Previously on A Tale Of Two Wizards Full Circle: Chapter 19

Raising her voice to a near shriek, Kim pounded on Matt's arm. "Make the best of it? Sounds like you have it all planned out. But why am I surprised? After all, all you've ever wanted was to be Draco and have Hermione."

Matt stopped himself before he could grab Kim by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Instead, he replied in a low, calm voice. "Never have I wanted to be Draco or have Hermione. I am my own man with a wife I love. You're talking foolish because I've upset you. Why don't we have some dinner and discuss this?"

Striding from the room, Kim called back over her shoulder. "Have dinner with yourself. I've listened to all I'm going to listen to this night. In fact," she shouted still in a rage. "I don't want you in my bed. Conjure sheets, blankets and a pillow because you'll be sleeping on the couch."

Matt didn't move from the couch knowing there was nothing he could say to placate Kim when she got in this mood. He would save the rest of his news until the following day, or whenever Kim calmed down. Whichever came first.

/*/

Matt summoned his mobile to ring the one person he knew would understand, Emilio. However, Emilio didn't pick up. Rather than leave some long message, Matt simply asked Emilio to stop by his office first thing in the morning.

/*/

With nothing else to do, Matt leaned his head back against the couch to ponder the changes that were about to disrupt their lives. Leaning forward, Matt picked up what Kim had thought were blank pages. He began to reread how his life would have to go for at least the next five years.

A Tale Of Two Wizards Full Circle: Chapter 20

Hermione returned home to find the note from Carmela. Plopping down in a chair, she called for Dusty to come get Scorp sorted. Dusty stood by ready to take the little man upstairs, but he had something to share with his mum.

"No Dusty, no. I talk to mum. I want to call daddy's number mum. He might be so busy he forgot about us, but if he hears my voice, I know he'll come home. Daddy loves us."

Hermione gave Scorp a wistful smile as she laid Carmela's note on the table, telling Dusty she was excused for the moment. Pulling Scorp onto her lap, Hermione began to explain that daddy did love them but he couldn't come home.

Scorp's bottom lip began to tremble as he tried hard to keep from crying. "Sometimes you and dad shouted at each other. I think he might still be mad with you. I never shouted at him, so he's not angry with me. If I call,"…

Feeling miserable that Scorp had heard her and Draco arguing, Hermione cut him off. "Sometimes mums and dads disagree, but daddy being gone doesn't have anything to do with shouting. Daddy had an accident and hurt himself very badly. So badly, he cannot hear, talk, or come home. I explained this Scorp. It's not that daddy doesn't want to come home love. He can't come home. He's passed on to the afterlife."

"They must have phones in the afterlife mum. They have to. How are big boys supposed to speak to their dads?"

On the verge of tears, Hermione told Scorp he would understand more when he was older."

"I want to unnerstand now mum. I want to tell daddy you won't shout at him anymore. I want him to come home to see his big boy."

Hermione didn't want to break down in front of Scorp, but she was having a hard time holding back the tears. "There's nothing more that can be done Scorp. Daddy is gone."

Scorpius slid off Hermione's lap and threw his little phone to the floor. "Scorp doesn't want a phone if it doesn't call daddy." He shouted, hiccupping and crying at the same time. "Scorp want a story. Scorp want Meel. Meel will come see about his big boy."

Hermione felt the tears slipping down her face and called for Dusty. Dusty appeared in front of Hermione scared out of her wits that her family was having another problem.

"M-Mrs. Hermione. Dusty here to help. Please Mrs. Please."

"Please take Scorpius upstairs. Let him use the bathroom, put him in pajamas and read to him for a bit. I'll be up in a moment."

"Yes Mrs. I be doing that. Crissy be getting little man some warm milk. Don't be sad Mrs. We's don't want no one else leaving the family. Please Mrs."

"No one is leaving the family. Please take Scorp and do as I asked."

Leaving Scorp's phone where it had fallen, Dusty grabbed him up and disappeared.

/*/

Horrendous sobs wracked Hermione's body as she digested Scorp's words. He thought she was the cause of Draco being gone. She had shouted at his daddy and now his daddy wouldn't come home. How do you explain life to a little, big boy?

Her sobs had subsided but Hermione couldn't make herself move from the chair. A soft voice floated over to Hermione.

"I don't mean to intrude, but your brother stopped in uninvited and was scared silly when he heard what you and Scorp were going through. His chicken shite arse emergency called me to get over here with all speed. I'm here love. Who do I have to kill?"

