Too Many Coincidences

Chapter 17

No wonder Commander Nomvete had been so stressed out lately. She'd been keeping the secret of the Kellys' deaths for days, and it had been gnawing at her all that time.

When Mr Kelly hadn't shown up to run his corporate empire after two weeks, some of his people had gone looking for him at his wife's estate, barely getting away with their lives. The British Ministry of Magic had been informed, and Aurors had subdued the zombies with great difficulty. Then they'd called in the Order of Illumination.

Commander Nomvete had ordered the temporary Obliviation of both the witches who had discovered the zombies, as well as all Ministry wizards who had been involved. She had wanted to keep it a secret until she told Matt about it, and she'd kept it from Matt for so long because she didn't feel like telling him anything when she wouldn't have any answers to the questions Matt might have asked. The memories of the Ministry wizards had been restored a few days ago. Now the news was slowly filtering into Concordia.

Hermione, who had also worked hard to give Commander Nomvete some of her answers, was mystified by the complexity of the potion that had transformed Nathan into an exceptionally strong type of zombie over the course of two weeks. The diagnostic spells Serafina and Evgenia had used hadn't yielded any information about this potion, because it worked much like some kind of virus. At the time the spell had been performed, it had been undetectable.

Tests performed on animal cadavers using samples taken from the zombie yielded no results, and thus it was concluded that the potion was a highly sophisticated, species-specific concoction. The human cadavers Captain Sharif had used had then revealed that the potion infested and assimilated necrotic flesh and spread through the body, slowly at first, but at exponentially increasing speeds later on. It also effectively preserved the dead flesh, sparing the dead body from decay. He had concluded the Nathan's zombie must have broken out of the Archidiaconus' family crypt a few days after being put there, and killed the Kellys and three servants, turning them into zombies as well.

Captain Sharif was also pretty sure that the potion would kill living victims and turn them into zombies, even though he hadn't tested living subjects, for obvious reasons. Phoenix tears seemed to neutralise the potion, but since they were so hard to come by, the Medical Rangers were working overtime to come up with a counteragent. Several specialists around the world were trying to accomplish the same task, and all seemed to be having as little luck as the Rangers. Yamato had really outdone himself this time.

"How is he doing?" Harry asked softly, peeking into the parlour of the townhouse, while he hung up his cloak. It had been five days since they had found out about the Kellys, and unlike Hermione, who had been very busy with Sharif's project, he had visited Matt whenever he'd had some time off. Today, Lieutenant Cliff had come with him.

"Not too badly, under the circumstances. If my mum and dad were murdered like that, I'm not sure I'd take it as well as he seems to."

"I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like," Harry said, much to Hermione's surprise. Noticing her expression, he explained, "While the Dementors refreshed the memory of my parents' murder, it isn't the same as Matt's situation. My memories resurfaced years after their deaths, and I was too young to fully experience the ramifications. It was different with Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore, and Sirius. I nearly lost my mind when Sirius was killed. Maybe it hurts even more if it's a blood relative…I guess I was spared from such anguish."

"Not necessarily," Lieutenant Cliff said, "I know this is a horrible thing to suggest, but you wouldn't be too distraught if something happened to your blood relatives, right?"

"Point taken." Harry grinned ruefully.

"Ergo, blood relation isn't synonymous to family. Blood isn't always thicker than water." Hermione nodded in agreement with Lieutenant Cliff.

She sighed and glanced at Matt and Gudrun. Matt reclined on the couch with his head in Gudrun's lap. She caressed his face slowly, so as not to disturb his sleep. It was obvious to everyone but Matt how she felt about him.

When Matt was awake, Gudrun would be very attentive and caring. But when he was asleep, it went from attentive to tender, and from caring to loving. Gudrun no longer cared who saw her stealing kisses from Matt in his sleep. Yet for some reason, she was terrified that Matt would find out about the depth of her feelings. "He's really come to depend on Gudrun, though. He can't fall asleep if she's not holding him. We've considered giving him Dreamless Sleep Potion, but if we can avoid addicting him to any tranquilliser, so much the better."

