Walking Dead Wizard

Chapter 103

Luna blinked owlishly at her partner, her blue eyes roaming around the room. Taking everything in, from the scattered roses on the table, the flowers in the vase, the plates, glasses, champagne bottle in the cooler along with ice. The biggest change to their property was Merle himself. She had to admit he scrubbed up well, very well indeed. However, that just wasn't Merle at all. He was wearing a suit, it wasn't a seamless fit, but it wasn't too bad. "What are you wearing? And better yet what are you doing?" Luna asked Merle, was he attempting to do something romantic? Had one of the wizards and witches put him under the Imperius curse to toy with them? Merlin, she hoped not, no, none of them would have done that, not even Marcus Flint. It would be the quickest way to piss off Harry.

Everyone knew better than to piss of Harry.

"Can't you see what I'm doing, woman?" Merle grumbled, looking decidedly put-out and annoyed. He was trying to cover up how uncomfortable he was in the suit, and failing. "Isn't it what all you lot actually really want?"

Luna relaxed at the familiar words; it was definitely Merle alright. Grumpy and adorable – to her – but blessedly him. Only for her eyes to widen, when she realized what he was implicating… "Are you proposing?" heart thudding painfully against her ribcage.

"Not anymore," Merle grumbled, face going red in embarrassment feeling utterly humiliated in this monkey suit. He shouldn't have done it, but he'd wanted to give her what she wanted. Or at least what he thought she wanted. He moved to get out of the damn suit, and disappear for a while. He needed a bloody drink.

"Merle…don't, stop," Luna said, grasping a hold of his arm, "I…love you, for you…differences and all. I don't, I don't need you to try to do all this just to propose…this isn't something I'd want. Engagement yes, this no." grasping the lapel of his jacket, "You look so uncomfortable, go put your normal clothes on…" giving him a sweet smile, honestly, his attempt was just adorable.

Merle looked relieved, as he stared at her, "You really don't want…all this?" gesturing around him. He'd tried to make it as romantic as he possibly could, which probably wasn't as well as other people could have made it. He didn't know the first thing about romance, just shit he'd seen on TV. He gave her a dubious look, wasn't it something all women wanted? Even secretly in their hearts?

Luna smiled, shaking her head, "No, I would have very much preferred just you and me outside somewhere secluded..." but that probably wasn't something Merle would go for, Merlin, help him if anyone saw him being romantic. No, he was a very prickly private man, he'd never pick a public spectacle to do it. Not that she actually wanted a public spectacle. "Nature has always been…calming and peaceful for me." She'd spent so much of her life alone, outside, investigating or just being away from people to avoid the bullies. She'd only begun to know and love true friendship as she grew older well into her teens.

"You want me to propose next to the chickens?" Merle asked his lips twitching into an amused smirk. "You've already agreed, no take backs." Smug now that he got to avoid all this sappy shit.

Luna laughed, shaking her head, "Go on," jerking her head to the bedroom, Merlin, help them, he looked as if he had fire ants in the suit. "You better have a ring at least!" Luna called out.

That got a bark of relieved laughter out of Merle.

Luna stared at the scene in front of her, a fond smile on her face. He'd done all this for her, she'd never be able to forget this. Merle wasn't romantic in any sense of the word, with words and in general. Although, it depends on what you see as romantic, Merle was thoughtful, always doing little things for her that made her love him all the more. It was better than the occasional 'romantic' day where men can actually be bothered or recall important dates. The first thing was the iPod that he'd given her, she still had it, and it still worked. He'd even continued to keep it charged for her in the car until he found a plug that would work with the iPod. Not it was charged in the house when it needs to be.

Best thing of all, it worked surrounded as they were with the mass concentration of magic.

"Now that's much better," Luna said, staring at Merle as he returned in his usual clothes. He looked a lot more confident, it's amazing what a suit could do to someone that wasn't comfortable in them.

"Ain't wasting the food," Merle wasn't up for that, he hadn't wasted food before the damn apocalypse ever mind before.

"Smells lovely, is that boar?" trying to guess.

