The Eighth Year Universe

Love Wins

Love is the Only Thing Worth Fighting For


The chapter title comes from the song:

Love Wins by Carrie Underwood.


Ivy House – the Corner Residence

The 21st of September

It had been three days since the night that changed everything when the Daily Prophet published Michael's story. Linda delighted in reading out loud at the breakfast table.

She grinned at him and said, "They're calling it a scandal."

Michael looked at the paper and nodded, "Tiberius McLaggen's statement says that Hubert Davies is under investigation for criminal charges."

"So he should be!" Linda exclaimed, "You got an Order of Merlin for opening up that hospital and getting help out to the people in Diagon Alley! You don't get a bloody medal then fired!"

"Apparently you do," Michael retorted dryly.

Grace bit into her toast thoughtfully, "I think they might ask you to take his place."

Michael looked up, "What?"

Grace nodded, "That's how the article reads to me."

Linda raised an eyebrow, "She's a smart cookie, our Gracie. She might be right, you know?"

Michael laughed, "Head of St Mungos? No, I don't think so, Lin."

"You'd be good at it," Linda said; she nudged him in the ribs, "You and our Lil, you'd run a tight ship."

Michael opened his mouth to say that no, they wouldn't ask him to do that. But before he could, the floo roared to life, and Lilly stepped into the kitchen. She was in her 'work clothes', which consisted of comfortable but smart trousers, a blouse and a white cloak embroidered with the St Mungo's logo and her name – L. Longbottom – in spirally writing.

"Oh, breakfast," She said eagerly, "I'm starving. I've just come off a 12-hour, which was actually a 14-hour because I had a breach baby who didn't want to come out."

"Too much information over breakfast, love," Linda said.

Lilly grabbed a slice of toast and threw herself into a seat next to Grace.

"After 14 hours, I just wanted to go home," Lilly added, "But then I had to have a fucking meeting with the heads of department."

"Language, Lillian!"

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Sorry, I had to have a goddamn meeting with the heads of department."

"Why was that?" Michael asked curiously.

"Because someone exposed Hubert Davies, which means he's under investigation and no longer in charge of the hospital," Lilly said, giving Michael a pointed look.

Michael had the decency to grimace and say, "Sorry about that."

Lilly shrugged and leant back in her chair, having helped herself to a glass of pumpkin juice, "We had to vote on the new Head of Hospital, which was actually remarkably easy. For once, everyone bloody agreed."

Michael raised an eyebrow, "Is it you?"

Lilly scoffed, "Me? No, why would I want to run the hospital? I have my maternity hospital, I like babies and training up prodigies, I do not have any interest in politics or paperwork. Have you met me, Michael?"

Michael laughed and looked up at Lilly, "Clara, then? She was the one who got the hospital out of emergency lockdown mode, after all."

"She wasn't the only one who did that," Lilly pointed out, "Or the only one who got an Order of Merlin for that. Was she?"

"Fuck off, Lilly, you're pulling my leg."

"Michael, mind your bloody language in front of Grace!"

Grace snorted, and Lilly shot her half-sister an amused look.

"Sorry," Michael said sheepishly, "But this is a joke, isn't it?"

Lilly held out a parchment envelope to Michael, "It's not a joke. I did nearly punch the guy who told me to deliver this to my step-father, though."

Michael ripped the envelope open a little too eagerly to pretend that it meant nothing to him. Then he looked up at Linda and said, "They want me to take over….they want me to run St Mungos."

Linda smirked and said, "Told ya, didn't I? I said you and our Lil would run a tight ship."

Michael laughed and looked over at Lilly, "I hope you're not as much of a thorn in my side as you were in Hubert's."

Lilly smirked and retorted, "Hope you're not as much of a dick as Hubert was."

"Right, mind your fucking language, both of you!" Linda exclaimed, which made all three of them burst out laughing.


