Chapter Text
Helene Potter laughed as she watched Teddy chasing Rose and Daisy around the beach. All three of them wore large smiles and they were laughing together. Teddy was chasing Rose and Daisy as “revenge” for dunking him in the water.
Knowing her children were safe, Helene leaned back and stretched out on her chair. The idea behind today's visit to the beach was to relax. Things had been stressful the last few years. Now a year after their move to Honolulu, Hawaii, things were starting to settle down.
Just as she was comfortable, Helene's cell phone rang. She sighed, sitting up to grab the device. With a glance at the screen, she had a face of distaste before answering. It was Rachel Edwards, Teddy's friend Grace's mother. Helene and Rachel didn't get along the best.
“Morning Rachel,” Helene said, her eyes finding her children playing near the waves.
“Can you take Grace for the day?” Rachel asked without a greeting.
“Yeah,” Helene replied. “I can pick her up in twenty. Have her pack a swimsuit.”
Rachel and Helene exchanged a few more words before hanging up. Helene stood up and placed the phone in the back pocket of her yellow short shorts. She folded up her chair and grabbed her bags before waving the children over. Daisy reached her first followed closely by Rose and Teddy.
“How do you guys feel about spending the day with Grace?” she asked. Helene already knew the answer.
Teddy smiled while Daisy squealed and Rose cheered.
Helene laughed. “Get your things,” she told them, “we need to go pick her up.”
Teddy, Rose, and Daisy quickly gathered their things while Helene slid her feet into her yellow sandals. Once they had everything, Helene followed behind her children as they ran to her red Honda CRV. Helene opened the truck and placed her chair and her blue beach bag in there as her children stuffed their things in. Teddy closed the truck as Helene helped Rose and Daisy into their seats. The pair had outgrown their car-seats a month ago.
Once the girls were taken care of, Helene joined Teddy in the front seat. The drive from the beach to the Edwards' wasn't long. Helene punched in the gate code and pulled into the driveway. While Helene wouldn't consider herself and Rachel friends, their children were.
Rachel had the door open before Helene was even there, and she could feel Rachel's eyes inspect her outfit: a see-through white tank over a blue, yellow and white bikini top with a pair of short yellow shorts with the blue bikini bottoms visible.
“She'll be right out,” Rachel said, her smile forced.
Behind her dark sunglasses, Helene rolled her eyes. She returned Rachel's forced smile.
Grace came running out a moment later. She paused long enough to give her mother a hug and greet Helene before racing to the CRV. Helene waved to Rachel before following Grace.
A few moments later, Helene was pulling out the Edwards' driveway. There was silence for a minute before Grace started talking with Daisy and Rose.
“Where do you wanna for lunch?” Helene asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.
“The Shrimp Truck,” Grace answered with a smile. She loved going there. It probably had something her Danno and his team eating there regularly.
Teddy, Rose, and Daisy agreed. Teddy loved The Shrimp Truck while Daisy and Rose wanted to go because Grace wanted to go there.
“The Shrimp Truck it is,” Helene said, shaking her head. Why she bothered asking was beyond her. Whenever Grace was with them, which seemed to becoming increasingly often, they ate at either The Shrimp Truck or Wailoa Shaved Ice.
The drive to The Shrimp Truck wasn't long. Helene parked and the children rushed out of the car. She watched Grace look around before her shoulders slumped. It would be appear that her dad, Danny Williams, wasn't here again.
Helene had yet to meet Grace's Danno, but he sounded like a great guy. He moved from New Jersey to Honolulu so he could see Grace – and he stayed, despite the fact that he hated the island. He was detective on the Hawaii 5-0 Task Force. He tried to spend as much time with Grace as possible, and he was a loving father.
She climbed out the car with a purse before walking over to the line. There wasn't much of a line today, and Helene only had to wait ten minutes.
“Afternoon, cousin,” Helene said, smiling the truck owner, Kamekona.
“Afternoon, cous,” he said with a smile and a wink. “What can I get you?” he asked.
“Garlic shrimp and a Sprite, please,” Grace answered with a smile.
“Shrimp Kabobs and a passion orange,” replied Teddy.
“One shrimp fried rice and two lemon-butter shrimp with an orange soda, an iced tea, and water,” Helene added.
Kamekona scribbled all of the orders down.
Before he could give the total, Helene handed over her credit card and shoved a five into the tup jar.
While they waited for their food, the children ran around the area and played with Helene watching over them. Grace squealed and raced pass Helene, over to a man with brown hair and dark eyes, and a muscular build. There was a badge and a gun on his hip.
Helene followed Grace.
“Uncle Steve,” Grace said, running into his arm.
The man, Steve, picked her up and said, “Gracie.”
Helene assumed this was Grace's dad's boss and partner, Steve McGarrett. Still, Helene continued to approach the pair while keeping an eye on her children.
“Uncle Steve,” Grace said with a smile, catching sight of Helene, “this is Helene, Teddy's mom.”
Helene ignored being called Teddy's mom, and she didn't bother to correct Grace. Most people called her Teddy's mom because they looked alike with dark hair and Teddy did call her mom, sometimes. People did know she was actually Teddy's godmother and legal guardian, but it was simply easier to call her Teddy's mom. The same held true with Rose and Daisy.
Steve looked her over narrowed eyes.
She was used to that look. She looked too young to have a ten year-old. “Helene Potter,” she said, holding her hand out.
“Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett,” he said, shifting Grace as he shook Helene's hand.
Helene raised an eyebrow at the use of his title, but she didn't say anything.
“Is my dad coming?” Grace asked, stealing Steve's attention.
He glanced over at her, taking in her hopeful eyes. “He will be,” he promised with a smile. Danny was back at the office working on a report, but he would drop it to spend time with Grace. Steve offered Grace a smile before setting her down. He pulled out his cell phone and walked off to make a call.
With a larger smile, Grace ran back over to her friends and she resumed playing with Teddy, Rose, and Daisy. Helene stole a glance at Steve before claiming one of the larger tables. She had a feeling they would need the space.
A moment later, Steve sat down across from her. He kept glancing at Helene from the corner of his eye. He probably wanted to “talk” to her, but he was waiting for Danny to arrive before beginning the interrogation.
