Chapter One
The Secret and the Revealed
Late That Night..
Nick couldn't sleep. He didn't know why, looking over at the serenely sleeping face of Saryna in the darkness of their shared bedroom. He took his cell phone out to try and distract him as he saw the string of text notifications, all from the same number:
Hey, boo. How's living with the gf going so far?
I miss you.. A lot more already than I thought I would..
Last summer kept replaying in my mind all year at school, and I wish it was still okay..
Why is something so wrong so hurtful but still feel so good? I wish you could come around.. Even if just one last time..
That last text got him. He understood fully the meaning behind Laura's words, as it hurt him just to look back at Saryna before sighing. One last time.. He vowed to himself. I owe her that for all she did for me last summer. He wordlessly summoned an illusory clone to stay with Saryna should she wake before he got back and put on a light hoodie before going to the basement to the floo fireplace his mother thought he didn't know about. Activating the magical portal, he called out his destination. "Meteor Hollow." Hesitating for a moment, he eventually stepped into the green flames that sent him hurtling feet-first into the huge lounge of Laura's family mansion.
He remembered the first time he had entered the Jones Manor the summer before, shocked to learn Laura was rich. Laura, the first member of his House to befriend him, had of course never told anyone other than a select few and those who knew were sworn to secrecy around others at school..
A Year Earlier..
Nick stumbled out of the fireplace, still not fully used to travelling by floo network. He dusted his shoulders off as he took in his surroundings with wide eyes and open-mouthed shock. The room he had landed in was a lounge, that much he could tell. He looked at the lavish furniture and felt his eye twitch in unforeseen uncomfortability. He didn't register that Laura had walked behind him until he heard her giggle at his amazement.
"Laura, this is amazing! You never told me your family had money." Even with the enthusiasm he showed, Laura could see the sadness lurking behind his eyes at his girlfriend's full one-eighty in her attitude towards most everyone at Ilvermorny.
"I don't tell many people about it, really. Drama comes from it usually, least it did when I was little." She said with a sly smile.
"Well, still. How did you wind up so rich? Are your parents Wizarding stock traders or something?" Nick asked as he saw the full family portrait of Laura and her parents on the wall, still not turning towards Laura herself.
"Sometimes. My mom runs the Quidditch shop at Vertic Alley and my dad runs a non-discriminatory bank which serves both Wizarding folk and No-majs alike. Unsurprisingly I'm actually very spoiled for a half-blood." The older blonde witch explained.
"Well, I never would have known Laura Jones was one of those girls who always got what they wanted. By the way, Laura, thanks for everything these last few days." The pain of Saryna's hostility towards him kept stinging at Nick's heart and Laura couldn't stand for that, not when she knew how selfless Nick had always been. Not to mention him having just saved the school after one of their teachers was outed as a Puritan and proceeded to trap Nick and several other students with the threat of torture and death.
Nick sighed as he continued speaking. "You've been the only one I can come to rely on, and I hate to admit it because I've always prided myself on being independent."
"Oh, Nick. It isn't your fault, you know. Saryna's change isn't natural, not with the speed it occurred. When someone needs another, they should never hesitate to ask."
Finally turning his gaze to the girl two years his senior, Nick was stunned by the sight of her. Laura had never looked as radiant, beautiful, even sexy as she did in that moment. She was dressed in a babydoll nightgown and a pair of panties that matched the red and yellow of their school House. "Wow. Laura, you look.. Gorgeous. I'm not intruding on you, am I? I mean, you asked me to come over."
Laura placed her cheek on her palm as she giggled. "Of course you're not intruding. In fact, I'm dressed up for you." Laura confessed, taking a step closer to Nick with an unknown gleam in her eyes.
"F-for me? What did I do to deserve something like this?" Nick asked her, genuinely confused by her unusual behavior.
Laura sighed. "Oh, Nicky. Never got a clue, do you? It hasn't been obvious since Saryna went and flipped sides?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "Well, you are only fourteen, and just turned at that. Maybe you're still a bit too innocent."
