Seven Years Lost

The next afternoon, before Ron could owl Pansy, Luna sent another owl.



“Ron,

Svetlana Komoskov lives in a small house that once belonged to her mother. She and Vladimir never married, and if they did, they either divorced or the parchments were lost. She also doesn’t appear to have married since then. I couldn’t any evidence of a boyfriend at all.

Here is the address. She is muggle and there is no mention of a son in any legal records that I could find on her. As far as the muggle world knows she a simple girl who lives on a small farm in the country.

I have enclosed a porkey that you can use when you are ready. It will take you to a secluded area nearby but it might be wise if you borrowed Harry’s cloak. If you need anything else, just ask. I hope you gain whatever you need from this.

Your friend, Luna”



Ron sent an owl to Pansy asking her to come over immediately. She respond less then thirty minutes later.



“Ron what is it? Your letter sounded so urgent.” She said stepping out of the floo.



“It is.” He gestured to the parchments on the coffee table. “Luna found Sergei’s birth mother. It took her less then a month.”



“Well, that just proves she wasn’t seriously hiding.” Pansy looked at Ron’s face. “Well that’s what you wanted isn’t it? What’s the issue then.”



“She a muggle. She’ll see Sergei as a freak. She’ll…..”



“Ron you don’t know that. Why don’t you go and talk to her, find out why she gave her son to his father.” She picked up Luna’s letter and read it while Ron watched. Then she smiled broadly. “She gives you the way right here Ron, uses Harry’s cloak. You can watch her for while unnoticed and if you decide she‘s not worth the effort then leave. She wouldn’t even know.”



Ron began pacing. “This would have been so much easier if Luna had brought back different information.”



“What information Ron, that she was an alcoholic? That she admitted to the world that she had abandoned her baby? That she was a prostitute? Would those be better alternatives for Sergei?”



Ron looked at her. She was thinking of Sergei. So was he. He wanted to give Sergei something that didn’t lead to more questions. A woman who can’t care for herself means she can’t care for a child. But if she’s a normal everyday woman what reason does she have? “What can I tell Sergei? That his mother just didn’t want him?”



“If that’s the case, you can deal with it when you speak to her. Either way, you want Sergei and that will more then make up for it. He’ll see that.” Ron continued pacing. “Ron what is it?”



His frame sunk. “What if she’s changed her mind?” His low voice broke her heart. She walked over and took his shoulders in her hands.



“Nobody is going to take Sergei away from you Ron. The Russian Ministry decided she abandoned him and gave him to you. She can’t reverse that.” Pansy felt a urge to make him finish what he had started. “Go and find out Ron. She told him walking over and taking his hand. Go watch her, talk to her if you want, but go and find out.”



Ron looked down at her. “Go with me.” He had said the words before he knew what he was asking. Why would she agree to this? This was his responsibility and he shouldn’t drag her along. She’d think he……



“Of course I will.” She said without delay. Ron’s face broke out in a smile.





Two days later they used to portkey and ended up in small forest clearing in a forest. The sound of activity was heard in the near distance. Ron took out the notes from Luna and found the right direction. Securing Harry’s invisibility cloak around them both, they walked out of the woods.



It reminded Ron of the house he had picked up Harry in for the world cup, only it wasn’t side by side with other homes. It was separated by a large garden and behind it, three large greenhouses. The nearest house was some distance away but well within view. The location provided some privacy but also close enough so the inhabitants weren’t isolated.



Ron and Pansy eased onto the ground and settled beneath a tree in the front yard. Together they watched the house for any sign of Svetlana.



A short time later she emerged. Ron looked her over, closely. She was young, about the same age as themselves, but Ron knew this. Vladimir had told him that he and Svetlana were young and not given to thinking.



“That’s her. I can tell from the photo.” Pansy told him in a whisper. Ron nodded and just watched as she watered her yard, and trimmed a few of the flower beds, speaking briefly with the mail carrier. Taking her mail she went back inside.



“Nothing seems out of the ordinary about her.” Pansy said. Together they watched as she came out and greeted a neighbor. They watched as she was given a wrapped dish and chatted for a moment.



“Lets move closer.” He took her hand, and with a silencing spell on their feet they stepped up the porch and looked inside the window. She was sitting inside on a chair carefully reading a paper.



“She seems harmless enough.” Pansy said.



“Do you think we should talk to her?” Ron asked.



“Yes I do. We can always obliviate her if she goes mental or anything.” Pansy suggested.



“Yes. I guess we could.” He looked to make sure he wasn’t seen and pulled the cloak off. Knocking on the door they waited patiently as she answered.