Kamekona brought their orders to the table, including Steve's and a few others.
Helene offered Kamekona a smile before whistling, the signal to her children. They knew that meant to hurry over. They ran over with Grace. The children quickly arranged themselves around the table. Daisy was seated next to Rose, who was next to Grace. Grace pulled over the other order of garlic shrimp, probably saving it for her dad. Teddy sat next to Daisy. Somehow, Helene ended up with an empty spot on either side of her, but Steve moved to take one.
The group started to eat with a small conversation flowing. Teddy, Rose, and Daisy were asking Steve questions about the island and his job. Grace joined in the conversation.
Five minutes later, three more people joined them. A blonde man Helene recognized as Danny, and he was short – not that Helene had much room to talk since she was five foot one inch. There was a Hawaiian woman with long black hair, and a Hawaiian man with black hair and a frown.
Grace jumped up and raced over to her dad before pulling him to the table. Everyone quickly took a seat, and it was a tight fit. Danny was next to his daughter and the Hawaiian man, and the Hawaiian woman took the spot next to Helene.
“Dad, that's Daisy, that's Rose, that's Teddy, and that's their mom, Helene,” Grace said, pointing to everyone.
Helene offered Danny and the two strangers – who were probably Kono Kalakaua and Chin Ho Kelly – a wave and a smile.
Introductions were made before everyone turned to their food. It was crowded around the table, but no one complained.
“Where are you from?” Steve asked, taking a bite of his shrimp.
“London,” Helene answered. She knew this interrogation was coming. “I was born in Wales, grew up in Surrey, attended a private boarding school in the Scottish Highlands, and I spent most of my adult life in London.”
questions came from all four cops, and Helene answered most of them. Teddy, Rose, and Daisy were able to answer a few. Final, one of the questions Helene was dreading came.
“Why did you move here?” Danny asked.
Helene sat her fork down and she glanced over at her children. They were busy talking to Grace. They remembered why they moved, but they didn't know all of the details and Helene didn't like talking about it around them.
“The terrorist attacks,” she replied. As far the Muggle World knew, everything that was magical that bleed over into the Muggle World was labeled a terrorist attack. There were a number of them over the years.
That caught the cops off guard. A look of pity crossed Danny's and Kono's face.
The subject was changed, but the cops continued to interrogate Helene.
After lunch, Danny took the rest of the day off and went with Helene and the children to the beach. After an afternoon at the beach, Danny took Grace to dinner while Helen took her children home.
...
There were a lot of reasons to leave England, and there weren't many to stay. Everyone was dead – while pretty much everyone was dead. For Teddy, it started with his parents. Tonks and Remus Lupin died during the Battle of Hogwarts when they were murdered by Death Eaters. Ted Tonks, Teddy's grandfather, had been killed during the Muggle-born Registration Commission. Andromeda Tonks was killed in a post-war attack on Diagon Alley.
After the Battle of Hogwarts, everyone had foolish believed the war was over. The Ministry of Magic had declared it was over, and everyone believed them. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was dead, killed by Helene Potter. Therefore there was no further danger.
Five months passed before the attacks started. In those months, Helene took her NEWTS and enrolled in the Auror Academy with Ron and Neville. The first few attacks were virtually unnoticed. The first large attack happened at Diagon Alley on Halloween. Andromeda was visiting the Alley that day, and she was among the causalities.
After Andromeda's death, Helene quickly took custody of Teddy. He didn't have any family left. The Malfoys' refused to acknowledge his existence, even if he was the Black heir through Helene. With Teddy to look after, Helene decided to drop out of the Auror Academy. She had other duties – duties she deemed for important.
Helene raised Teddy with assistance from Mrs. Weasley, who saw Teddy as a grandson. Through spending time with Mrs. Weasley, Helene found she had a passion for cooking. She grew up cooking for the Dursleys, which she hadn't enjoyed. But she found enjoyment in cooking for herself and others – cooking what she wanted, not what she was ordered to make.
The attacks happened randomly. The timing was random, some attacks happened days apart and others happened months apart. In between the attacks, life went on. Kreature got older, and Helene hired Winky to replace him.
Around Teddy's fourth birthday, Ron and Hermione got married and they announced the upcoming arrival of their first child. Rose Josephine Weasley was born on the fourteenth of September. Helene was named the godmother and Neville was the godfather.
A little over a year after Rose's birth, Helene received a letter from her cousin, Dudley. He needed to see her. They met on a snowy Saturday in December. Dudley was dying, he had cancer and treatment wasn't going well. He wanted Helene to take his daughter, Daisy Margaret Dursley. She took after Helene and Aunt Lily in having magic, and Dudley didn't want his daughter to end up with his parents. The adoption was finalized two months before Dudley's death.
Everything started to follow apart before Rose's fourth birthday. Helene looked after Rose during the day, while Ron and Hermione worked. Ron was an auror and Hermione was employed at the Ministry. Hermione died in an attack on the Ministry, it was the same attack that killed the Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Ron and most of his family died in an attack two weeks later. Mrs. Weasley was hosting a family dinner when The Burrow was attacked. Helene was at the movies with Teddy, Daisy, and Rose when the attack happened. Apart from Rose, the only surviving Weasleys were Bill and his family. Last Helene heard, they changed their names and they lived with Fleur's family.
After the attack on The Burrow, Rose was taken by the Ministry. Helene was refused custody because she was a single woman. To be granted custody, she needed to marry. So, Helene planned. She packed their belongings and arrived to leave the country, headed to the United States. The night before they left, Winky kidnap Rose in the middle of the night. Within a few hours, Helene and her children left the country.
She got asylum in the United States, and she quickly decided to live in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was the furthest she could get from England, and the weather was opposite. The first few months, they lived at the Hilton. Things were stressful the first few weeks. Everyone was sunburnt and feeling sick. Teddy, Rose, and Daisy were having a tough time at school. Helene was trying to find a house and get all the paperwork sorted. Things started to improve when Teddy befriended Grace Williams.
After two and a half months, Helene found a nice two-story house with a basement and nice yard. It was on the market three months, and Helene got the place at list-price. Helene and her children moved in two weeks later. Thanks to Winky, the house was set up and dinner was waiting.
...
