In which it's time for the Malfoy clan and Hermione to get caught up on the goings of Storybrooke, and Emma gets a surprise gift.

***

Harry grinned when he woke up the morning after the Malfoys and Hermione had arrived in Storybrooke looking for him and his mother, and his grin widened when he felt Draco shift next to him on the bed, their hands melded together. He looked over, seeing the blond boy's normally pristine hair askew in different places on the top of his head, and released his hand gently, sitting up and looking over at the other bed in the room. Hermione was still sleeping, her frizzy mane of curls all over. Those curls probably ended up trying to suffocate his mother in her sleep. His mother was nowhere to be seen, and he guessed she was with Lucius and Narcissa with Newt and Queenie.

After they all finished up at the festival the night before, Harry had all but dragged Hermione and Draco to his hotel room, and he won the argument that took place when he wanted Hermione to stay in the same room as he and Draco when he brought up his unstable magic when not near them. Emma had rolled her eyes and said Hermione could sleep with her but not with the boys, and all three kids cheered.

Harry stood quickly, but quietly and grabbed a new set of clothes from his trunk and went to the bathroom to shower before his best friends woke up. When he came out, towel drying his hair, he heard Draco snort and grinned as widely as his face would allow and went to the bed, climbing on top and looking at his best friend as Hermione went to change. "Good morning, Dray!"

Draco grinned, grabbing Harry's hand as Hermione came back out. "Good morning, Haz. Good morning to you as well, Mia," he said, playfully bowing to the both of them when he got up to change.

"Good morning, Draco," she laughed. Harry smiled as he watched his two favorite people (aside from his mother, aunt and uncle) interact playfully. "Good morning, Haz," Hermione said, smiling as she crawled up onto the bed and sat in front of Harry, since everyone knew next to him was Draco's place, Merlin forbid that ever change.

"Good morning, Mia. How did you sleep?" Harry asked, trying to get a brush through his hair.

Hermione laughed and attempted to help, which only made it worse. "I slept really well. My magic is more settled now that we're here with you. It's always settled when I'm around the both of you."

"Mine too," Harry nodded. "It's almost like it feels, I don't know . . . at home?"

Hermione nodded. "I think 'home' is a good word for how it feels," she agreed.

She smiled and laughed when Harry yelped as Draco grabbed the brush from his hand and started trying to wrestle Harry's hair into submission. "Draco!" the raven-haired boy laughed, pushing him away as he climbed onto the bed and flopped over the top of both of them, Hermione giggling and Harry trying his best to push him off.

Draco finally sat up, and looked at him, his face serious. "So, what's been going on?"

Harry sobered up as Hermione grabbed his stuffed cat, and he sighed. "Well, you know about my brother, Henry," he started, and Hermione and Draco both nodded. "He came to find us at the bakery in New York, and told us that this town, Storybrooke," he gestured vaguely around him, "was full of real-life fairytales and was under a dark curse. Mum and I came back here to bring him back to his mum, and then we met Regina, the town mayor and his adopted mother. Henry kept refusing to come back unless Mum did because she's the key to unlocking the people's memories from their magical land. Henry has a storybook, one that's full of stories of the people of this town and they're true. Aunt Queenie was able to unlock David's memories. He's Prince Charming and Mum's dad, which means he's my grandfather."

He took a deep breath to pause, and he looked at his friends' expressions. Draco's held suspicion and disbelief, and Hermione's features held a curious but excited look as she processed the information. "So who is Mary Margaret? That's her name, right? And Ruby, Victor, and the mayor?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry.

He grinned, knowing who Hermione's favorite fairytale character was. "Well, Mary Margaret is Snow White, Mum's mum and my grandmother." Hermione gasped in a mixture of shock and awe. "But she doesn't know it yet. She doesn't show it, to me at least, but her not knowing her daughter is right in front of her upsets Mum." Draco winced at the thought, and Harry nodded glumly, feeling sorry for his mother. "Victor is Dr. Frankenstein, Remus's favorite Muggle book, and Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood." He smirked. "Which explains why Remus is so attached to the both of them."

Hermione giggled, the story of Little Red and the wolf going through her mind. "So then who's the mayor?" Draco asked. Harry scowled, his eyes darkening and his jade-colored magic running through his veins, visible on his arms and flowing through his hands. Draco's eyes widened at the show of magic. "That bad?" he asked, already knowing he was going to hate the answer.