12 Grimmauld Place - Temporary Ministry HQ

The 21st of September

Draco was pacing back and forth in the drawing-room, having just decided to call an emergency meeting with all of the Heads of the Department. It was the only fair way to determine where they went from here, and now, a few days on from the night that changed the world, those decisions had to be made.

A knock sounded on the drawing-room door, and Tiberius McLaggen stepped inside.

Draco looked up at him and put on a smile, "Good morning, Tiberius."

"Good morning, Draco," Tiberius returned politely, "I had hoped to talk with you before the meeting with the other Heads of the Department."

Draco bowed his head and perched in an armchair, "Is everything alright?"

Tiberius sat down and sighed, "I spent the morning drinking coffee in a Muggle café."

Draco frowned slightly, "Okay…."

"Not my usual haunt, you understand," Tiberius said, a hint of jest in his voice, "But in these strange times, needs must. I wished to watch your wife's television appearance, you see."

Draco's eyes widened with realisation, "Ah, I see."

Tiberius fixed Draco with a long look, "We have worked together for a long time, and I feel that I owe you complete honesty. The truth is, Draco, I do not feel that I would be able to accomplish what Hermione can in that position. I think we both know that the world has changed. The role of the Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation is going to change."

Draco bowed his head, "It has to now that the Muggles know about our existence."

Tiberius nodded, "It must; you are perfectly right. But your wife is not just suited to that; she is perfect for it. Myself, on the other hand? I think I may be better off sticking to what I am good at, and that is running an efficient law enforcement department."

Draco let out a breath of relief, and Tiberius smirked.

"I'm no fool, Draco," He said with a slight smile, "I knew that this conversation was coming, and I know how much I would have appreciated it when I was Minister if someone had done the decent thing."

Draco nodded and looked up at him, "You are a brilliant Head of the DMLE, Tiberius. I'm not naïve enough to believe we are under no threat from the Muggles, so we need that right now. Just like we need a Muggle-born who can straddle the gap between our world and their world as the Head of the newly renamed Department of International and Interracial Co-operation."

Tiberius chuckled and leant back in his chair, "Still tongue-tying, isn't it?"

"All of our department names are too long," Draco said, shooting his old friend an amused look, "That's why we abbreviate them all."

Tiberius got to his feet and patted Draco on the shoulder, "Very true. You know, I think there may be some truth in that quote from your good friend, Theodore Nott. Perhaps you are the Minister who will lead us into the age of enlightenment."

Tiberius shook Draco's hand and walked out of the room with another smile.


London

22nd of September

Theo had put it off for as long as he possibly could, but he owed Salvadora a proper explanation about what had happened at the Ministry on the 18th of September. He went over to the house that she shared with Jason at a time when he knew he would be out working, and when they sat down in the drawing-room with a tray of tea between them, Salvadora asked the question Theo knew was on her mind.

"Did you kill him?"

"No," Theo replied, "I wish I had, but Septimus Cauldwell got there first."

Salvadora frowned slightly, "What did Septimus Cauldwell have to do with this?"

"A lot," Theo admitted, "My father, he had a Horcrux. Did you know that?"

Salvadora shook her head, "He spent hours in his study. I never had any idea what he was doing. I was just….grateful for the reprieve."

Theo nodded, "I figured as much. Either way, when Bill Weasley killed him in the Battle of Hogwarts, his soul lived on in his Horcrux. He had promised Lotus and Septimus Cauldwell a stake in the brave new world he would build if they brought him back. But Septimus was the only one who knew how, and he was sentenced to ten years in Azkaban."

Salvadora nodded, "He brought him back when he was released in 2008, then?"

"Yeah," Theo sighed, "Then he set up a base in Russia and started experimenting on kids. The Statute Saboteurs, he created them."

"Why?" Salvadora asked quietly.

Theo shook his head, "He needed a lot of magic to open a portal. He didn't want to sacrifice competent witches and wizards, so he took orphans from unstable homes whose magic was already unstable. Then he did genetic experiments on them and worked out how to give Muggles magic."