Helene growled as she tossed her cell phone onto the passenger seat. Rachel was up to something. Helene certain of that much. It was Friday, and Helene knew it was Danny's weekend with Grace. Grace had been talking about it most of the week.
Whatever was going on, Helene wanted out of the middle. She liked Danny, and she hated seeing him go through whatever this was with Rachel. Helene started her CRV and headed to the school to pick up her children and Grace.
Luckily, Helene had Danny's number. She planned to call him after getting the children from school. If he still planned on having Grace for the weekend, Helene had no trouble lying to Rachel.
When she arrived to the school, Helene climbed out of her car and walked towards the school with a group of parents. She smiled and waved at a few. Most of the mothers were in Rachel's circle of friends, and she knew they tended to gossip about everything. She hoped to avoid being the center of gossip.
Helene stood in the hallway, waiting for the children. The bell rang, and the hallways filled with noise. Students came walking and running. Some found their parents, others headed for the bus, and the rest headed outside.
Teddy and Grace were in the same class. They both rushed over to Helene. Teddy gave her a hug before heading off to find Rose and Daisy. He was a good older brother.
“Grace,” Helene called out before the young girl could run off to find either of her parents, “your mother called and she asked me to watch you this weekend.”
Grace's face fell and she turned away as she crossed her arms.
Helene took a deep breath and balled her hands into fists. She really hated being in the middle of the Rachel Edwards and Danny Williams drama. Grace had it worse though. Grace adored her dad and she wanted to spend time with him, but Rachel wanted to limit that.
Teddy, Rose, and Daisy joined them a moment later. The group headed out to the CRV with Helene carrying Grace's overnight bag. The schoolbags and the overnight bag went into the truck before everyone piled into the car.
Helene drove them to a small cafe a few blocks away from the Hawaii 5-0 Task Force Headquarters. Grace didn't know how close it was to her dad's office, and Helene had no intensions of telling her. It was Friday and there was no school on Monday. Helene searched online for an hour before she finally had an idea.
She left the children at the table. Teddy and Grace were working on their homework and they were helping Rose and Daisy with hers as they munched on pastries. Rose and Daisy didn't need the help, but they liked the attention. With one last glance at the children, Helene wondered outside and pulled out her cell phone and she dialed Danny's work phone.
“Williams,” he answered after the second ring.
“Danny, it's Helene,” she said, glancing through the window to check on the children. They were fine, like they were a moment ago.
“Hi Helene,” he said, his voice tense.
“I'm guessing you spoke to Rachel,” she stated. While she and Danny weren't close, they were friendly. There was a small underlying tension between them, but not enough to explain Danny's voice tone.
“Yeah,” Danny answered, “she told me that Grace wanted to spend the weekend with you.”
Helene rolled her eyes. That sounded like Rachel. “Funny, she told me that you were too busy for Grace this weekend,” Helene said. “I was planning to take my kids to Maui as a surprise,” she said. It was a recent idea, about thirty minutes old. “I wanted to extend an invitation to you to join us. We're leaving this evening.”
They spoke for a little longer, working out some of the details. Helene had a two-room suit paid for and a few activities planned. They were meeting up and leaving from the airport together, it was as much a surprise to Grace as Teddy, Rose, and Daisy.
“I'll see you then,” Helene said before hanging up. She turned and entered the building, rejoining Teddy, Rose, Daisy, and Grace.
They stayed at the cafe a little long before climbing back into the CRV. Helene drove them home, where she instructed Teddy, Rose, and Daisy to pack a bag for the weekend. The three looked thrilled to learn they were going on vacation and ran off to pack with Grace trailing after them.
With the children districted, Helene dashed up to her room. She pulled out a small suitcase and started tearing through her closet. When she found something she like, she threw it on her bed, missing the suitcase. Once she selected her clothes and shoes, she folded and neatly packed everything in her suitcase. She added a few things before zipping the suitcase up. When she turned around, the clothes and shoes were cleaned up. Helene smiled, she grabbed the suitcase and left the room.
Downstairs, she packed several things into another bag, including their passports and her collection in chargers. Helene checked over her purse, double checking she had everything. Teddy, Rose, Daisy, and Grace came downstairs. Each of Helene's children had their suitcases packed and another bag in hand. Without her prompting, Teddy, Daisy, and Rose took their homework out of their schoolbags and stuck them in their other bags.
“Grab something to eat,” Helene told the children as she grabbed two of the four suitcase. She took them outside and loaded them into her trunk before returning for the other suitcases.
The flight she booked was leaving at seven. Helene planned to meet Danny at the airport at six and check-in together. It was a short flight.
When Helene entered the kitchen, she found the children around the bowl of grapes and munching on them. Helene smiled and grabbed an apple. They spent a few minutes in the kitchen, talking and eating. Teddy, Grace, Rose, and Daisy tried to pry the surprise, or any information, out of Helene, but she wasn't sharing.
After eating, the group piled into the CRV and took off to the airport. Helene parked, and everyone collected their luggage. The walk from the parking lot to the airport wasn't long. When they neared the Hawaiian Airlines counter, Helene noticed Danny wasn't waiting for them. She checked her phone and didn't see any messages.
Helene got in line. They waited a few minutes before Danny arrived. The moment Grace had spotted him, she dropped her bags and ran towards him. Danny picked her up and laughed. They exchanged a few words before joining Helene, Daisy, Teddy, and Rose in line.
...
The flight was short and they rented an SUV before driving to the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea. The car was taken by the valet and their bags were unloaded. Check-in went smoothly, and the bellman took up to their room. Soon, they got settled for the night.
The four children were sharing one of the rooms. There were two full-beds and a trundle set up. There were two sections to it: the first had the two beds with a nightstand and a dresser, and the second was the long hallway-like area that led to the closet. That space was long and wide, and where the trundle bed was set up. Rose and Daisy shared one of the beds, leaving the second for Grace, and Teddy took the trundle bed.
The second room was the master suite with a large king-sized bed, two nightstands with a lamp, a television on top of the dresser, and a full bathroom attached. Danny decided to take the couch.
...
Saturday started with Teddy, Rose, Daisy, and Grace jumping on Helene's bed to wake her up. The four children giggled while Danny looked on from the doorway. An hour later, they were headed out of the suite and to a local restaurant for breakfast. They were seated outside and after ordering, the children ran around, playing with some other children. Danny and Helene were left at the table.