"Looks like he's addicted to Gudrun instead," Harry said with a sad smile, peeking into the lobby again.

"I would never had guessed that she of all people would comfort him like that," Hermione muttered, eyeing the couple pensively.

"It's hardly surprising." Lieutenant Cliff smiled.

"Really?"

The Jamaican witch nodded. "They're Twin Flames!"

"Matt and Gudrun?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"I have enough faith in my abilities to trust my interpretation of my cards. They have met before, and they've searched for each other ever since. Now they've found each other."

"Not those two," Hermione said resolutely. "They're too alike. They're both Gemini…if you believe in that sort of thing."

"Twin Flames are halves of the same soul, Hermione. They are the same yet different, opposing yet complimenting. And zodiac signs only can only illustrate a potential couple's compatibility if worked out completely. The compatibility of signs, which on the surface would be a bad match, may change if all the variables at the times of birth are considered. I was curious, and I sent the relevant data about the two of them to an old school friend who uses her gift for match making. She also came to the conclusion that Matt and Gudrun are very likely Twin Flames.

"That doesn't mean that a relationship between them would necessarily be a happy one. Even once they've found each other, Twin Flames can hurt each other as much as they can complete each other. It can always go both ways, like relationships between normal couples. Matthias and I aren't Twin Flames, but we're very happy together. You and Ron aren't Twin Flames either, but you still love each other, despite your different natures. You and Ron, like Matthias and I, are Soul Mates, though."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Harry frowned.

Lieutenant Cliff shook her head. "They're often confused with one another, but they're not the same. First and foremost, you only have one Twin Flame, while you have several Soul Mates. Secondly, your Twin Flame is always of the opposite gender, while Soul Mates are both male and female. Thirdly, while your Twin Flame may hurt you, it never harbours evil intentions. Soul Mates are both friends and enemies. Whereas you seem to connect with a friendly Soul Mate, you often have an instant dislike, even revulsion, of the hostile Soul Mate."

"Bloody hell, Lieutenant. You're implying that Malfoy is my Soul Mate."

Cliff grinned. "The name Soul Mate may not be entirely appropriate, since 'mate' implies a positive relationship. Perhaps Soul Foe is a better word. Seriously, though, he may very well be, and Voldemort as well. Without darkness, the light can't be seen, after all."

"Where have I heard that before?" Harry smirked. "So basically, in a sense, Twin Flames actually are Soul Mates, just a more powerful and specialized version…and they're never enemies."

"If a Soul Mate were a torch, a Twin Flame would be a bonfire." Cliff nodded.

Hermione smiled. She found the fiery metaphor somehow very appropriate.

"And, only Twin Flames are lovers?" Harry asked again.

"Heavens, no! Soul Mates can be our lovers and spouses. But they can also be parents, siblings, teachers, students, friends and family. And like I said earlier, they can be enemies, tormentors, and victims. Twin Flames don't necessarily have to be lovers either. Parent - child, and sibling relationships are also possibilities, as well as teacher - student relationships and friendships with no romance. But they're always of the opposite gender. When they are no longer on the same plane of existence, one Flame may serve as a Guardian Spirit…or so they say. Quite a few people don't believe in any of this."

"What about me and Ginny?" Harry asked quietly.

"You already know the answer to that, Harry," Cliff said, "I've never seen more obvious Twin Flames than the two of you. You actually manifest it through your magic."

Hermione smiled. That was indeed very obvious, much more obvious than the supposed connection between Matt and Gudrun. However, Matt's mum had said something about Gudrun resembling his past girlfriends. Maybe Lieutenant Cliff was right; maybe Matt had subconsciously been looking for Gudrun all this time.

"Maria?" Matt suddenly groaned. He was waking up from his slumber.

"She's still at school. She'll be home soon," Gudrun replied, helping him up. "You have visitors."

Matt's gaunt features suddenly jumped out, now that he was sitting up. He looked like he hadn't eaten anything in days. "Hi," he said with a gravely voice. "How are things going at the Citadel?"