"You have no idea," he grumbled, and Draco and Hermione both grabbed his hands in an attempt to help him settle his magic. "She's the Evil Queen. She's been tormenting all of us, especially Mum, since the moment we got here. She got Mum arrested the night we brought Henry back after giving her some apple cider which was spiked with alcohol and she went to drive us back home, but we crashed into the town sign to avoid hitting a beautiful gray wolf. I woke up in this room with Mum gone and with Victor looking over me. I was terrified, but Mum found me, just like she always does."

He smiled happily, and Draco nodded. "She has a knack for knowing when you're in trouble, doesn't she?" he laughed.

Harry nodded in response. "Anyway, Henry was missing, and Mum left me with Ruby, who's also my mum's godmother. She found out that Henry had used Mary Margaret's information to find Mum. Mum found him at his play castle, and he begged for us to stay for a week, and so we did. Then Newt and Queenie got here, and they've riled up the mayor in a lot of funny ways. She's not happy we're here."

Harry smiled at Draco and Hermione, readjusting his position on the bed before continuing. "At one point, Henry and I got trapped in the mines because he wanted to prove to his therapist, Dr. Hopper, who is Jiminy Cricket, that he wasn't crazy. I had to save us both by revealing that we have magic, more specifically I have magic, and I saved us from getting killed by falling debris in the unstable mines. Archie appeared after that and told us that the mine had collapsed where he had come through. We found an old life shaft, and Uncle Newt came down on a rope to get us out. My magical core was reaching for you both, sending out distress signals," he added the end quietly.

Draco's glare is something he was glad was only ever aimed at Nott and his lackeys. "I remember that day, I tried my best to send some of my magic to you," he told him, grabbing his hands.

"Me too," Hermione nodded as her curls bounced with the motion, smiling at the two boys. "I was doing homework and I felt a tug and then felt panic when I felt your magic panicking. I started to cry and Mum came in and found me, staring off into space with my book forgotten next to me and tears streaming down my face."

Harry looked at them sadly. "I didn't even realize that you could feel it," he mumbled, and Hermione and Draco smiled as they tugged him forward to hug him, the group, unbeknownst to them, glowing a bright maroon, jade, and gold as they sat there. "Anyway, that was the day I got your letter, Draco," Harry explained, pulling away from the group hug but not letting their hands go. "Then Queenie discovered she could potentially help the Storybrooke residents gain their memories back, and she helped my grandfather get his memories back." He smiled softly, remembering the day that happened. "Queenie can see the memories locked, because of her ability, and the cracks in the Dark Curse Regina placed over them and is able to help push that barrier to breaking point. She hasn't done it to anyone yet though," he said.

Hermione tilted her head. "Why hasn't she worked on Ruby or Victor? They know about magic, don't they?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Harry stopped fidgeting and thought about that for a second. "Well, yeah, they know, but I've no idea why she hasn't unlocked their memories yet," he muttered, and hummed when Draco ran a hand through his unruly curls. He didn't think that they'd ever be able to tame them. "Anyway, where's Mum?" He asked, and the other two shrugged. "Well, let's go down to the diner. Ruby is there, and Mum is there every morning, just about, so we can see if she's there," he told them, and then grabbed his shoes and put them on, the other two doing the same. "Oh! The Ministry can't track you here, so you can use magic as long as we're careful and don't use it in front of anyone unless we have too."

Both of them cheered, and Hermione grabbed her wand, casting a charm on her hair to keep the frizz down. Harry recognized it from when the chasers Angelina, Katie and Alicia helped Hermione learn it so she could easily charm her hair. Harry led the two out of the room and then down the stairs and across the alley to Granny's Diner, where he spotted his family and the Malfoys sitting with Victor as Ruby flitted about the diner serving people. "Good morning, kids!" Ruby grinned as she spotted them, getting a cup of hot chocolate for Harry then another two for Hermione and Draco when they asked for them.

"Hey Mum!" Harry called, going over with his hot chocolate and sitting next to her, smiling.

"Hey kiddo," Emma smiled, running her hand through Harry's hair. "Hello Hermione, Draco."

She smirked, seeing Draco's eyes widening as he tasted the hot chocolate. "Oh Merlin! This is so good!" he moaned, and Hermione giggled.