“Why Maui?” Danny asked, taking a sip of the iced water in front of him.
Helene shrugged. “We moved to Honolulu about a year ago,” she explained. “I haven't seen much outside the United Kingdom, and I guess I want Teddy, Daisy, and Rose to get experiences I didn't.”
Danny nodded, taking another sip of his water.
Glancing over at the children, Helene kicked her legs up onto Rose's chairs. She stretched her legs out and got comfortable. She leaned back in her chair and quickly got relaxed.
“What islands have you seen?” Helene asked, glancing over at Danny.
He though a moment before answering, “Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui.”
Helene nodded, not saying anything.
Silence fell between them until the waister brought their food, which brought the children back to the table.
...
The day passed quickly. They spent the day doing a bunch of tourist attractions. They went to the Maui Ocean Center where they walked around and through the acrylic tunnel, and looked at the 750,000-gallon tank that surrounded them. Rose had fun learning about the different fish and mammals. Her favorite was the humpback whale.
After the Maui Ocean Center, they stopped by a local diner for lunch. They spent lunch discussing what they wanted to do. Teddy wanted to go snorkeling, Rose wanted to go whale watching, and Daisy wanted to visit historical sites. All Grace wanted to do was spend time with her dad. Helene wanted to visit a beach or two.
Helene and Danny decided to take the children on the Sugar-Cane Train. The Sugar-Cane Train was a genuine 1890s train, and it rode along the Lahaina-Kaanapali Railroad. The train went passed some of the historic Lahaina town, the resorts and beaches of Kaanapali, and there were some humpback whales frolicking in the Pacific Ocean.
They split up for the evening. Danny and Grace took the SUV to go off and do something. Helene, Rose, Teddy, and Daisy had fun at the resorts. They spent sometime at the pool before checking out some other things. They ate dinner in one of the resort restaurants and spent the evening watching television.
...
They started off Sunday by grabbing something quick to eat before piling into the SUV and driving to Hana in East Maui. Visiting Hana was like stepping back in time. It was undeveloped and pristine. There was a sense of tradition in the air. Everyone had a good time. Daisy got to visit a historical site and Rose loved learning about the history behind it. Teddy and Grace decided it would be perfect for a group project while Helene took a bunch of pictures and Danny had fun with Grace. Before leaving, they grabbed a quick bite to eat.
From Hana, they went to Hana Beach Park. When they got to the beach, Helene laid out her beach towel before taking her tank top, shorts, and sandals off. She ran into the waves with Teddy, Grace, and Rose. Danny and Daisy stayed on the beach.
After playing in the waves and swimming around a little, Helene came back onto the shore. There was a lifeguard keeping an eye on people in the water and Danny was watching them. Helene had taken extra precautions by placing charms on each of the children.
She grabbed her sunglass as she settled onto her towel. She laid back onto it, and stretched out. If she wanted to, she could use a Drying Charm to dry herself off, but Helene wanted to kicked back and relax. This also allowed her to tan her pale skin.
As she relaxed, Helene heard laughter. She didn't think anything of it since Teddy, Rose, Daisy, and Grace always laughed when they were at the beach. What she didn't expect was to be dosed with warm water. When the water hit, Helene leapt into the sitting-position and she glared at the giggling children. Before any of them knew it, she was up and off of her towel, chasing after them.
Danny, who avoided getting wet, laughed as he watched Helene chase after her children and his daughter. Eventually, she got them back into the ocean and she started a splashing war. While the four children ganged up against Helene, she was able to turn them against each other a few times. The whole time they swam around and splashed each other, laughing all the while.
An hour later, Helene left the ocean with the children close behind her. Helene laid down on her towel for a few minutes, letting the sun and a few silent Drying Charms do their work on drying her off. When she was dry enough, Helene got up and she pulled on her denim shorts over her poke-a-dot bikini bottoms.
Rose, Teddy, Grace, and Daisy convinced Danny to help them build a sandcastle. Helene observed them for a little before joining in. Together the group spent around an hour working on the sandcastle and turning it into a masterpiece.
“It's the Williams-Potter Castle,” Teddy declared as he placed a shell on top of the highest tower.
Rose and Daisy nodded.
Helene felt something warm in her heart and she smiled at her children. Maybe she would look into changing their last names or something. They were a family – like how the Weasley and Sirius were her family when she was a teenager. Helene was the parent Teddy, Rose, and Daisy knew and were use to. Teddy didn't remember his grandmother, let alone his parents. Both Rose and Daisy did have memories of their parents, but they were few and some were starting to fade.
Grace smiled at her friends and didn't comment. She probably knew Teddy, Rose, and Daisy considered themselves Potters.
Once they finished the sandcastle and took a number of pictures, the group prepared to leave the beach. Helene pulled her tank top and sandals back on as she headed to the SUV.
They returned to the resort, and Helene ordered takeout from a local restaurant recommended by the concierge. The group ate on the small balcony overlooking the beach and the pool.
The children went to bed, and Helene found herself drinking on the balcony with Danny. They talked, mostly getting to know one another better. Eventually the terrorist attacks came up. Danny told Helene about September 11, 2001, when he lost his partner, Detective Grace Tillwell.
“Is your Grace named after her?” Helene asked.
Danny nodded, “Grace Mary Williams.”
Helene took another sip of her wine. “I plan to name my kids after my parents or my godfather or my best friends.”
Danny looked at her. He didn't remember Grace mentioning anything about Helene's parents, and Helene spoke of them in the past tense, so he was willing to guess they were dead. “How'd your parents died?”
“They were murdered when I was fifteen-months,” she said, omitting several of the details.
“Who was it?” Danny asked.
“The Death Eaters.” The name carried over into the Muggle World, but the Death Eaters were classified as a terrorist cult or something.
“I thought that was group from a few years ago?”
Helene nodded. “They're the same.”
Silence fell between them.
...
Monday morning found Helene waking up with a hangover and company in her bed. She remembered most of the night before and she knew she didn't have sex with Danny. Something had changed between them last night. There was a new understanding between them or something. Helene found that she didn't mind. Whatever tension used to exist between them was gone.
