The Tabby, the Phoenix and the kitten

Chapter twenty-four

The next morning Albus awoke alone. He turned to Minerva's side of the bed to see it hadn't been slept in. Curious Albus got up and went downstairs, perhaps Minerva had fallen asleep in the sitting room? It had been known to happen. But when he got downstairs he noticed she wasn't there either.

Furring his brow, he went up to his daughters room, slowly pushing the door open. A smile graced his lips when he found Minerva, still wearing her clothes from the day before, fast asleep on Arianna's bed. Arianna huddled closley in Minerva's arms, also asleep.

He watched them for a while before deciding to go downstairs and have the house elves prepare something for breakfast.

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Arianna woke feeling safe, feeling warm. When she opened her eyes she saw a mass of green right in front of her face. She looked up to see the sleeping form of her mother. 'When did she get here?' Arianna thought, 'how long had she been there?' she wondered.

Not wanting to wake her, Arianna didn't move an inch. Resting her head back on her mothers chest she listened to the steady beating of her heart. Arianna had never listened to someone's heartbeat before. She had occasionaly heard her own, pounding in her ears when she was working on the farm, but this was nothing like that. This was soft and soothing, she liked it.

Though when she heard the beating get faster for a moment, and Minerva's chest raise higher than it previously had, as she took a deep breath, Arianna knew that her mother was awake.

Lifting her head she look up at Minerva and smiled as sparkling blue eyes met emrald green ones.

"Morning." She said.

"Good morning." Minerva replied. After a moment Minerva remembered what had happened the night before, it also appeared that she had falled alseep in her daughters room.

"I'm sorry if I woke you, I didn't intend on falling asleep. And I'm sorry for running out on you yesterday." Minerva said, and Arianna smiled.

"You didn't wake me, I didn't even know you were in here until I woke up this morning, and that's alright, daddy explained why you left. And he finished the story." Minerva smiled at hearing her daughter call Albus daddy. She had heard it many times before, but it still shocked her that Arianna was so alright with calling them mum and dad so quickly. She had thought that it would have been awkward for Arianna, but her daughter had proven her wrong.

"Did he?" She asked and Arianna nodded, "that was good him. How long have you been awake?" Minerva asked.

"I don't know, a while." Arianna replied with a shrug.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She asked

"You looked so peaceful, like, everything was right in world," She said looking off somewhere, remembering the way her mother looked, "I didn't want to take you away from that." She finished. Minerva smiled lovingly down at her daughter.

"You couldn't possibly take me away from that," she said, "You bring that to me." Arianna looked up and smiled at her mother before snuggling back into her embrace.

Minerva put her arms around her daughter. They sat like that until they heard a soft pop. Arianna turned out of Minerva's arms to look in the direction the pop came from. In the center of the room stood a house elf. Though Arianna had never seen one before. She thought they were sort of, cute, really.

"Lindy is sorry to disturb Young Miss and Mistress, but Master tells Lindy to tell Mistress and Young Miss that breakfast be ready in the main kitchen." The small house elf reported.

"Oh, Thank you Lindy." Minerva said before the house elf popped away.

"Was that a house elf?" Arianna asked, and Minerva nodded.

"I wonder what breakfast is. I'm starving." Arianna said rolling out of bed. Minerva chuckled.

"Let's just hope your father didn't make it." Minerva joked and Arianna laughed before they went downstairs.

"Ah! Good morning! Would you two lovely ladies like some breakfast?" Albus asked as they two sat down at the table.

"Yes please!" Arianna said enthusiastically. Albus smiled and put a plate full of waffles down in front of her. He then put a plate in front of Minerva and kissed her good morning.

"No, my love I didn't make this, as much as I would like to say I had, it was indeed the house elves." Albus confirmed before anyone asked him.

Arianna looked in shock at Albus's plate as he sat down with it. His waffles were topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and a numerous amount of other sweets that Arianna couldn't identify.

"Oh for Merlin's sake Albus, you are going to loose all of your teeth if you eat that!" Minerva scolded.

"Your father has wallopping sweet-tooth." She said to Arianna shaking her head. Arianna laughed and began to eat her waffles.

As she ate she thought about what her father had said, about expecting a visit from her grandmother today.

"Am I going to meet my grandmother today?" She asked suddenly. Minerva looked to Albus who gave a slight nod and then turned to Arianna.

"And you're uncles, but only if you're up to it. We don't want to rush you into anything that you find uncomfortable." Minerva explained.

"I have uncles?" Arianna asked.

"Yes, I have two brothers," Minerva said and then turned to Albus, "and your father also has a brother." She said cautiously, knowing the situation between the two of them.