Hearing Hannah's soft, nurturing voice caused Hermione to let loose with another round of heart wrenching sobs. With tears running down her face and a nose running like a faucet, Hermione all but fell into Hannah's arms. "Scorp wanted to call Draco on his toy mobile. Hannah, he thinks Draco won't come home because I shouted at him all the time. My son thinks I'm the cause…." Hermione couldn't get out any more words.

Hannah wrapped her arms around her friend, whispering soft words of comfort.

"Scorp is a child Hermione. You know that. His father is gone. He is trying to reason out why. In his mind, Scorp thought he could get things settled if he spoke to his father on the mobile. You've said it before love. You'll have to keep explaining about Draco's death until he understands. As far as Scorp blaming you for shouting at Draco, you'll have to remind him that his father shouted at you as well, and you're not gone. It'll take time, but we'll get there. Get up, wash your face. Then go face your son. Scorp loves you Hermione. He just needs reassurances. Come on. Get up. Go shove Dusty aside and do some bonding with your son."

The sobs had diminished to nothing as Hannah spoke. Hermione rose from the chair and went to wash her face. When she returned to the foyer, Hermione spoke softly in a trembling voice. "When I told Scorpius that Draco couldn't come home, he asked for Emilio, because Emilio read him stories and treated him nice. What's happening to us Hannah? Scorp even thought he saw Emilio today. What's happening to the family I have left?"

Hannah was more surprised than she let on, but she would never let her friend know that. Answering in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone, she tried to suss it out. "I'm not a mum yet, but I would hazard a guess that Emilio's name came to the forefront because he is the wizard to whom Scorp has become attached. It means nothing. The same would probably happened if Matt or Sal, or anyone else had stepped up. That's a small thing. Let's work on getting Scorp acclimated to life without his father. Agree?"

"Agreed." Hermione answered softly. "Getting my son sorted comes before any other bull shite. Will you help me?"

Although Hannah didn't know how she could help. She'd never leave her dearest friend to suffer alone. "Of course I'll help you. What good I'll do, I'm not sure, but I can try. You go upstairs. I want to let your brother know things are alright. I'll be right up."

/*/

"Mum. Mum. Dusty is reading the story Daddy Loves Me. It's about a daddy who got sick and had to go away. Just like my daddy."

The sullen, snotty nosed, little wizard who had thrown down his toy mobile and had to be taken upstairs was gone. In his place was a happier boy who seemed to have grasped the concept of a father who had to leave because he got sick.

"Shouting didn't make daddy go. He had a bad accident and couldn't come home. Ask Dusty."

Dusty! Hermione felt the tears welling up once again. However, this time, they were tears of release. It had taken an outspoken elf to get to where she hadn't been able to go.

"Anna!" Scorp called out when he saw Hannah standing in the doorway. "It's okay if you shout at uncle Arry. He won't go away. He can only go away if he's hurt. It says so in my book. Honestly."

"That's right love. Shouting doesn't make a person go away. Husbands and wives and mums and dads know how to talk things over. Will you remember that?"

"I'll remember aunty Anna." Hopping off the bed, Scorp walked over to take his mum's hand. "Mum. I still want my mobile. I'm sorry I threw it down. I know better."

Hermione smiled down at her son while in the back of her mind, she was rescinding her promise to give the outspoken Dusty a telling off.

/*/

Matt remained sitting on the couch trying to figure out the best way to talk to Kim. He sorted through idea after idea to no avail. Kim was not going to sit still for anything other than a quiet life in Milan. As Matt sat there pondering the future, the Owls began lining up. When the tapping finally broke through his thoughts, there were four lined up. Hurrying over to the window, Matt thoughts became unpleasant. Owls? Really? Owls? If this is about the transition, could they not have just picked up a mobile?

Four owls jockeyed for first place, but Matt took them as he could. He hadn't cleared the window of the four before four others took their place.

"Ri-fucking-diculous. Matt sniped to himself. "The first thing I intend to do as head is order up a plethora of mobiles."

/*/

Matt was quite correct. The owls were from all over the globe. The senders had received messages that Matt Lozio had been installed as the Head of everything Malfoy and were clamoring to find out what this meant for their companies and when they would have a face to face meeting.