Merle's lips twitched, "Aye, it's boar," they didn't have boar often, not enough to go around, but Luna had loved the boar they'd had once in the past. They were waiting until they had populated enough to eat them again. Didn't help that six of them had been sent elsewhere, well, three boars, three sows. The Kingdom had received their own haul, as well as the old Hilltop folk and Hogwarts had received some mundane animals to top up their lot. If things went the way he assumed, another boar and sow would be gone as well to the Saviors. Despite the fact the team was divided up to get things done quicker, doesn't mean they were oblivious to what was going on. They were kept well informed.

Some animals only had one, luckily Sows ain't one of them. They had anywhere between six and eleven, and as luck would have it, one of the sows had eleven piglets which kept the population up, the siblings were kept track off, so that if the breeding programme took off, they wouldn't accidentally be born with defects which would defeat the purpose of trying to repopulate the animal kingdom with animals.

Even the Doe's they had, have had more than one baby, their community was producing more than enough to be safe.

They hadn't been able to save every species, but they had saved what they could. Even the foxes were thriving, safe from the other animals as well, which were well fed on food that would keep them healthy. Spells all around prevented the bigger predators just taking out all the prey.

Hershel and his chosen 'vets' were busy near enough all day, especially now they had nurses and a doctor as well as healers. Hershel preferred it though, seemingly, he wasn't quite ready to 'settle down' so to speak.

"Here," Merle said, shoving the ring into her hands, looking rather awkward.

Luna glanced at it and a huge grin split across her face, it was a white gold ring, adorned a panther, with purple stones inlayed.

"I know you love animals and purple is February's birthstone…don't know if you have that or if it's different in the magical world." Merle told her, pleased with himself at her initial reaction.

"It's different, but I don't care," she declared, "You going to put it on?" grinning at the look on Merle's face, stuck between smugness and disgruntlement at being asked.

It was a good job he loved her, and he could only hope she knew that. Because the words? The words just got stuck in his mouth, even just thinking about saying them let alone actually trying to. He wasn't a guy that spoke about his emotions, not even to those closest to him.

Who knows though…maybe one day he'd pluck up the courage?

Snatching the ring back, he put it on her ring finger, only to blanch when it began to shrink down to fit her. He was about to snatch it back fearing it would cut her finger off! When she reassured him that it was all good.

"Thank you," she said, kissing him breathlessly, now this Merle could get behind.

"I got something else to show you," Merle admitted.

"Show me?" Luna asked, red faced from the beard burn.

"Come on," Merle jerked his head, and walked through to the spare room they barely entered. They didn't have enough shit to really fill their bedroom let alone a spare room.

When the door swung open, the first thing Luna picked up was the smell of woodshaving's. Then she saw a crib, it was beautifully crafted, Merle had done it himself, both Merle and Daryl were brilliant and wood crafting. Her breathing halted temporarily; he wasn't suggestion what she thought? Was he?

"I see the way you watch over Harry; I see the longing you feel," Merle admitted, swallowing back the desire to piss off on his own and ever come back. He'd never felt worthy of Luna, but he'd been too selfish to let anyone else have her. He'd kill anyone who so much as laid a hand on her. "I ain't…I ain't gonna be a good father figure...I like swearing too much, drinking too much, don't really know how to be patient, but I'd do this for you." he'd rather this than lose her, because one day she'd wake up and realize what she wanted more, and eventually she'd look somewhere else for it. He wouldn't be able to stand aside and let it happen. It would happen a lot sooner than he liked, with his impending Unclehood.

Luna felt tears building in her eyes, he'd made a crib for a baby she wanted. "I think you're wrong," she choked out, "I think you'll surprise yourself, Merle. I think you're going to be a wonderful father someday."

"Some day?" Merle echoed, feeling rather wrongfooted. It didn't sound like she was in any rush…but the way she'd been acting…he thought for sure she'd want kids.

"Witches…find it difficult to get pregnant…it can take up to ten years for a successful pregnancy... with a lot of families only able to have one." Luna explained, "Some can be very, very lucky but my parents struggled to have me. It took them four years to successfully conceive actually."

"And Harry?" Merle asked, absorbing the new surprising information. It made sense really, with what…how small the magical population was altogether. He's assumed it was because of the war actually.