Helene rolled out of bed, and she randomly grabbed some clothes before entering the bathroom. She took a quick shower before getting dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. When she returned to the room, she found Danny was slowly waking up. Helene pulled on a pair of sandals and she braided her hair. Finished, she went to check on the children. Helene found Teddy was awake and packing his bag while Grace was the bathroom and Rose and Daisy were sound asleep. Since it was their last day in Maui, there wasn't much planned. They were visiting another beach, and they would wonder around to do some shopping. Their flight left at six.
Helene and Danny spent the day trailing after the children as they moved from shop to shop. At some point, they found an arcade. Grace led Daisy, Rose, and Teddy through every game and collected the tickets. The tickets were divided up evenly between the four before they picked their prizes. Teddy got a slinky, Rose got some candy and a stuffed bunny, Daisy got a necklace and a stuffed cat, and Grace got a picture frame.
Before heading to the airport, the group stopped off at a cage and bought something to eat. Their time at the Maui airport was short, and the flight was short as well. They grabbed a light dinner together before Helene returned Grace to her mother. She would have preferred to let Danny do it, but it was best if Helene did it.
Chapter Text
Before Helen knew it, December had started. Christmas and New Years were a few weeks away. She had seen very little of Grace lately. Grace was busy helping Rachel and Stan, her stepfather, prepare for the arrival of their child. The child was schedule to born sometime in late-January to early-February. When she wasn't with the Edwards, Grace was spending time with Danny.
Surprisingly, Helene saw a fair amount of Danny during this time. Whenever they crossed paths, they had lunch together. Helene didn't bother to mention anything to Teddy, Rose, and Daisy about it.
Most of December passed with Helene at home or at the courthouse. It was a spur of the moment decision, but Helene decided it was time to official adopt each child into her family by giving them her last name for Christmas. It was a long and boring process. While she was at the courthouse, Helene ran into Danny and the rest of the Five-Oh team a few times. That was when she met Lori Weston, the only member of the Task Force she hadn't met.
It was over lunch with the team when the question finally came up. Why did she want Teddy, Rose, and Daisy to have her last name? Helene couldn't remember who asked, freezing up at the question.
“I know they want my last name,” she told the team with a shrug. She had seen each of her children write their names as Teddy Potter , Rose Potter , and Daisy Potter .
“Why did you give them their fathers' names?” Kono asked.
“They came with them,” Helene answered. That was a stupid question. Teddy, Rose, and Daisy had last names when she adopted each of them. At the time of the adoption, she didn't bother giving any of them her name.
Honestly, the idea had never occurred to her. While Helene saw each of them as her children, she also saw them as the children of her friends and family. No matter what, Teddy would always be the son of Tonks and Remus Lupin. He was as much their son as he was Helene's. She saw Rose and Daisy the same way.
She was met with multiple sets of confused eyes.
Helene sighed, rolling her eyes. Surely this information would have come up in the background check someone had ran on her. “I'm their godmother,” she explained. “I adopted Teddy when I was nineteen, Daisy when I was twenty-four, and Rose last year. They came with last names, and I dind't want to change them. Teddy's dad was a friend of my parents, Daisy was the daughter of my cousin, and Rose's parents were my best friends.”
Reaching out, Danny squeezed her hand. The action was noticed by his team members, which resulted in a change of subject.
Two days later, Helene's mission was accomplished, a week early. The new paperwork was accompanied by a letter signed by Governor Denning. Helene smiled as she wrapped the presents, knowing Steve and Danny had done something to speed up the process.
For the time being, Helene simply added Potter to the end of each child's name. When they were older, Teddy, Daisy, and Rose had the option to hyphenate.
After she finished wrapping the presents, Helene decided to bake the Task Force and the Honolulu Police Department several dozen cookies.
...
After all of the presents were opened, Helene gave Teddy, Rose, and Daisy a final gift. Each child had a framed copy of their birth certificate and a new passport. At first, none of them noticed the addition of Potter, so they didn't understand the meaning of the gift. Rose spotted it after a few minutes when she opened her passport. Her eyes widened at the sight of Rose Helene Weasley Potter . She squealed, leaping up to hug Helene. Teddy noticed it next and he happily showed his to Daisy as Edward Remus Lupin Potter . Daisy was thrilled with her own Daisy Valerie Dursley Potter .
The day after Christmas marked the beginning of Teddy's magical education – and to some extension that of Rose's and Daisy's. Helene planned to teach them all potions, but Daisy and Rose would start at a slower pace. Teddy had some training. He knew how to handle a knife, and Helene had taught him different cutting and dicing techniques, which Rose and Daisy needed to learn.
...
The following weeks passed quickly. The days were blur of teaching the children about potions, teaching Teddy magical theories and beginning easy spell work, taking photographs of this and that around the island, and attending various events around the island.
New Years came and went. Helene stayed up with Rose, Daisy, and Teddy to watch the ball drop in New York City, and she decided to write down her resolution for the year. It was nothing big, but hopefully it would help her feel less restless. She wanted to get a job of some kind, maybe either in cooking or photography. In her spare time, Helene decided to start a blog, detailing things about the island.
When the children returned to school, Helene took the time to look for a job and focus on her photography. It started as a hobby back in London. It was a way to get outside and walk around, documenting the things around her. Overtime, her skills in photography had developed. As her skills improved, she bought a better camera.
Within a week, Helene found a job at a small, local bakery. The owner had sought her out.
...
“My husband has nothing but good things to say about you,” Ailani Kalakaua declared, cornering Helene in the HPD break room when Helene was delivering her weekly baked goods. This week Helene's delivery included her pineapple cupcakes.
Helene watched with wide eyes as the woman finished her cupcake.
Ailani smiled. “You're hired!” she declared, looking at Helene with narrowed eyes, as if daring the young woman to question her decision.
“Who are you, again?” Helene asked. The woman had briefly introduced herself as Ailani.
“Ailani,” the woman replied. “What time can you start on Monday?”
“Around nine?” Helene replied. She dropped Teddy, Rose, and Daisy off for school at eight.
“Perfect,” Ailani nodded, she thrusted her business card into Helene's hands. “You'll need to come by Friday, so we can fill out your paperwork.” Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her cell phone. “What's your number, sweetie?”
