Author's Notes: This is actually coming to me in my head as a full alternate-path, but that would violate this site's rules against 'choose your own adventure' stories. This written version is close to a Grabiner + Ellen + Damien path - that is, at the start of this story the MC is on both Damien and Ellen's path, and the ending would be a (my alt) Grabiner + Ellen (friendship) path. This alt path in my head would not prevent any romance option except Grabiner, which it would take over.

Grabiner is a more open in this than in the game itself; Partly that's because it works better for this format, and partly it's because I think he'd be more comfortable opening up here. Potsdam, I have no such excuse for: If she's out of character, it's because I can't write an aged flower child with any skill.

I will have to apologize to anyone who actually knows how English court titles and etiquette work. A fair amount of this story ends up being bits of minutiae on the issue, but I am knowingly deviating from what I find in the name of a better story. If I understand my sources correctly, I am close, but I could well be both misunderstanding and making things up. Figure that the rules on titles and such are different in the magical world.

The actual start of this, of course, was the thought that marriage isn't the only way to enter someone's House, but that doesn't mean it's not the best idea...

Hieronymus Grabiner rose to consciousness and opened his eyes. His mind fought to piece together what had happened — he had been casting a spell, to enable himself to share power with his manus…

There was a student being held in the air above him.

The sight was enough to clear the immediate fog from his mind: The spell had worked, in a sense, but it had only allowed the manus to drain him. The wards had protected him from actual danger, but the manus had been free to feed from him while it searched for ways around that. The student — with more energy, he had been able to identify her as Susan Rose, a freshman — must have found him and crossed the wards holding the manus, making her vulnerable to him.

With the manus focused on her, he had enough power to finally dismiss the spell he had cast. He could feel himself improving immediately. That left only the matter of saving the student.

"Release her."

The manus turned to him. "She crossed the wards. She is my rightful prey."

So a mere dismissal would not be enough. "She is of the House of Grabiner, pledged to be my adopted daughter this day."

"Heir of House and Title?"

"Yes, she is to be my heir of House and Title. This I pledge."

The manus set her down carefully. "Very well."

"You are dismissed from my presence for now."

The manus nodded, and vanished. The professor turned to his student, checking quickly her pulse and breath; she was drained, as he was, and the manus had stolen some of her life force, but she would be able to recover with time.

The feel of magic unlocking the door heralded the next arrival. "Hieronymus? What happened here?"

He glanced over his shoulder at Petunia Potsdam, standing in the doorway. "My ritual did not go as planned. Miss Rose here crossed the wards, while I was unconscious, and the manus tried to feed on her. She appears to have survived the experience."

"I heard "House and Title, this I pledge." What did you do?"

"Once she had crossed the wards, she was rightful prey, obviously." He fell to lecturing her like he would a student. "The only superior binding on the manus was that of loyalty and protection to my house."

For once, she snapped back at him. "That was obvious. What is not is what you did about it."

"I pledged that she was to be my adopted heir, to both House and Title." He answered, distractedly. "She appears to be coming around."

"Uhhh… Professor Grabiner. You are ok."

"And, despite your foolishness, so are you. What were you thinking when you crossed the wards? Or were you thinking at all?"

"I… You were hurt, I had to do something to help."

"And you didn't think to run to get help? Someone who knew what they were doing?"

"Hush, Hieronymus. She did save your life. You could show a little gratitude to your daughter."

"My life was not in immediate danger. She would not need to be my daughter if she had behaved sensibly."

"What are you talking about? I'm not Professor Grabiner's daughter."

Grabiner spares her not a glance. "It was the only way to save you from the manus."

"Not the only way, Hieronymus."

"Given our respective ages, you cannot honestly think that declaring her my bride would have been better."

"It would not have been out of the question, and wives have been known to divorce their husbands, on occasion."

At that he looked shamefaced, and turned away. "You are correct. I created a permanent attachment where a temporary one would have sufficed." He turned back to his student. "Which still does not excuse…"

"Enough, Hieronymus. What's done is done. On both your parts. Now, I assume there is some ceremony that will be needed, but I am not an expert on…"

"Yes, yes. Two ceremonies, actually, but I believe they can be combined into one. I will have to research. And they had best be done as quickly as possible." He thinks for a short moment. "We will need witnesses, and they must be invited. The form needs to be: "The Baron Hieronymus Grabiner welcomes the public to witness an event of public interest." There are other forms, but that is the most general. It can be delivered in any fashion." He rose to his feet. "I will go research the rest. I will meet you in the courtyard as soon as I can." And with that, he left.

"Professor Potsdam, what's going on?"