Matt clearly wanted to avoid becoming the subject, and while Hermione could understand this, she wasn't about to let him starve himself to death out of sorrow. "You haven't been eating much, have you?"

"I'm not very hungry," Matt said tonelessly. "I've got a lot on my mind. The value of my dad's assets halved upon word of his death. My Aunt Zelda's husband is running things in his absence, but I don't trust that guy as far as I can throw him… Aunt Zelda has always been attracted to crooks. My dad and I weren't on the best of terms, but he's worked very hard to multiply grandfather's fortune twenty-fold, and I'm not about to let a lowlife undo his life's work. I can't take over dad's business empire, so I'll have to find a very talented and skilled manager before the competition carves up the market between them.

"The Caer Sidi Treasure is even more important. I'm pretty much the last of the line on my mother's side, partially owing to the fact that the Archidiaconus wizards never had many children…but mostly due to Voldemort. That's why my mum wasn't thrilled with my career choice. If both Nathan and I died, the fortune would go to a distant relative who had supported Voldemort.

"You see, my great-grandfather was the patriarch when Voldemort attacked. He had four children…quite remarkable, since he, his father and grandfather were only children. My great-uncle Curtis, who originally should have inherited the estate and fortune, was the eldest. My grandfather, who had been lured back to Wales by a treacherous relative, so he'd be killed with the rest of the family, was the youngest. Then there were two great-aunts, Teleri married into the Prewett family and Vala married into the Bones family. None of their offspring survived either. Some Bones got away, but no relatives of mine."

Hermione winced. She still found it hard to imagine how thorough Voldemort had been. "What about the treacherous relative? Is she the same person you want to keep the inheritance from?"

Mat nodded. "Before my great-grandfather, the last time the family tree branched off was," —Matt counted on his fingers— "seven generations ago…my great-grandfather's great-grandfather. He had an older sister who believed that age should come before gender. Not completely unreasonable if you ask me…but I digress. I wouldn't go as far as to call her a dark witch, but she was definitely different from the rest. Throughout Hogwarts' existence, my ancestors on my mother's side had always been either Ravenclaws or Gryffindors. This lady, however, was sorted into Slytherin, and she ended up marrying a Malfoy."

"Malfoy!" Harry said through clenched teeth.

"From the debriefed prisoners we've captured in June, we know that Lucius Malfoy is dead. His son is still out there, though. And if I die, he will have access to the treasure vault. In fact, he already has it. It's a Consanguinity Charm…or Curse, depending on how you look at it. The most direct descendant through a paternal line, and the second most direct descendant, can deactivate the powerful magical wards that protect the treasure. My line turned maternal one generation ago, while Malfoy's turned maternal at leastsevengenerations ago. But because Voldemort wiped out my closer relatives, it's just me and Draco Malfoy now…"

"Do you think he knows?" Harry asked.

"You know him better than I do," Matt said tiredly. "You tell me."

"Then he probably knows," Hermione said. "I've always wondered what Lucius' private agenda was while he supported Voldemort. Of course he looked down on Muggle-borns, but I always suspected he had to have more reasons. This is probably part of it. And I'm sure he'd have told Draco about it."

"But Draco is evil! Surely the wards will keep him out!" Harry exploded.

"The ancestors who came up with the charm must have disagreed with you," Matt said grimly. "It's all about blood, unfortunately, regardless of whether the heir has evil intentions."

"We're going to have to put up some additional wards, then."

"That'll help." Matt nodded. "I plan to go to Caer Sidi, load up all the things on a Cruiser and bring them here, where they'll be safe from Malfoy. To my knowledge there aren't any wards to prevent the transportation of the treasure once the vault has been opened. Then, I'll make a will, which stipulates that Malfoy no longer has any claim. But I was thinking about a longer-term solution which would also act as a failsafe in case we don't find all the treasure, or there is a ward that prevents the treasure from being moved. I'll have to have children."

"With whom? You're not seeing anyone!" Hermione frowned.

