Dora’s eyes were round as saucers as she looked between her mother and Hailey, thoughtful understanding replacing surprise on her face. 

Hailey hummed, uncertain. She had a strange sense about it, however, it was elusive. “Isn’t that another term for fairies?” 

“We believe that they’re related, but they aren’t the same species, no,” Andi answered, while Dora snickered quietly. 

Hailey frowned. “Related how? If I’m Fae, does that mean I’ll grow fairy wings then?”

Andi shook her head. “Not like that. We believe they came from the same place. Another world or plane of existence, known only to us as the Fae-Realm. Whether it has another official name or not, we don’t know. We honestly don’t know much about the Fae. They haven’t been seen on Earth for a very long time.”

Her frown deepening with her confusion, Hailey shook her head slightly. “If that’s the case… then how did I get here? Was my mum and dad Fae?” Something deep inside Hailey was nagging at her, trying to get her attention. She just wasn’t sure what that was. 

“Honestly? I don’t believe so. Even with magic, it would be difficult to hide that from everyone for all of their lives. It’s said that most pure blood families have some Fae in their bloodlines somewhere. It’s one of the reasons they marry into each other’s families so much,” she snorted. “Seems to be just making them weaker instead.

“I believe that you are Fae because, for whatever reason, your parents having a child has brought two seperate Fae bloodlines together with enough Fae blood to result in your birth. A random convergence of Fae heritage, you could say. House Black, the house that I was born into, had Fae ancestors if you go back far enough, so did the House of Potter.”

Hailey jolted in surprise, but before she could speak, Andi continued. “Oh, yes, you’re from a noble house as well, Hailey. The very last of the Potters, in fact. You are even related to Dora and I, which is another Fae bloodline in your favour. It’s possible that you got it from your mother’s side, too. Even if she was muggleborn, there’s no telling whether or not a Fae married into her family sometime in the distant past. There is an obscure book about Fae that I read once that said that for whatever reason, a Fae with a muggle tends to have a higher chance of producing a muggle, not a mage. But a Fae with a witch or a wizard has a higher chance of having a magical child - - often a fairly powerful one at that.”

Andi hesitated for a moment, looking conflicted. “There is… one other possibility, but I don’t put much stock in it though, I’m loath to even bring it up, just in case it worries you.” 

Hailey sucked in a breath. What was it that Andi was worried about telling her? “Please, I want to know.”

Looking concerned, Andi's hesitation was plain to see. “Please,” Hailey pleaded. 

The Tonks’ matriarch nodded her head, looking serious. “Okay, if you’re sure... Among the less knowledgeable populace, especially muggles and muggleborn is the idea of changelings. Fae switching out human offspring for their own. I doubt these stories though. I'm reasonably certain that they were just stories made up by people who wanted to blame someone on their child being different from them. It’s been said that even muggleborn children have been called changelings. 

“I also don’t believe that any parent in their right mind would send their child to a strange family, knowing that they’ll be different, that there would be every chance they’ll be killed for their otherness,” she took a sip of her juice before continuing. “On top of that, it’s known that the Fae-Realm has a much higher ambient magical concentration than Earth, making it uncomfortable for them. We believe that it’s one of the reasons that the Fae don’t appear anymore. There were… rumours of a war among the fae a long time ago, and there hasn’t been any news since then.”

Hailey thought about what Andi had said. It was a lot to take in, all at once. Could she be Fae? The slight feeling of another piece of the puzzle that was Hailey Potter’s life slotted into place. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. It was a tension that she hadn’t even known she had until it went away. It explained the part of her name that she had been missing until now. 

After taking a sip of her own juice, Hailey picked up her knife and fork and began eating again. “I’m Fae,” she said after swallowing. 

“We can’t be certain, but based on your ability to understand people by their names and your appetite for magic… it makes the most sense to me.”

Hailey shook her head. “No, I know I’m fae.” She tapped her heart. “In here. I just know.” 

Andi and Dora both were looking at her with identical surprised but also impressed expressions. 

“I wish I had that ability,” Dora said, sighing. 

Andi snorted. “You’re already a terror. And a metamorphmagus. Don’t be greedy.”

Hailey giggled and enjoyed her breakfast as the two Tonks women argued good naturedly with each other over who was greedier. The arguments made absolutely no sense to her, but she suspected that that was the point. 

After their argument had ended with all three having silly grins on their faces, Andi turned to Hailey. “Before I forget, Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is coming to visit today. She wishes to speak with you about your life with your family. Do you think you’d be up for that?”