"You crossed the wards, dear. Professor Grabiner was working with a manus he has recently acquired, and something must have gone wrong."

"Is that what that was? I saw the demon, and I thought he was in trouble. I tried to wake him, drag him from the circle, but it picked me up and…"

"Started feeding on you. Luckily, not for long. You did manage to wake him, and once awake with the manus focused on you, he was able to free himself. But to free you, he had to declare that you were of his House, as you had crossed the wards."

"And the choices were either be his daughter or his wife?"

"Yes. He chose daughter, which may well have been the wrong choice. When he complains about you acting without thought, remind him of that."

"I'm not sure I want to be married at 16, to my teacher."

"But it would only have to last for a year and a day, while you will be his daughter for the rest of your life."

"I think I can be a daughter."

"We shall see. At the moment, we need witnesses. Do you think you can deliver the mail?"

"I think so. I'm tired, but…"

"It will mend, and I don't think we want to keep him waiting. I suggest you pass out the mail as quickly as you can, and inform everyone you meet of Professor Grabiner's invitation; I don't know how many witnesses you need. You remember how he said it?"

""The Baron Hieronymus Grabiner welcomes the public to witness an event of public interest." I can do that. Um, Professor Potsdam?"

"Yes?"

"What happens if he doesn't adopt me? I mean, the manus is gone now, right?"

"The manus could not be fooled that easily. He pledged his word, as a witch. Breaking it would cost his magic, and allow the manus to feed on you."

"Oh." That silenced her for a moment. "Then I had better get going."

Susan Rose burst into her dorm room. "Virginia! Ellen! Get up! Please."

Ellen was already awake and dressing. "Susan? What is it? What's going on?"

"I don't have any time. I still need to deliver the mail — but there's another message as well, and we need as many people as possible to get it." She straightened, quoting from memory again: ""The Baron Hieronymus Grabiner welcomes the public to witness an event of public interest." Tell people that, and to go to the courtyard."

Virginia was sitting up and rubbing her eyes now. "Go to the courtyard when?"

"Soon! Whenever he gets there. Well, whenever both him and I get there, I guess. But I have to deliver the mail first. So I need you to tell people, ok? Exact words."

Ellen repeated it back. ""The Baron Hieronymus Grabiner welcomes the public to witness an event of public interest." Got it. He's a Baron? What's going on?"

"I'll explain after, I promise. But I don't want to have to make him wait; he's cross enough with me already. I have to go. Thank you!" And with that she was out the door.

Ellen looked at Virginia, and shrugged. "I'll head to the boys' dorms. You tell people here, ok?"

"Sure. I wonder what's going on."

"Show up and find out."

By the time Professor Grabiner emerged, half the school appeared to be in the courtyard. Professor Potsdam had set up a small stage in the center, and was keeping it clear.

A path opened for his glare, and he stalked up to the center of the crowd. "We only needed a half dozen."

Professor Potsdam answered. "Well, you didn't say, so I had Susan get as many as she could. Better more than necessary than less."

His answer was inarticulate. He shoved a piece of paper at Susan. "Here. Wait until I call you. Make no mistakes. You can read your lines if you wish."

She clutched the paper, and flipped it around so she could see what was written on it, relaxing slightly upon seeing it was legible and short. Meanwhile, Grabiner ascended the platform, and looked over the crowd, which was already growing silent in anticipation.

"I suppose I must explain a moment. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I find myself urgently required to take an heir. I am not ill, nor am I likely to die anytime soon. This is purely a procedural requirement. When I asked for witnesses to be collected, I did not need everyone in the school to come, but I suppose it will prevent rumors. Miss Rose?"

Susan bowed her head, and climbed upon the platform herself.

"For the services rendered to the House Grabiner, for your courage, for your loyalty, and for your selflessness, I welcome you to my hearth and home, to be blood of my blood and kin of my kin, as daughter and heir of my house. I offer you my wisdom, my holdings, and my protection."

"For your wisdom, your holdings, and for your protection, I offer my loyalty and honor as kin of your kin and blood of your blood, and I accept you as my father in name and truth."

"So let it be said, and so let it be done."

Murmurings started as people believed the ceremony over, but Susan stayed kneeling, and Grabiner spoke again. "As my daughter and heir, having reached the age of sixteen years, I transfer to you the title of Baronetess of Leigh in Magestshire, as well as all duties and responsibilities thereof."

"I pledge to uphold the name of Grabiner, and to protect the people and land of Leigh in Magestshire, and thank you for the trust you place in me, father."

"So let it be said, and so let it be done." Professor Grabiner looked up to the crowd again. "Thank you for your attention and interest." To Susan, he added: "Come with me."