Nick started feeling uneasy as he fidgeted with the counterpart betrothed ring to Saryna's. "I'm not that innocent. I can't be when I've killed our latest Astronomy professor and faced Auron Sayle face to face. I'm more confused as to why the obvious peacock show you're putting on for me." Nick couldn't stop his own feet from taking a small step forward as well, making the two close enough to feel each other's wispy breaths on one another.
"Why shouldn't I show myself off to the guy I've been unable to stop thinking about for over a year? You saved me from those gremlins in your first year, saved me from something worse than being captured by the Puritans in my book. I can't say exactly when it became so obvious to me, but I feel for you, Nick. And strangely enough, more than I ever felt for the boys always chasing me at school."
"Why me, though? This is wrong, isn't it? Technically just being with you dressed like that is cheating."
"It's not cheating when you're all but confirmed to be single and on the market again." Laura didn't know about the betrothal yet, and Nick couldn't help himself from pushing the thought- and telling Laura of it- to the back of his mind. "I don't want to sound like the fangirl clique from Naruto, and I know this is wrong considering the past two years between Saryna and you. But, she denounced your friendship and essentially relationship, meaning you're fair game." Laura bit her lip sensually. "Now try again and tell me why we shouldn't do this. Let go of your troubles and choose the one who's always been there for you even when Saryna wasn't." Her eyes were pleading, and the pout Laura sported while speaking made Nick's gaze soften as they stared into each other's eyes challenging each other to make a move. "Let me show you happiness, my love." She finished as she tilted her head down to meet the slightly shorter boy's lips
~Flashback End~
And starting that night all the way into this past year at school, Laura was mine and I was happy, despite Saryna still living in bitch mode. Nick thought as he felt a pair of slender arms wrap themselves around his waist. "My love, you've come back to me."
"Of course I did, mami. I figured I owed you since Saryna and I are back together but without you I would still be just a shell."
Nick's calling of Laura by the Spanish pet name made her smile and let out a purr. "You know just how to break through my walls, don't you?"
"When you're with me, there are no walls. At least, that's what you told me the last few times I came around. You know, the times I had to remind you to cast the contraceptive charm."
"You're right, as usual. Shall we take this to the bedroom, then?" Nick nodded as he pulled her close and kissed her fervently. Laura sighed breathlessly as they pulled apart moments later. "Why does this have to be the last? I wish I had gotten to you first."
"In some ways, you did. As of now, however, we can't make this official anymore like we discussed before this past term had begun. I doubt my wife-to-be would be very happy to find out her man has been screwing around with one of her best friends for a good chunk of the last year, with other incidents included."
"But even with how much you claim to love Saryna, you still come back to me. Why is that, Nick?"
"Being totally honest, I don't really know. Whatever we have become because of this, it can't keep going on. Not after tonight."
"After tonight, huh? So this is our way of breaking up, then?"
Nick chuckled with a frown. "Yeah, but you knew this may not be something permanent from the start."
"I did, but I also held out hope you'd decide to stay with me in the end. Maybe Saryna would be up to share."
"Can we not? Saryna has enough going on right now for her to learn about this. She will eventually be told, but tonight is never to be mentioned."
"Fine, fine. Ruin my hopeful fun." Laura rested her hand on Nick's cheek, him sighing deeply as she continued. "I don't want to miss you like that, baby."
"I get it, Laur, I do. Maybe if Saryna hadn't been able to worm her way to my heart so easily, we would never have needed to stop this, whatever it's become."
"Isn't there anything I can do to make you at least consider sharing? Saryna is selfish when it comes to you, but she also knows how close I've been with you the last year, never more than a stone's throw away from you both outside of classes and always there to walk with you to class to avoid her hostility. She probably already suspects I have ulterior motives, and I do. I just won't stop you both from- ahhn! Nick!" Laura was cut off by her own voice as a purring moan erupted from her throat as Nick spun her around and placed his hands firmly on the sixteen year old's waist. "Eager, are we?" She asked breathlessly, fighting another moan from sounding as Nick stroked her sides as her body relaxed, melting into Nick's as he kissed her on the side of her neck.