"Hey!" The trio's eyes turned to Ruby, who had changed from her uniform and was in black skinny jeans and a red tank top with her signature black leather jacket. "How about we go to the lake? It's nice enough?"

The trio immediately looked towards Emma, Lucius and Narcissa, and each of them smiled. "Of course that's fine with me," Emma nodded. "Will you take Remus and Victor again?"

Narcissa's eyebrows rose at the inclusion of the doctor, but she didn't protest, especially when Remus was not subtle at all in the hopeful look he gave the man. "As long as that's okay with the others," he smiled and nodded, and Remus and Ruby grinned in delight.

"I'll meet you well back here at 9:30 and then we'll go!" Ruby grinned and clapped her hands in excitement. "We all have to go get our swim stuff. I'll also pack a lunch and blankets and pillows."

She took off out of the diner, and the trio grinned at Remus who shook his head and shooed them off. He then realized he had two pairs of amused eyes watching him, and he huffed and folded his arms, glowering at two of his best friends. "Don't start," he warned.

"Hmm?" Lucius arched an eyebrow, taking an intentional sip of his tea. "Start what? I didn't say anything. Did you, Cissa dear?"

"Not a word, my love," Narcissa grinned.

Remus groaned and dropped his head onto his folded arms, and Emma snickered, patting the werewolf on the shoulder. "Nice try, Moony."

***

Thirty minutes later they were all dressed in swimsuits and Ruby was leading them all out of the diner, the trio waving bye to Emma and everyone else. When they got to the lake, Remus erected wards, and Harry recognized them as Muggle Repellant wards and a silencing ward. No one could hear anything they talked about.

"So, you all go to Hogwarts?" Ruby asked, taking off her dress she'd put on over her two-piece swimsuit, and Hermione nodded.

"Yeah! Harry and I are both in Gryffindor and Draco's in Slytherin," Hermione told her, throwing her shirt and shorts onto the blanket that Remus and Victor had just set up, Harry taking his shirt off and Draco doing the same, since they both had swim trunks on. She was wearing a red and gold one piece, and that made Harry and Draco both laugh. Draco was wearing green, and Harry was wearing blue.

Ruby took off towards the water, and Harry turned to follow, but Hermione's horrified gasp came from behind him, and he stiffened, knowing what she was looking at. "Harry," She breathed, reaching out to touch the scar on his back that only his family and Draco knew about. He flinched, and she retracted his hand as if she was burned. "What . . . " She paused and walked in front of him, lifting his head in her hands. "What is that?" she asked.

Harry sighed and looked at her. "It's from when I was 7, Mia. The Dursleys . . . they threw boiling hot water on my back," he said, and Draco came up next to him, rubbing his shoulder. Hermione hugged him tightly, and Harry dug his face into her shoulder, relishing in the shock that came from them touching him. "I'm fine now, it was a long time ago," he told them. Hermione pulled away and smirked, pushing him gently and hightailing it to the water, giggling the entire time. The two boys, laughing, took off after her.

That left Remus and Victor to supervise from the shore, and the men smiled, watching the four in the water splash each other and play. "Who are the Dursleys?" Victor asked. Remus snarled at the mention, and Victor's eyes widened as he watched as Remus's amber eyes ominously flash. They appeared to glow in the sunlight. "That bad?" he asked.

Remus barked in cold laughter as he answered. "That scar? The Dursleys dumped boiling hot water on him at seven years old. They were extremely abusive to Harry. From the day he turned four years old, they were abusing him mentally, emotionally, and physically. My best friend and I were supposed to take him in when his biological parents were killed, but my best friend ended up being wrongly accused of murdering someone and was put in jail. I wasn't legally allowed to take custody, but Dumbledore wouldn't accept me as his guardian anyway, so he placed Harry with his mother's Muggle sister, her husband, and their son."

Victor turned his head to look at the boy, happily smiling and laughing with his friends and Ruby. "Damn," he sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "How is he still standing?"

"Emma," Remus replied simply, and Victor laughed and nodded. He should've expected that. "She magically adopted him as her son less than a year after she took him in, then she adopted him through the United States government six months after the Dursleys were arrested. They've been inseparable ever since."

He grinned when Hermione raced over to them, getting chased by Draco, who had a piece of seaweed in his hands and waving it at her. "Come on, Mia! It's just seaweed!" Draco laughed.

