[ two, the vanishing glass ]

Neville Longbottom couldn't say that his early childhood had been particularly happy.

While he loved his gran, he wasn't blind to how she'd destroyed his self-esteem when he was younger by constantly comparing him to his father and pointing out how the man would have never made the same mistakes and struggled as much as Neville used to.

Don't get him wrong, he was one of the lucky ones: for all their faults, he knew his family cared about him regardless of his 'shortcomings' ( as Augusta would call them ), but he didn't come to this realisation until later on in life when the damage had already been done.

For the longest time, he'd kept everything bottled up with no intention of telling anyone about it...well, that was until he met Aemma Potter, someone who managed to radiate sunshine whenever she smiled despite everything life kept throwing at her.

Just as Aemma had become the sole keeper of his secrets, she'd entrusted him with her own ━ whispered stories that no one other than himself and Dumbledore knew.

Neville had always been calm, kind, and level-headed, but hearing how Aemma's family had treated her had awakened a silent storm within him that had latched onto his magic, the same righteous anger and indignation he'd become accustomed to in the past few years.

Feeling his girlfriend stiffen beside him at the prospect of revisiting unhappy memories and sharing them with so many people, Neville clenched his jaw. However, he quickly pulled himself together, aware that the last thing Aemma needed at that moment was his anger.

"I'm here for you, my sweet spitfire." He whispered to his girlfriend, pulling her closer into his embrace to comfort and support her.

[The scar's glow immediately dies down, and the camera pans to see Aemma who is now 10 years old, still sleeping. Then, the light turns on outside her bedroom cupboard under the stairs]

Petunia: Up! Get up! [She knocks on her closet door repeatedly] Now! [Smacks door of closet and walks into the living room]

[Aemma wakes up, turns on her bedroom light and puts on her glasses with tape on the bridge, indicating that it was partly damaged. A large, tubby boy, Dudley Dursley, suddenly comes running down the stairs above the closet. He stops half-way down and goes back, jumping on the staircase.]

Rhaenyra was utterly enraged by what she'd just seen. "How dare they force you into a 'room' not even fit for a servant, let alone a growing child?" She asked through gritted teeth.

Her daughter deserved better than a small, dusty cupboard she'd clearly outgrown. Her treacherous mind briefly took her to Lucerys' room on Dragonstone, the same one she'd ordered be left untouched, and a new wave of melancholy hit her with such force it'd have sent her stumbling had she been standing. Her sweet girl would never cross that threshold ever again.

Aemma refused to look at anybody, keeping her gaze resolutely ahead. She could feel some of their pitying gazes on her, and it made her skin crawl. If there was one thing Aemma hated, it was when people felt sorry for her and regarded her with that look that made her feel oh so very broken and vulnerable, so different.

Dudley: Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!

[Aemma looks up to the join works of the stairs with small amounts of dusts rising. Dudley laughs, comes down the stairs, and runs for the kitchen. Aemma tries to come out of the closet but is pushed back in by Dudley. Petunia is in the kitchen, where Dudley has gone.]

"He reminds me of you, brother," Aemond told Aegon quietly, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

This scene brought back far too many memories he'd tried his best to suppress ━ years spent in the company of the girl he'd once called his closest friend, someone willing to stand up against anyone for him regardless of the consequences.

Seeing Aemma being bullied should have made Aemond feel vindicated for what she'd done to him on Driftmark. However, the discovery that she'd tried to stop the infamous fight instead of taking part in it made it hard for him to feel anything other than rage towards the boy who tormented his beloved.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Aegon lifted his goblet mockingly towards his brother. "That might be the case, but it wasn't I who chased our dearest niece through a thunderstorm and allowed my dragon to eat her."

Aemond shot a furious glare at his brother, who had the good sense of squirming in his seat. The temptation to hit him was high, yet he didn't want to add more onto his mother's plate.

Petunia: Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!

Vernon: Happy birthday, son.

[Petunia and Dudley giggle together. Aemma comes into the kitchen, dressed in outgrown clothes.]

Petunia: [to Aemma, unpleasantly] Why don't you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.

Aemma: Yes, Aunt Petunia.

[Aemma then gets to work on cooking the bacon]

Petunia: I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day.

Vernon: [to Aemma, who is taking her time placing the bacon on the plates] Hurry up! Bring my coffee, girl!