At the sight of the woman's grin full of teeth, Helene quickly answered all the questions she had. It seemed like the least painful option – if there even was an option. Helene had feeling there was only one option, and it was to work for this strange lady.
...
After she started working at Flavors of Kalakaua, Helene started to find a routine to her days. Every morning, she would wake up before making lunches and breakfast. At seven, the children would run into the kitchen, dressed in their uniforms, to eat. Within thirty minutes, Helene was backing out of the driveway, headed to the school.
When she was done dropping the children off, Helene would grab a cup of coffee before heading to the bakery. Most mornings, she arrived a quarter before nine. Upon her arrival, Helene would get to work on preparing whatever Ailani needed.
At four o'clock, Helene would leave the bakery to pick up the children, who were enrolled in after school programs. Rose and Daisy were taking an art class and Teddy was in swimming lessons. When she got home, Helene would find dinner waiting, thanks to Winky.
After dinner, Helene would watch as Daisy, Rose, and Teddy did their homework while she worked on lesson plans or wrote something for her blog. When homework was done, Daisy and Rose had an hour and a half before bed, and Teddy had two hours.
...
One night in early January, Helene was out with a few friends. Her neighbor, Julie, was out celebrating her bachelorette party. Julie had hired Flavors of Kalakaua for her cake after she sampled some of Helene's cupcakes. Three days prior to today, Julie had hired Helene as the photographer, after the original one cancelled due to a double-booking.
Julie and Shelby, her maid of honor, had decided to drag Helene along as a thanks for all of her work. With the wedding a week away, Julie was stressed, and Helene was handling the situation like a professional, despite being hired at the last minute.
Since Helene was childless for the night, she decided to tag along. Teddy, Rose, and Daisy were away on sleepovers. This was Helene's first child-free night in years. She didn't really know what to do with herself.
With some help from Shelby, Helene decided up wearing a pair of leather leggings with her zebra-print stiletto heels. Her hair was curled and her make-up was natural.
The bridal party spent most of the evening at a male strip club before heading to the bar at one of the resorts in downtown Honolulu. Helene ran into Danny literally . She had lost her balance and stumbled into him as headed to the bar for another drink.
“Sorry,” Helene giggled as Danny escorted her to the bar with his hand on the small of her back.
“It's fine,” Danny said.
“Want anything?” she asked, waving to the bartender.
“Longboard,” Danny answered.
Helene ordered the beer and a cocktail with a smile, handing over her credit card as Danny was reaching for his wallet.
Danny accepted the beer with a smile.
The pair remained at the bar for half an hour where Helene ordered them another round of drinks. Shelby and Julie came looking for Helene and they pulled her away with a round of giggles.
An hour later found Helene and Danny stumbling into her house as they made their way to the master bedroom.
...
The morning after was a little awkward. Helene woke up first with her eyes widening at the sight of Danny before she ran into her bathroom. She took a quick shower before she headed down to the kitchen.
A smile appeared on her lips when she noticed a potion phial sitting next to the pot of fresh coffee. Winky was an excellent house-elf, Helene decided when she found a warm breakfast sitting in the oven. Helene drank the Hangover Potion before she poured herself a cup of coffee.
After she finished her first cup, Helene poured herself a second cup before she decided to pour one for Danny as well. She knew Danny liked his coffee with four sugars and two creams. After making his cup, Helene casted a Warming Charm on it since she didn't know when he would downstairs.
Deciding to make herself comfortable, Helene sat down at the island with coffee and plate of breakfast with her tablet, reading the morning news.
Fifteen minutes later found Danny Williams entering her kitchen in the previous day's freshly cleaned clothes with messy blonde hair. The sight of his hair brought a smile to Helene's lips, which she quickly hid behind her cup.
“Morning,” she muttered.
Danny grunted in response as he inhaled his cup of coffee. After a second cup, he offered her a small smile. “About last night,” he began, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Helene waved her hand. “Don't worry about it,” she said with a forced smile. She really liked him, but she understood that Danny wasn't in a place to begin a relationship.
In response, Danny's smile seemed a little forced as he sat down with his plate full of food.
Over breakfast, the pair decided to keep their one-night stand a secret from children. While things were currently awkward, they knew those feelings would pass and they would remain close friends.
...
Almost a week later, Helene found Danny knocking at her door. It was sometime after nine. Teddy, Rose, and Daisy were sound asleep. At the sight of Danny's misery, Helene invited him in.
Over decaf coffee, Danny opened up. Rachel had a boy, and Danny was there for the whole thing since Stand was out of town. At the sight of Charles William Edwards, Helene's eyes narrowed. Despite what Danny said, Charles looked a lot like Danny. In addition to the nose, they shared the same cheekbones and ears.
After the pictures, Danny's history with his ex-wife came pouring out of him. They met when she hit his car and they clicked. After dating for a year, they fell in love and they got married. Things between them changed around the time Rachel got pregnant. Their relationship was strained and they were barely talking some nights. Danny found himself interested in his partner, Grace Tillwell.
Things changed after the eleventh of September when Danny's partner died. While they were communicating more, there was distance between Danny and Rachel. They stayed together and they had Grace. Soon their relationship revolved around raising Grace. Rachel and Danny drifted apart until Rachel fell out of love with him. She filed for divorce a week after she met Stan Edwards.
Nothing happened between Rachel and Stan until the divorce was finalized and Danny got to see Grace every other weekend. Within a year, Rachel and Stan fell in love. They quickly married and ran off to Hawaii together, taking Grace with them. Danny followed, wanting to remain close to his daughter. At this point, the relationship between Rachel and Danny had soured and they had difficulty being in the same room.
Everything started to change last year when Danny joined the Task Force. Danny and Rachel started spending more time together. They clicked, and they were getting along like they use to, before Rachel got pregnant. After Danny was hospitalized due to sarin, things heated up between them. They started sleeping together. When Rachel found out she was pregnant, they made plans to runaway together. Until Rachel found out she was too far along for the child to be Danny's. She decided to remain with Stan.
Helping Rachel give birth to Charles had been too much. Danny remained by his ex-wife's side out of loyalty, but he fled the moment Rachel and Stan reunited, allowing them time with Charles and Grace. The entire experience was too much for him.