Hermione shrieked as she raced behind Remus, hiding behind him. "Alright, Draco, enough," Remus laughed. "Leave her alone." He shook his head, and the other two in the water came back to the blanket to grab towels and Remus handed out snacks, which were pastries from Queenie.

"I still think Dobby's are better," Draco commented.

Both Hermione and Harry shoved him, and he landed on his back, giggling. "Liar!" Harry laughed.

Ruby tilted her head curiously. "Dobby?" she asked.

"My house elf," Draco explained, and at Ruby's bewildered look, he laughed and explained. "House elves are domestic beings that are magically bound to their designated master or mistress. House-elves are normally found in the service of old wizarding families, like my family and Harry's grandparents and father, and in some families, aren't paid a lot, if at all. House-elves also worked at Hogwarts taking care of students and staff who don't have personal elves, like my elf, Dobby."

Ruby nodded. "So they work for old wizarding families?"

Draco nodded in confirmation. "Mostly they work for the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but sometimes other wealthy pureblood families have them, like the Zabinis, who aren't part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but are very wealthy and have a manor that gets taken care of by house-elves."

Ruby tilted her head, registering that information. She then looked at Draco again "Sacred Twenty-Eight?" she repeated.

Draco smiled and looked at Harry, raising his eyebrow. "There's twenty-eight families that were there when Albion was turned into Britain," his best friend explained. "Albion was the country that King Arthur and Merlin ruled together. When Arthur died, his family took over the country, and as time passed, it became Britain. When wizarding Britain became what it is, there were twenty-eight families there, and those families are the wealthiest, most influential families in Wizarding Britain. According to a book that is in Newt's library at the reserve, the Sacred Twenty-Eight are also believed to be the only 'still pure blood only' families after the 1930's. Which is a load of dragon dung."

Remus snorted. "Yeah, because the Scamanders are totally pureblood," he smiled.

"Remus!" Hermione giggled.

Ruby grinned, watching the byplay between the witch and wizards. "So what's your favorite thing about having magic?" she asked.

Hermione grinned as she looked at Harry and Draco. "Should I show them?" She asked, and Harry nodded. Hermione stood and raised her wand, grinning when she waved it and bluebell flames appeared around them. Ruby and Victor gasped, and Hermione held her hand out, holding a bluebell flame, and holding it in her hand, with it not burning her. "It won't hurt you," she grinned.

Victor held out his hand, and Hermione placed the small flame in his palm. He titled his head at the tingling sensation of coldness going through his hand. "It's cold," he mumbled. Ruby held out her hand, and Harry transferred the flame in his hand to hers. She jerked at the cold of the flame, staring at it in awe. "How does it work?" Victor asked.

'I don't have any idea," Hermione admitted with a shrug, holding her wand out and slicing it through the air to cancel the charm. "I learned the charm from the Charms professor at Hogwarts, Professor Flitwick. He saw me crying on Halloween because of Ronald and Nott, and the day after he showed me the charm."

She retook her seat with the boys, the three instantly reaching for each other's hands. "She uses them when she's up late at night, because they're not bright enough to keep anyone awake," Draco added.

Hermione smiled shyly, and Ruby wrapped an arm around her. "I wish I could do that," she said with a pout. "I'd love to have a simple light at night instead of my phone."

Victor chuckled, letting her lean against them. "Okay," Remus clapped his hands together once. "Who's hungry?" They all raised their hands, and Remus laughed, grabbing the picnic basket and opening it.

***

Narcissa hummed appraisingly as she walked through Queenie's storefront, the heels of her boots clicking on the floor. "Does this resemble your bakery back in New York?" she asked curiously, gliding a well-manicured hand across one of the cases.

"In a way, yes," Queenie nodded from where she sat atop the counter. "The overall decor is the same. I thought it needed a Storybrooke touch, though. This is a small town, not a bustling city like Manhattan."

"A small town, indeed," Narcissa nodded with an elegant snort. "A small town where fairytales exist yet are cursed to never be happy as the Evil Queen wills." She shook her head and turned away from the display case to stand in front of Queenie. "Why is it always you four?"

Queenie shrugged. "This, I believe, can be blamed on Emma."

Narcissa sighed and leaned against one of the tables. "You brought back David's memories. Why haven't you done so with the others?"