Aemma: Yes, Uncle Vernon.

The Blacks were horrified by the Dursleys' behaviour; their treatment of Aemma ignited an incandescent fury within every last one of them.

"How could they treat her like a serving girl?" Asked Rhaenys, her words laced with nothing but disdain for the couple.

Rhaenys knew that her anger was intensified by the guilt gnawing at her, the knowledge that, for the longest time, she hadn't treated her grandchildren like she should have, showered them with love and attention like she'd done with the twins. Sure, she'd eventually realised how wrong she'd been, but Rhaenys wished it'd happened sooner so she could have had more time.

Alicent furrowed her brows, confusion flickering in her eyes. "Why do they hate you so?" The moment the words left her mouth, most people turned towards her, their incredulous stares making her feel uneasy.

Biting back a scoff of disbelieving laughter, Aemma regarded Alicent with a deadpan look. "Why don't you stare at your reflection and ask yourself the same question? You might get an actual answer then," She taunted, causing many people to either start snickering under their breath or downright chortling.

Before Ser Criston or Aemond said something foolish in the name of her honour, Alicent shook her head, hoping they'd understand her. As much as it hurt her, she knew that Cole was probably a dead man walking, but she still hoped she could somehow convince Rhaenyra to spare her second son.

[Petunia leads Dudley over to the family room, where there are a vast amount of presents. Dudley stares.]

Petunia: Aren't they wonderful, darling?

Dudley: How many are there?

Vernon: 36. Counted 'em myself.

Dudley: 36?! But last year... last year I had 37!!

Vernon: Err, yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year.

Dudley: I don't care how big they are!

Petunia: [calming him down] Oh, now, now, now. This is what we're going to do, is that when we go out, we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that, pumpkin?

Ever the optimist, Viserys smiled at his granddaughter, once again choosing to ignore all the visible red flags right in front of him. "I'm sure they celebrate Aemma's name days with just as much enthusiasm," He exclaimed happily.

Aemma couldn't help but snort bitterly, wondering how willingly blind her former grandfather was. "Sure, they celebrated so much each year that they ended up forgetting what day it was," She said wryly.

Aegon couldn't help but snicker, being one of the few who understood and enjoyed Aemma's humour.

The pre-existing dislike towards the Dursleys only intensified within the people who cared for Aemma, the fact that she'd been raised with very little love paining them deeply.

Rhaenyra already knew that she would have made it her life's mission to make up for all the name days her daughter had spent alone, showering her with gifts and making sure she felt loved. She didn't care if she had to cross over to her universe to make this happen; nothing would stop her from pursuing her children's happiness.

[Outside the house in the morning. The happy family is heading to the car. Aemma was meant to stay with her babysitter, Mrs. Figg, while Dudley's parents took him out to celebrate his birthday. However, Mrs. Figg broke her leg, leaving the Dursleys with no choice but to take Aemma to the zoo begrudgingly.]

Petunia: This will be a lovely day at the zoo. I'm really looking forward to it.

[Aemma then goes to go in the car, but Vernon stops her, pointing his keys at her.]

Vernon: I'm warning you now, girl! Any funny business, any at all, and you are not going to have any meals for a week! Get in!

No one said a thing, but everyone understood that this wasn't a new threat; Aemma, a former princess of the blood, had known hunger because of her family's cruelty.

If looks could kill, they'd have to dig a new grave for Vernon Dursley. Daemon was shocked to discover he hated someone as much as Otto Cunttower. "Your world would be better without him," He growled darkly. "Vaemond Velaryon's end would be a mercy compared to this oaf's."

[After lunch --at the zoo restaurant-- Aemma and the Dursleys went to the reptile house. The family and Aemma look at a large Boa constrictor.]

Neville exhaled shakily, memories of the Battle of Hogwarts resurfacing without his say-so. He knew he'd had no other choice but to kill the Maledictus-turned-Horcrux, yet he wished they could have found a way to free her.

"Nagini was too far gone," Aemma whispered sadly, mournfully, as if she'd read his mind ( something that happened quite often between them ). "She was more Horcrux than anything else, really. I wish I could have met her before Tom sunk his claws into her ━ she deserved better."

Dudley: Make it move.

[Vernon taps the glass of the cage.]

Vernon: Move!

