My mouth hung agape as I stared at her. ''But-But you're dead,'' I murmured as I examined her up and down. The ghost of a sympathetic smile danced on her face as she watched me in return.

''You've become so strong,'' she said, and I noticed the glistening tears in her eyes as she extended a hand toward my face, only to find her fingers grasping air, as she was not close enough to me.

The confusion was overwhelming but it mingled with caution. Because in the back of my mind I kept reminding myself that this was probably, surely, a trick from the Ministry, from Lillian.

I took a step back and watched her warily as I tightened the grip on my wand. ''You're not real. Everyone told me you were dead. Lillian, Dumbledore, the Ministry, even dad- Grindelwald,'' I corrected myself quickly.

Our relationship might have progressed onto a whole new level, but I had never intentionally called him dad before, not seriously, in any case.

Her eyebrows furrowed as her hand dropped to her side and I knew that somehow, my remark had hurt her in a way that I did not completely understand. It would've been extremely difficult to fake such deep pain if she truly was an impostor.

My head spun as we stared at each other, neither sure what to do, both in the need of talking, however, neither of us could start a conversation. How was one even supposed to do so when they ran into their supposedly dead mother?

Until reality hit me and I realized that we had been staring at each other stupidly for over a minute now. A minute filled with questions soaring through my mind, all different emotions following each other up as if queued. So I finally decided it had been enough and opened my mouth to speak, but to my utmost dread, voices had started rummaging outside and on the other side of the entrance doors.

It only took them a second to blast open the doors and make an entrance that none would quickly forget.

I spun around at the scene and covered my face as the falling debris tumbled to the ground. The explosion was quickly followed by sounds of distress mingling with those of victory, erupting from both parties.

It was only when I realized that I was in the middle of what was about to be a battlefield that I turned to Naomie and watched her smile sadly at me before disapparating and leaving me astounded and afraid.

Once the loud crack had announced her departure I looked back at the group now crowding behind their leader who stood only ten feet away from me, Lillian, who was staring, her mouth hanging open at the spot where Naomie had just been.

My thoughts clicked as I saw her expression; genuine surprise and shock. And it was at that moment, that I knew that whoever I had just been talking to, was not working for the Ministry. And upon seeing Lillian's reaction, I knew there weren't many other possibilities besides the one that my mother was indeed alive.

☘

There were a few numbing moments before I realized that I had no other option but to flee, otherwise, I would be caught in the crossfire of a battle I wish I wouldn't have to endure because I knew, that neither the Greater Good nor the Ministry of Magic, would allow their enemies to triumph over the other.

The cold shock of the strange occurrence and contact I had just had with my mother, or whoever it was, had not yet dissolved.

My disorientation vanished as I noticed the first few people coming from the room where Grindelwald had just given his speech. They were shouting something inside, and it was at that moment that I noticed Lillian's confused, shocked glare my way, and it was only just in time that I noticed her pointing her wand at me shockingly quick, having me jump out of the way and crashing to the ground, toppling on my arm at an unfortunate angle. And as I felt it snap beneath my weight, my eyes widened and tears threatened to spill immediately.

I heard a convincing crack behind me and realized that her spell must've hit a vase which had now burst into a million pieces, never to be recovered.

I gritted my teeth as I pushed myself off the ground with my good arm and it was then that it struck me I was in serious trouble. Lillian was out to kill me and she seemed to have the entire Ministry under her control, so she would probably get away with it, too.

I couldn't fight, my right wrist had broken, sticking out at a strange angle.

Tears had filled my eyes and I quickly pushed myself up on my feet before Lillian would get the chance to send another curse.

More people were filing into the narrow hallway as they formed two groups, standing opposite each other, hatred on their faces.

To my horror I felt the impact of another curse hit the ground behind me, missing me by only inches as I stumbled but managed to catch myself before I'd fall flat on my face. It was then that people started sending spells and curses at each other.

There was someone who came to my aid and slung her arm around my shoulder and supported me as we took cover in the mass of bodies. We pushed through the crowd, seeking shelter in the room where Grindelwald had just given his speech. I knew people were murmuring as they realized that I was the daughter of their great leader, and some threw curious glances and I unwillingly distracted them from the fight.

It was only then that I realized they started creating a path. But it was not for me. It was for Grindelwald, my father. Once he caught sight of me his expression remained plain, however, I could see in his eyes that he was distressed and concerned.

