Just Around the Riverbend

Well, well, well. It took long enough. And I would like to make a heart-felt apology right now. I have been trying to work on this chapter for so long. I even started another story (on my hard drive) to try and jump start my muse. I did not abandon this story. I WILL finish it.

Since you guys waited so patiently and were so kind during this whole thing, there will be one more chapter, especially since the falling action of this last bit will have one more chapter to air out. I know what I want to happen from here, I just got to get it down. It will not be as long coming this time, and I hope you guys still review for old times' sake.

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Tom walked cautiously through the long grass, attempting to look ahead and down at his feet at the same time.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

He turned and hissed at his partner. Tom had gone into the Aurors right out of Hogwarts. While he was not physically powerful, he was ruthless with his spells and cunning with their casting. But as with Hogwarts, he never hid the ability to converse with snakes. Quite the opposite. Lucy was his partner. She watched his back and he rewarded her with a home and friendship.

His public use of the snake language gained him a lot of enemies. It was some of those enemies that had ganged up on him right after he passed his exam. It was his first mission. He had gone on a routine check of a disturbance in a small neighborhood and he and his partner had been jumped by seven wizards nearly twice their size. His partner had only been stunned, but he’d barely survived the encounter. Lucy had defended him to the death. Her mangled body had been found only a foot from his head, stomped to death. A tearful Tom had received permission to bury the small serpent under the big oak tree in the main courtyard at Hogwarts.

“Shut up, McDowell!” Tom snapped. “They can hear basic sounds.”

The other Auror paled considerably and made a show of zipping his lips. There had been a sighting of a young basilisk around the area, and they had sent Tom and a partner out to investigate. Tom, being the resident parselmouth, was an obvious choice. His partner, John McDowell, was a seasoned Auror, but with a debilitating fear of snakes. Tom had no idea why they’d chosen him.

They were to find out if there really was a basilisk around, and take care of it as quickly and quietly as possible.
He heard McDowell gasp, and then rolled his eyes when the older man slapped his hands over his eyes and stiffened as if Petrified. Moron…

Hello? Is there a serpent around? Tom hissed tentatively.

A…a speaker? Tom looked around in the grass for any sign of movement.

Yes. We mean you no harm, friend. There are people nearby and they are frightened of you. We just want to move you to a new location. he spoke. McDowell was shuddering in a mixture of awe and terror. Movement right near his feet caused Tom to shut his eyes tight and draw his wand. He heard a small hissing gasp.

Please, magic-speaker. Why do you smell of the fire and air stick? came the shy voice.

I was unsure if you meant to attack me. I drew my wand for protection. Tom replied.

I meant no harm.

Could you look away from me, serpent? I do not wish to be caught in your gaze. I’m not fond of the idea of crossing the veil just yet. Tom mused.

What do you…oh…oh yes. Man-serpent…I cannot take your life with my gaze. I am blinded. came the reply. I was born in a Potions Mistress’ lab. She could not speak to me. The first thing I remember after I came from my shell was being sprayed in the eyes with some kind of liquid. Then I could not see.

Tom had a fleeting thought that the basilisk could be lying. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Most serpents did not lie outright. They may con and confuse with intricate words, but they found it beneath them to lie. Tom then did an extremely reckless thing: he opened his eyes. Down at his feet was a young basilisk. It was the length of his leg, but thin and almost skeletal in appearance. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when his powder blue eyes reached the snake’s face. Where lethal yellow eyes should have been, milky white pupils stared sightlessly.

“McDowell you can open your eyes, now. The basilisk is blind.” Tom said in English. John spluttered as if Tom were insane. “I’m looking the basilisk in the face right now and I’m still talking to you.” Tom interrupted. John hesitantly opened his eyes, and gave a frightened squeal when he saw how close the young snake was.

“Kill it! Kill it!” he shrieked like a school girl. The basilisk seemed to sense his aggravation. But instead of coiling to strike, the young serpent seemed to curl in on itself, frightened.

I meant no harm here, man-serpent. I was released from the lab once I was useless to her. I came to this place to hunt, but she took my venom teeth from me and my prey always escapes. the basilisk said quietly.

Please open your mouth for me. Tom requested. The basilisk opened its mouth for Tom, revealing that several of the sharp needle-like teeth had been removed. The fangs that secreted the venom were gone. They were useful in some potions, but without them the basilisk was rendered incapable of using its venom sacs. You are slowly starving here, aren’t you? Tom cooed.

I am so hungry. the basilisk replied.

I must move you from this place. The people are afraid and will harm you if they have the chance. I once had a serpent as a friend. She was family to me. She died protecting my life and I will always be grateful to her. If you like, I can bring you with me and take you as a familiar. I would not use you for potions, and I would feed you regularly. You would never go hungry. he said softly.

What do you ask for in return, man-serpent? the basilisk asked in a low hiss, as if it couldn’t believe its luck.

I ask for nothing in return, save a companion. Tom replied. The basilisk tilted its head, and tasted the air as if trying to detect a lie.