Salvadora's eyes widened, and Theo looked down, "He used those Muggles to power up the veil. The reason it took him so long to get here was because he tried to find working ones in other countries, but he never could."

"And he used it to try and bring your mother back?" Salvadora pressed.

Theo nodded and looked up at his stepmother, "He took our Almina and used her to draw me and the others into the Department of Mysteries because he needed my blood for the ritual."

"Of course he did," Salvadora realised, "You are her kin."

Theo looked down into his tea as he explained, "Then he used a ritual to try and bring her back. It was working, but then Septimus had a moment of regret and killed him. He died before the ritual could be completed, but only he could shut the portal, and Sadie said if it were left open, it would explode and create a rift in space and time that could suck all of London into it."

Salvadora breathed in sharply, "How did you stop it?"

"Hermione and I did it," Theo admitted, "Well, Hermione did the hard part. I just helped, but because we are both Notts, by birth, we were able to close it. The magical reverberations brought the Ministry down, and Draco drew on Sadie's magic to create a time cocoon to protect us. It was…it was pretty amazing."

Salvadora smiled, "So, Draco's speech was right then."

Theo frowned up at her, "How do you mean?"

"You beat him because you worked together," Salvadora said softly, "Because you trust each other enough to combine your magic in such a way so, in the end, love won."

Theo smiled slightly and looked down, "I suppose it did."

"How do you propose that we explain this to Lacey?" Salvadora asked. She reached out to touch Theo's hand and draw him back into the present.

Theo frowned and looked up, "I don't propose we do, honestly."

"She has the right to know," Salvadora pointed out.

"But she doesn't need that stress in her life," Theo argued, "Especially not now. If we are going to tell her, it will have to be after the baby is born."

Salvadora raised an eyebrow, "She's a grown woman, Theodore. Do you think you can decide everything for her?"

"No," Theo said calmly, "But right now, I'm thinking about what's best for her and the baby."

"Surprisingly enough, I'm capable of deciding what's best for myself and the baby, by myself."

Salvadora and Theo both spun around to see Lacey standing in the drawing-room doorway.

Lacey smirked and stepped into the room, "It's kind of funny when you bicker like divorced parents over my welfare though. I haven't seen you do that for a few years now."

Theo floundered, "Lacey, I just…I wanted - "

"It's okay, Dad," Lacey said calmly, "You were just looking out for me like you always have done. But sometimes, even when the truth hurts, it's what we need to hear."

Theo nodded and looked her in the eye, "I'm sorry."

Lacey smiled slightly and stepped forward to kiss him on the cheek, "I agree that you don't need to tell me the details now, but at some point, when I'm not pregnant, I would like to know what happened."

She sat down next to her mother and added, "I mean, I would like to see the memory. I know exactly what sort of man he was, but seeing him die for good….I think I need that closure."

Theo reached over and grabbed her hand, "Of course you do. I certainly did."

Salvadora put an arm around her daughter's shoulder and said, "But regardless of who your father was, you were raised by a good man."

She smiled at Theo, who got a little tearful at such high praise.

Lacey smiled warmly and looked Theo in the eye.

"Yes. I was."


Hogwarts Castle

22nd of September

"Neville, there's less than two weeks until the term starts, and we have no staff."

Neville leant back in his chair and shook his head, "Don't be so dramatic. It's not that bad. You're just sleep-deprived."

Harry snorted and leaned forward on his desk, "You can say that again. Building a brave new world is hard work."

"You're not even the one who has to sit through countless meetings with the Muggle Prime Minister," Neville said; he shot Harry an amused look.

"Still, four days later, and the Muggle reaction is pretty positive," Harry pointed out.

Neville nodded, "What do you think Draco hates more? Meetings with the Muggle Minister or the fact he and the emergency council have to work out of Grimmauld Place until a new Ministry is rebuilt?"

"Definitely working out of Grimmauld Place," Harry said, shooting Neville an amused look.