"I'm sure thousands of witches would volunteer if you'd place an advert in the papers, " Harry said. "You're a very good-looking fellow and you're one of the richest wizards in the world. There are lots of women out there who'd jump at the chance to be the mother of a child who is the heir of a fortune as huge as yours. But those women would be opportunists, and I wouldn't want my child to have half the genes of such a person."

"If you're going through with this anyway, it would be best if you'd keep the selection under wraps," Hermione suggested. "No need to make the woman a target for Malfoy. After all, I bet Anastasiou would love to get his clutches on your family treasure, and I'm sure he'd loan his assassins to Draco for the cause."

"That won't be a problem, I wouldn't want to have a child with a woman I barely know. I only have one person in mind. " He turned to Gudrun. "I know this is a bit sudden, but I can't think of anyone else. You've always been here for me lately, and you've been my best friend. Would you be the mother of my children?"

Gudrun's face turned a pale green. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Maybe I am…" Matt smiled briefly. "But I know you. I know you're a bright, beautiful and caring woman."

"I couldn't even take care of my daughter!"

"You were what, twenty-one, when you got pregnant? So you were scared! You've been a great mother to her so far, even though she's been giving you a hard time. I know it's only been a few weeks, and naturally, you still have a few things to learn… But you're not as afraid of responsibility as you say you are."

"Suppose I agreed. I wouldn't be able to work in the last months of the pregnancy, and after that, any mother would want to spend as much time as possible with the baby! Not a day went by that I didn't regret my decision to leave Mary with my mother. So I'd have to leave the Order! And where would that leave the other artificers? The workload is already enormous."

"If a Ranger wants to have children, the Order won't stop her," Lieutenant Cliff said. "Though now isn't the best time, I'm sure Nehanda would work something out, since the birth of this baby would effectively take the Caer Sidi magical treasure out of Anastasiou's reach."

"Matt, you said children…not child," Gudrun groaned. "You'd want to have more than one?"

"I'd rather not take any chances. I realise it's easy for me to talk, since I won't have to carry the babies around for nine months and give birth. I know I'm asking a lot. If we take Malfoy out, one will be enough. If not, there would have to be more, since there's a good chance that I might die on a mission."

"If you're afraid to die, don't be a Ranger anymore."

"It isn't a matter of fear, Gudrun. I just have to keep an eye on reality. I can't quit the Order either! I know my mum wouldn't have expected me to quit over this."

"But how will I support Mary?"

"Gudrun, I have more gold that I could spend. I could easily provide for both of you!" Matt said, and Gudrun was beginning to look more and more like a cornered animal as Matt did his best to convince her.

"I-I can't intentionally have a child with you just like that. I'm not…I don't love you!"

Matt just stared at her in shock, what little colour his face had draining away quickly, and a painful silence ensued. "Well, I suppose that's a good reason," he began after a while, with the hint of a tremble in his voice. "What was I thinking anyway? I had no right to ask you to do something so drastic. It was a dumb idea, but that's to be expected from a dumb surfer-boy, right?" he continued with an unconvincing smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Anyway, you took the time to hear me out, that's more than I could've hoped for anyway. I've got to go. Thanks for being there for me these last few days…I won't burden you anymore!"

He slowly rose from the couch and, eyes downcast, he hurried out of the room. The front door slammed shut seconds later, leaving the others behind in stunned silence…until Hermione erupted.

"That was a lie, and you know it! How could you say that? Why didn't you just physically rip out his heart? You don't love him…hah! If that's so, then you've done a great job fooling us all! What on earth possessed you to tell him that?"

"I don't understand. What does he want from me? Why did he ask me? He's rich and handsome…why would he want an older woman with baggage? A woman who was stupid enough to get pregnant by a man she barely knew! I'm damaged goods. It just doesn't make sense." Gudrun shook her head in confusion.

"You're not damaged goods, Gudrun. He really cares about you, loves you even," Harry said calmly. "He went out of his way to protect you from harm. He defended you from those Bloodhounds, he shielded you from crashing into the wall at his own expense when the shock wave blew you away. He loves your daughter too. He bribed the headmaster so he wouldn't to expel Mary."

