate tied herself here, for some reason or another, making it much more difficult to change the timeline. Sometimes she thought that Fate just liked to stick her nose in Death's business, just to mess with her magical sibling.
When they passed yet another boarded up shop, Jasmine was tired of the silence between them. Death had his eyes on Sirius and Jasmine just wanted the confirmation that her friend was alright. Not to mention that she needed to get back on some kind of common ground with him before they went into a meeting with a cunning Slytherin businessman. It wasn't often that they got into a row over politics, it was usually over family nonsense or something stupid, like Sirius' horrific taste in music.
So, she picked a topic that was sure to get a smile out of him. "It's really sweet what you two do for Remus during his lonely hours in the hospital wing."
She could see a bit a pink creep up Sirius' neck. Jasmine picked something safe, flattering and ego boosting. Moony, was still sick in the hospital wing with the flu of all things. "Well, someone has to take care of him. Merlin knows he won't do it himself."
Sirius rubbed the side of his forearm and turned to look at her as she sent him a tired, but friendly smile. "I think that it's lovely to see a group of friends so supportive of one another. I'm glad that Remus has friends like you and James. I know that things haven't been easy for you these past few months, but it's really good to see that Remus hasn't been completely forgotten during all the drama," she replied, her hands in her robes as a short gust of wind whispered along, biting at her exposed skin.
Sirius kicked a rock along the pathway, eyes gazing ahead, but unfocused. "Moony is Moony, he's always looked after us, so it's only fair for us to look after him when he needs it. Prongs and I might not have passed some of our classes without him making sure we did our homework," Sirius said with a fond roll of his eyes, or at least that's what she assumed he did. He was on her blind side, like always.
The three Marauders were always walking on Jasmine's left. She was pretty sure that they did this to make sure that there was always someone to watch for potential threats where she couldn't see them, but it was also a nice way for them to try to get away with rolling their eyes or pulling faces without her knowing. Right now, Sirius was more than likely avoiding getting cursed by her if her temper got the better of her.
"I can tell you're rolling your eyes. You should be proud of yourself. True friends are hard to come by. They're a once in a lifetime experience," Jasmine responded, as her boots clicked on the cobblestone path leading to The Three Broomsticks. He grinned, grabbing her arm and picking up their pace. At least one of them was happier than when they started. Jasmine just hoped that this wasn't some elaborate trap, that would be just her luck.
"As much as I love talking about my fellow Marauders, we've reached our destination," Sirius replied, as he opened the old wooden door to the tavern for her.
She gave him a dry look as he gave an exaggerated, "Milady," and a sweeping bow at the waist. She was a hair's breadth from punching him in the face and he knew he was pushing his luck, especially when he gave her a wink as he straightened himself out.
But, she had more important things to figure out, like where the Malfoy's were sitting. The pub was nearly empty, it was still rather early in the day and most students had chosen to stay at the castle. After a cursory glance it was easy to figure out where Abraxas was, the white blonde hair of the Malfoy line was prominent against the dark stained wooden chairs, towards the back of the tavern.
Jasmine pulled on Sirius' sleeve, motioning towards the back with her head. He gave a brief nod, following her lead for once. Naturally, Sirius gave Rosmerta a flirtatious wink as they passed her, the barmaid rolled her eyes and shooed him with her hands. Somethings will never change with Sirius. She jabbed him in the abdomen with her elbow. He nearly doubled over as she continued to pull him towards their intended destination.
Jasmine cast a few silencing and notice-me-not charms around their seating area with a few flicks of her wand beneath her robes. The less people that knew they were meeting the better. She really didn't need word getting back to Voldemort, not yet.
As it turned out, there were two blondes sitting at the table waiting for them. Neither had noticed their approach. They were engrossed in a conversation with each other. It seemed that Lucius had tagged along. Making this more of a family affair than a one on one meeting that Sirius had been worried about. Though, bringing Lucius was not part of the original plans for this meeting, which made Jasmine wonder what had changed since their meeting had been decided.
It was odd, seeing Lucius for the first time as a young man, and not a proud dark wizard with the sole ambition of bringing back his Dark Lord. Naturally, the biggest change was that Lucius was much younger, he had a fond smile on his face as he spoke with his father, his hand playing with a ring that match Narcissa's on his left hand. The words "Lucius Malfoy" and "smiling" had never been in the same sentence in any of the lives she had lived before. He didn't seem like the tool that Harriet had gotten to know over her last nine lives. Lucius hadn't been out of Hogwarts that long and from what she had heard about him, he seemed to be a ruthless businessman, but rather charitable to those he cared for. Though, from what Jasmine understood, he had been out of the country dealing with their French branch of business partners. His father had pushed him out of Britain the moment Voldemort started to rise to power.
A smart man.
Jasmine wasn't going to let Tom kill the Head of this Family.
She supposed that Abraxas knew his son's weakness towards dark magic…or that his son was a powerful wizard, who could be persuaded to join a cause, if given the right incentives.
Abraxas himself wasn't nearly as old as Harriet thought he would be. The man was maybe in his fifties, which for most wizards, meant he was barely out of his prime. There was no grey in his hair, which was cut to nape of his neck, unlike his son who had it bound with tie as it reached down past his shoulders. Their robes were expertly tailored, wealth oozing from top to bottom, but that was to be expected, they were Malfoy's after all. Jasmine and Sirius had dressed similarly, thought it was much less obvious.