"I told you already. This is our last official time together. You just have to remember to cast the contraception charm this time."
"I already- Ooh!- did. Merlin, just take me, my love!" Laura giggled out another moan as Nick picked her up surprisingly easily and proceeded to carry her to her bedroom. For Nick, this was something he needed to do before being with Saryna back home and would make the most of this last time with the older witch. Laura, however, hadn't been entirely truthful with the boy she would gladly say she loved. While she had both wand and wordlessly cast a spell on herself, it hadn't been the spell used for contraceptive measures. Instead, she had willfully cast the most powerful fertility charm she could find. If she couldn't have Nick to herself, then she had decided his child would be a good enough substitute..
The Next Morning..
Nick had appeared back in the basement fireplace and stealthily made his way upstairs to see Saryna and the clone both sleeping peacefully still. He had the clone of him get out of the bed without disturbing Saryna before disappearing as Nick went to the bathroom to shower, Laura having not given him the chance before he had to rush home.
A short time later, Nick entered his bedroom again to find Saryna awake and stretching while sitting in bed. She looked over at him and beamed. "Good morning, love." She greeted him.
Nick smiled back. "Morning, boo. Sleep well?"
Saryna nodded. "Better than I have in weeks, honestly. So, since I never asked yesterday in the excitement of coming home, do we have plans laid out for the summer already?"
"I'm not sure about these first few days, with the new happenings in the Wizarding world, but the group is supposed to get together every week. Will you be okay to face the others?"
Saryna nodded. "I have to be. Laura and Jasmine already know, so the others deserve to know as well." Nick nodded as his mother's voice drifted from downstairs.
"Kids! Breakfast!"
"Coming!" Came both teenagers as Nick helped Saryna stand up, embracing and kissing her.
"I love you, Ryna. With everything I am."
"I love you too, Nicky. Thank you for never giving up on me."
"Always, Saryna. I promise." Don't think you didn't make me doubt you'd come back, though. He thought as the couple made their way down to the dining room for breakfast. On the stairs, Kari jumped onto Nick's back with a shrieking laugh. "Giddy up!" Said the now eleven year old girl as her brother stumbled for a moment before regaining his footing.
"Really, Kari? We only just came home yesterday."
"Don't care." Was all the younger girl said as Nick rolled his eyes and started moving again, a giggling Saryna behind them.
The three entered the dining room to find Saryna's sister Nessa sitting at the table with Nick and Kari's mother, both sipping at coffee. "There you three are. Your food was going to get cold if you'd all stayed upstairs any longer." Nick chuckled as Kari climbed down from his back and the three children of the house sat down at the table.
Nick excused himself a short while later, going back upstairs and picking up his phone from the charger next to the bed. He looked and saw texts from Colin, Tyler, Jasmine, Laura and their only friend in Pukwudgie house Kai Hiller. He raised an eyebrow in confusion at Laura's name, having only left her an hour or two ago. He decided to look at her message first.
Hey. Last night was amazing! For a final time, you really went out with a bang hehe. So, Tyler hit me up saying they were going to come around to your place for the day and I decided I'm gonna tag along. So put your oblivious face on and we'll all be over there shortly. Love you!
He chuckled as he deleted the message before going back downstairs. "Mom, the group's planning something. I don't know when, but they'll all be here soon." He called out as he found Saryna and Nessa sitting in the living room, talking.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Saryna asked the older Halliwell sister, a look of betrayal on her face.
"Would you have been as okay with life as you are now had I told you earlier in your life? The past two years have led me to believe that you're unstable with that kind of news." Nessa shot back, a worried expression on her own features.
Saryna went to reply but stopped with a sigh. "No, not if you had said anything in the last two years. I was unstable, but that wasn't really me. The Headmaster, he-"
"What's Fontaine got to do with this?!" Suddenly, there was a knowing look of rage in Nessa's eyes. "He altered your goddamn memories, didn't he? Probably erased Nick altogether, made your personality turn more introverted and prone to anger without his friendship. Am I close?"