Freezing partway to lifting her drink to her mouth, Hailey thought about Andi’s question seriously. Amelia Bones’ name made Hailey believe that she was tough but fair, but also someone that she should be able to trust. Hailey nodded. “I think so? I’m still just shocked about how much everything has changed for me so quickly.”

Andi lifted her hand up, as if she was going to ruffle Hailey’s hair again, but regret and sadness flashed in her eyes and she put her arm down. Hailey felt saddened too, that her own reaction had caused this to happen. “You’re allowed to feel off kilter. Everything has changed for you, I can understand that. I’m sure that Madam Bones would too, if I explained it to her, but we won’t be able to make her wait too long, either.”

Hailey sighed, looking down at her hands cupped in her lap. A giddy happiness flooded her and she felt her breath hitch slightly as she saw her knees poking out of the skirt that she was wearing for the day. I can do this. “No, it’s okay. I’m happy to talk to Madam Bones, especially if it means I get to stay here… with you.”

She wasn’t certain, but it looked like Andi’s eyes glimmered a little bit with unshed tears as she smiled at Hailey. “I’m happy to hear. I’d be thrilled if you could stay with us. I’ll go and owl her right away.”

Having said that, Andi stood up and swiftly left the room. Hailey turned to Dora. “Owl… her? What did she mean by that?” 

Dora smiled. “I’m still getting used to the idea that you of all people wouldn’t know about the magical world. It boggles my mind. Dumbledore really screwed up, didn’t he? Well… anyway, we’re fixing it now. So a lot of mages use magical owls to deliver letters to each other.”

Hailey’s nose scrunched up. “Don’t they make a lot of mess? And smell, and are loud? How do non magical people not notice them? How do they find anyone? How quickly?”

“Whoa, slow down there.” Dora laughed, holding her hands up in surrender. “The answer to most of those is yes, or magic.” She sat there with a cheeky grin on her face, looking at Hailey. Hailey crossed her arms and pouted. Dora rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright, just… don’t use that against me again, in the hands of someone as cute as you, that’s a weapon.”

Hailey blushed, secretly thrilled at being called cute, all while maintaining an innocent face as Dora explained some of the more intricate details of owl postal service. 

⚡️

A knock on her door startled Hailey, she had been heavily engrossed in Dora’s Madcap Magic For Wacky Warlocks book and hadn’t expected the knock. Her first instinct was to hide the book, like she used to have to back with the Dursleys. 

“Coming!” she called out, scrambling to get the door before whoever it was got too impatient. “Yes?” she asked, as she opened the door a little bit, peeking out from around it. 

Dora greeted her on the other side. She had changed the colour of her hair, it was now a greenish blue colour that reminded Hailey of the sea. It even seemed to be rippling like the ocean. Not that Hailey had ever seen the ocean, except for on TV. 

“Your hair looks amazing!” she gasped. 

Dora almost preened from Hailey’s compliment. “Thanks, cutie,” she winked as Hailey blushed. “Mum asked me to get you, Madam Bones will be here shortly. Just come as you are, okay? And don’t worry. You’ll do great.” 

Hailey stepped out, closing the door behind her with a click. She followed Dora into the lounge room, trying her best to calm her suddenly racing heart. The room was large and spacious, right next to the dining room. A large fireplace took up half of one wall, with a very large lounge suite sitting opposite, with two single seater lounges on either side. Andi smiled at Hailey as her and Dora walked in. Ted was standing near the fireplace, cleaning it with his wand for some reason. Hailey wasn’t sure when he had arrived home from work, probably wasn’t all that long ago, since he was still in his work clothes. 

Andi slowly and gently placed a warm, reassuring hand on Hailey’s shoulder. “Now, just remember to be polite with Madam Bones and we’ll have nothing to worry about, got it? Same goes for you too, Dora.”

Anxiously nodding agreement, Hailey stared around the room. Why are we in the living room and not at the front door? The answer to her question appeared, just as Dora was rolling her eyes and mumbling a “yes, mum.”

The fireplace burst into green flames, making Hailey jump, accidentally stepping on one of Andi’s feet as she stumbled back. She could see a woman spinning very fast inside of the green fire, before the flames vanished as the woman in question stepped into the living room, brushing off some soot from her clothes. 

“Ahh, evening, Andi, Ted, Nym- Dora. It is wonderful to see you all again,” Madam Bones said, nodding to each. Before frowning at Dora. “Why did I struggle to say your full name?”