"He's always broke the mould, this time isn't any different…although, with all the ambient magic surrounding us it might be different." Luna said, reverentially brushing her fingers down all the grooves of the crib. "It's different for everyone I suppose, there was a baby boom at the end of the war with Voldemort…that was fifty children in all, from all over magical Britain which was considered a lot." Which in the grand scheme of things was rather a small generation.

Now the population was the smallest it had ever been.

Merle grunted his reply.

"It has to be something you want too," Luna said, turning from the beautifully crafted crib to face her partner. She had every faith that Merle would be perfect, but if this was something, he really didn't want…well, it didn't take a genius to figure out what would happen. Merle would become distant, eventually they'd just argue all the time until they split up. She didn't want that.

"I ain't got a problem trying," Merle said lecherously.

Luna laughed, shaking her head in amusement, a few others would be aghast or disgusted – especially if they weren't used to Merle – but Luna found his honesty still refreshing. Although, if he didn't want to talk about it, he avoided it altogether and made no effort to disguise it.

"Shit, the food, fuck," Merle grumbled, turning and making a beeline for the kitchen, when he opened the oven he sighed in relief, thank fuck for that. It wasn't burnt, just a bit crispy, which was fine, it's the way they liked it. Some of the roasted veg didn't make it, but they could be removed. He'd only taken enough of the boar for the two of them, the rest was with Carol and Lily who were cooking today.

Taking out the roasting pan, he plated the food, which was in no way romantic at all. Other than the fact he had actually cooked it all himself. Two slabs of meat and the veg just thrown on the plate. Roasted potatoes, carrots, onion and sweet potato with rosemary and garlic. He hadn't cooked anything but stews, so he thought it turned out well.

They both dug into their meal, eating mostly in silence, as Luna thought about how best to get through to Merle. She wanted to make the stubborn man see just how good a father he could be. Then it came to him, as she recalled the conversations she'd had with both Dixons.

Luna cleared the empty plates away, "Who looked after Daryl when he was a baby?"

Merle gave her a baffled look, "My Ma,"

"Really?" Luna asked sceptically.

"She fed him," Merle grumbled, like their Da or Ma for that matter would waste money on formula when they had a 'god given free milk' which was one of the nicer things his Da had ever said actually.

"And who had him the rest of the time?" Luna patiently enquired. She knew Merle had practically raised Daryl until he couldn't take it anymore. Not just the responsibility but living in that toxic house. Not even returning for his mother's funeral. His biggest regret though was not taking Daryl with him.

"I'd keep him well away from Da," Merle crossing his arms against his chest. He knew what she was doing, he might not be the smartest motherfucker to live, but he had his own smarts.

"Did you ever hurt him?" Luna gave him an expectant look, knowing without a doubt.

"No," Merle shook his head, insulted at the mere insinuation. Sure, they started actually fighting when he was older. If you could call that hurting, especially as Daryl got older, he began get the better of him.

"If we ever have a child…and he or she grows up to be like Daryl…then we'd be very lucky," Luna declared sincerely, "Capable, strong, smart…dedicated." Even if he was rather silent, he didn't take any shit from anyone. He was actually a bit like her, she didn't talk unless she had something to say. They needed to be that in this kind of world they found themselves living in.

"And if it ain't magical?" Merle asked seriously.

Luna blinked at the unexpected question, "That won't matter to me at all, it's fifty-fifty for all children born. They either have magic or they don't." squibs were a thing after all. "It's the same for the baby Harry carries." There was no guarantee any children born would have magic. Although, if they were magical, it would make their lives a little easier.

"Even if I was with a wizard, Merle, there's no guarantee that the child would be magical." Luna continued, "I told you about squibs, didn't I?"

Merle recalled that conversation and conceded her point. Admittedly he thought it was a bomb at first, since that was the only kind of squib he'd been familiar with. Still, surely, she'd be disappointed if it didn't have magic? By the look of it she truly didn't care.

"I'm returning to the Saviors compound tomorrow, late afternoon, do you want to come?" Luna asked, as she poured their drinks, now she wasn't going to let this go to waste. "Before that Blaise and Marcus will be here to help me with the Runes," keeping nothing from him. "Between the three of us, we'll get enough made that we won't need any for a while." at least she was assuming so, but they didn't plan a need for more afterwards, and by then she could build up a bigger collection so she didn't need to exhaust herself by staying up at all hours to create them.