Saryna bit her thumb. "That's um.. Actually exactly what he did. Nick only broke me out of the spell during the confrontation with Sayle in the cemetery five days ago, after he revealed he was my father. If it wasn't for Nick.."
Nessa turned her head and locked eyes with Nick as he eavesdropped on them. She knew I was here.. But why that absolutely evil smirk? He thought as she giggled. "Oh, of course. Little Nick, the Hero. Can't forget that he always has a way of.. Getting inside people.. Inside their heads, I mean. God." She laughed it off, but Nick was now out of sight, panting and starting to sweat profusely in nervousness.
"Fuck.. Nessa knows about Laura.. Wait, how the fuck.. Ugh, things just got difficult." He whispered to himself as he decided to listen from out of sight instead as he heard the two girls laughing.
"Jeez, sis. How the hell did you wind up saying that?!" Saryna asked.
Nessa finished her own laughing and answered her sister. "Probably had some cheesy romance movie or some crap running through my head. Go along and get ready for the day. Sounds like the house is going to be noisy today."
"Alright. Nessa, if there's anything else you think I should know, please tell me."
"Of course, little sister. As if I would tell anyone else as it is." Nessa giggled as she walked with Saryna out of the room, stopping at the door as Saryna bounded back out of earshot. "Come on out, little cheat."
Nick came out from behind an old suit of armor. "How do you know anything about that?" He asked with a grimace.
"Uh uh uh! A magician never reveals her secrets." To accentuate her point, she wandlessly summoned playing cards to appear in her hand with a pop. "Besides, there's been no harm done as far as I can tell. Which can only mean that you're smarter than I actually give you credit for and have been safe during your tryst with the young miss Jones?" She questioned.
"Of course I made sure. Condoms and she cast contraceptives in the off chance. I know what I'm doing, although you never did elaborate what the effects of breaking that clause were. And you know me, I'm a curious little bastard." He smiled at her, which surprised Nessa to find herself actually turned on from the challenging smirk.
"Alright, fine. Say you did get Laura pregnant, hmm? According to the betrothal contract, it is only looked down on for the sake of your marriage. This of course is under the condition that you and Saryna aren't married before conception of miss Jones' hypothetical child." Nick knew she was explaining it that way as if she was giving an example so it seemed like he had asked her about the matter. "If conception were to happen while married, the betrothal is broken, plain and simple. When under the conditions of no marriage, you actually kind of win, honestly."
Nick's face became shocked and confused. "I'm sorry.. I don't follow."
Nessa giggled. "Yeah, I figured that would be the case. See, the Halliwells are known to have big families, or they were traditionally. Then Sayle started killing the rest of us thinking any of us could be the savior of prophecy. Now it's just me and Saryna, and she volunteered to be the one betrothed." The twenty-year old sighed heavily. "Technically, you were supposed to marry me. But, Saryna fell for you and I wasn't going to stop her from pursuing love. Either way, if Laura wound up pregnant with your child while you and Saryna weren't married, then just Laura being around Ryna would cause it to start.
"Saryna will full-on initiate making out with Laura and then you'll basically have two brides. Three if it happened again with another woman or, if either of them at that point have baby fever, they can infect any number of women they find suitable for you until the marriage is finalised. Then, and only then, will they stop adding and your only consequence otherwise is the contract breaking because it was out of wedlock."
Nick paled. "You know.. As fantastic as that sounds in spoken word, that's dangerously insane. And tempting." He pointed at her for effect. "Especially if it was you, miss sullen-at-twenty." He closed the conversation with a wink before laughing as he walked out of the room again.
Nessa had to sit down as she clutched at her chest, her heart absolutely racing. "Damn you, kid. Seems like you're what I was taught to call an Attractor. And this is the start of puberty for you.. Maybe we should.." She got up and went to her room, deciding she needed to fix her makeup if a bunch of pubescent boys and girls were going to be in the house, thoughts straying to her would-be brother-in-law breeding her in a dark fantasy that she already knew would plague her thoughts.
