I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters, this is merely a work of fanfiction.

Thank you to everyone who is coming back to this story after my writing break, I appreciate your patience.

"Mum, have you seen these pictures?" Auror Nymphadora Tonks shouted as she strode into her mother's kitchen. Her mother and father were at the table eating breakfast, and drinking tea. Her mother, Mrs Andromeda Tonks nee Black, held up her own copy of The Prophet that she had been reading just moments previous.

On the front page of The Prophet was a picture of Lady Holly Potter, Heir Draco Malfoy and their friends gathered around them on the platform. Lady Potter hugged a muggleborn witch identified as Miss Granger before she turned and smiled at her godbrother, Heir Neville Longbottom.

Their parents could be seen a little ways off, talking with each other. Heiress Luna Black and Heir Diggory were at the edge of the photo whispering to each other as young people in love did.

"It's nothing like I've ever seen! Gryffindors and Slytherins, Muggleborns and Purebloods all mixing together like it's nothing. There's even a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw mixed in for good measure, and we're usually left out of everything! I tell you, this would have never happened when I was at Hogwarts! It's brilliant!"

Healer Ted Tonks smiled at his daughter. It was certainly nice to see that Lady Potter was open to making friends of all backgrounds. She was setting an example for those coming after her, whether she knew it or not. This picture would be seen throughout magical households this morning, and children would absorb the lesson- they could be friends with whoever they wanted.

Mrs Tonks smiled, "She is certainly a special girl. James and Lily would be proud."

"She's got Kingsley and Uncle Regulus on her side, as well as most of the pureblood families. If Dumbeldore doesn't leave her alone, he's going to have a powerful enemy."

"True enough," Healer Tonks replied. Word had spread that Dumbledore was breaking protocol at Hogwarts. No one said exactly what he had done, only that he had tried to meddle in Lady Potter's affairs in a most heinous way.

The rumour alone was enough to make most people take caution. Healer Tonks stood to his feet and pulled on his outer cloak that hung over the back of his chair. He placed his wand in his pocket, and kissed his wife and daughter on their heads.

"I have to go see a patient, I'll be back in a few hours."

"Bye dad!" Auror Tonks called as her father left via the back door.

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Healer Tonks looked over the results of the tests he had run on Lady Potter. He handed the scroll to Lord Malfoy, who looked over it and handed it to Lady Malfoy.

Healer Tonks looked to Lady Potter, where she sat in the sunroom. She looked so much happier than the first time he had seen her. She no longer jumped at every noise, or shrunk in on herself.

"You've made tremendous progress, Lady Potter. You've grown taller and put on some much needed weight as well."

Draco beamed and Holly blushed. She had tried very hard to continue eating healthy when they went to Hogwarts. She didn't want to be scrawny forever.

"There is a good chance that your growth will always be behind that of your peers. Trauma does take a toll, but your familial magic did it all it could to protect you. Do you plan to try out for the Quidditch team? I've heard you're quite good!"

Holly blushed and looked at Lord Malfoy who was grinning smugly, as was Draco, of course her father had been bragging about her. He took great pride in the Malfoy's always being the best.

"I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest."

"Well, you might want to start. Exercise will be important for keeping your strength up. Quidditch could help you manage all the excess magic you carry."

Holly nodded, she would consider it.

"Thank you Healer Tonks," Lady Malfoy replied.

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Holly's birthday was rapidly approaching. Lord and Lady Malfoy had been looking forward to this for a year. It was a chance to show Holly how much she was loved and appreciated.

Unfortunately, Draco's birthday fell during the school year and they had to merely send him a few trinkets and well wishes. Holly had expressed interest in celebrating their birthdays together during the summer, so Draco could still celebrate with the family. It was a splendid idea.

Shortly after the children left for school last September, Lady Malfoy had begun writing letters to magical snake dealers. It was an extremely rare familiar, but would clearly be the best choice for Holly, since she was a parseltongue.

Lady Malfoy wanted to procure a young magical snake for Holly so that they could grow together. With Lord Malfoy's blessing she wrote to the three major breeders, and asked if they would have anything suitable by next summer.

It took several months of correspondence, but in the end she was able to procure a magical black Python for Holly. The tiny snake had been kept in an enchanted enclosure in the kitchens, since it arrived two days prior. The house elves doted on the tiny thing.

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Holly stirred from her sleep. She looked out the windows to the side of her bed where the sun was shining bright.

It was her twelfth birthday today!

She sat up in bed quickly, and confetti rained down upon her. Holly looked around and realized that Mipsy was standing on the end of her bed with a red party hat perched between her large ears. She held a discharged popper in her hand, and had a radiant smile on her face.

"My wee mistress is twelve! Happy Birthday!" The small elf shrieked as she threw herself on Holly in a tight hug. It felt amazing, and slightly shocking to be so celebrated.