As laid back as he normally was, Matt was overwhelmed. How the fuck was he going to manage? He didn't have any ready answers. He knew less about Malfoy matters than, than Scorpius. After a few deep breaths, he came to terms. He could sit there whining over what he didn't know, or he could get his ass in gear and find someone help him learn what he needed to know. He needed Gaspare, but even before that, he needed to fix things with Kim.

/*/

Getting up off the couch, Matt called out to Kim that he was coming into their bedroom to have a talk. He wanted to assure her that no matter what, they were a team. A good team that could overcome any obstacles in their marriage.

Kim didn't reply, but Matt didn't give her silence a second thought knowing his wife could be a miserable cow when she wanted to be. He'd just have to take a stand.

When Matt approached the bed, Kim sat up to face him. "There's no need to shout Matt. I can hear you just fine."

Matt sighed, his expectations of having a reasonable conversation were dwindling by the minute. "I apologize for upsetting you Kim, but there is more to this transition. We need to have a conversation. After that, we'll work on the anger I'm sure will surface."

"I'm allowed to be angry," Kim replied softly without turning to look at her husband. "This is our lives we are talking about. I'm not slow Matt. I may not know the whole of it, but I am aware that most Malfoy business is done from London where I imagine you'll have to spend the bulk of your time. What will you do about your position here. You are the Minister of Finance Italy. What will you do about those duties?"

Matt sat silently trying to form a response that would not drive Kim into hysteria.

Throwing back the covers, Kim came to a sitting position with her back against the headboard. "Come on with it Matt. Tell me just what we'll be adjusting to."

Matt took a deep breath. "The Malfoy transition has some firm rules. One of which is I'll-we'll have to spend most of our time in London."

"I knew it," shouted Kim coming up on her knees. "I bloody knew it. You choose to do this? What of my career, my business, my clients? Should I just drop everything and walk away?"

Kim wanted the truth. Without hesitation, Matt gave it to her. "Yes Kim. For the next five years I am committed to run the Malfoy Companies, most probably from London."

Kim let out a sigh of defeat. "Well, there you are. Mostly from London. The hell with me and my business in… Italy. I get that Draco is dead and you made a vow to step up if anything ever happened to him. Fine, but is it down in writing you have to lead this transition from London? I don't want us to have to uproot our lives in Milan. Please double check. Please."

Matt reached over and grabbed Kim up in his arms. He had taken everything at face value without thought. Perhaps he could fulfill his obligations, from Milan. "You are so brilliant love. Perhaps it is that simple. It wasn't something stipulated during the transition process. However,….."

"However, what Matt?" Kim questioned cutting across him. "We have this solved. You may do your job from here."

Matt tried to keep his arms around Kim, but she had pulled away. "However, whether it is from Milan or London, I have to relinquish any duties not related to the Malfoy Companies."

"And the hits just keep coming." snapped Kim. "So, you'll be a man of means like the rest of the lot wandering around with no destination. Maybe you'll take up skiing and land dead on your arse like Draco. Then Hermione and I could commiserate together. I guess there's no sense in you remaining in Milan. It's not like you'd have a position to worry about. This is all shite. You and your bloody vow. It would have been very different had Draco not lifted you and Seth out of poverty. Right now, you'd probably be married to the pig farmer's daughter."

Matt had held onto decorum as long as he could, but Kim's last words had been intentionally hurtful. "You are being unnecessarily spiteful and hurtful. Perhaps I would have been married to the pig farmer's daughter if Draco hadn't found Seth and I. We'll never know. However, at this point in time, I am heir to the Malfoy line, and I'm not married to the pig farmer's daughter even though a pig farmer's daughter would act more reasonably than you. I'll check out the choices, but as of now, I will do what needs to be done whether that be in Milan or London. I believe you had it right in one. I would be better off kipping on the couch. Thank you for your kind support."

Kim watched her stiff backed husband stride from the room knowing her pig farmer comment had been uncalled for, but also knowing she didn't want to be uprooted from her home country. Matt had come into the room to have a reasonable discussion, but she couldn't hold her mouth. It might be time for her to try and set things right.

Turning onto her side, Kim discarded that notion right out of hand. He could figure it out without her.

/*/

Emilio had notified Wallace he would be out of the office the entire day. What he hadn't mentioned was he would be out of the office in London. The Chief Warlock of the Ministry of Magic had personally called him to discuss details of an upcoming position suggesting Emilio immediately get to the Ministry to file his application in person.