Soon, the fireplace began glowing green as Tyler and Colin entered the Negron living room. "We're home!"
"Get out of my house, posers!" Nick said, crossing his arms as he smiled. "Why get together so soon? Didn't you guys want to be with your families?"
"Of course, but most of the summer we will be with them. As of right now, we have nothing better to do than annoy our best friend and de facto leader. Plus, you never told us what happened after you disappeared from school grounds."
Nick crossed his arms. "Alright, I guess that's all fine and good. Babe? You ready, yet?" He called upstairs as the other two boys looked at him in confusion.
"You have a new girlfriend? Who did you get into bed this time?" Tyler chuckled as Nick rolled his eyes.
"I'm right here, calm yourself." Said Saryna as she came down the stairs and stood next to Nick, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Hey, boys. Miss me?" She said, smiling at the two Thunderbird house boys.
"Holy Merlin's nuts! Saryna? How the hell..?"
"Long story short, Saryna's mind was hijacked and altered in a way that we were basically enemies. While fighting her father, Sayle, in that graveyard as he was resurrected, I managed to break the spell's hold on her. If I hadn't, we may not have escaped that graveyard alive." Nick explained in short order.
The conversation drifted towards the little details as Laura came out of the green flames still present in the fireplace, smiling at the friends all reunited as she walked up and threw her arms around Nick and Saryna's shoulders. "Hiya! So, how's my favorite couple faring? Wedding coming along yet?" She questioned, her half-hearted enthusiasm only really reaching Nick's senses.
"Wedding? Don't you have to be engaged to get-" Colin noticed Saryna playing with her ring then. "Shit. Wait, how long has that been going on?"
"We became betrothed during Christmas break of our second year. While Saryna wasn't herself, she never wore the ring but otherwise it's always had a glamour charm on it. Only those we deem worthy together can see it, which is why you all can now. How do you actually know about the betrothal, Laura? I never told you." For good reason. You may have used it to get me out of marrying Saryna. Speaking of that.. His thoughts trailed off as Saryna shrieked in glee as Jasmine stepped out of the fireplace and the two Horned Serpent students embraced.
Two more students appeared from the emerald flames to complete the group. There was Veruca Rai, the only third year student to have been left back a year in decades. Nick had been working with her all term to boost her grades up so she could graduate with the rest of them. Finally was Corbyn Treestone, a Native American Pukwudgie student who was easily the best of the group when it came to curses.
Well into the early afternoon, the eight teenagers chatted about their upcoming plans for the summer, Colin, Tyler and Corbyn stating they would be out of the country for most of their vacations. "Oh, sure, leave me alone with all the women we talk to regularly." Nick said as a joke, although his mind went back to Nessa's earlier words about the betrothal contract as he looked at Laura who met his gaze as if she knew what he was thinking.
"Oh, crap that reminds me." Nick said, snapping his fingers in realization as Corbyn told the group his relatives in the UK area were going to take him to study runes and how they differed from the Native American brand of etchings. "Laura, remember I wanted to go over some rune formations for my summer project? Any chance I can talk to you in private about it?"
Laura nodded, playing along as their Ancient Rune professor hadn't assigned summer work to any students that year. "Yeah, I gotcha. You don't mind me borrowing your man, do you Ryna?"
Saryna laughed and waved the two off. "Go right ahead. I didn't take Runes because of the summer work."
Nick smiled. "Love you, princess."
"Love you too, dork." Saryna rolled her eyes at her fiance as he lead Laura into another room.
"Subtle way to get me alone, love." Laura giggled as Nick locked the door behind them. "Oh? Right now, with the others all gathered next door? Bold.. I like it."
"No, Laura. I was serious last night. We can't anymore. Especially with your recent habit of being careless with our protection spells."