Hermione had heard about Mary's fight at school, and how the seemingly unswayable git of a headmaster had suddenly completely changed his attitude towards Mary. So that was why he'd changed his mind.

"He really did that?" Gudrun gasped. "Why would he do that?"

"He told me that he couldn't let Mary be expelled for doing a good thing. He also said that Mary reminded him of himself a lot, and that he used to defend other kids who were often picked on, too. Anyway, the way Mary's been imitating him, I think he left the man with the impression that he's Mary's father…" Harry hesitated, before he continued, "I realise that having someone's child is a big deal, and I can't say I'm surprised that you refused. But you didn't have to say that you didn't love him, especially because it isn't true."

"But I don't really know him." Gudrun buried her face in her hands. "He doesn't know me! How can he just love me like that? It can't really be love! John told me that he loved me. He told me that he'd write me, and that he'd call. But my mother never heard anything."

"John?" Cliff asked, puzzled.

"Mary's father," Gudrun said quietly.

Hermione understood now. Matt had a reputation of losing interest, and Gudrun was afraid that he'd been lying and wasn't being serious, and that he'd take off as soon as he got what he wanted…like Mary's father seemed to have done. Lieutenant Cliff sat down next to Gudrun and threw her arm across the younger woman's shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't know," Harry said, apologising for his jumping to conclusions. "I'm going to look for Matt, all right?" he added, and quickly fled from the room, leaving the women to themselves. Hermione had sensed his nervousness, and she knew he'd felt out of place at that particular time. Maybe it had been a good idea too, since Gudrun seemed more at ease now that Harry was no longer present.

"Gudrun, I know you and Mary can make Matt very happy, and he can make the two of you very happy too. I'd stake my life savings and reputation on the words I am about to utter. Matthew Kelly loves you, and he wouldn't leave you for anything in the world! But I have to ask. Would you mind telling me more about Mary's father?"

"Why?" Gudrun asked suspiciously.

"I believe it's time that you find this man, and tell him the truth. You should put these issues to rest. If he reacts too badly, we can always Obliviate him."

Gudrun rejected the plan immediately. "Definitely not. It's obvious that he didn't mean a word he said. Why should I bother looking for him?"

"Maybe he had a good reason," Hermione offered, but Gudrun still looked unconvinced.

"Why not find him first? Once we've located him, you can decide if you want confront him or not," Cliff suggested, and Hermione thought it was a good effort to compromise.

"All right, then," Gudrun said reluctantly. "How do you propose to we find him?"

"The old-fashioned way, I think. The quickest way would be to summon tracking spirits and have them find this man, but nine out of ten of these spirits are malignant, which is why the summoning is considered a dark art. Just tell me all you know about him and we'll track him down. Let's begin with his name."

"John Smith."

Cliff blinked. "Are you serious?"

"I said the same thing when he told me his name. I never saw an identification card, but everyone called him John. When I began to fall for him, I asked some more questions. I learned most of what I know when he took me to visit his former baby-sitter." Gudrun smiled. "Mostly embarrassing things about his childhood…about how she used to change his nappy and things like that. But I also heard some useful things. She confirmed my suspicion that he wasn't eighteen, although she didn't really tell me how old he really was. She didn't correct me when I guessed him to be sixteen, so I think that was his real age. And she told me a little about his family."

"That would certainly help."

"Well, he had an older brother, his mother was a chemist, and his dad did something with pharmaceuticals."

"Hmmm, that's all a bit vague, but it's better than nothing."

Gudrun shrugged. "I didn't really ask him to tell me his life story. At that point, I still thought it would be an innocent holiday fling. He was so young, I knew it couldn't be more than that. If I'd know how wrong I would be, I would have asked more questions, believe me!"

"And what did he look like?"

"Chestnut hair, blue eyes, he was about six-foot-two, rather gangly, I suspect he still had few inches of growth left. And he was very handsome too. Wait…I have a picture of him!"