"Will I be meeting him today as well?" She asked not knowing the situation.

"No." Albus said and stood up and left the room.

"I'm sorry. I've said something wrong haven't I?" Arianna asked her mother after her father left.

Minerva smiled sadly, "no, it isn't your fault. Your daddy and his brother don't get along very well, they haven't talked to each other in a long time." She explainded

"How come?" Arianna asked cautiously.

Minerva sighed, "well," She said, "You had an Aunt as well, you were named after her, but she died when they were young, and her death tore your father's and uncle's relationship apart." She said leaving out how exactly it tore them apart.

"But if you are alright with it, I can call your grandmother and uncles on my side, and they could come over this afternoon?" Minerva asked changing the subject.

Arianna nodded, "Yes, I'd like to meet them." She said standing. She grabbed Albus' unfinished plate. Minerva gave her a smile, realizing what she was doing, and stood to go and call her mother and brother, while Arianna went in search of Albus.

She found him in the study. Remembering her mother saying that she wasn't allowed in the study without permission, she stood outside and knocked on the door.

Albus looked up from his desk to see Arianna standing at the door, a plate in her hand, "come in" he said. Arianna walked up to the desk and put the plate with his waffles on the desk.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I thought you should finish yours." She said, "even if it is full of sugar." She added. He chuckled and thanked her.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you. And I'm sorry about your sister, and your brother." She said quietly while looking at the floor. Albus smiled.

"Thank you Sherbert." He said and she began to leave, but then stopped.

Turning around and looking down at the floor she said, "does your brother know about me?" Albus looked up at her, surprised by the question.

"He does not know you are home." he replied simply, providing exactly the answer Arianna was looking for.

"Do you think he'd want to know?"

"I believe it would please him to know" he said and Arianna nodded. without saying anything else Arianna left, leaving Albus to begin a letter to his brother.

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Arianna walked down the hall to her bedroom to get dressed.

Upon opening her closet, she realized that she hadn't a clue what she should wear. Other than her Hogwarts robes, Arianna only had a few muggle outfits to wear on weekends, and she wasn't sure if they would be appropriate for this occasion.

"How is it going in here?" Minerva said, making Arianna jump.

"Well, I actually was wondering what would be good to wear for today? I'm not sure." She asked quietly while looking at the ground. Minerva smiled and walked towards the area her daughter was standing in.

"Lets have a look shall we, I think a nice summer dress would do." She said.

"I haven't got any dresses." Arianna said still looking at the ground.

"Oh!" Minerva exclimed realizing she hadn't thought about extra clothes for Arianna, she mentally slapped herself, knowing her daughters previous situation she should have known better.

"Then we will just have to transfigure one, wont we? I'll have to take you shopping later this week." She said with an excitment in her voice that Arianna had never heard her use before. Arianna watched as Minerva looked for something in the room to transfigure, she finally decided on a bit of parchment.

With a flourish of her wand, the parchment changed into a very pretty little summer dress, perfect for the days weather and occasion. Minerva smiled at her work and brought the dress to Arianna who clutched and looked at it as if it were something that she had never known exsisted.

"Well why don't you go put it on, and then come back and I'll do up your hair." Minerva said with a kind smile, Arianna looked up at her excited, she had never had someone do her hair before, she thought as she ran off to the bathroom to change.

When she came back out a few minutes later, she had the biggest smile Minerva had ever seen.

"Give us a twirl!" Minerva said with a chuckle, Arianna twirled around and the dress flew gracefully out around her.

The two laughed as Arianna tried walking over to Minerva but couldn't walk in a straight line.

"I'm dizzy!!" Arianna exclaimed.

"Yes, I can see that! now come on over here and I'll do up your hair."

Arianna stumbled over to her mother and sat down in front of her. Minerva summoned a hair brush to her and began to brush out the knots in her daughters hair.

"Am I hurting you?" Minerva asked, trying to be as gentle as possible as she combed through Arianna's unruly hair.

"No," she said, "no ones ever done my hair before." Arianna said and Minerva frowned. another reminder of how bad she was treated and how she wasn't where she should have been all her life.

Trying not show her sadness she said, "well there's a first for anything isn't there?"

Arianna nodded as Minerva put her hair into a beautiful French twist. When she was done Arianna hugged her.

"Thank you so much!! I love it!" Arianna exclaimed. Minerva smiled and hugged her back. after a moment she pulled away.

"Alright young lady, do you think you can entertain yourself for a while, while I get myself ready for today? Perhaps in the library?" Minerva asked, seeing her daughters face light up she knew the library was a good choice.

After making sure Arianna would be alright in the library, Minerva went off to go and get ready for the long afternoon that was to come.