Her face was polite and calm. “Can I help you?” She said looking for Ron to pansy. Pansy would have thought she would have a stronger accent but Ron told her that Svetlana’s mother was America and lived between the two countries most of her life.



“Svetlana?” Ron asked her.



Her brow furled. “Do I know you?”



“No you don’t, but there is something we need to discuss.” Ron told her. She seemed unsure, but stepped aside.



“Come in then.” She said. They seated themselves in armchairs she indicated.



“Thank you for seeing us.” Pansy told her. “We do appreciate it.”



“What’s this about?” She asked.



“It’s about Vladimir.” Ron told her.



Panic took over her face. “Leave my house!” She said rising and backing away from both of them.



“No wait, please.” Pansy said rushing over. Ron stood as well.



“We are not to for any other reason but to talk to you. Just talk, nothing else.” He assured her.



She ran to the window. “Is he here? Did he come with you?”



“No, he’s not here.” Pansy said, then looked to Ron.



“He died almost a year ago.” Ron said in a quiet voice.



Her face took on a look of shock. She eased back into her chair. “What happened?”



“He died from an infection of the lungs.”



“And the boy?” She asked looking aside.



“He’s my son now.” Ron told her with a firm voice, almost as if challenging her to say otherwise.



“Then you are like him? Both of you?” She asked looking from side to side.



“Like him?” Pansy asked. “If you mean magical, yes we both are.”



She off into nothingness for a moment then started to speak. “I met Vladimir just after I finished classes. He seemed so wonderful and we thought we had a bright future. We didn’t really think to carefully about things and when I found out I was pregnant, but I didn’t say anything to Vladimir. I was planning on telling him one evening but it didn’t work out that way.”



“What happened?” Ron asked.



“I met him for a date and was thinking it would be the right time to tell him but he said he had a secret. He pulled out his wand and started making things just happen. It scared me. I turned and ran home. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Things were flying around, floating in mid air, sprouting legs and walking around.”



“Did he follow you?” Pansy asked.



“Yes,” she nodded, “he came a few hours later, after he thought I had calmed down. He said he was born with magic and there was a whole world filled with it. He wanted to take me places and show me his world but I was too scared. I began wondering what I was carrying. Would this baby I was having be the same way?”



“You never told him about the baby.” Ron said matter of factly. He knew, of course, he didn’t have to be told.



“No I didn’t. I have no excuse for that but I didn’t tell him. Halfway through my pregnancy strange things began happening. All of a sudden things would break for no reason, or fix themselves for no reason. Books flew off shelves, a few fires started with no heat source. A whole table vanished and reappeared on the ceiling. I had never been so scared in my life.”



Pansy nodded. A muggle would be afraid of carrying a magical child. “Did you tell anyone?”



“No, I kept my secret and when I had the baby, I knew. It was hard labor and they wouldn’t let me leave for three more days. When I did I took him to his father. I didn’t know how to raise a child like this. He would have been better with people like him.”



Ron was silent. She had given Sergei to a his father because she was afraid. Afraid of her own son. While he agreed that it was better for Sergei to be with his father, he found it hard to understand how a woman could so easily give him up.



“He is well then?” She asked.



“Yes, very. I couldn’t ask for a better son.” Ron told her. Addressing Sergei as his son was something that didn’t go unnoticed by Pansy. She knew he was making it known where Sergei would stay.



“I’m sure he is happy. I’m sorry about Vladimir, I did love him.” She let a few tears fall before wiping them away. “It was too big of a secret for him to tell me about himself. I felt lied to and when the truth came out I just ran.”



Pansy looked to Ron and saw his features soften. She knew he understood. He may not have wanted to but he did.



Ron caved in and took a photo out of his pocket, handing it over. She glanced at it and smiled. “He looks like his father.” She handed the photo back. I’m sure you are a wonderful father to him now. You are what he needs, not me.”



“What do I tell him when he asks about you?” Ron asked. “Do you want him to know?”



“He is your son. I trust you will tell him what you think is right. It is your decision to make as to what he should know.” She said nothing more.



Ron and Pansy rose. “Thank you for speaking with us.” Pansy told her when Ron had stepped out.



“Will you be his stepmother soon?” She asked.



Pansy didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t been expecting that question. “I’m not sure what will happen with me and Ron?” She answered. Svetlana just nodded and closed the door when she left.



Pansy and Ron went back to the clearing and apparated together into Ron’s common room.



Ron sat in his armchair deep in thought. Pansy laid a hand on his shoulder for a moment then went to the floo. “Stay.” He said in a quiet voice. She took her clock off and let it drop on a chair, then took a seat beside him on the couch.