With a chuckle, Neville nodded his agreement, "In all seriousness, though, the staffing arrangement isn't that bad. You deciding to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts this year helps, and between us, we can run the Duelling Club."

Harry nodded, "Yes, but that still leaves four posts to be filled, Nev."

Neville shook his head, "Two. I've done a little recruitment for you."

"Seriously?"

Neville smiled and bowed his head, "Oliver Wood is happy to take over as the new flying coach since Ron can't do it anymore, and we have an adequate temp who is willing to teach Arithmancy and Advanced Arithmancy this year while Lacey Sheppard is off on her maternity leave."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "You managed to get a temp? How? Most people want a permanent job."

"Well, this person is thinking about lecturing in the long run, so a yearlong teaching post suits them," Neville said. He smirked at Harry and said, "And she reliably told me she wouldn't have said yes if you begged, so I did the begging for you."

Harry laughed and looked him in the eye, "Daphne?"

Neville grinned, "Yep."

"Fantastic," Harry said in relief, "I'm so happy about that. I'm even going to gloss over the fact that she would have said no if I begged."

Neville snorted, "We do still need to fill the Astronomy and Charms positions, though."

"I have an idea with Astronomy, but I'm stumped with Charms," Harry admitted.

"Well, Daphne has a suggestion for Charms," Neville admitted, "But she doesn't want to overstep and make you think that she's trying to run your school for you."

Harry sighed, "Right now, Nev, I'm just happy for any help. Who does she have in mind?"

"Bill," Neville admitted, "He's as out of a job as she is right now, after Diagon Alley."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "That's inspired. I'll ask him about it when I drop in with a present for Phoenix tomorrow."

"You've not really gotten him a stuffed phoenix, have you?" Neville asked cautiously.

"Yeah, it's appropriate, don't you think?"

Neville gave Harry an amused look, "Lilly thinks he'll already have a room full of them."

Harry scoffed, "Nobody is as creative as me, don't be absurd."


Shell Cottage

23rd of September

Bill let Harry into the house when he stopped by with Phoenix's present.

"Hey, Bill. How is the little guy doing?"

"Great," Bill replied cheerfully, "Got one hell of a set of lungs on him."

Harry laughed and held up a bag, "They do tend to. I brought a little gift for him."

Bill nodded and eyed the bag suspiciously, "It's not another toy phoenix, is it?"

Harry flicked his fingers behind his back and transfigured the phoenix into a hippogriff, "No," he scoffed, "Are people really being that boring?"

Bill glanced into the bag and sighed in relief, "You'd be surprised. If Victoire sees another one, she's going to change his name."

Harry laughed, and Bill asked, "You staying for a coffee?"

"Yeah, if you've got time," Harry answered, "I sort of have a favour to ask you, actually."

"If it's 'will you be Charms professor?', I'll have you know, I have a list of conditions."

Harry snorted, "Daphne floo-ed you this morning, then?"

"Last night actually," Bill answered, "Is that the favour?"

"Yes, it is," Harry deadpanned, "What are your conditions?"

Bill set the kettle onto boil and began to list them, using his fingers. He popped one finger up and said, "I don't want to live in the school."

Harry nodded, "That's easy. You don't have to as long as you can commit to one overnight a week for patrol."

"Deal," Bill said as he held up a second finger, "I need the full moons off because I've started spending them with Rob to help him through them."

"Since he's basically a father to me, that's also a deal," Harry said with a nod.

Bill held up a third finger, "I wear what I wore curse breaking. You don't get me in fancy robes or three-piece suits."

"Done," Harry said. He clapped his hands together, "You're hired."

Bill snorted, "You don't drive a very hard bargain."

"I can't afford to, Bill," Harry said. He shot him an amused look, "Can you not tell that I'm scraping the barrel as it is?"

"Oi, it's not too late for me to change my mind, you know?"

"What else you gonna do, babysit?" Harry joked, "Oh, I can see you now. Old man Weasley in his rocking chair."

Bill handed Harry a cup of coffee, "Fuck off, Harry. I'll see you on the 1st of October."