After listening to everything, Helene had suspicions. She didn't believe Rachel about Charles being Stan's son. Due to the timing and the resemblance, Helene was positive Charles was Danny's son.
That night ended with Danny and Helene in her bed, again. The next morning, they didn't talk and Danny left with a kiss, sneaking out before the children knew he was there.
It marked the beginning of a pattern.
...
February started off rocky. Grace was kidnapped, and Danny was forced to shot Stan in the kneecap to rescue her. Grace didn't talk about her experience locked in the storage unit, but something had happened. Whatever happened wasn't bad, like she was beaten, but it wasn't good. Grace was shaken and she wasn't talking to either of her parents or the therapist. She did talk to Teddy, and by extension to Helene.
“Mom,” Teddy said nervously, opening the door to her bedroom one night.
Helene glanced up from her book. She frowned at the sight of her son. It was passed his bedtime, and he rarely called her mom. He usually called her Aunt Helene or ma. “Come here,” she said, patting the spot next to her on the bed. She marked her page before placing the book down.
Teddy stepped into her room, closing the door behind him and rushing onto the bed. He laid down and stared at the ceiling. He was nervous, evident by his changing hair colors. Without the rune bracelet on, it was usually turquoise. Teddy's hair color changed whenever he was nervous or excite or anxious. It went from green to pink to orange to lavender to periwinkle to sage.
“Grace talked to me,” he began, turning his head to look at Helene. “S-she wanted to know if I believed in magic.”
That caught Helene's attention. She knew some muggle-born children fell through the cracks, but American children didn't start learning magic until they were between the ages of eleven and thirteen, during the transition form elementary school to either middle school or junior high school. Americans had three options for a magical education: the traditional boarding school of Salem Institution for the Magical Arts, homeschooling, and summer school or summer camp.
Helene had decided on a combination of homeschooling and summer camp for her children. She would be teaching them, but she wanted Teddy, Rose, and Daisy to interact with other magical children their own age and learn alongside them.
“What did you say?” she asked. Her children knew not to tell muggles about magic, but they hadn't covered what to do if a friend was muggle-born.
“I wasn't sure,” he answered, “so I didn't answer. Then she got all quiet.” Teddy bit his lip, growing more nervous based on the rapid pace of hair changing colors.
Helene leaned back against her lipps, waiting for him to start talking again. She knew Teddy would tell her.
“Later,” she told me she believed in magic,” Teddy whispered, “because she had magic.”
“I'll get a Stone,” Helene promised. Stones were a special volcanic rock that reacted when they were held by a witch or a wizard. When they moved to Hawaii, Helene had been given four by the government. One presented to each Helene, Teddy, Rose, and Daisy. Each Stone reacted differently, but proved each recipient had magic.
Unfortunately, a Stone could only be used once.
Teddy smiled, his hair settled onto turquoise.
...
After her conversation with Teddy, Helene kept an eye on Grace. Getting a Stone was difficult. They were rare, and very few places sold them to haoles.
For the time being, observing Grace was easier. She did act differently, but she wasn't out of character. She was sticking closer to adults, and she only spoke to a few members of the Honolulu Police Department, notably Sergeant Duke Lukela and a few of the Kelly-Kalakaua clan cousins. Grace always had her cell phone within reach, often checking her pocket to make sure she still had it.
Helene couldn't ask Danny or Rachel questions without telling them about magic or leading them to believe Grace was having problems. Although she was talented with Memory Charms, Helene hated the idea of using one on Danny or his ex-wife, despite her feelings of dislike for the woman.
During this time, Helene's complicated relationship with Danny continued. They were something like friends with benefits, and it was confusing. There were feelings involved, but Helene didn't know what to say or how to act. She had only two past relationships. One with Cormac McLaggen that ended when he sold the story of their romance to The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly for fifty galleons, and one with George Weasley that ended when he died.
While Helene lacked close friends, she did have Julie and Shelby, and Ailani and her coworkers. Ailani proved to the best source of advice.
...
Ailani had to trouble eavesdropping on her employees and offering her opinions. When she overhead Helene telling Lana about her complicated relationship, the old woman had rolled her eyes.
“Honey,” she declared, shoving a tray full of finished cupcakes into Helene's hands, “you need to have The Talk.” Shaking her head, she explained, “You need to decide what kind of relationship you want.”
“I-I don't really know,” Helene lied. She knew what she wanted. She wanted what her parents had, love and a marriage. However, Helene knew Danny had no interest in getting married. His feelings on the subject were very clear.
“Stop lying,” Ailani ordered with narrowed eyes as waved her scoop at Helene. Her face softened a little. “You want what I have,” she stated. “I've seen the look on your face.”
Helene nodded, thinking about Ailani and her husband. They had been married for twenty-five years.
“Then you deserve it,” Ailani said, staring down at Helene. “If Danny isn't willing to give it to you, then someone else is. Don't sell yourself short.”
...
It took Helene a month and a half to track down a Stone. She wasn't close to anyone magical on the island, and the Stones weren't available on the mainland or anywhere else. Stones were closely guarded local secrets, something the native Hawaiian didn't want getting out to haoles . Luckily, she did know one person.Thanks to her social worker, Helene was given the name and address of a small magical shop.
“Welcome,” greeted Kamekona when she entered the shop.
Her green eyes widened at the sight of him. She didn't know he was magical. “Kamekona,” she said with a small smile. At least she knew a friendly face – and she knew how to deal with him.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“I need a Stone,” she said. Helene had no intentions of telling him who the Stone was for – for the time being, at least.
Kamekone's eyes narrowed. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said.
Helene sighed. “Cut the act,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Agent Moana spent me here.”
Kamekona looked at her for a few minutes before he nodded. “Which Moana?” he asked.
“Kale,” Helene answered. She liked Kale Moana. He had been nice, and he played a huge role in helping Helene and her family settle down on the island. “Six foot even with dark hair and trained in Aura-Sight.”
Nodded, Kamekona offered her a smile. “You're good,” he stated.
Helene returned the smile.
“Those are rare,” Kamekona stated, “and I only have so many a year.”
Helene didn't say anything and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew this sales techniques. George had taught it to her.
“I have three in stock,” he continued.
“How much?” she asked. Money wasn't an objective, but she had no plans of telling Kamekona that.