The CW's call had been fortuitous. Except for a few discussions with Matt, Emilio had kept it quiet that he was interested in leaving the administrative end of things. However, Italy didn't have and wouldn't have any openings in the legal departments for ages, so he had to be satisfied with the position he held. Until now. Even though it wasn't a sure hire, Emilio knew he had to try. He'd left his position in London to get away from certain things, and had landed in Milan because of other things. Those other things were now back in England. Of course he was interested in a step up position which would put him where he wanted to be.

/*/

Emilio left the Ministry at Milan mid morning and had arrived in London just before 11:00 am. After a bit of small talk, the CW who reminisced about Emilio's previous good work, produced the application which didn't take Emilio any time to fill out.

Emilio had a next step with Wizarding Resources. The CW wished Emilio good luck before going back to his own duties.

Emilio sat with the Wizarding Resource Wizard, who also remembered him from his previous position. Looking over the application, the wizard had a few questions, but discreetly stated that with the CW firmly in his corner, Emilio looked like a shoo in for the position of Head of Case Control, Wizengamot. Emilio would know the results within a week.

/*/

The CW had invited Emilio to have lunch in his chambers, so he was taking long strides down the hall when he ran into Harry. Not expecting to see Emilio in the halls of the Ministry, Harry had almost walked past him.

Emilio shrugged. The world wouldn't end if Harry Potter snubbed him. He kept walking, but turned back when Harry called his name.

"Oi Emilio! Back to the halls of justice then? What are you doing here?"

Extending his hand, Emilio told Harry he'd been chosen to apply for the Head of Case Control, Wizengamot position. "Not a done deal, but things look promising."

Harry couldn't help the small crease that appeared across his forehead. Emilio Lozier back in London. Harry fervently hoped it would work out better than last time. "Sounds good." Harry replied, not really meaning a word of it. "Best of luck." Again not meaning any of it. Harry still had his suspicions that Emilio was after Hermione.

Emilio and Harry walked away in different directions. Harry walked away realizing he was pissed off about Emilio's possible return to London. Something that wasn't his business.

Emilio walked away thinking about the frown that had appeared on Harry's face. I thought we were past that old shite.

/*/

Emilio hadn't made it ten steps when someone called his name and he found himself in a tight hug. Leanne Moon had sniffed him out. She stepped back.

"Emilio! What are you doing here? I was on my way to lunch when I heard your dulcet tones. Would you like to join me? I saw you talking to Harry. Everybody over their little snit then?"

Emilio continued to smile even though he didn't care for Leanne's Potter reference. He really didn't need that old bull shite being dragged up by Harry or Leanne. "Sorry Leanne. The CW has invited me to lunch. I'm on my way there now."

"Is there room for one more?" Asked Leanne boldly.

Leanne was pushing. Just as she had pushed at that long ago party. Emilio turned to face her in a stiff manner. "I wouldn't presume to invite a guest to the CW's chambers when I'm a guest myself. I'm running late. Have a pleasant day Leanne."

Leanne watched Emilio walk away then turned away to go have her lunch.

/*/

Emilio's lunch went well. They discussed the position with the CW questioning if Emilio really wanted to leave Italy.

Emilio explained how welcome the CW's call had been as he had been mulling over leaving administration behind to get back into the legal areas of the Ministry.

"Well thought out Mr. Lozier. It would seem luck is with you. If I was a betting wizard, I'd put galleons on you being the next Head of Case Control. Why not take this opportunity to look at a few flats? You don't want to come up short when your approval documents come through."

Emilio gave a wry smile as he shook the CW's hand.

It was coming up on 2:30 when Emilio stepped out of the Ministry. He appreciated the advice he received from the CW, but thought landing a flat might be a little premature. His only plan was to make a few stops in Diagon Alley. There was never a bad time to spruce up one's wardrobe.

/*/

As Emilio stepped into the menswear shop, Hermione and Scorp were passing on the other side of the street on their way back to the Leaky. Hermione was concentrating on other things so she hadn't noticed the shop door closing behind Emilio, but Scorp had.

"Meel mum. Meel." He said, pointing in the direction of the menswear shop.

"Come on silly. We need to get home to find out what's going on with aunty Seana."

Scorp tried to look back towards the shop, but Hermione had a tight hold on his arm. "Mum, mum. Ouch." Scorp whined.

He was a big boy. He had seen Meel, but he had also made his mum cross. Scorp decided to turn his thoughts to his new mobile so mum would stop being cross.