Blacknot Castle

23rd of September

Harry stepped out of the fireplace into the drawing-room of the castle and surveyed the occupants. It was a little quieter than usual, which surprised Harry, it was Ada and Dora's birthday tomorrow, and from everything he'd heard from Theo, it seemed like it was going to be a big celebration.

Ella was still here, but she would be heading back to Egypt after the twin's birthday to study in peace. If he didn't know any better, Harry would say that Cas was pretty down about the prospect of her leaving again.

Sadie and Draco were nowhere to be seen, but Hermione and Theo were arguing with the twins about something when Harry stepped in.

"Ada, just go and find it."

"Mum, I genuinely can't remember where I hid it," Ada said.

"Mum!" Dora wailed, "It's my favourite dress! I wanted to wear it for the party tomorrow!"

Hermione pinched her nose, and Theo turned around to look at his two youngest children, "Alright, I would usually just take you to Diagon Alley and buy you a new one each. But we have no Diagon Alley, so how about this afternoon, we raid Grandma Almina's store of dresses and adjust a couple for you?"

Hermione looked up in surprise, and both of the twin's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Seriously, Pops?"

Theo smiled warmly at them, "Really. I think that's exactly what Grandma Almina would want us to do with them. Better than them getting dusty in the attic, isn't it?"

Dora grinned and jumped forward to hug her father, "You're the best, Pops."

Ada squealed and agreed, "You are the best, thanks Pops."

They skipped out of the room, and Hermione brushed her hand over Theo's, "Are you sure about that? Nobody has been allowed to touch those dresses since you saved them from Nott Manor."

Theo smiled, a little tearfully, and said, "My mother is gone, and she isn't coming back. But maybe she is looking down, and I think seeing her granddaughters wearing her favourite dresses is something she would enjoy."

Hermione squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek, "I think you're right."

Harry smiled at their interaction, "Is Draco still working?"

Hermione looked up and gave Harry a knowing look, "Draco is always working right now, you know that."

"You normally are too," Harry pointed out, "Head of the Department of International and Interracial Co-operation."

"It's not even official yet, so stop teasing," Hermione said. She glared at him like she had when they were kids.

Harry chuckled and leant against the fireplace, "I'm pretty well in with the Minister for Magic, so I happen to know that it's set in stone, even if you haven't signed the contract yet. Hermione Granger, the first witch to be an MP, Minister of Magic, I'm proud of you."

At that, Hermione smiled slightly, "Thank you, Harry."

Theo smiled too and glanced up at Harry, "You didn't seriously come here and expect to see Draco, did you? You know you'd be better going to Grimmauld Place."

"I know, which is why I would have if I had come to speak to Draco," Harry said matter of factly, "It's Sadie I'd like to speak to."

"Okay…" Theo said slowly, "Why?"

"None of your business," Harry remarked, but he shot Theo a smirk, so the other man knew he was joking, "Is she here?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, "She's in the Astronomy room at the top of the house."

Harry laughed heartily at that, "Oh, that's appropriate."

Theo frowned as Harry walked away, then he looked back to Hermione, "What the hell was that about?"

"Well, as Harry is Headmaster, and the term is due to start in less than two weeks, he is probably trying to recruit an Astronomy Professor," Hermione pointed out matter of factly.

"What?" Cas asked from his perch in an armchair by the fire, "She can't teach at our bloody school!"

Theo raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

Cas huffed from his armchair, "Because she's my mother, I don't want her at my school."

Theo smirked, "Worried she'll bust you making out with Thea Potter on the Astronomy Tower?"

Cas snorted, "No, but she'll definitely fail me on Astronomy. I'm bloody shit at it! I only passed the exam last year because Professor Hopkins felt sorry for me."

"At least you didn't make a joke about Dumbledore only two years after he had fallen from that tower," Hermione said. She gave Theo a long-suffering look.

"In my defence, I didn't realise the examiner was an old friend of Dumbledore's," Theo pointed out.