“Eight hundred.” That was overpriced and Kamekone knew that.
Staring at him, Helene debated her counteroffer. A Stone was valued at three hundred. “Five,” she crossed her arms.
“Seven-fifty.”
“Five seventy-five.”
“Seven twenty-five.”
“Six.”
“Seven.”
“Six fifty – final offer,” Helene stated, “and I'll help give you my ginger sesame shrimp recipe.”
“Deal!” Kamekona said, offered his hand. That offer gave him a small profit and a new item for his shrimp trunk.
Helene took his hand with a smile before she handed over her credit card.
“Flippa, I need a Stone,” he yelled before running her credit card.
Flippa came out of the back room holding a Stone. His eyes widened at the sight of Helene.
Helene glanced at him before she sighed the receipt.
“Are you the Helene Potter?” Flippa asked, eyeing her name on the receipt.
The question caught Helene off guard. She eyed Flippa and Kamekona before giving a stiff nod. She knew from Kale that she was famous in Hawaii. The States she was known as The Survivor.
Flippa and Kamekona stared at her.
Helene shifted on her feet as a feeling of unease settled over her. Much to her relief, neither man looked at her forehead where she had her scar covered up.
“It was pleasure doing business with you,” Kamekona declared with a grin. “When do ya wanna meet up?”
Five minutes later found Helene leaving the small shop with her purchase. They had plans to meet up on Saturday at her house.
...
The following night found Helene at a fancy restaurant in downtown Honolulu. She was out to dinner with Julie and her close friend Gregory. Gregory was marrying his long-partner, Chase, in six months. When they attended Julie's wedding, they fell in love with the cake and they adored the photographs. Both were elements they wanted in their own wedding.
Ailani was thrilled to have more business for Flavors of Kalakaua. She had noticed an increase in business since hiring Helene.
On a personal level, Helene was thrilled to learn people wanted to hire her for her photography. For the most part, photography was still a hobby.
Helene met with Julie and Gregory over dinner to discuss the photography and to schedule a tasting at Flavors of Kalakaua. At the beginning of the meal, Helene handed Gregory her portfolio, which the man was happy to thumb through. All too soon, the three of them were discussing prices and photographs. Gregory and Chase were planning a small wedding with family and close friends in attendance on the beach. They wanted canid shoots of their guests at the reception and they wanted photographs of the simple details, flowers and center pieces and the cake.
At some point, Julie walked away from the table to answer a phone call. During that time, Danny walked by with Steve. Helene exchanged polite small talk with Steve and Danny, although Danny spent most of the conversation glaring at Helene and Gregory.
When Julie returned, the bill was paid and the small group split up. Julie and Gregory were off to meet a few friends for drinks while Helene headed out to her car.
Helene had opened her trunk to grab her flip flops. She gleefully exchanged her stiletto heels for the flip flops.
“You're mine,” Danny muttered, appearing behind Helene as she was closing her trunk.
At the sound of his voice, Helene jumped and she spun around to look at him with wide green eyes.
There was something in his eyes, looking like possessiveness, and he quickly grabbed ahold of her hips. He pinned her against the trunk as he pressed his lips against hers. When he ended the kiss, Helene was a little dazed.
“You're mine,” Danny repeated, whispering in her ear.
At the sound of his possessive tone, Helene snapped out of her daze. Her eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?” she demanded.
“You're mine,” he repeated, pressing a kiss against her neck, “and I don't share. You're mine to have – and I'm yours.”
Helene wasn't too sure what to say. “We're exclusive?” she asked.
“Yes,” Danny answered before capturing her lips in another kiss.
Helene returned the kiss. She wasn't sure what to think of Danny's possessiveness. It was both flattering and irritating. No one had ever treated her this way, before. McLaggen didn't actually care about her while George used her to fill the voice of Fred and to have someone special.
At least Helene knew where she stood with Danny in regards to their relationship. He wanted something exclusive that extended beyond their hook-ups.
The kiss broke as Danny slid his knee between Helene's legs.
“What brought this on?” Helene asked, a little breathless. She wrapped her arms around Danny's neck.
“Your date,” Danny answered, possessive in his voice. He pulled Helene into another kiss.
“Gregory?” Helene asked after they broke apart.
Danny's eyes narrowed at the mention of that name. His grip on her hips tightened.
“That wasn't a date,” Helene explained, a giggle in her tone. “Gregory wanted to hire me for his wedding.”
Danny stared at her with narrowed eyes. He didn't say anything as he pressed his lips against hers.
...
The next morning Helene woke up with Danny's arm around her hips. She smiled, watching him sleep for a moment. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed. Before leaving Danny's room, she picked up his button-down shirt off of the floor.
As quietly as she could, Helene left the bedroom and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. She started by making a pot of coffee before rummaging around in Danny's fridge, looking for something to make. She settled on eggs and bacon.
While she was cooking, Helene heard movement in the apartment, which she barely paid anything attention to. A few minutes later, Helene felt a pair of arms wrapping around her waist before a kiss was pressed against the back of her neck.
“Morning,” Danny said as he spun her around. His arms moved to her hips with one of his hands resting on her butt. He pulled Helene into another kiss.
Helene smiled as her returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Danny's neck.
A minute later, Helene was turning off the stove as Danny tugged her back in the direction of his bedroom.
...
An hour later found Danny and Helene curled up in his bed. As Danny pressed a kiss against her shoulder, he froze. Helene glanced over at him.
“You alright?” she asked, rolling onto her back to look at him better.
“W-we forget protection,” Danny whispered, staring down at Helene with wide eyes.
“It's fine,” Helene said, her voice tightening. She understood what he was talking about, but it wasn't an issue. She knew she was clean, and Danny mentioned he was.
Danny stared at her with narrowed eyes.
Helene sighed. “I'm barren,” she whispered, rolling onto her side with her back towards Danny. “There's nothing to worry about.”
There was movement behind her as Danny pressed himself against her back. “Wanna talk about it?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her hips.
“Not really,” she whispered, closing her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. Helene had dreamed of a big family with a loving husband and four children – maybe more. Those dreams were dashed when Bellatrix Lestrange tortured and cursed her.
Danny pressed a kiss against her neck before pulling her close.