Facing the option of being mobbed by the crowd as the alternative, she followed him out of the courtyard.

Having successfully escaped to one of the empty classrooms, Professor Grabiner turned to his new daughter. "I'm sure you are filled with questions. Here are the basics: Our family are Peers of the Realm in England. That includes a seat in the House of Lords, among other things. The manus required you to be of both my House and Title, which means you are more than just my daughter — a daughter alone would not normally inherit the titles. Therefore you needed to have not only my house, but my holdings. It is traditional in the family to bestow one of the minor titles we have collected upon the heir when they reach the age of 16, so that they may learn how to manage the estate. Leigh in Magestshire is an abandoned hillock."

"So I'm nobility?"

"Yes. Very minor nobility at the moment, but you hold a title in your own right, and will inherit more in time. Should you ever have all the family titles, you will be more than minor."

Susan processed that. "Am I British?"

That managed to stump the professor. "I'm not sure, actually. You may need to be."

"Is there anything I need to do?"

"At the moment, go to school and study. Hard."

"Am I supposed to address you as father?"

"I will allow it and it would be appropriate in private or informal settings. In formal public, the correct adress is 'Lord Grabiner', though 'Professor Grabiner' will work as well. In class, I am still 'Professor Grabiner' and you are 'Miss Grabiner'."

"Did I really save your life?"

At that the professor slumped back. "You did. It was not the ideal way to effect the rescue, and the danger I was in was not immediate, but it was your actions that allowed me to free myself and then you. Professor Potsdam would have been able to rescue me without causing complications, and I would have survived long enough for you to have fetched her. If you had not come in at all, I would likely have survived long enough to be missed for Monday's classes, if Professor Potsdam had not found me first. Your rescue was foolish, unnecessary, and reckless. However, it was, unquestionably, a rescue. I phrased the adoption as a reward for that act."

"Oh." So she wasn't going to get a thank you.

He looked away. "I would rather the tale of my mistakes with the manus not be spread around school, if possible."

"Of course, sir."

"Good." He turned back to glare at her. "You may go."

Susan made it back to her room without being mobbed by the expedient of walking quickly with her head down. Once she arrived, she flopped onto her bed with a sigh. "I am glad that's over with."

Virginia immediately pounced. "Ok, you promised to explain. Why in the world did Grabby just adopt you? And what was this 'Baron' and 'Baronetess' business?"

Susan pulled herself back up. "The Baron and Baronetess business is because Professor Grabiner is from some family of nobility back in England. If he wanted to make me his heir, he had to transfer one of their minor titles to me to show he meant it, or something. Apparently it's a family tradition."

"Ok, that explains the titles. Why does he want to make you his heir in the first place?"

Susan didn't answer immediately. "Sorry, 'father' doesn't want the whole story being spread around. I'm not sure exactly what I can tell you." A deep breath, and another moment's thought. "Ok, short version: There was something in the mail room this morning, which almost killed me. It shouldn't have, and it wouldn't have if I hadn't been foolish, but the only way to get me away from it was for me to be a member of Professor Grabiner's family. So he pledged to adopt me as his heir."

"And that was the only choice?"

"Well, he could have married me instead. Professor Potsdam is a bit miffed at him that he didn't: I would have been able to divorce him later."

"I'm not sure it'd be worth being saved if I had to marry Grabiner." Ellen put in.

"Oh, he's not that bad. I'm pretty sure he'd make sure the marriage was in name only." Susan put in.

"So, are we supposed to address you as 'Lady Grabiner' or something?"

"I have no clue. He told me 'Leigh in Magestshire' is some empty hillock, and in formal occasions, I might need to address him as 'Lord Grabiner', but I'm not sure what applies to me."

"Well, if you are a Baroness…"

Ellen was pulling down books from her shelf. "He said 'Baronetess', not 'Baroness', I think."

"Oh, right."

Susan flopped back on her bed. "This is ridiculous. I'm not even sure what my own name is anymore."

"Here we go: Baronetess is the female form of Baronet, and is the lowest rank of hereditary title. You would be addressed as 'Dame Susan'; first name, not last." She put the encyclopedia back on the shelf. "That's about all it says, sorry."

"Thanks. That's probably just 'formal' occasions as well. At least I hope so." She let out a huge yawn.

"You tired already? I know you have to get up early, but that's ridiculous."

"It's probably because I was being drained, or eaten, or whatever it was. I think I was running on adrenaline, and it just ran out."

Ellen walked over to get a better look at her friend. "Honestly, you look beat. And I'm sure if you headed out today you'd just pounded with questions. Take a nap, we'll see you later." She grinned. "We've probably battered you with enough questions ourselves."

"Thanks."