Lucius was the first to notice them. His already pale face drained of any remaining color when he saw Sirius accompanying her. Maybe bringing Sirius wasn't the worst idea the Marauders had. The Black family was proving just what allies they were going to back when the time came to choose a side, even if it was a third option no one had expected. Not to mention insulting Jasmine in front of Sirius would cause major repercussions for the Malfoy family on British soil, maybe even ruin a few business contracts.
Both Malfoys stood from their chair, their pureblood etiquette perfect. "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, I'm Lord Abraxas Malfoy and this my son, and heir, Lucius," he introduced, taking her hand and giving it an appropriate kiss, not a moment too long. His grey eyes lingering on Sirius' sharp gaze as he stepped back allowing Lucius to give them same curtesy. Lucius gave a curt bow to Sirius before they motioned for Jasmine and Sirius to take the seats across from them.
"The pleasure is ours. I'm Heir Jasmine Peverell and this is Heir Sirius Black, as you already know," she replied airily with a slight wave her hand. Her pureblood façade perfectly in place for the meeting.
Sirius was sitting the table with an expression of pure, bored indifference. The perfect pureblood expression. They should compare notes after this, try and figure out who had the better training for dealing with this courtly nonsense.
Lucius cleared his throat and motion for his father to speak. The Lord of the Malfoy family leaned forward in his seat, his chin resting in his hands. "Now, let's get down to business. You claim that there is a threat on my life?" Abraxas asked, cutting to the chase, his steely gaze locking Jasmine mismatch eyes.
She cocked her head to the side, an almost innocent lilt was added to her voice. "Yes. I have a reliable seer that has predicted your death at the hands of the rising Dark Lord within the next month or so. I was worried that my message didn't reach you in time," Jasmine replied as she rummaged through the bag she brought to show that there was even some proof in her "seer's" words. The goblins and Pandora had helped her create this masterpiece.
"Is there any way that you can prove this seer isn't a fraud?"
Jasmine did her best to stop herself from laughing at the irony. Pandora was more than likely one of the best seers that anyone could find, and here they were questioning her validity. That always seemed the be the way the world worked when it came to true prophetesses. Jasmine should have asked which seer line she came from to see if any of her ancestors had any luck using their gifts.
Sirius did his best to look like an insulted heir. He raised an eyebrow, and slowly leaned forward in his seat. "Are you calling my father a fool for believing her? Jasmine warned the Lord of my house about a death threat from my mother and within a day it had been proven true without a question of a doubt."
Lucius sat up a bit straighter at Sirius implied threat. His eyes drifting to the tables around them, making sure no one was listening in. "There's no disrespect meant towards the Black Family, it's just, many people want our family hurt. We run a business after all, but why would a Dark Lord take interest in killing a pureblood family?"
Ah, the misinformed thought that Voldemort cares for anyone but himself. Jasmine had to refrain from scoffing. "Because he wants your money to fund his little genocide project. If he kills your father on British soil, it will force Lucius to stay here to avenge his death." She knew the rules of engagement for revenge against a loved one.
"But why would I work with the man that killed my own father?"
And there was the main conundrum that, as Harriet, she hadn't been able to figure out until her fifth life. "Because he plans to frame Dumbledore for it, or at least a light wizard close to Dumbledore, one that would be impossible to kill, not without help from a darker source," Jasmine answered, pulling out a piece of parchment with the names the true culprits that were going to attempt to kill Abraxas. She had done her research, in the past and the future to make sure that these were indeed the men that were set to kill the head of the Malfoy family.
"And you got this all from your seer?" the elder Malfoy asked, skimming the documents that she had passed to them. There was a tone of disbelief, no seer was this accurate. Something she said had to be a lie. He wasn't wrong, but she had been playing the game of politics longer than he had.
She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She kept her tone level as she replied. "My seer gave me a brief prophecy, I can find all the information I need from there on out. If you need to, double check with Gringotts about the documentation. It is all legitimate."
Sirius smirked, turning the heirship ring on his right hand, reminding the Malfoy's of their rank. "Jasmine has managed to gain favor with the goblins at Gringotts. They apparently have quite the gossip mill about their patrons," Sirius added and both Malfoys' eye widened at the mention of Jasmine positive relationship with the sourly goblins. Not to mention that the Black's main currency was in secrets given and traded, and that Jasmine was somewhat a part of that business made her a little bit more worth their time and effort. Even if all her secrets were shared with Goblins, they handled money after all, they might not be human, but they were necessary to their way of life.
"If what you're saying his true, I will need to be extremely careful with whom I spend my time with," Abraxas muttered. Lucius put his hand on his father's shoulder, knuckles white.
Sirius cleared his throat and motioned to the promise ring on Lucius' hand. "My family is a staunch ally with yours. We look after our own, and Lucius is marrying into it through Narcissa. I can speak to my father about protection, if you'd like."
"And, while I might not have that wide of a reach yet, I'd be more than happy to call in some debts that some rather prominent families owe to make sure that no one is going to attack without warning…not to mention that my current guardian is the head of the DMLE," Jasmine supplied and for a moment both Malfoys looked relieved before Abraxas' eyes hardened.
"If what you've told us is true, soon to be Lady Peverell, we are going to owe you a rather large favor," Abraxas replied, holding out his hand to shake.
She firmly grasped his left hand. A deal had been struck. "Well, I might have a few ideas in mind, but I'd need to…make sure that everything is order before I bring it to you," she said, feeling the magic in air pulse with promise.
Notes:I hope you enjoyed!
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~SugarPhantom