Merle immediately decided he had nothing better to do tomorrow. "I'll come," he didn't trust those fuckers as far as he could throw them. If Harry wasn't going then damn right, he was going to be right there alongside her.

"Thought you might," Luna nodded, drinking down her glass of champagne he was very protective, most people would find it insulting and stifling but Luna loved the way he showed he cared. Maybe because he didn't have many ways of showing he did, or maybe she just preferred it that way. Grinning as Merle filled it back up.

There were only two glasses each and the bottle was already empty.

"So, you said you'd enjoy trying," Luna said with a rueful grin, eyes gleaming, "We're not needed again tonight…"

Merle drained is glass and stood immediately, "Like I'd ever turn that down woman," Merle said in amusement, barely waiting until she'd drank her own second glass and the pair were off. Luna all but being dragged down the hallway, giggling at her…fiancé's actions. He was her fiancé now…they'd be getting married in a magical ceremony though, at least that way it would be legal in ever sense of the word.

Let's just say, it was a good job for silencing charms, Merle might be getting old but he certainly still had stamina in spades to keep up with Luna.

Next Day

"I'll get it," Daryl declared, already on the move to get Harry's lunch.

Harry turned to watch him make their lunch, with a fond and amused look on his face. cheese and ham, "Add Branston Pickles," now that's a combination he'd grown to love since Andrea had made one when he came up with an entire crate of Branston pickles. In fact, most people had liked it, he'd given out a jar to each 'house' along with some ham, cheese and bread and peanut butter and jam or chocolate spread depending on who wanted what. The runes were up and running on all of their kitchens, so they were preserved. Main meals were still served – except on exception – in the museum they'd turned into a communal dining room.

"You do know I won't have the same strain going on as a woman does, right?" Harry asked Daryl, as he cut up their sandwiches and brought them through.

"What do you mean?" Daryl asked, speaking with his mouth full, glancing at Harry in confusion, not really getting what he was talking about.

"I won't get big, I won't strain physically, it will all be magically," Harry explained, before biting into his food.

"Not even backache?" Daryl asked doubtfully.

"Who knows? The books don't really delve into that, it's more along the lines of how its possible and the how to with the potions and spells." Harry confessed, "As well as the fact, you know, there won't be an actual sign that I'm pregnant except maybe a small beer gut that nobody will notice. It's really only possibilities, that are discussed not actual facts. At the back of the book as if it had been added as an afterthought."

"You say some Muggle stuff doesn't react well to magic," Daryl commented, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That mean a scan?" would the first time they see their kid when it's cut out of Harry's stomach?

"Oh," Harry said perking up, "We don't need Muggle electronics to have a scan show us anything…magic will actually show us a 3D rendition…it will be a lot clear than most Muggle tech as advanced as it was…before all this."

"You were learning healing; did you learn that spell?" Daryl asked fascinated at the prospect of seeing it.

"Yeah, I learned everything I could, but by the time we can do a scan I won't be allowed to do magic." Harry pouted, "Doing too much magic or being around too much magic is supposed to be dangerous not sure if it's true or not but…" Harry merely shrugged, either way he wasn't taking any chances.

"What about the magic that's keeping this place secure?" Daryl asked eyes clouded with concern, did that mean they should find somewhere else to stay until the baby was born? It didn't sound very safe at all.

"That isn't a concern," Harry said, "Hogsmeade and the surrounding area has just as strong magic cast on it." in other words, it was safe, but giving examples would probably ease some of the worry Daryl was experiencing. He was still so new to magic compared to him.

Daryl made a noise of agreement around a mouthful of his last sandwich.

"Plus, Hogwarts…there had to be at least one or two pregnancies from dalliances while there." He added wryly, "If not the students then the professors and their partners." Screwing his nose up a little at the thought, he hadn't seen his professors that way at all.

Daryl laughed at the look on Harry's face, completely agreeing with him. Contrary to popular belief, he had gone to school, admittedly, when he could be bothered.

"Oh, that was good," Harry said relaxing back, "I can't believe I slept all morning though. I'm more tired than I usually am, which is just odd, I've had almost double the amount of sleep."