"Because I don't know what damage that could do," Queenie answered simply. "David's memories were already there. He told us he was on the brink of death when the curse settled. Until shortly after Emma arrived, he was in a coma in the hospital. When he woke up, his cursed self and his Enchanted Forest self were warring with each other, trying to smother the other. It was easy to help his true memories come to the forefront. Everyone else . . . " She bit her lip. "I can sense their memories, but they're wisps, as if in dreams," she finally said. "Only to be buried again. Without knowing the full extent of the curse, without knowing how deeply buried everyone else is underneath their Storybrooke selves . . . "

"You could do more harm than good," Narcissa realized.

Queenie nodded miserably. "Exactly."

"Oh, Queenie," Narcissa sighed, stepping forward and placing her hands on her shoulders. "You're doing all that you can."

"Emma is the only one that can do anything from here when it comes to the curse," Queenie said miserably. "All Newt and I can do is - "

" - is do whatever you can to run interference if someone tries to get in her way," Narcissa interrupted, her lips twitching up in a smirk. "Merlin help anyone who does." Queenie giggled, and Narcissa patted her shoulder. "The good news is that, unless something drastic happens in the Wizengamot, we're here to stay for the rest of summer. After Remus sent word he was staying and that this town is basically Unplottable, Lucius and I decided we would be here to help in any way we can."

"And you brought Draco and Hermione with you?" Queenie grinned.

Narcissa shrugged. "Draco has been miserable without hearing from Harry, and we had already contacted the Grangers about hosting Hermione for an extended time. We just had to inform them we were taking a holiday to see Emma and Harry, and they agreed. Last night was the happiest I've seen Draco since the platform. We made the right call."

"You did," Queenie agreed. "Henry, his brother, and Ava and Nicholas Zimmer are his only friends here, and only Henry knows about our world. Draco and Hermione will do wonders for him."

"I think so, too," Narcissa smiled. "Besides, what kind of friends would we be if we didn't help Emma get her family back?"

Queenie tilted her head, catching the tail end of Narcissa's thoughts, ones she hadn't spoken but thought loudly and clearly. "And be protective of a certain werewolf?" she teased.

Narcissa grinned. "I can count on one hand and have fingers left over when I think about the number of people Remus has shown interest in. Sue me."

Queenie's delighted laughter echoed to the rafters.

***

A familiar boy was tucked into the back booth when the group returned from the beach, and Harry lit up. "Henry!" he cheered, rocketing across the diner.

Henry looked up from the notebook he was scribbling in, and he grinned. "There you are!" he said, scrambling out of the booth. "I asked where you were, but Granny didn't know, and Ruby wasn't here."

"Sorry," Harry smiled. "I just had to get Draco and Mia up to speed. Oh!" He spun around. "Ruby? Can we have some hot chocolates?"

"For my favorite kiddos?" Ruby winked. "Sure thing."

Harry beamed, then he took Henry's hand and tugged. "Come on." Henry gamely followed Harry to where Draco and Hermione lingered by the door. "You didn't really get to meet with Regina hovering over us," he explained. "Henry, meet my best friends, Draco and Hermione. Guys, Henry is my half-brother. And my best friend here."

Henry looked pleased as punch by the last sentence, and Draco smiled, holding out his hand. "Have you been keeping him out of trouble?" he teased.

"Draco!" Harry gave him a wounded look.

Henry just grinned and shook Draco's hand. "We usually find it together, actually."

"Henry!"

Hermione just giggled and shook Henry's hand when it was her turn to do so. "You sound like one of us!"

"Really?" Henry smiled shyly.

Hermione nodded eagerly, her curls bouncing. "Harry said you have a storybook? Can I take a look at it?"

Draco coughed into his arm, the word "bookworm!" barely audible. Hermione glared at him, but Henry brightened at his favorite topic. "I have it in my backpack!" he told her. "Are you part of Operation Cobra, too?"

Draco blinked. "Operation what?"

Harry snickered. "We'll get you up to speed."

Two pairs of eyes watched the quartet claim the booth Henry had nabbed, and Newt chuckled, taking a sip of his tea. "Ah, that's a familiar sight."

"I know Harry talked a lot about his best friends from Britain," David remarked, cradling a cup of coffee in his hands as he watched. "But I didn't expect . . . "

He trailed off, and Newt looked at him. "This?" he guessed.