"That would be loads of help," Hermione said. A picture was worth a thousand words, after all.

"Hold on!" Gudrun said, and she drew her wand. Her brows furrowed in concentration for a moment, before she summoned the picture from her room.

Hermione saw that the picture had been taken on a beach. It was slightly dark, and the red sky over the sea told her it had been taken in the twilight moments, without a flash. Still, the picture was clear enough, and Hermione had to agree with Gudrun. John had been a very good-looking boy. She immediately recognised some Mary's features in his features.

"Mary has his eyes and smile," Cliff remarked. "Do you know where he lives?"

"He lived near the north shore. He gave me the address too, so I could write him…but I never did. I know I have it somewhere in my room."

"I think I'll be able to find him easily enough with this information."

"Do you have the time to go look for him, Lieutenant?" Hermione frowned, knowing that the lieutenant couldn't just drop everything to go look for this mystery man.

"Not personally. But I know someone who would do me this favour. One of my former schoolmates lives on Maui. He's psychometrically gifted, and he works as a private detective. He owes me a few favours, and I think it's time to call one in. I'll pass the picture and the information on to him, and I'm sure he'll find John quickly enough. He's very good at what he does."

"You don't have to do that, Lieutenant," Gudrun insisted.

"Don't worry about it," Cliff said kindly, and looked at the picture again. "You know, he looks a little like Matt, doesn't he?"

Gudrun blushed and nodded. "Yeah. That only makes matters worse. You know, it once crossed my mind that they might be the same person in disguise when Matt told me that he used to surf too," she chuckled. "And they're about the same age. Of course, I was letting my imagination get the better of me."

A creaky sound announced the opening of the front door. Soft cursing identified the new arrival as Lilia.

Lieutenant Cliff patted Gudrun's hand and rose from the sofa. "I don't think their similarity is a coincidence. I'll send the picture back after I've made a copy." She glanced at her chrono. "If I'm late, Nehanda will give me hell. She's been really bad lately. I think she misses Ironheart," she added jokingly. "I'll see you girls later."

"Later, Lieutenant," Gudrun and Hermione chorused.

"Hey Lieutenant, that diet of yours seems to be working wonders!" Lilia said, as she passed Lieutenant Cliff in the doorway to the parlour. "What's your secret?"

"I don't sneak out of bed for midnight snacks, like my hubby. He won't cut back on the lager either." Cliff sounded peeved, but her tone didn't mirror her indulgent expression. "Oh, well, nobody is perfect. Later!" The door slammed shut.

"Gudrun…you look like hell!" Lilia frowned as she plopped down next to the Icelandic witch. "Did you get the bad news you've been expecting about your mother?"

Gudrun shook her head. "Mum's condition seems stable, for the moment. It's Matt…he asked me if I wanted to have children with him."

Lilia's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. "And what did you say?"

"I said no…what else!" Gudrun answered miserably. "Don't look so shocked. I couldn't possibly consent to such a thing. Men…they tend to forget how real life works!"

"Are you kidding? I'd have dragged him up to my room immediately!"

"Honestly, Lilia," Hermione huffed. "You know it isn't as easy as that! Especially because Matt reminded Gudrun of Mary's father so much!"

"Aha, I thought so too." Lilia nodded. "Finally showed them the picture, eh?"

"Yes. I let Lieutenant Cliff borrow it. We're going to look for John."

"Gudrun, I'm home!" Mary's voice rang, and the girl came rushing into the parlour immediately, still wearing her cloak. "Where's Matt?" she asked, looking around with a hint of disappointment.

"He went away," Gudrun said, quickly.

"Oh," Mary said. "But he'll be back soon, won't he?"

"Mary, you know that Matt doesn't have any close relatives on his mom's side, right?" Gudrun said, changing the topic.

Mary's face lit up. "You said yes? You're going to have a baby with him?"

Gudrun looked baffled. "He told you?"

"Of course! He asked me if it would be okay with me! I think it's a wonderful idea. I've always wanted a brother or sister, and that way you and Matt can get married and he can be my daddy and we can be like a family."