Cas sniggered, and Hermione shook her head, "Theodore, even you know how weak that defence is."

Theo grinned at that, and Cas got to his feet with a smirk, "I'm not stupid enough to kiss Thea Potter anywhere in the castle anyway. Her dad is the Headmaster, and he has a magical map that shows him everything apart from the room of requirement."

"Oh, I feel really conflicted about telling you that was unplottable now, Caspian," Hermione remarked.

Theo's grin widened, "Don't you dare, that's bloody genius. Caspian, I've never been prouder of you."

Hermione smacked Theo around the back of the head in response.

"Ouch!"

Caspian shut his book and walked out of the room sniggering.


Harry knocked on the door, then stepped into the Astronomy room, which he knew was Sadie's little haven away from the hustle and bustle of the castle.

She looked up in surprise, "Harry, hi!"

Harry smiled and stepped inside, "Nice set up. What are you doing?" he asked, glancing at the charts in front of her.

"Oh, just charting the direction of Venus," Sadie said offhandedly, "For no real reason, but there's a theory about blue feelings being linked to its position, and it's an interesting one to explore."

Harry nodded and perched on the edge of the desk in the little circular room.

"I don't suppose you know what you'll do next? Now the Ministry is no more," Harry mused.

"No," Sadie admitted.

"Draco has rightfully decided that there will be no Department of Mysteries when the Ministry reopens, just a research department that will not study such dangerous, volatile areas of magic but instead focus on innovation and curing diseases. I suppose it will work in correlation with St Mungos quite nicely. He asked me to head it up, but I don't want to."

Harry nodded, "You're done with that world?"

Sadie nodded, "Exactly."

"I feel the same about the Auror department," Harry admitted, "So I have a proposition for you."

Sadie raised an eyebrow, "Okay?"

"How would you feel about becoming the Head of Astronomy at Hogwarts?" Harry asked calmly.

Sadie's eyes widened, "Really?"

Harry bowed his head, "Look at all this. You're definitely qualified. You have such a gentle, patient nature. The kids will love that about you."

Sadie looked at him in disbelief.

"You might even be able to teach Thea a thing or two about sitting still for long enough to observe what's going on above us," Harry added. He glanced up at the night sky through the open roof.

Sadie closed her mouth and frowned. She was quiet for a moment, then she said, "After everything that happened…I mean, it was no secret that you disagreed with what I did to save Draco. Why would you let me teach in your school after that?"

"Because I don't hold grudges," Harry replied, "I haven't done for a very long time, and I never could, after all, that happened this year. I didn't agree with you, but you learned from what you did, and I was wrong. There was no comeuppance, and one of my best friends is alive and leading the wizarding world out of the shadows, thanks to you. It might be Draco Black they're all talking about Sadie, but you're the unsung hero in all of this."

Sadie nodded tearfully and looked down, "Thanks, Harry. That means a lot, coming from you."

Harry shrugged, "It's an apology, Sadie. I'm sorry that it's so late."

She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry too."

He smiled and nodded, "I know you are."

Sadie looked up at the night sky, and they both fell silent for a moment.

"That's the dog star, right?"

"No, that's Polaris," Sadie answered. She shot him an amused look, "I think I know where Thea's disinterest in Astronomy comes from."

Harry chuckled, "I liked Astronomy, but I could never stay awake during it. I always had so much going on at school…."

"I don't think anyone could blame you for that," Sadie admitted, "The twins would hate me for teaching at Hogwarts, you know that, right?"

"Oh, as much as Thea hates me for being Headmaster, no doubt," Harry said with an amused smile.

"It might give them the kick up the arse they need, though," Sadie mused, "Those girls are too much like their father."

"Which one?" Harry snorted.

"The one who goofed around and nearly flunked school," Sadie replied dryly.

Harry laughed and looked down at her, "So what's the answer then?"

Sadie smiled and looked at him.

"I would be thrilled to accept your offer, Harry – thank you."


