Happy Friday!

Chapter 93

It was four in the morning when the wards in Jasmine's office went off, startling her awake with a gasp. She jolted up, the blanket pooling around her waist, she rubbed her temples and groaned. She was going to have a hell of a migraine after this.

"Go back to sleep," Sirius groaned, there was a pillow over his face as he blindly patted Jasmine's leg in a vain effort to get her to lay back down.

"Someone is in my office."

"It's the middle of the night!" He hissed, as he sat up, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. It was closer to morning than the middle of the night, but Jasmine wasn't going to disagree. Neither of them were necessarily morning people by nature, even if their jobs demanded early mornings. Any sleep they could get was precious.

Jasmine summoned her dressing robe with a wave her hand from her closet, put on her discarded pajamas and cast few wandless freshening charms to make herself slightly more presentable. This had better be an emergency from Gringotts, and not just some pushing client with a lot of money. The wards pulsed again and Jasmine winced. If she didn't go down and entertain her client, she could be out of a job. She was going to be horrifically tired going into work tomorrow. Maybe she would just work from home.

She ran a hand through Sirius' hair. "Go back to sleep. I'll be in the office. You know the signal if something goes wrong during the meeting."

Sirius mumbled something as he flopped back onto the bed and buried his face into his pillow. He pulled the sheets up and the only thing that Jasmine could see as she left the room was the top of his sleep mused hair.

Jasmine yawned as she made her way down the hallways. She was flanked by Ro, who had been waiting for her outside her room. Even her cat looked exhausted as the buddle of fluff groggily trotted next to her. If this wasn't something urgent she was going to have words with the Goblins. They pay her extremely well, but being woken up at four in the morning to speak to someone about their wards without a prior appointment was pushing the limit of Jasmine's patience.

She opened the door only to want to close it again. Leaning against the wall by the fireplace was none other than Albus Dumbledore who was quietly speaking to Minerva McGonagall. Both of them were in their dressing gowns, though they both seemed unnaturally wide awake for this time of day. What were they doing in her home? Why would the Goblins send them to her in the middle of the night? Surely whatever it was could wait another four hours. They lived in the same time zone for Merlin's sake. Why did they need to meet in the dead of night?

She couldn't hear what either of them were saying, someone must have cast a muffliato. Jasmine cleared her throat before entering the room. Both turned to look at her and both seemed equally surprised to see her.

"Is there something I can help you two with? It's the four in the morning. I usually only take international appointments at odd hours."

Dumbledore looked like he swallowed something foul before he gave his classic grandfatherly smile, his eyes twinkling. "I was under the assumption we had been sent to the ward master of Gringotts' residence. I thought that was Celeste or Simon."

Jasmine crossed her arms. Only one sentence out of his mouth and she already wanted to draw her wand. "Celeste and Simon retired nearly two years ago. Celeste finally lost all vision in both eyes and Simon couldn't bear to continue their lives' passion without her. Occasionally, they will assist me with some consulting work if I have questions, but for all intent and purposes, I am the ward and rune master of Gringotts. How can I help you?"

"I am concerned with the warding situation at Hogwarts and around Hogsmeade. It was highly recommended that the wards be thoroughly checked by a professional."

Jasmine leaned against the door, tapped her foot and frowned. "Those wards should have been updated the year that Hogsmeade was attacked by dementors. They never caught who disrupted them, but you should have had a team fix them. Unless something horrific is happening at the school, you shouldn't have been sent to me as an emergency appointment."

McGonagall was glaring daggers at Dumbledore. Her usually stern face seemed like it was set in stone. "Yes, Albus, tell Lady Peverell how you fixed them after the attack."

Wait…if McGonagall was implying what Jasmine thought she was, she was going to blow a gasket. If those wards hadn't been updated and fixed that would mean that kids have been attending Hogwarts for years with faulty wards. Only Tom's ego was keeping him from attacking the damn place again.

"I looked the main wards over and applied a formula to fix it. I inlayed a few charms to make them last a few more years-"

Jasmine cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand, "But wards were never meant to operate under charms, Headmaster. The wards of magical schools, much like the any old magical site, is meant to be rune based. Charms and transfigurations aren't permanent, laying something like that into the wards more than likely damaged them further. You are lucky the school hasn't come down around you. Many of those runes are no doubt what keep most of the magic contained properly within the school's walls."

McGonagall let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That is why we're here. The dungeons have been flooding and some of the staircases are collapsing. The castle's magic has become volatile. The main warding stone has nearly cracked. It won't last much longer. Albus wanted to attempt to repair it himself, but luckily I was there, like I should have been the first time."

This was going to cost the school a small fortune. No wonder the goblins sent them here.

"Do you have a schematic of ward I could look at? Or some kind of copy of what I would be dealing with? It isn't every day that I'll be repairing ancient wards on a semi-sentient school building."

The Deputy Headmistress motioned for Dumbledore to do something. The older man rolled his eyes and handed Jasmine a rolled up piece of parchment. She unraveled it and saw what appeared to be a mess of layered runes, wards, charms and even one or two transfigurations that were all breaking simultaneously.

