Written for the Ultimate Patronus Quest (tortoise- Write about the creation of the Philosopher's Stone)
His eyes are heavy, and the candle's light sputters, signaling the quick approach of its end. Nicolas knows that he ought to retire for the evening. He's spent far too much of the day in his workshop. But he cannot abandon his efforts. Not yet, at least. He can feel it in his bones that he is close.
"Come now," he urges. "No need to be so stubborn."
But the lump doesn't respond, of course.
Nicolas sighs, making another adjustment. He's slaved away for so long, making adjustment after adjustment, rereading his alchemy notes so often that he can recite them from memory. Sleep calls to him, but his ambition's whisper is far louder.
"Let's see, then," he murmurs. "One last test, then I shall call it a night."
He watches with wide, expectant eyes as he begins his test with the strip of dull copper. "Any moment now," he says, refusing to lose hope.
It's slow but steady. The base metal changes color, becoming brighter. The gold spreads the length of the strip, and Nicolas cries out in victory. His fingers wrap around the stone, a broad grin on his lips as the candle sputters out. Giddy with excitement, he bolts from his workshop, nearly stumbling on the stairs in his haste.
"Perenelle!" he calls happily. "Perenelle!"
He bursts through their bedroom door, drawing his wand. "Lumos! Perenelle!"
With a groan, his wife wakes. She rubs the sleep from her eyes, her lips drawn into a dazed frown. "Nicolas?" she grumbles, looking out the window at the pitch black sky. "Nicolas, love, you should have been in bed hours ago! You won't make any progress on your work if you can't keep your eyes open."
Nicolas shakes his head and holds up the stone for his wife to see. "Ah, my love, there is little progress left to be made!" he laughs.
Perenelle is quiet for a moment as she processes this. Her eyes widen suddenly, all traces of sleep wiped away in an instant. She tosses the blankets to the side and climbs quickly to her feet, rushing to his side. "This is it, then?" she marvels. "You've really done it?"
"Tested it on copper," he answers excitedly. "I watched it change right before my eyes, Nellie! Copper one moment, gold the next. It works, darling. The holy grail of alchemy, and I've done it!"
Perenelle takes the stone from him, turning it over in her hand, a smile stretching across her face. She stands on her tiptoes and presses a quick kiss to his lips. "This is splendid news, Nicolas!" she beams. "I always knew you could do it!"
He takes her in his arms with a laugh. Perenelle stood by him while the others called him a fool for his pursuit. She never once doubted him, and now he can repay her with a life filled with splendor.
He kisses the top of her forehead, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "The things we will do, my love," he whispers. "Imagine it. The places we will see. You and me, Nellie, all thanks to this stone."