She observed the room over Mipsy's shoulder and realized that a layer of balloons and streamers covered the ceiling.

"Did you do this Mipsy?" Holly asked.

"Oh yes Mistress, Mipsy is doing it for Mistress when she was little, and the wee master as well. Now get up, your mother and father will want to see you, and the wee master. He is all excited."

Holly donned the dress Mipsy had put on display in the closet, a white eyelet dress with a drop hemline. She stashed her wand in the pocket, and left the closet.

Lady Malfoy was waiting for her on the couch, with a box in her lap. Holly went to her usual spot at her vanity, and Lady Malfoy followed.

"Happy Birthday my dear, I have new hair combs for you today. We had them commissioned for your birthday."

Lady Malfoy handed her the box, and Holly gasped openly when saw what was within. It was a set of hair combs, both beautiful but very different. One was gold with rubies inlaid into the intricate metalwork. The other was a stunning silver comb in the shape of a peacock, that had precious gems set into the feathers.

Holly felt tears prick her eyes, and she fought to hold them back to no avail. Tears leaked down her face. She felt so cherished.

Lady Malfoy handed her handkerchief to Holly, and lowered herself to sit next to Holly on her bench. She put an arm around Holly and hugged her close. When Holly had dried her tears, and composed herself, Lady Malfoy stood and began to braid her hair.

"The peacock comb is obviously a symbol of the Malfoy family, you know how your father cherishes his pets." It was true, Lord Malfoy doted on his peacocks as if they were babies.

"The gold and ruby one is something we felt James and Lily would have picked out, had they been here."

Holly swallowed hard, and stared at her lap. She thought about James and Lily fairly often. She wondered if they would be proud of her, if they would like who she was. She hoped so.

"It's okay to honor them. They'll always be precious to you, and you to them. You don't have to be exactly like your parents to love them. I loved my parents, even though they were less than ideal, the same with your father. I'm certain that Lily and James are incredibly proud of you."

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Holly held her new snake in her hand, allowing her friends and family to talk around her as she conversed with the little snake. It was black, but her scales shined an iridescent rainbow when the light hit them.

She was a sassy little thing.

"Mama, who are all these people, I am trying to sleep!" The snake hissed, and Holly chuckled.

"Patience little one, these are my friends. They are celebrating Draco and I's birthday, and then they will go home."

No one seemed to notice Holly conversing with the tiny snake except for Draco who was sitting next to her.

"She wants everyone to go home because she's trying to nap," Holly whispered to Draco, and they both laughed at her impatience.

"What will you name her?" Draco asked.

"I was thinking of Sally, after Salazar Slytherin."

Draco laughed, and reached out his hand for Sally, who slithered into his hand and curled up in a ball. "I think it fits."

Draco was more than happy with his presents, he had received two new brooms, and a host of other presents. Holly had received her own broom, and a host of other presents as well. Yet to both of them, Sally was the real prize.

She had taken to them immediately.

Lord Malfoy had informed them that Sally was a magical snake, which meant she would live far longer than a normal snake. Typically they would live for as long as the witch or wizard they were bonded to, often passing within a few days of their master.

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Draco sat in his father's study reading a book. They were having some private time together before they left for Paris the next day. Lady Malfoy and Holly were attending a ladies tea at the Parkinson Estate. Sally had insisted she be allowed to ride along in Holly's dress pocket.

Draco looked up from his book. His father was writing letters at his desk. Draco vacated the spot by the fire and went to sit in his seat in front of his father's desk. When Lord Malfoy was done he set down his quill and waited for Draco to speak.

"Mother and Lord Black had to do all that research on the Founder's Heirs, but why couldn't they just ask Luna? Wouldn't she know? I mean, she is a seer."

Lord Malfoy could see that Draco didn't mean any harm, he was genuinely curious. Seer's were incredibly rare, and families largely kept it a secret for the safety of the seer. In centuries past it was not uncommon for seer's to be kidnapped.

"It is dangerous to push a seer Draco. They live halfway between this world and the next. They see things that we can not imagine, possible futures that may or may not come to be. Sometimes they tell people, and sometimes they don't. They must judge for themselves what is best to share, because they will bear the guilt if something goes wrong. Too much meddling, and it can break their minds."

Draco looked down at his hands. He didn't want to hurt his cousin. He wanted to protect her.

"I'm sorry father, I didn't know."

"That's quite alright. You know now. Do you have any more questions?"

Draco straightened his back, and tried not to look upset by what he had just learned. He promised himself he would continue to keep an eye out for Luna.

"No father, I'll return to my book now."

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Lady Molly Weasley clutched the letter in her hands. The request within was most unusual, but she didn't see how they could refuse it.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was asking for Ginny to act as an informant on Lady Holly Potter. He assured her that it was for the good of the young Lady Potter. She had after all fallen in with a rather shoddy crowd. It couldn't be helped when her soulmate was a Malfoy, Lady Weasley supposed.