He came to me and threw a glance at the arm I was cradling to my chest, wincing at the consistent, throbbing pain in my wrist. Tears settled in my eyes and I lessened my efforts to keep them in.

''She's here,'' I muttered through gritted teeth. He watched me considerately for a moment before he said, ''Go home, to Nurmengard. Have the nurse take a look at that and wait for me to return, I can't have you meddling in this business, you won't be safe,'' he said. He glanced around at the people surrounding us, trying to fight off the Ministry.

''I need to know you're safe. Go, now. I'll come to the infirmary when I return and see how you're doing.''

He had his wand clutched in his hand and I glanced at it before I nodded and clasped my hand tightly as I disapparated and returned home, not knowing what would happen to all the people protecting me, and my father's cause.

☘

That might have been the first time I had done what he'd asked of me. However, it was the burning pain that had driven me over the edge, not my eagerness to obey him.

Currently, I laid in one of the beds at the infirmary, my arm in a sling and resting my head against the pillow as I gazed at the plain walls and ceiling, reliving the memories of what had happened before the fight broke out.

She couldn't have been from the Ministry; even Lillian herself had believed she had died. Or had it all been an act? It is possible, but the shock seemed to reach her very core, I thought as I ignored the dull throbbing in my wrist.

The nurse had taken care of it in less than ten minutes which I was quite grateful for. However, she had told me to stay and rest for at least a few hours so it could get the chance to heal properly and correctly.

It lay not in my nature to wait and see; when it came down to flee or fight, I would fight. And not knowing what was happening to the people back at the manor made me feel uncomfortable and uncertain.

I wondered how long it would take for Grindelwald to return because it had started to become quite boring sitting alone in the infirmary. And with nothing else to focus on the pain in my wrist only seemed to become worse.

The thing I was most occupied with at the moment was certainly the fact that I might have talked to my actual mother, the woman that brought me to this world and should've taught me how to live a life, but I was forced to learn that by experiencing ever thing and failing at it before learning the actual way to do it.

There had been so many questions during our eye contact, and so few words that I regretted not saying more. I wanted to get to know her for who she was and see her with the knowledge that she was my actual mother.

However, there remained a small part in the back of my head that urged me not to get too close and devote too much time to it, but I felt in my heart that the woman I had seen at the manor was my mother, and I knew that I would do anything to see her again.

I decided I was done sitting around, I could no longer hold my excitement and curiosity in. I needed to find my mother, I needed to talk to her. But before I could do that, I would have to find a way out of the nurse's reign of terror.

A grin came to my chapped lips as I looked through the small window of her office and saw her looking directly at me. As she stood up to make her way over to me, I started making annoying noises.

She approached me agitated and told me to be quiet so I explained while trying to keep in my grin, that I had to do something, otherwise she would be stuck with me making annoying noises for the rest of the night.

She didn't like the threat and I grinned at my victory as I proposed maybe I should get a book from the library so I could do something until my father would be back. I realized I enjoyed using his status to remind people who I was so they would listen to me.

She grunted and glared at me before she said, ''You won't be going anywhere. I'll get you a book while you stay put. I don't want to think about what he'd do to me if you would vanish,'' she stated suspiciously.

It wasn't perfect, but her absence would grant me the opportunity to leave anyways, so I decided not to make a fuss out of it.

So with a small nod, she spun around and started walking to the door, her hand resting on the rattling set of keys on her hip. I sucked in a breath as she reached for the door handle. If she'd lock me in the infirmary, I wouldn't be able to execute my plan and I would still be stuck here.

My mind was spinning as her hand closed on the handle and I watched her take her keys with wide eyes and I suddenly told her to stop. ''I wouldn't lock me in here. Think of what my father would do if he found out about it,'' I said daringly as I watched her stare at me momentarily.

''He would only praise me if he knew my reasons,'' she stated as she turned back around. ''Are you sure,'' I asked smugly as I raised an eyebrow. ''Would he believe you over me?''

I saw her swallow and knew my attempt had proven victorious. However, as the door closed behind her, I listened closely, waiting for the lock to click, but it didn't.

A grin came to my lips as I pushed myself up and my feet were about to make contact with the floor until suddenly the door opened and no other than Grindelwald came striding through the hall, immediately heading for me.

He had several cuts on his face, but they didn't look too serious, his expression, however, did.

His expression was unreadable as we made eye-contact and it made me uncomfortable. ''We need to talk, now,'' he said. His expression betrayed nothing of what was going on in his mind.

And it was only when the doors closed behind us, that I knew I had screwed up.