I will go with you, Man-serpent. it replied. He leaned down and coaxed the thin snake onto his arm. John nearly stroked out.

“My god, man. You’re carrying a basilisk on your arm!” he cried.

“Shut up. I think I’ll name her Bazzie.” He said affectionately, rubbing his index finger behind her wedge-shaped head. Bazzie relaxed into the gentle touch. “Well, mission accomplished.” He said, and started out of the pasture.

When they arrived back at the Auror headquarters, it took several long minutes of rushed explanations at wand-point to explain why Tom had arrived with the basilisk on his arm. After learning the poor creature was blind and without venom, a few of the others felt sorry for it. Tom’s commanding officer just shook his head.

“That damn boy and his pet snakes. But I’ll be damned if he didn’t get the coolest snake of all.” He said, amused.

Tom and Bazzie became instant friends. She accompanied him everywhere. She rode on his shoulders and sometimes concealed herself beneath his robes on missions. Her venom teeth might be missing but she still had several long sharp teeth that stung something fierce. People around the ministry slowly became accustomed to the milky-eyed basilisk riding her master’s shoulders.

She was actually the conversation point that introduced Tom to a Parselmouth witch from Brazil. The bronze-skinned witch wasn’t exactly a babe, but Tom found her quite easy on the eyes. The fact that she was pleasantly plump didn’t turn him off either.

Though a lot of guys his age would disagree, a nice plump arse was quite satisfying.

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“Do you really think this is necessary?” Lucius asked, his voice taking on a certain edge that made him sound like a four-year-old.

“For the twelfth time, yes!” Hermione growled. She heard Lucius grumble a bit and rolled her eyes.

He was a brilliant man with a quick wit, nice body, and he could normally out shop her in any given shop – in the magical world, that is. Bring him beyond the border of the Magical and Muggle world and he became a petulant child.

“I don’t understand why we have to be the ones to come get this…com-pewter.” He snerked. Hermione just growled again and ignored him. There was a nice laptop on sale at an electronics store near her parents’ house and her mother wanted to get it as a surprise present for her father. So Hermione had agreed to make a small trip out of it and pick it up for her mother while the woman took her husband out to eat as to keep him off his guard.

Serena walked with her hand in her mother’s, trying to understand why her father didn’t like the Muggle world. Sure it wasn’t as flashy as the Magical world, but the Muggles had a lot more toys to play with, and some of them were just as cool as the magical ones. She looked up when her little sister giggled softly. Papa usually held Cassie when they went out, because she was still a bit too small to walk by herself. At the moment she had her head resting on their father’s shoulder, her face buried into the crook of his neck.

“Silly papa.” Cassie giggled.

The trip went relatively smoothly after that, and it wasn’t too much longer before the group had delivered the item, and had decided on a nice lunch out in a small magical village in the upper part of Wiltshire. It was only a few miles from the Manor, and the family had been there before for birthdays and normal days alike. The girls were fond of the spaghetti, while Lucius and Hermione were enthralled with the marinated steak.

Lucius was dutifully cutting Cassies spaghetti so she could attempt to eat by herself when Serena let out a squeal and bolted from her chair towards the door. Alarmed, both Hermione and Lucius whirled around, but they immediately calmed when they saw Phelan scoop Serena up in his arms.

Phelan and Daisy were no strangers to this little town either. Phelan had been put on call in this neck of the woods more than once when a few neighborhood werewolves took it into their heads to attempt to cause trouble. More often than not, now, the sight of the sturdy Auror was enough to squelch rebellious Lycans.

Daisy and Phelan approached the table, and Phelan plopped Serena back down in her chair.

“Fancy seeing you folks here.” Phelan said good-naturedly.

“Just enjoying an afternoon out with the children.” Hermione replied, smoothly moving Serena’s drinking glass back a bit before it became floor fodder.

“Daisy and I just came out for a nice lunch.” Phelan said, shifting a table closer to the Malfoys and taking a seat near Lucius.

“What he means is I had to put out a small fire in the kitchen when he tried to cook me lunch and we’re letting the house air out.” Daisy snorted. Phelan reddened, and Serena and Hermione laughed.

“Why on earth were you trying to cook?” Lucius asked, the very idea foreign and impractical. Phelan opened his mouth to reply, but they were interrupted by a loud crashing sound as one of the large windows to the restaurant was broken in, and a silver Patronus jumped through the jagged hole.

“We know you’re here, Auror Greyback” The silvery lump of magic was in the shape of a jackal, and the gruff voice coming from the inside spat his title with venom. “We want you out of here, you traitorous dog. Go back and let the Ministry rub your belly like the good little bitch you are.” and then the jackal disappeared, and three wizards in ragged robes jumped in through the broken window and began firing off curses like automatic guns.

Phelan and Lucius reacted immediately, and began fighting back. Daisy grabbed Serena and Hermione took Cassie and they both dove under the tables. Cassie was crying in fear, and Serena jumped when a spell exploded on the floor nearby. Hermione drew her wand and was about to cast a protective spell when the slender vinewood instrument was plucked quite neatly out of her hand. She turned swiftly only to come face-to-face with a grinning wizard. His teeth were yellow and mistreated, but the most terrifying part of his smile was the impossibly long canine teeth.