David snorted. "Thanks, Newt. That helped."

Newt patted his shoulder sympathetically. "It's hard to use words to describe their bond, I know."

"They're close," David decided. "Closer than any of the kids I've seen here in Storybrooke. Harry and Henry come close, of course."

"Well, they're brothers," Newt shrugged. "And bonded because they know things no one else does. Harry met Draco and Hermione in Diagon Alley before their first year, and they clicked instantly. They've shared an incredible bond ever since. Their magic fits together like a jigsaw puzzle none of us can see, but they sense it when they're apart." He watched Henry hand Hermione his book, and the girl immediately buried her nose in the pages, Harry visibly stifling laughter as Draco was left to try and read over the witch's shoulder. "This means the world to him, you know? To have his two worlds collide. Right now, you're unable to leave the town, and he had no idea if he would see everyone before Hogwarts began."

"He's known them longer than us," David pointed out.

Newt snorted. "Within minutes of meeting Draco and Hermione, he had two new favorite people, and he and Emma lived with me and Queenie for years. Just because they're here now doesn't automatically mean he's going to stop hanging out with the people he's met here. Look at them, David. The first thing Harry did when they got back was head straight to his brother."

Sure enough, Harry and Henry had their heads inclined towards each other, and they were watching Hermione read through the storybook with wide eyes. "I see it," David nodded.

"And it'll be the same with Emma," Newt smiled. "Emma had me and Queenie to help her raise Harry, but Lucius and Narcissa are entrenched deep in the Wizarding World. They have connections I don't because of what happened in Grindelwald's war. Their mentorship is something Emma desperately relies on because that's what she needs to keep Harry safe. You, though? You're her father, someone she's been looking for her whole life. She's going to hold onto you and never let you go."

David smiled fondly. "I like the sound of that."

Newt chuckled and patted his shoulder. "That's family for you."

Hermione's gaze drifted from the book over to where they sat, and David saw her biting her lip. He craned his neck to see if he could get a better look of the story she was reading, and he smiled when he recognized the flash of pale skin and dark hair. "Excuse me, would you?" he said as he stood.

"Oh, certainly," Newt grinned, throwing one leg over the other so he leaned against the counter. "I'll just keep Ruby company."

"What a gentleman," Ruby grinned.

David walked over to join the kids, and Harry grinned up at him. "What were you and Uncle Newt talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, you know," David shrugged. "I had to hear his opinion on your two friends." Draco's head shot up and Hermione balked, making David laugh and hold up his hand. "Don't worry, it's a very good one."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Draco sagged in relief.

"But," David held out, tilting his head as he looked at Hermione. "I couldn't help but notice that someone looked a little curious."

Hermione blushed, looking between the illustrated pages of the book and up at him. "It's just . . . you're really . . . ?"

He bowed gallantly, giving Hermione a wink and keeping his voice quiet so none of the other patrons heard him. "Prince Charming, at your service, milady."

"David!" Harry giggled while Henry grinned widely.

"But you can just call me David," David said with a nod at his grandsons.

"This is so bloody weird," Draco muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Henry snorted. "Imagine how I felt when I realized my brother is a wizard."

"And how Mum felt when she realized this curse is real," Harry nodded.

Draco threw his hands up in the air, and Hermione leaned to the side to avoid getting hit. "Why is it always you, Haz?"

"That might be genetic," David admitted. "The amount of trouble Snow and I got into . . . and it seems like Emma is no different."

Harry and Henry grinned at each other. "The mine," they chorused.

Draco frowned. "Is that what we sound like?" he wondered.

"Probably," Hermione replied, fiddling with the binding of the book. "David . . . if it doesn't hurt too much, would you be willing to tell us more?"

David smiled widely and stole a chair from a nearby table. "It would be my pleasure."

***

"Well played, Sheriff."

Emma paused in putting away a folder in her filing cabinet, and she turned to see Mr. Gold standing in the doorway to her office, his hard gaze on her. "Were we playing chess or something?" she asked, closing the filing cabinet and leaning against it. "I'm not playing anything."

"The candles," Mr. Gold elaborated. "I didn't think they could all be sold. I thought for sure I would have to regretfully terminate my contract with the nuns. I must say, brava to you."

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon?" she sputtered.