While Mary looked deliriously happy, Gudrun looked like she was about to be sick. "Mary, having a baby isn't something you can take lightly. I like Matt very much, but I can't have his baby. I'm sorry."

"You don't like him, you love him!" Mary said sharply, scowling at her mother. "I can tell. And Matt loves you too! He told me so. Why can't you have his baby?"

"H-He said he l-loves me?" Gudrun stammered.

Her daughter nodded. "He got all mushy about it too! So, are you going to have a baby with him, or not?" the girl asked impatiently.

"I'll think about it." Gudrun sighed.

Mary's scowl lifted. "Excellent! I'm going to tell Nicolai that I'll have a little brother or sister next near! We're doing our homework together. I'll be home for dinner!"

"Hold on, I said I'd think about it," Gudrun called after her, but her words fell on deaf ears. "Ugh, I have no control over her whatsoever!"

"You're not being fair to her either. Or are you really considering having Matt's children?" Hermione asked. It was obvious to her how badly Mary wanted to have a 'traditional' family, with a mum, dad, little sibling and a pet. The fact that little Charlie had complained that all that Mary wanted to play was 'house,' with Nicolai as the daddy, and he and Crookshanks as the children, illustrated how deep the desire was. Hermione frowned, remembering how she'd found her traumatised cat with a bonnet wrapped around its head and wearing a makeshift diaper. She'd have to take up that issue with Gudrun at a better time.

"I've never really cared about any man before John. And when it became clear that he hadn't been serious about keeping in touch, I swore to myself never to let another get close. But I've grown so attached to Matt in so little time…it's scary. I don't want this…I don't want to get too attached, because I wouldn't be able to stand it if he left me too."

"If you think you two could have a future together, tell him you just need a little more time to make up your mind, because everything moved a little too fast."

"That's the problem! There's a reason why he needs to have children, and fast."

"What's that?" Lilia asked, but a whistling sound interrupted Gudrun answer. She dug around in her pocket and extracted a small magic mirror. Hermione could read the message on its surface. Commander Ironheart was back!

nycgal: I do my best to include the girls as much as possible.

Zaz: Sorry for the long update gap. I did update on the 5th, but my vacation left me with writer's block.

: Sorry for the long update gap. I update on the 5th, but my vacation left me with writer's block.

Casual Reader: Unfortunately that isn't information I can divulge.

Fin-Phoenix: "I'll do my best. The next chapter ought to be a shocker.

The Millennium One: Interesting speculations.

Gogirl: E-mail me! There is something you need to know in advance. And I hope this chapter answered the question you asked in your review of chappie 16.

Jemima Blue: F.A.A.? LOL!

Lioness-07863: Ah, ahem, you ask too many plot-revealing questions. Don't be offended by my stoic silence. Besides, this chapter ought to have answered your question. ;-)

Maab: Harry won't go insane? Are you sure? cackles evilly And poor Matt indeed. Poor guy doesn't seem to get a break, does he?

Lamina Court: No, Nicolai won't get any lines for now. :-) And did this chappie help you digest the occurrences in the previous one?

Lana Riddle: Thanks, I found the vacation very relaxing.

rowan: Sorry about the long wait.

Petals: I', not sure you'll like it when Wolfe makes an appearance. And in my notes, Galatea has four sisters. Her siblings will be mentioned in the next chapter.

starwest45: Well, I thought Ginny's answer was pretty definite. And how so do you think that Matt is Mary's father?

Siridragon: I've written, I posted.

bane: Yeah, you'll learn about Wolfe's fate pretty soon.

Philip: More like a combo of several droids of several sci-fi / fantasy universes.

Foxfur: I dunno, your answer was pretty good too. And I can't tell you whether or not Wolfe will ever see Galatea again.

Punkin: Four reviews! Makes me want to cry. If it weren't for you, I'd have received a pathetic 13 reviews. Now I have 17. Not something to whine about, I know, but my average is 22, and my ego-minimum is 20. So my ego's just been bruised. cries