Poplar, London

Lilly looked at the pub in front of her and sighed, "You really think this is a good idea?"

Linda shrugged and led the way towards their local pub, the Manor Arms, "Don't matter if it's a good idea or not, they're family, and they deserve to know."

"Even if they're exactly the sort of people who led the witch hunts back in the 15th century," Lilly muttered.

Linda gave her a long-suffering look, "It'll be fine. Just let me do the talking."

"And what are you gonna do if they come at you with a flaming torch?" Lilly asked dryly.

"This is the 21st-century love; it'd be a lighter they'd come at me with," Linda said, shooting her daughter a smirk.

Lilly rolled her eyes but followed her mother into the pub anyway. Immediately a loud voice boomed out at them.

"Oi! Oi! Look who it is! Mrs high and mighty with her rich husband, ain't it? Decided to join us commoners, 'ave you? What's he done, run off with a younger woman?"

Linda glared at the woman in question – her sister, Bianca, who was working behind the bar.

"Right, I'll tell it to you straight. I can marry whoever I want. It don't matter if you lot don't approve."

Lilly hung back and surveyed the room – as Linda had predicted, their entire family was here. Bianca worked behind the bar anyway, and her husband Ian owned the bar, so that was no surprise. Their daughter, Stacey, worked here too now. She was only a few years younger than Lilly.

Linda's other sister, Peggy, got to her feet and advanced on Linda. Lilly was sure a fistfight was going to break out here.

"Nobody gives a damn who you married, but you broke Nan's 'eart, just runnin' off like that!"

"Oh, give it up, Peggy," Linda scoffed, "Nan was the only one who didn't give a damn. She still calls me. None of you lot do."

"So why you dragging your arse back here then, huh?" Bianca asked defensively.

"You ain't getting no money," Ian added.

Linda scoffed, "Ian, I don't need your money, and I don't want it neither. We came back here to set the record straight, let you all know why we was gone in the first place.

"Go on then," Peggy's daughter, Cindy, said. She was about ten years younger than Lilly. She had always been the baby when they were little.

"Right," Linda said, "The thing is, you've all seen the news, ain't you?"

"Hard to miss a bloody building appearing and witches being real, ain't it, Lin?" Bianca replied sarcastically.

"Thought Nan was gonna have a heart attack," Peggy said with an amused smile, "She always said witches was real."

"Yeah, that's cause she knew," Linda admitted, "Cause our Lil, she is one."

They all looked at Lilly, who raised a hand in greeting awkwardly, "Hi."

Then everyone laughed, and Peggy shook her head, "You don't change, Linda. Always tryin' to make your family sound better than ours, ain't you? First, you send her to a bloody boarding school like some rich toff, and now you're lyin' about her being a witch?"

Lilly rolled her eyes and pulled her wand out of her pocket, "The boarding school was a magical school, and she ain't lying."

She twirled her wand and made a string of flowers appear from the end, and the pub fell silent.

"You what?"

"That all it can do? Cheap party tricks?" Stacey asked.

"No," Lilly scoffed, "But I'm not going to do anything stupid and scare you."

"Rubbish!" Stacey exclaimed, "Come on, show us something better than that."

"Yeah," Cindy agreed.

Lilly shot her mother a long-suffering look, then sighed. She cast 'Wingardium Leviosa' on a table, then lifted it across the room. When she set it down, she used 'Nox' and 'Lumos' to turn the lights off and on again. Then she sent wand arrows flying towards the dartboard, where they all hit the bullseye.

She gave her cousin a pointed look, "Cool enough for you, Stace?"

Stacey nodded and looked at Lilly in awe, "I've got so many questions."

"Jesus," Lilly muttered, "I need a drink."

"What fancy shit do you drink?" Bianca asked scornfully.

"Beer," Lilly replied, "Whatever you've got on tap."

Bianca gave her a long look, "Fancy magical school ain't changed you that much then?"

Lilly shook her head and motioned at her mother, "Just like marryin' a wizard ain't changed Mum."