"Can you blame me, Nick? I know I'm the only girl you've actually fucked, but you never knew that that night a year ago was my first time, as well. I could handle the pain you put me in at first but soon, well.." Laura looked away, her eyes farther than her body could ever go. "You became like a drug to me, Nick. An addiction, and one I absolutely never want to stop. What's so important that we can't just have a quickie right now? I'll cast the spell in front of you, if I need to."
"Come on, Laur, stop being the desperate one. I know it's not who you really are." Laura looked down, upset. "It's really important that we don't, babe, I'm sorry. Can I please just explain this to you?" He asked, gently gripping Laura's hand. Laura sniffled but managed a nod. "Good. Now, we are both a part of our actions this past year, but I've only just found out the truth about my betrothal contract with Saryna."
"Like what? Infidelity leads to spontaneous beheading?"
"Oh Merlin, no! Thank everything holy. No, it seems there's a way around being in a monogamous marriage. But it's an odd clause."
"We're part of the Wizarding world. How odd could the clause really be?"
"If you get pregnant, it'll affect Saryna and after she spontaneously makes out with you, you're technically part of it. Same goes for any woman you or her would then deem appropriate until the marriage is finalized. Then the only consequence to this whole affair is the marriage being annulled."
"Wait, what? So if we hadn't been as safe as we have been, then we may not have needed to hide us in the first place?"
"Kinda. Basically. It seemed a little too out there to be a thing but Saryna's sister told me so I can at least believe it's reliable."
"So, this wouldn't be a good time to confess something, would it?" Nick looked at her incredulously but motioned for her to continue anyway. "Last night, I wasn't being totally honest with you.."
"About what.. No!"
"I'm sorry! I already told you, you're like an addiction to me. I couldn't help myself but cast the opposite of what I should have."
"Damn it, Laura! You better hope nothing stuck, I can't deal with that drama so soon after getting her back."
"I know! Well, at least it would be too early to know, so either way today we're a safe secret."
"Laur, if this is a possibility, I have to tell Saryna. We have to tell her."
"Do we really though? She won't trust either of us the same way as before if she finds out and at best she makes sure you stay away from me. I figure if I did totally fuck up last night, then her finding out and me basically joining you two in your tumultuous and dangerous lives together is the best option."
"Ugh, Laura come on! You're not that selfish, even if you are spoiled."
"You're right, I'm not. But, your touch is what really spoiled me, Nick, and as I said I don't want to lose the feeling of truly being loved again."
"And you haven't. Laura, I love you just as much as I love Saryna, and that says something. I know this all isn't ideal and to a degree I was hoping maybe Saryna was beyond saving so I would still have you, but that isn't the case. I promised my heart to her in first year, made it official in second. I'm planning on finalizing it after we finish school. If that happens to include you then we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there, alright? For now, please, love, don't make us too obvious." He pleaded with the sixteen year old.
After what seemed like hours, Laura sighed. "Fine, we'll do things your way for now. But, I want you to give me one last true kiss. It may be the only one we share for quite a while."
Nick smiled warmly and chuckled as he leaned forward to oblige her. Unbeknownst to the both of them, Nick's sperm from the night before still raced through Laura's body in it's desperation to fertilize or die trying..
Later..
When Laura and Nick had rejoined the others, they saw Orion Page sitting amongst their friends. "There you two are. Always studying hard, huh?"
"Orion? Oh my gosh, how have you been? How's life been since your post-Ilvermorny journey began?" Laura beamed at the graduated Thunderbird student as she rushed to hug him.
Orion chuckled. "Hey, Laura. I told you just last week I was just thankful I could come home for a bit. Working for MACUSA is not an easygoing kind of time. Especially not in the Magical Law Bureau where I am. You two caused quite a stir the other night, Nick."
"Wait, what?" Nick realized Saryna and the others were looking at him with hints of worry. "What do you mean, Orion?"
"Let's just say you're lucky they allowed me to come see what really happened. They have your wand, a very special magical item, I might add, using several spells out in a remote protected and watched sector of the United States when you should have been at the school. So, what the hell were you up to?"
