Reader POV

The smell of hot chocolate cakes wafted in the air as students were finishing their meals. I looked over at Pollux seated with the Slytherins and Castor with the Ravenclaws. Since the rise of Voldemort, many students began treating them differently, though Pollux had it easier in Slytherin as many students had parents who were death eaters, some older students being death eaters themselves. My position as Head of Slytherin was often questioned, but I had the support of Professors McGonagall, Slughorn, and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"So how is your husband these days?" Alice Warren, Head of Ravenclaw, asked. She always made sure to pick on me since it was her older sister who Voldemort killed.

"He's not my husband," I said with a deadpan stare. "You can drop the pettiness, and I know you encourage Castor to be bullied in Ravenclaw. Such behavior might push him to join his father if he is the target of bullying, hm?"

"Are you implying he will join Voldemort?" Alice said louder, catching the attention of some students, Dumbledore, and professors.

"Peace, Alice." Dumbledore gave her a warning look. "Miss Livingston has more than earned her right to be here and you will treat her with respect, and her sons are not to be treated terribly either."

"If I had half the talent that Castor or Pollux had, I'd be the Minister of Magic himself!" Slughorn gave me an encouraging look. "You can't judge a boy by their kin, hm? Don't forget those boys are descended from powerful beings, their own mother owns the title for the undefeated champion of Hogwarts."

Alice looked embarrassed and only shoved food into her trap, much to the amusement of those who loved and supported me. Once dinner was over, I escorted Slytherin to the living quarters and bade them all goodnight. Pollux found me sitting by the fireplace grading work as I was now the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, much to Slughorn's disappointment since he wanted to have a permanent potion's master alongside him. Dumbledore however thought differently and volun-told me to be the DADA professor.

"Mum?" Pollux sat down and I put my quill down, happy to have my son talk to me. Things had gotten tense since he found out I filed divorce papers. He knew it was for the good, but he still couldn't forget his father. Violent and cruel as Voldemort is, no one could deny the dark lord was a good father to our children. And if memory served me correct, he also never raised his wand to them unless it was to float them in the air like airplanes as the children so much enjoyed when they were much younger.

"Yes, Lucky?" I gave him a warm look and moved over so he could get more heat from the roaring fire. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"I overheard Bellatrix Black talking with some of Dad's followers. Is it true that there will be a war?" Pollux looked more scared than ever. "Mum, I don't want to be the son of a man who is the biggest threat to the world, and not just ours."

I immediately hugged him, not caring that he probably didn't want anyone to walk in and see it-I was his mother for God's sake! "Lucky, you cannot ever deny your bloodline. You must embrace it, as terrible as the deeds your father has done. Take what he does and let that serve as a reminder that you are not him, that you are better than him. You are judged too harshly, but you must endure. Otherwise you will collapse and be trapped in such a state. Fuck what they all say, your true friends will support you because they know Pollux Livingston-Riddle, not Pollux, son of Lord Voldemort."

"I know," he leaned further into me and I was once again reminded that mature as my oldest was, he was still just a boy who had parentage that no one could compare with, both good and bad. "But Mum, I still see him as Dad. I know it's wrong, but I just can't understand how someone so loving could murder muggle-borns and muggles in cold blood. I don't want to be reminded constantly when I look in the mirror that I'm looking at Dad."

I leaned his head down and kissed his forehead, staring at him with nothing but love. It was true, Pollux looked and acted like his father in the same ways, but he was a kind and gentle soul who used to cry whenever Castor would by accident squish ladybugs or ants. He was always my wild child, but his heart more than made up for his lack of self-control as a child.

"You look like the man who I knew long ago. The man who placed those he cared about above all else, the man who is fiercely loyal to his closest allies and family. You and him are the same in that way, but you strive to be a better person. Unfortunately your father was rejected before he even came into this world and the world continued to reject him. In some ways, he is his own savior but his biggest downfall. That is why I raised you children with so much love, despite all the negative words towards you five. You are mine and that's what matters most." I held his hands, smiling warmly. "And I love you all. You are the reason why I strive to push myself and why I am so harsh on students in my class. I want you all to be better than those before you."

The smile on my face fell. "But I also understand we all must choose our paths. I know the plot to capture me, I overheard Bellatrix Black and Lucius Malfoy talking. The nerve of my own nephew! But regardless, I'd like to see them try to capture me."

Pollux broke into a smile and his laughter greatly comforted me. "Thanks, Mum. You're right, let them talk behind my back all they want. I have you and Castor at my side here, I'd like to see them try and bully me when my own Mum is their teacher and authoritative figure. I'm glad Castor's having it a little easier these days, that muggle-born girl Serena Lee is enamored with him and they stick together. I'm absolutely sure those two will get married, I keep seeing it in my dreams."

My happy expression turned to one of concern. "What do you mean by that, Lucky? What dreams do you have?"

"Sometimes I see things in dreams or if I'm staring into space and they actually happen," he explained. "I think muggles call it deja vu."

No. The Livingston curse for seeing the future has passed down to Pollux, despite my brother Philip going so far back in time and saving our future.

"Strange. Well please tell me if you have more so we can talk about it," I said with a kind smile. "Now off to bed, you have an exam in potions tomorrow and Slughorn is expecting you to pass with flying colors."

Pollux gave me one last hug and went to bed, running into Andromeda Black, a very shy but lovely girl. I wouldn't mind if she married him, and I knew all too well that many death eater's children or they themselves wanted to marry my son's to secure their place in Voldemort's ranks. They saw him as their coming wizard king, a figure they long for and hoped for. I had even gotten asked by Walburga Black for her favorite son Regulus Black to be betrothed to Daphne to not only secure the Black Family into ours but continue the pureblood status.

I had obviously turned down the offer since Daphne was still a toddler. True Regulus and Daphne weren't too far apart in age, but I didn't want my daughter's future to already be determined without any say. Even Abraxas had tried to secure a match, but I didn't like the idea of intermarrying my children into the Malfoy family again. Though most pure-blood families intermarried, I was not fond of the practice and found it repulsive for cousins to marry third, second, and first cousins.

My priorities were protecting my family, even from their own father. I knew all too well how important it was to never subjugate the children to just how badly their father's reputation had sunk, but they had the right to know. I would even kill to protect them if I absolutely had to.

With that in mind, I went to go find Castor and put Slughorn on duty so I could talk to my most gentle and sensitive son. He needed to know about the plan just in case anything went bad and we had to fight  Voldemort, it would be inevitable but I had hoped to delay it as long as possible.