Jasmine let out an impressed whistle. "This is one hell of a mess. Let me see if there is a specific way to unravel it. I might need to go in person to feel through the magic, but I might be able to pick out a few of the earlier layers. I'd eventually need to figure out the base that was originally planned for the school, and then look at the one in Hogsmeade. I assume they're separate from one another?"

The two nodded as Jasmine approached a rather odd looking gold device on her desk. It resembled a muggle projector, in the sense it had a glass table to set warding schematics on and then there was a second and third lens staring down and up. Jasmine let her fingers activate the runes that were painstakingly etched into the gold. The ward was projected around them, filling the room with the formulas and patterns in what could almost be mistaken for a galaxy of runes. Both Dumbledore and McGonagall gasped at the display of magic. It was a relatively new invention from Mikhail's family. It was Jasmine's Christmas gift last year and she had used it nearly four times a week since she'd figured out how it worked.

The useful gadget let her get a full panoramic view of the runes. It was great for breaking down long formulas and it just looked brilliant.

Jasmine used her hand to magically separate the layers on the projection and she frowned. "I'm going to need to see this in person as soon as possible. The wards are nearly frayed completely. If you wait more than a few days the entire building could come down around you."

"Would this afternoon be too soon?" McGonagall asked, her tone sharp, but it wasn't directed at Jasmine, she watched as the Transfiguration professor glared at Dumbledore as if daring him to say something to the contrary.

Jasmine gave a nod. "I should be able to come sometime this afternoon. I will need some time to prep and bring proper materials. I might also see if my new apprentice would like to join me. This will be fantastic first had experience for him."

"Apprentice? Are you talking about William Weasley?" Dumbledore questioned, his fists were clenched tightly in his lap. Had she hit a weak spot? Was she not supposed to mention the Weasley family in his presence? That seemed ridiculous, but that was the headmaster's magnum opus.

"Yes. He ended up running into my office to evade some Death Eaters. I protected him from certain death, had some biscuits, and we talked about ancient runes while we waited for his father to arrive. The boy has a gift, so why not make sure it's cultivated properly. It isn't ever generation you find someone as magic sensitive as Bill."

"Yes, but you used a life debt to make sure that his family had to let him apprentice under you. The child hasn't even started Hogwarts yet. You can expect an eleven-year-old to understand ancient runes. That isn't available until his third year. Do you expect him to study an extra subject from the very beginning of his time at the school?"

Jasmine cleared her throat. "Yes, I expect him to learn an extra subject, but I'm not going to over burden him. It is all going to be basics. I will expect a lot from him, but I have a really good feeling about him and his chances of success. It is a great honor to be picked for an apprenticeship this young. His parents should be proud."

"But it was done under a life debt."

"You make it sound like the life debt makes it something dark and dangerous. The life debt further solidifies the magic that would bind us as Runemaster and student. There is nothing wrong about that."

Dumbledore ran a tired hand down his face. "This is where your magical alignment shows through. You had to force them to agree, thus is sullies the entire magical exchange. It should been agreed upon by both parties with no ill will towards one another."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and McGonagall snorted. "Albus, Molly is one of the most well meaning people I know. She is also one of the most light aligned witches I have ever met. If Lady Peverell asked, Molly would most likely agree to let her son train under her. Especially if William is as talented as Lady Peverell claimed, it would be considered and honor to learn under a Runemaster like her."

She could honestly hug McGonagall right now. It wasn't often she had someone from Dumbledore's inner circle defend her.

"While I do understand the concern for young Bill Weasley's safety, life debts need to be paid. You and I both know that this is a fact of magic. His family doesn't have that much to give in the way of money. Their child is gifted and I can help nurture that gift. It is something mutually beneficial to both our families. It also guarantees that this boy is going to have a future career in warding," Jasmine pointed out as she turned off the projection. She held onto the schematics, placing them on top of her desk. She was going to need to review them before she even attempted to visit Hogwarts tomorrow.

The Headmaster sighed and pinched the bridged of his nose. "I suppose you and Minerva are both correct. Molly was very insistent that I speak to you about the issue. Though, there isn't much I can do, it is between you and the Weasley family. You do seem to have William's future in mind, though please be careful with him. He hasn't even started school yet. Is it really safe for him to come and a volatile rune site?"

As much as she hated it, he did have a point. She could keep him safe as long as he listened to what she said. Jasmine didn't have that kind of sway over the kid yet…nor had she gone over safety protocols with him. She resisted the urge to pout. "It could be a bit much for a first time seeing broken down wards," Jasmine clapped her hands, "now, onto payment. I expect that the goblins gave you my baseline price for an emergency warding repair?"

"They were very vague. Celeste and Simon were usually rather pricy, but it isn't an issue."

It would be if the Board found out how badly he had handled the repairs during his time as Headmaster. Jasmine wasn't going to point that out. She didn't want to have to deal with Dumbledore backing out of the deal and trying to find someone else. They would more than likely end up butchering them and killing anyone in the building as it collapsed.