"Oh, not much. Being Portkey-kidnapped out to the graveyard MACUSA buried Auron Sayle by Puritans along with Saryna and our schoolmate Hina. Being restrained as Saryna was used in a dark ritual to allow the revival of the previously aforementioned mad man. Watch Sayle kill Hina for no reason before breaking out of my restraints, used those spells you have on record to help protect Saryna and myself from Avadas cast by Sayle before getting Saryna to portkey us back to school as I passed out from magical exhaustion. Just a typical end to a year at Ilvermorny school for us, you know? Oh, and Sayle is Saryna's father and is actively after her, so she's living with me and my mom until further notice."
Orion looked at Nick like he had grown several heads since he started talking. "You.. You're saying the Puritans brought Sayle back? That prophecy from first year is real?"
"Of course it's real! I've been dodging bullets my whole time at Ilvermorny so far and it's not ending anytime soon. We're going into our middle year of Wizarding school, and I won't lie it's gonna be hard getting through three more years of dealing with plots made by the Puritans and dealing with my schoolwork. So any issues outside of school are greatly unappreciated."
"Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. Well, wow. Now that I know what's going on, you don't have to worry, Nick. I'll let my superiors know, you won't have any trouble with the Board about those spells. Is there anything else I can do for you guys? Because it's you guys, anything that comes into my office with any of your names is a personal matter. As looked down upon as it is, my boss also knows you're the son of Elias Negron so he had a suspicion about ill-intentions. I'll report all this to him and get back to you all about it later on this week. Oh, and Nick? Any chance we can meet up tomorrow? I wanted to talk to you about something." Nick didn't see Laura's eyes shift nervously between Orion and Nick before Orion stood up.
"Yeah, sure. Of course. Text me later, we'll figure out where to meet if you'd rather it not be at home."
Orion nodded. "Great. Well, sorry to cut and run but I still haven't gone home to see my folks yet so we'll all catch up later, alright guys?" The group of teenagers all waved their friend off as Orion apparated out of the room.
"You have MACUSA looking after you? Who was your father to them?"
"No one will tell me. But, if I have the head of the Magical Law Bureau keeping tabs on me, that means he must have been important. Maybe I'll find out one day, after I figure out what the opening combination is to that last locked section of the Bag 'O Tricks. Oh well, let's keep this little party going. After this weekend, I'm gonna be left alone with the princesses of our group." Nick laughed the conversation towards another topic as the girls in question rolled their eyes at their would-be leader as they all filed outside towards the Negron family pool.
That night, the group had all situated themselves around the pool, Nick finding himself once again (as it seemed more often than not) surrounded by the women in his circle of friends. Is this some kind of sign about that weird marriage clause? He thought, looking between Saryna, Laura and Jasmine, the three girls all chatting about something or other about what they wanted to do during the summer, meaning Nick would definitely be seeing more of the only other girl he knew he could trust in Saryna's House along with his fiance together. And if Laura is pregnant, then all three of them would be most likely all attracted to me. Not to mention I can tell Nessa feels something too. Maybe I should post that anonymously on that website, what was it called again? Oh, right, FML! Fuck My Life.. Yep, that's actually accurate. He realized Laura had said something to him as he snapped his neck toward her direction. "Come again?"
The amused, knowing smirk she wore told Nick how her mind had taken the question as she answered. "I asked if you really didn't mind us girls coming around every so often and bugging you as the only guy around this summer?"
Oh, if you could read my mind right now, Laura.. "No bother to me. I wouldn't be friends with you girls if you annoyed me." He said with a laugh as the girls all began giggling as well.
"Well, good. Cuz once I leave Ilvermorny, I'm still going to come around for your mom's Sunday pancakes. Those are beyond amazing!" Laura said, Jasmine nodding eagerly along.
"Oh, yess! Those pancakes are better than most of what Ilvermorny serves us, and that's all gourmet." Jasmine added, leaving Saryna to look between the two amicable girls suspiciously. Especially since Laura was never this nice around Jasmine before.