"Always works that way," Daryl admitted, "Plus, the book said the further along you advance…the more magic it saps up you'll sleep a lot." Wrapping his arms around Harry, bringing him closer.

Harry nodded his agreement, that much was true, he didn't think it would affect him quite so quickly. He reckoned it wasn't, he'd just needed a good sleep, that was all. "I probably should go to the Alley again and see if I can find anything…more substantial so I know exactly what to expect." Those books…he thought it had everything but it wasn't true, it was more about how to get pregnant than everything about the pregnancies.

Knocking at the door disturbed their rest, but if it was Luna or Merle or both they'd walk in, in a few seconds. Which is exactly what happened, as the door opened.

"Is it alright to come in?" Luna called out from the door.

"We're in the living room," Harry called out, craning his neck, to see her, she came in alone, "No Merle?"

"No," Luna said with a wicked grin on her face, wisely, both Daryl and Harry said nothing about it. "Just giving you the list, we'll be back for it after dinner." Passing over the wad of Muggle paper.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered, flipping through the double written sided pages, "I know the group was big, but that's taking the piss," it would take him forever to get everything together. Glancing at his watch, well, he supposed he did have five hours to get everything together before Luna and Merle returned. They did need the clothes though, especially those clothed like bloody cattle, disgusting so it was.

"Do you need a hand to get it all done?" Luna asked, prepared to help, family was the most important thing after all.

"Nah, you go head home," Harry waved her away, "It shouldn't take too long, Daryl can help." Plus, Luna was going to be taking everything to them and taking on a lot more responsibility while he was having to stand down. Part of him didn't like it at all, but needs a must, his baby came first.

"What about that group you said?" Luna asked, sitting on the arm of the chair.

"Oceanside? It's what they called it anyway and they're definitely on the oceans side," Harry said wryly, "I don't know, after what The Saviors did…approaching them will need handling very delicately." Recalling how absolutely furious yet terrified they had been of Negan and his men. Shuddering at just how devastated they had been when their husbands, boyfriends, brothers, sons were gunned down because Negan had been unhappy.

"Like leaving a letter, food and explanations? Or avoiding them entirely kind of delicate?" Luna asked curiously, Harry had never been against that before. She wondered what exactly he had seen.

"It's not them I read," Harry said thoughtfully, from where he was cushioned against Daryl's chest, "I have no clue how they'll react, but I think leaving something even food would terrify them even more. I certainly would react the same." Especially if someone got in through his wands.

"They liable to be jumpy?" Daryl asked, starting down at Harry.

"Yes, the only thing stopping them reacting when the Saviors show up is the fact they're bloody outgunned." Harry reckoned. "I suppose all we can do is offer help, whether they accept that help or not well, not a lot we can do if they don't, right?"

"Exactly, you're not omnipotent, you aren't responsible for everyone." Luna nodded, Harry had done enough for everyone, he didn't need to keep helping everyone that didn't want the help. He was learning though, he'd left those assholes that rejected him at Hilltop, the likelihood of them being dead was incredibly strong.

"Is that a ring on your ring finger?" Harry asked scrambling up, trying to see it properly, barely reacting to Daryl grunting as Harry's entire weight pressed down upon him. He was by no means small and delicate, however thin he actually was, Merlin he weighed a ton.

Luna's mouth twitched up into a maniacal grin, "Took you long enough!" she'd lost the bet though, by all of a minute. Not that she was…losing anything technically.

Money after all, didn't mean squat anymore.

They were all poor, they all struggled to an extent…welcome to a world where all things were equal for the first time in nearly all of existence until humanity began to barter.

A/N – there will probably be a wee bit of a time jump in the next chapter…maybe a month or so to move the plot along…would you like to see the Ocean people introduced? Could they possibly trust Harry and the others? Will some of the men from Hilltop and Kingdom make their way there? Or will the women of Oceanside split into the other groups? Or will they remain on their own territory and accept those that Harry decrees safe into their group? These few chapters will either just be about Merle and Luna dealing with things or we have them create Portkey's for Harry that work? How would you prefer it to be? There's been a lot of requests for twins lol you lot either can't decide or are just greedy 😉 yup, probably greedy lol it's not like they'll have more I don't think guess you'll have to wait until that particular epilogue for more about that 😉 R&R please