Hermione held Cassie close to her as the wizard pointed his wand at them.

“Just hold still and we won’t hurt you and the little cub.” The wizard rumbled in a gruff, gravelly voice.

There was a loud crash nearby and Hermione’s gaze darted to see Phelan physically grappling with one of the other werewolves, his teeth bared and his claws out.

“What do you want?” Hermione asked, looking back at the werewolf in front of her.

“We want Greyback out of this town. It’s ours.” the man snarled. Hermione swallowed hard and shushed Cassie gently. She looked over to where Daisy had Serena wrapped firmly in her arms. She wanted to get to them.

“Phelan’s not a pushover.” Hermione replied to the werewolf.

“All he needs is the right motivation.” The man replied cryptically. Hermione heard two screams and whirled to see another man, one who looked hauntingly familiar, jerking Daisy and Serena out from under the table they were at.

“No!” Hermione screamed.

The fighting stopped as the man held Daisy and Serena in an iron grip. Daisy tried to elbow him with one arm, and only ended up smashing her elbow on the thin armor he was wearing under his clothes. She tried kicking back into his shin with similar results.

“Razorclaw!” Phelan howled.

Oh Merlin. That was why the man was so familiar. It was Danny Razorclaw, the werewolf that had testified at Phelan’s trial those few years ago.

“Never send a beta to do an Alpha’s work.” He said, chuckling and showing off wicked looking fangs. “So this must be the Missus.” He commented, before taking a whiff of Daisy’s hair. “Simply divine. Now who else am I holding?” he asked, glancing curiously down at Serena. Serena was clinging to Daisy for dear life, and Daisy was alternately trying to put her down.

“She doesn’t belong in this fight, Danny. It’s between you and me.” Phelan said, panic clear in his yellow eyes.

“Why…I’d say you’re scared. Who could possibly-” he was interrupted as he jerked his head to the side to dodge a Stunner. He looked over to where Lucius was standing, and cocked his head. Then comprehension dawned, and he looked down at Serena again. “Oh my…this is much too rich.” He laughed. Daisy had her hands full with a terrified five-year-old, but she tried to shift Serena’s weight and go for her wand, only to be dismayed as it flew out of her pocket and into the hands of the werewolf that had been grappling with Phelan.

At this time Phelan’s reinforcements started to arrive. He’d pressed his badge and called for emergency backup when the window had been broken, but it took a few minutes for the charms to locate him, and a bit longer to coalesce a force.

“It’s been real, and it’s been fun, but it’s not been real fun.” Danny said, and with a tilt of his head, he Disapparated. Phelan shot forward, running to the spot in disbelief.

“No! NO!” he howled. By this time the Anti-Apparition spells had been put up, and the three werewolves that had come in through the window were caught, Disarmed, and firmly in the grasp of the Aurors.

Lucius rounded on the one, grabbing him by the lapels of his robe and jerking him away from the Auror holding him before slamming him into a wall.

“Where did he go with my daughters?” he snarled. The man only grinned.

“I’m sure he’s only invited them for dinner!” the werewolf laughed madly. Lucius pulled him back and slammed him against the wall again. The man grunted. “You’ll get nothing from me…” and Lucius threw him to the ground, leveling his wand on him.

“Avada-”

An Auror grabbed Lucius’ hand and shoved it up as the deadly spell was hurled from the tip. Lucius whirled on the Auror, only to come face to face with a basilisk. It’s blind, milky eyes stared back at him.

“Tom?” he asked weakly. Tom gently pushed Bazzie’s head back.

“Killing him will only hurt you, Mr. Malfoy.” Tom said softly. Lucius swallowed hard.

“My daughter…” he whispered. “Serena….Daisy…he’s got them. No…no, no! NOO!!” Lucius screamed. “Hermione! Cassie!” he said suddenly, turning to the other two with upset, angry tears on his face. Hermione ran to him, sobbing openly and cradling Cassie, who was still shaking from terror. He folded them in his arms and they all cried.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN’T COME WITH YOU?!”

Tom looked over to see Phelan barely restraining fury.

“The full moon is tonight, Greyback. You know as well as I that I can’t bring you on a Transformation Night.” One of the Senior Aurors said wearily.

“No, no! I have to come, you don’t understand! I have to get to Daisy!” Phelan was actually crying now, and that unnerved some of the other Aurors. “She…we…we were out this afternoon to celebrate….I have to get her back!” Phelan gasped for calming breaths.

“What are you not telling us, Greyback?” the Senior Auror asked softly. Phelan put his palm to his forehead and let out a heart-wrenching sob.

“She’s pregnant!”

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Oh my. That was certainly unexpected. (For you guys, anyway.) You keep those kind reviews up and I'll try to get this final chapter up. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you guys have enjoyed the ride as much as i have.