"Yes, they do tend to be vague. I have a flat fee of one hundred galleons an hour, that's without labor and supplies. I'm estimating at least twelve to fourteen hours of me physically being present at the school to fix it, and another six to eight for research, and that is without any major complications. Supplies will vary depending on what I will end up needing after I do a bit of research. I am imagining that after all is said and done, I will be charging close to three thousand galleons for repairing all of the wards within the school and around Hogsmeade."

Their eyes bugged out at the price. Celeste and Simon charged similar prices when they had been in charge of the department, but Jasmine had a feeling they had discounted their prices for friends. Dumbledore seemed like he had been fairly close to both of them. Though, why he never had them fix the wards around the school confused her to no end.

Then again, Light Lords and Dark Lords loved were proud to a fault.

"Is it really going to cost that much to fix the wards?"

Jasmine ran a hand through her tangled hair and winced as her fingers caught a snag. "Just giving the wards a cursory glance tells me that they are very broken from nearly seven decades of incorrect ward upkeep. It wasn't just you that attempted to fix them on your own. I am going to need to carefully pull the layered wards apart and then put them back together correctly. It is a long and drawn out process. Laying wards that you create don't take nearly as long as fixing wards that someone else has nearly ruined."

"Can you be convinced to lower your price. It is an awful lot. I might not be able to get approve for sum of money that large."

"Then you should have thought of that before you left the wards to rot after Hogsmeade was attacked six years ago," Jasmine replied, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, well, it didn't seem like it was overly important at the time. We were trying to find the culprit…speaking of being caught red handed. Is there a reason for men's shoes to be sitting next to your fireplace? A woman of your reputation and standing should know better than to have suitors visiting."

McGonagall's eyes went wide at the implications he was making and she nudged him with her elbow. Which, in all honestly, as a member of Wizengamot he did have a right to question her about this, if only just barely. Wizarding Britain was so archaic with marriage customs.

What she did in her spare time was her business, but if she was fooling around and was caught, her reputation could be ruined. If he thought that he was going to blackmail her over this, he had another thing coming.

Jasmine's eyes narrowed on Sirius' shoes resting in their usual heap next to the fireplace. There was even a bit of blood staining the heel of one of the boots. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to talk her way out of this…

"Who and what I do in my own home is none of your concern, headmaster," Jasmine replied calmly.

McGonagall was turning an odd shade of red. Jasmine wasn't entirely sure if she was angry or disappointed in both of them.

"My dear, the Black Family has been after your hand in marriage for years. If they were to find out that you have been stringing them along-"

A creak from her office door opening stopped Dumbledore in his tracks. Sirius pushed his way into the room, dressed in loose fitting trousers and a dress robe, a tea tray was floating in behind him. His wedding ring, which they both usually hid behind glamours was on full display. Jasmine subtly let the magic from around her finger drop as well. He was still sleep ruffled, but he was significantly more awake than he was a half an hour ago. "The Black Family is well aware of who is in her bed, Albus. You could even say that they endorsed it. My family even allowed an exchange of rings to occur in front of our closest friends and family."

Albus looked a bit green around the mouth, "You two are together, in an official capacity?" His head turned back towards Jasmine, "You still have your seats in the Wizengamot."

"While it may come as a shocking revelation to you, the marriage contract between Sirius and myself is mutually beneficial. Sirius and I have been together for some time, and we both retain our last names and government seats. You both will be swearing an oath to not disclose any information about this to outsiders. You understand."

"I'm very happy for the two of you. I always thought you would get together. You had quite the chemistry back in Hogwarts. I remember there were rumors about the two of you even back then." McGonagall commented with a smile pulling at her lips.

Sirius scoffed as a bit of a blush dusted his pale cheeks. "Well, Marlene did enjoy spreading rumors."

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Yes, she did, but that isn't why we're here today. Gossiping can wait. I need you to swear your oaths and then you can be on your way. I will be at Hogwarts later this afternoon and then I can start examining your wards."

It took nearly another hour to calm both Dumbledore and McGonagall down enough to get them to swear the oath and then another hour to get them out of her office. Sirius and McGonagall kept chatting about Hogwarts' rumors during his time at school, while Dumbledore attempted to negotiated prices with her that Jasmine was not going to budge on. She knew how much her work was worth she wasn't going to charge any less. She was one of the best in the business, she was going to be paid like it.

Once they were gone, Jasmine leaned against her desk and let out a large sigh. Sirius was sheepishly grinning, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. "Next time, do not open the door and push your way in when I'm in the middle of a meeting. We're trying to keep our marriage quiet. Telling Albus Dumbledore is one of the last things you should have done!"

"Oh please, you loved rubbing it in his face."

"I never said that I didn't! The look on his face alone made it worth it. I'd just like to know when you're going to tell people about our secret marriage."

The next chapter we will be back in Hogwarts! Runes and warding ahead! We're also going to see more of Bill! I'm super excited to have more Weasley family fun!

Happy belated Thanksgiving to my American readers (if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but live in the states, happy four day weekend), for those that don't celebrate Thanksgiving since you live outside of the states, happy Friday!

Thank you all for reviewing, favoriting and following this monster of a story. We're getting close to the end! I've been writing this for over three years now. Should be done with it sometime this year. Crazy to think about.

See you soon,
~Animerocker