She wasn't sure how they could refuse, though it put Ginny in a terribly awkward position. Her youngest child idolized The Girl Who Lived. She saw her pictures in the paper when they left for Hogwarts, and had been all about her ever since.

If Ginny could succeed in befriending her, she worried that she might fall in with a Dark Magic crowd as well. Those families always tried to hide it under the guise of practicing The Olde Ways, but they had seen in the last war what was what.

She would have a chat with Ginny, and try to emphasize the importance of what she had to do. There was no guarantee that she would do it though, that girl was incredibly headstrong. She stashed the letter in her apron pocket, and busied herself. Arthur didn't need to know about this.

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The Black townhouse was stunning.

It was decorated in beautiful pastels and creams with gold accents everywhere. Luna proudly told Holly that her mother Pandora had been obsessed with the French Baroque period and had modelled the magical home in the style of Marie Antoinette's Petite Trianon.

Luna seemed like she belonged here. It was light, airy, and cheerful, just like Luna. Behind the house a garden bloomed with beautiful flowers. Luna would pick them and place them in her and Holly's braids to keep all manner of nasty creatures away.

Holly was grateful that they had been invited to stay with the Black's. It was lovely to be on holiday with their friends. She had never had a holiday with the Dursleys she had always been forced to stay with Mrs. Figg. The Diggory's stayed in the Black townhouse as well, and the boys could often be found flying over the gardens.

Lord Black had hired French curse breakers to work complicated concealment charms over the property so that the same concealment charms that worked on the house, now worked on the gardens and the air above it as well.

Holly joined them sometimes, though more often than not she found herself pulled into some other activity. She, Draco, Zach, and Hermione had been receiving oligarchy etiquette lessons together all summer. The lessons went far more in depth than anything else they had ever received.

Lord Black was an expert in magical history, and the Founder's families, and they soaked up all they could learn. They would need this knowledge in a few short years.

Holly could tell by the gleam in Zach's eye that he wouldn't wait as long as she would to claim his title. He would no doubt have an easier time as Lord Hufflepuff then she would as Lady Slytherin.

As Zach was fond of saying, "No one suspects a badger!" There would be those that automatically assumed the best of him, and the worst of her. They would have to work together to make sure their public images evened out over time.

They never talked about why they were receiving these lessons, and many of those not in the know assumed it was because of Hermione and Holly's muggle upbringing. Of course their soulmates would want to keep them company, it was only natural.

Sally, on the other hand, spent her days finding sunny patches of the townhouse to nap in, and creatures to chase in the garden.

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Holly followed Neville out onto the balcony of the Parisian apartment he and his grandmother were renting for the summer. Their friends and their families had infiltrated magical PAris for the summer.

"So, this is Lady Potter, is it?" Dowager Longbottom asked as she looked down at Holly. Holly held her head high. She would not be intimidated by the likes of Dowager Longbottom. She had what looked like a raven stuck on her hat, and was wearing a dress that surely must have reached its peak popularity in the Victorian Era.

"t's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Holly replied as she curtsied and gave the lady a kind smile. The woman looked back with scrutiny for a moment more, and then her face broke into a broad smile.

Neville snickered at his grandmother's side. "Gran does it to everyone, Holly. She's just sizing you up. "

Draco waved his wand to pull out a chair for Holly, and she took it with a grateful smile in his direction. Holly took the cup of tea offered by their house-elf and took a sip. She put the cup back in it's saucer and looked at Dowager Longbottom. She had removed her hat, and the smile now on her face made her look twenty years younger.

"You look a great deal like James," Dowager Longbottom noted.

"So I'm told," Holly said with a small smile, "apparently I have the same coloring of much of my lineage."

Dowager Longbottom smirked, and Holly wondered if the old woman didn't know far more than she let on.

"Well you certainly resemble Dorea, that's for sure. She was such a firecracker, we used to have such fun in our day!" Neville and Draco chuckled at Dowager Longbottom, it was so funny to hear her talk about her glory days.

"You were close with my grandmother? I have her journals! I found them in the Potter Vaults."

Dowager Longbottom blushed, "Yes, well, keep an open mind about her Hogwarts days. We were quite the troublemakers in our day. James got it from her, no matter what Charlus said. He was always trying to ruin our fun!"

Holly laughed at that. Draco frequently had to keep her out of trouble as well. They ate their breakfast, and Neville and Draco began a quiet conversation regarding magical plants. Holly felt the gaze of Dowager Longbottom on her, and raised her eyes to hers.

"Did you know," Dowager Longbottom enquired, "that Neville's soulmark is the sword of Gryffindor?"

Holly shook her head. Neville had never mentioned it. She assumed he wanted to keep it private, most people did. Neville shrugged at her briefly before he returned to his conversation with Draco, gesturing wildly as he explained some plant he wanted to find while in Paris.