"Your toyboy's a wizard?" Peggy asked her older sister in disbelief.

"What's so hard to believe about that?" Linda asked defensively, "Yeah, he's a wizard and our Gracie, she's a witch too. Goes to the same school that Lil did."

"How'd she end up being a Witch then?" Bianca asked. She nudged her head towards Lilly, "Neal a wizard, is he? Or did you lie about who went and got you knocked up at 19?"

That was a touchy subject, and Lilly waited for the inevitable slap, but surprisingly, it never came.

"Watch your goddamn mouth, Bianca," Linda retorted, "I married the bloke who knocked me up at 19. That's more than you can say, ain't it?"

"You've always been a real fucking cheeky bitch, Linda," Bianca retorted, and Lilly half thought she was going to jump the bar to punch Linda.

But, she didn't, and thankfully, Stacey waded in at that point to question her, which meant Lilly could avoid the entirely awkward relationship between her mother and her two aunts.

Stacey handed her a beer and sat down at a table by the window, and she motioned for Lilly to sit opposite her, so she did.

"Right then, get on with them questions," Lilly said. She was already dreading what would come out of her cousin's mouth.

The first thing Stacey did was pour a glass of water over Lilly's hand. Lilly shook it off and looked at her cousin like she had two heads, "What the fuck, Stacey?"

"Just checkin' if you melt," Stacey shrugged, "You don't. Why ain't you green?"

"Because we ain't?" Lilly replied.

"And you ain't warty or that neither," Stacey said. She cocked her head at Lilly, "Do you dance naked round fires?"

Lilly snorted, "No, and we don't wear pointy hats either. They went out of fashion years ago."

Stacey raised an eyebrow, "What about brooms? You ride 'em?"

"Some of us do for sport, yeah," Lilly answered, "But I don't because I'm shit at it."

"What do you really do for a job, then? The 'Doctor' thing, that's just a cover-up, isn't it?"

Lilly shook her head, "Not really, I was a doctor, basically. I was a Trauma Healer, which is just the same as a Trauma Surgeon, but with magic."

"Like the hot ginger one in Grey's Anatomy?"

Lilly raised an eyebrow at her, "I have no idea. I've never watched Greys Anatomy."

"Hm," Stacey mused, "You said 'was', so what do you do now then?"

"I'm a midwife," Lilly admitted.

"Like a magical one?" Stacey asked.

Lilly shrugged, "I'm a Midwifery Healer, technically, but honestly, it's not that different from being a normal midwife. We use magic instead of machines to check the woman's vitals, but childbirth is childbirth. Magic doesn't really make a difference."

"So you're just a midwife?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah, you don't have to sound so disappointed about that," Lilly muttered under her breath.

"She's being all humble anyway," Linda cut in, "She ain't just a midwife, she runs the maternity hospital. Named it the Diana Ward after our Nana and all."

That seemed to win Peggy's approval, "Did you?"

Lilly nodded, and Stacey launched in with her questions again, "So you run a maternity hospital, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lilly answered, and she took a swig of her beer.

"Oi, you ain't doing yourself enough credit," Linda said, nudging her daughter gently, "She set it up and all, got her rich pal to do all the funding and that. They didn't even have anything til Lil set it up.'"

"Are there Nuns, though?"

That made Lilly choke on her beer, "Nuns? Why the fuck would there be Nuns?"

"Cause it's like 'Call the Midwife', ain't it?" Cindy cut in, "And there are nuns in that."

"Well, there aren't nuns in my hospital," Lilly replied, "The wizarding world doesn't really do religion, to be honest."

"Jesus Christ, don't tell Nan that," Bianca said.

Cindy nodded her agreement, "Yeah, she'll 'ave you exercised."

Lilly snorted, "You mean exorcised?"

"Oh fuck off, Lilly, you've always been a smart arse!"

Linda snorted too, and she and Lilly shared an amused look. All things considered, it hadn't gone that badly.

- TBC -