Dora grinned at Madam Bones, before glancing at Hailey and raising an eyebrow in question. Hailey took a deep breath and stepped forward. “It’s because of me, Madam Bones.”

Madam Bones regarded Hailey with no small amount of scepticism. Hailey felt like Madam Bones was cataloguing every inch of her, from her lightning bolt shaped scar all the way down to her borrowed fuzzy bunny slippers. 

“Heir Apparent Potter, I am Amelia Bones, you may call me Madam Bones. Welcome to the magical world, at last. Now… why do you believe that you are responsible for my difficulty in speaking Nymph… Dora’s name,” she finished with a sigh after struggling with Dora’s name. 

Hailey was trying not to giggle, as was Dora. “Because I’m Fae.”

The shocked look on Madam Bones’ face was priceless, and Hailey couldn’t help but giggle. Her stern and unflappable face changing to shock was unexpectedly amusing, even Andi cracked a smile that she attempted to hide by her hand. 

Seeing Hailey and Dora laughing, Madam Bones’ scowled at them. “Heir Apparent Potter, this is certainly not the time for jokes.” She looked at Andi. “I'm disappointed in you, Andromeda. This is the kind of thing that I’d expect from your daughter, not you.”

“It’s true, though.” Hailey spoke up, making sure to get Madam Bones’ attention again. “We discovered it only this morning,” Hailey made sure to keep her expression completely serious this time, it wouldn’t do them any good to anger her any further. 

Madam Bones raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her. “Oh? This should be interesting.”

They moved into the dining room and sat at the table for their discussion. Ted provided drinks for everyone, Hailey even got given a Pepsi; apparently he and Dora enjoyed the taste of the muggle drink. 

“Now… What makes you say that you are Fae, Young Potter?” Madam bones took a sip of her drink, something called Gillywater… which just sounded weird to Hailey. 

Hailey, looking nervous, glanced over at Andi for help, who smiled and nodded encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, Hailey looked Madam Bones in the eye. “It’s because when I hear someone’s name, I can instantly grasp an understanding of that person. Not everything, just some general stuff. And the more of their names I hear, the clearer my understanding is.”

Madam Bones stared at Hailey for a moment before she glanced at Andi. “It’s true,” Andi said, nodding her head, “since we’ve met, Hailey has desired to know our full names and she’s somehow known things that her being raised by muggles would preclude. She commented on my name being wrong, my last name. Said that it was like a wound for me.”

The surprised look on Madam Bones’ face slowly morphed into a thoughtful one as she tapped her glass with her fingers. “And no one told you these things, Hailey? Is it alright if I call you Hailey?” She waited until Hailey bobbed her head with a happy smile, before continuing. “Thank you, dear. So, no one told you anything about Andromeda’s family situation?”

Hailey shook her head quickly. “No, ma’am. I didn’t even know about the magical world, or that I was a part of it, until I ran into a young witch, Hermione, who recognised me.”

“That certainly is an interesting gift, and it’s one that’s always been attributed with the Fae. But I don’t see any physical attributes that the Fae supposedly had. Pale skin, slender, and let’s not forget their ears are pointed as well. Hailey is skinny, sure and maybe a little pale but if her living conditions were as bad as Alastor reported, then that could account for that.”

Andi cocked her head to the side. “What about the fact that she drains the magic out of anyone or anything she touches if she’s not careful?”

Madam Bones’ eyebrows shot so far up her forehead, they all but vanished underneath her hair. “She does, does she? Well, that’s a new one.”

“It is my belief that Hailey’s Fae attributes have not yet surfaced because she did not have enough magic for them to do so. In fact, I believe that her skin has already paled in comparison to what it was when I first met her,” Andi responded, glancing at Hailey before looking back at Madam Bones. 

Ted shifted in his seat, before taking a sip with a sigh. “If that’s the case, then all we have to do is wait, and your theory will be proven.”

Both Madam Bones and Andi nodded at Ted’s comment. “Now… am I correct in believing that you intend to adopt Hailey, or at least request guardianship of her, until she’s of age?” 

Hailey’s chest suddenly felt like it was two times too small when all three Tonkses nodded happily. 

“I’ve always wanted a little sister!” Dora exclaimed, looking at Hailey with a happy little grin. Hailey felt her cheeks warm considerably as Ted and Andi turned to look at them, both looking pleased with Dora’s statement.