"Mary Margaret is your friend, Miss Swan," Mr. Gold huffed. "I don't know what reason you would have to help the town drunk, but if the good teacher told you the money was going to save the nuns' rent, you would have jumped on that in a heartbeat."

"I heard a rumor that Leroy had his eye on one of the nuns," Emma said slowly. "But I didn't hear anything about their rent, Mr. Gold. If I had and any of the candles were left, I would've bought as many as were needed to make up the difference. But I didn't."

Mr. Gold tilted his head with a chuckle. "Miss Swan, I have ears around this town. I know you don't need this job to provide for your family. Our dear mayor wouldn't make such a charitable buy unless it somehow benefitted her, and this didn't. Between you and me, who was more likely to save the nuns?"

"Emma?"

The aristocratic voice echoed in the otherwise empty station, and Emma had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Gold's spine stiffen. "Back here, Lucius!" she called, giving Mr. Gold a smirk as she walked past him and out into the bullpen.

"Ah," Lucius nodded, his walking stick tapping on the floor as he entered the station, tucking a long, thin box under his other arm as his gray eyes took in every detail. "While your son has demanded the attention of mine, it seems your sister has demanded that of my wife."

Emma snickered. "Poor Cissa."

"Bah," Lucius rolled his eyes fondly as he set his box down on one of the desks. "If anyone can help Queenie with finer details when it comes to a business, Cissa can. Isn't it our sons we'll likely need to worry about?"

"All three of them," Emma agreed dryly. "Unless Hermione can interfere."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "After the third-floor corridor last year?"

Emma shuddered. "Thanks for that reminder."

Lucius smirked, knowing he had won that round. His eyes continued to roam, and they finally settled on the man who had been watching their byplay. "Ah, pardon me. I didn't know you had a visitor, Emma."

"Oh," Emma bit her lip to smother a grin. "Mr. Gold was just leaving."

Lucius hummed. "The man who was going to throw the nuns out of town unless all of their candles were sold?"

Rumplestiltskin was a quick man. His intelligent eyes raked over Lucius's garb, from his black and dark emerald suit to the hand-tailored coat he wore, and he nodded. "The mysterious buyer of the final candles," he deduced.

"Indeed," Lucius drawled with a slow smile. "They are perfect for our home in Britain. We'll find good uses for all of them. And if it means we get to help support some of the people Emma serves? Well, all the better."

Mr. Gold's eye twitched. "I see," he finally said, and Emma muffled her laughter by coughing into her arm. "As the sheriff said, I was just leaving. Welcome to Storybrooke . . . ?"

"Lucius Malfoy," the wizard inclined his head just enough to be respectful. "And thank you. I'm delighted to finally see the town that has kept dear friends from keeping in touch."

Emma blushed. "Lucius."

He waved his hand apologetically. "A lot has happened. I understand."

Mr. Gold's lips pressed thinly together. "Well, then," he finally forced out. "Enjoy your stay."

"I believe we will," Lucius smiled pleasantly.

His smile resembled a shark's, though, and Mr. Gold turned on his heel and walked towards the door. Emma waited until she heard the click of the door closing to burst into a peal of laughter. "The funny part is he would've been so right otherwise!" she crowed, moving to check and make sure the door was shut.

"Admittedly, the candles were lovely by themselves," Lucius said, leaning against one of the desks and watching Emma return. "But yes, we did happen to overhear the goal of selling all of the candles so the nuns' rent would be paid in full." He smirked. "And it doesn't hurt to try and make a good impression on the townsfolk when you first arrive."

"Not at all," Emma agreed, leaning on the desk opposite Lucius with a smile. "Especially such a small town like this."

Lucius nodded. "Filled with people who can't remember who they used to be."

Emma sighed and dropped her head. "It's insane, I know. I didn't believe it when I first came here."

"It's understandable, Emma," Lucius said, pushing off the desk and walking to stand next to her. "Magic is one thing, I understand that. To think that fairytales could be real? I can see why you needed your father to remember so you would believe." He placed a hand on her shoulder and waited patiently for her to look at him. "It isn't a bad thing to not immediately believe what you're told," he said. "That would make you gullible. You, Emma Swan, are not a gullible woman."

Emma smiled bitterly. "It took me years to get used to the thought of magic and practicing it, Lucius. I don't have that amount of time here. According to my dad, I'm supposed to break this curse before I turn twenty-eight."