[Dudley taps the glass much harder, and Vernon nervously winces.]

Dudley: MOVE!

Aemma: He's asleep!

Dudley: He's boring.

[Dudley and his parents head over to another enclosure. Aemma is left with the snake.]

Aemma: Sorry about him. He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you. [The snake looks up and blinks.] Can you...hear me? [The snake nods] It's just...I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often? [The snake shakes its head] You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there? Do you miss your family? [The snake turns its head in the direction of a sign which says, Bred in Captivity] I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.

Wide-eyed and in awe of what he'd just witnessed, Aemond turned to Aemma with a look of pure admiration, his usual mask cracking ever so slightly. "You can speak to snakes?" He asked, his voice oddly steady despite it all.

"Well, she used to talk to you, didn't she?" Ron commented offhandedly, causing several people to chuckle at his quick remark.

It took all Aemma's willpower not to burst into laughter along with her previous family. However, she kept a straight face, lips twitching into a smile occasionally. "I'm a parselmouth," She explained, gaining everyone's attention. "This means I can speak with and understand snakes."

She'd come a long way from struggling with her gift to owning it proudly, and it certainly helped that it was no longer tied to Tom Riddle's Horcrux.

Otto's unhappiness was hidden behind a perfect mask of nonchalance. If he hadn't liked the bastard when she was alive because of all she'd cost his family and her resemblance to Viserra, he liked her even less now that she had powers and gifts that could prove detrimental to his cause.

Had Alicent actually listened to him and had they gone through with his plan to obliterate Rhaneyra and Daemon's whole family, they wouldn't be in this situation, and Aegon's position would be uncontested.

[The now awake snake has attracted Dudley's attention. He comes over to the glass, knocking Aemma to the floor.]

Dudley: Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!

[Dudley puts his hands on the glass wall. With his back turned, Aemma glares at him. Suddenly, the glass disappears, causing Dudley to wretch forward, losing his balance.]

Dudley: Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!

[Dudley falls into the snake enclosure, sputtering in a pool of water. Aemma snickers at what she saw. The snake gets out of the exhibit, stopping in front of Aemma.]

A chill ran down Alicent's spine at Aemma's display of power. If this was what she was capable of initially without guidance, how powerful was she right now? And what about Neville?

It was one thing to know that they were witches and wizards; it was another to see it in action.

A choked sort of noise left Aegon's lips. He'd take Helaena's creepy crawlies over a snake in a heartbeat since he'd always been creeped out by the latter. He was suddenly very thankful his niece couldn't speak with snakes in her previous life, or he knew she would have used it against him whenever he and Jacaerys pulled one of their pranks on Aemond when they all still lived at the Red Keep.

Snake: Thanksss.

Aemma: Anytime.

[The snake slivers off to the exit.]

Man: SNAKE!

[There is a lot of people screaming throughout the reptile house as the snake heads for freedom. Dudley gets up to get out, but the glass is now back over the enclosure. Seeing that he is now trapped in the snake exhibit, he pounds the glass in panic.]

Dudley: Mum, mummy!

Petunia: [notices him in the exhibit and screams]

The previously silent room now echoed with joyous laughter.

The Blacks, Daeron and Helaena, drew a relieved sigh between chuckles. They all knew that Lucerys was a mischievous child, and they'd feared that the kind of upbringing Aemma'd received might have snuffed that flame out.

Meanwhile, Aemma was steadily turning a bright shade of pink and playfully glaring at her snickering friends and boyfriend as if they'd betrayed her by joying the rest of the amused crowd.

Dudley: Mum, help! Help me!

Petunia: My darling boy! How did you get in there?! How did you get in there!? Is there a snake?!

[Aemma grins and snickers, Vernon notices this and glares down at her. Aemma's grin disappears, knowing that she is in trouble with Vernon.]

Vernon's look silenced the entire room, leaving Rhaenyra with a horrible sense of foreboding. Focusing on her breathing, she tightly gripped her skirts to steel herself.

She had to keep reminding herself that this was in the past and she could do nothing about it. No matter how much Rhaenyra wished she could enter the screen and envelop her sweet girl in a protective embrace, her child had already lived through it all. And, oh, the Gods were so cruel because this was a whole different form of torture.

author's note. Thank you to talented ninetitans for the stunning signout gif you see in this chapter.