"And more people keep coming to help you day by day," Lucius reminded her. "You aren't alone, Emma. You have allies."

Emma smiled slightly. "Seems like you always have the right thing to say."

Lucius smirked. "It comes with being a politician." Emma made a face, and he chuckled and patted her shoulder. "I'll get you there one day."

"I just need to know enough to make it seem like I know it all, right?" Emma grinned sheepishly.

Lucius nodded approvingly. "You remember."

"I do my best to remember everything you taught me."

Lucius smiled. "And I've never had a better student." He held up a finger and stepped away. "Which reminds me of why I came here."

Emma tilted her head curiously, watching Lucius as he returned to the box he had set aside. "You mean it wasn't just to see little old me?"

Lucius chuckled. "That's part of why I came here." He picked up the box and turned to Emma. "You say you do your best to remember everything I taught you. Do you recall our first meeting at the manor together?"

It wasn't just a box Lucius held out to her, Emma realized. It was a wooden case . . . a case shaped in a very familiar way. It made Emma's heart jump in her chest, and she tentatively held out her hands. "That wizarding families are not just formidable with wands," she whispered. "That the Sacred Twenty-Eight take no chances when it comes to defending their own."

"Indeed," Lucius nodded, transferring the case to her hands. "And what kind of lord am I if I do not ensure my closest ally has every possible way to defend herself and her people?"

Emma swallowed hard and carefully set the case down on the desk, flipping open the clasps with trembling hands. She opened the case, and she gasped in shock and awe, her eyes widening. The sheathed longsword inside was the same shape she had used when she trained with Lucius, and the pristine needlework on the sheath formed a snake slithering around the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. It was exquisite craftsmanship, and that was before she took in the hilt of the sword: a black gold snake with its silver fangs bared, one of its eyes a glittering emerald, the other a gleaming amethyst. "Lucius," she breathed in awe.

"Go on," Lucius smiled. "I know you want to."

Boy, did she ever. Emma lifted the sword from its case, and her hand wrapped perfectly around the hilt. Steel sang as she drew the blade, and Emma's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she tested the weight of the sword. It handled perfectly like an extension of her arm, and she stepped away from Lucius to give the sword a test swing. "This feels incredible," she whispered, looking down the length of the blade to admire its appearance.

"Goblin-crafted blades often do," Lucius nodded. "The House of Potter holds significant weight in our world, Emma, but you will find greater scrutiny as the Regent of Houses Slytherin and Peverell. I thought of no finer early birthday present for you than a physical symbol of your strength for those titles. Gornuk was all too happy to help me commission this for you. It is goblin-wrought silver, Emma. No other sword could serve you like this one will."

"Goblin silver," Emma repeated faintly. "Lucius . . . how much did this - ?"

Lucius held up a hand, cutting off the rest of her question. "This was barely a drop out of the Malfoy vaults," he told her. "And no cost would have been too high. A Malfoy protects his allies, Emma, and I swear I will do whatever I can to help you regain your family."

Emma stared down at her sword for several seconds, then she took a deep breath and resheathed it. "And I swear that a Potter, a Slytherin, or a Peverell will always answer a call for aid when a Malfoy needs it," she said formally, extending her free hand to Lucius.

Lucius's smile was deadly as he clasped her forearm, and Emma returned the tight grip. "Then let's see what this Evil Queen of yours is made of, shall we?"

Emma grinned viciously in return. "She won't know what's coming for her."

***

I missed writing Emma and Lucius, and Miss Singer missed writing our trio. We both won this interlude! XD

I know a lot of people were probably wondering exactly what Narcissa asked this question: if Queenie could bring back David's memories, why hasn't she done it for anyone else? Hopefully this answered your question in a satisfactory way. We saw in "Order of the Phoenix" how painful Legilimency can be, and while Queenie is a natural, she doesn't know much about the Dark Curse and how deep she would have to dig for those memories. Add in this is Emma's family, and there's no way Queenie would want to risk hurting them. So from here on out, it really is up to Emma.

No pressure there, right? Good thing Lucius has made the House of Malfoy's position very clear. Our girl finally gets her own sword! Wait until Regina sees it. Dumbledore's expression should be a riot, too. Lucius really thinks of everything.

So, next episode is one Miss Singer and I have both been looking forward to. "Red-Handed" is coming soon!

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