"Why are you both suddenly buddy-buddy? Nowhere at school were you two as close-sounding as you do right now." She voiced as Jasmine giggled.
"My bad, Ryna. No, Laura and I bonded a lot over the last couple years, or did you really not wonder where I went when I would bail on your plans the last couple summers?"
Saryna gasped. "Was I really that much of a bitch? Not even my best friend could stand me as I was?"
"Saryna, you were the worst friend. Even if I did hang with you, you would continuously berate Nick as a person and even most of the other students. It got rather tiring very quickly. And at Nick's place, there were no boundaries based on school Houses or hatred towards anyone. Well, except Looper, the twat."
Saryna looked down. "I really almost lost everyone I cared about at school because of that altering spell, didn't I?"
"Oh, stop, love. It wasn't really you, none of us held it against you even if you made it really hard not to. Does anyone know why Nashra couldn't join the party today?"
"She couldn't get away from the fam. Little cousin's birthday. She'll probably just show up at random in the next few days."
"I hope not. Depending on how the summer starts going, the last thing we'll need is surprise friends visiting." Especially not with the possible surprise Laura may be carrying.. He hated to admit it, but the amount of female friends Nick kept close to him made him think this weird contract-enabled harem was more likely every time he thought about it.
"Hey, we all know our lives in Ilvermorny are always surprises, home life these days is just trying to catch up."
"Spoken like a sage, Jasmine. Well, it's starting to get late. Anyone else about ready to call this night quits?"
There was a chorus of agreements from the group as they all gathered their things to leave. Soon, it was only Nick and Saryna left once again, the couple going back out towards the pool to finally have some private time to themselves..
The Next Evening..
Orion and Nick sat at the local mall's food court, plates of Nathan's hot dogs in front of them. "So what did you want to talk to me about, Orion?" Nick asked his old schoolmate.
"I know about you and Laura." Nick put the hot dog he had just picked up from his tray back down. "I don't like that you did it to Saryna, but I know she wasn't in her right mind while it happened. You need to be careful, Nick."
"I have been. How do you even know about that? It's bad enough Saryna's sister knew." Nick had to ask, wondering where the leak in information stemmed from.
"Laura told me. Remember, I'm the closest thing she has to a brother. Something happens with her, she usually tells me. But that's not all. As you know from yesterday, anything coming into my office even with a mention of you in passing, goes straight to my desk. Other than your albeit impressive spellwork, there was something else that I came upon that didn't add up completely. It was a copy of your contract of betrothal to Saryna with a yellow warning stamp. I know about the very strange clause in the contract and I have to know if you and Laura endangered the clause. It won't come back to you, you have my word but a magically-binding contract clause that basically creates a harem? You could wind up biting much more than you can chew."
"Yeah, I know Rion. That's why I already scolded Laura for it." Orion raised an eyebrow in confusion. "She confessed to me yesterday while I was out of the room with her that the night before she word and wandlessly cast a fertility spell on herself. Usually, we kept her as the caster of the protective spells but in her own words I was an addiction to her that she never wanted to end. I don't understand it, I'm just a regular guy like most of us out there, yet I have a strange magnetism with women. Look at my circle of friends, there's Saryna, Jasmine, Nashra, Laura. That's just the few I actually interact with on a normal basis at school. If this clause is going to enact itself, then so be it. I'm just gonna have to roll with the punches and try to limit how far the situation goes."
"What if it gets out of hand, Nick? I've heard stories of wizards and even No-majs that start a harem-like situation and it becomes their addiction. You're a good kid. Smart, funny, skilled more than some of the guys I graduated with. But, there's also your eventual showdown with Sayle. If he has eyes as spread out as the tales say, then any of those women would be in danger.
"I know that. Unfortunately, I'm able to ascertain that Saryna and Laura are both sincerely and deeply in love with me. And I them. Plus, if things do start getting out of hand all I have to do is officiate the marriage and no one else would get sucked into it. I know what I'm doing, kind of. Again, gotta take it one step at a time."
"I understand. So, you feel your love for those two can protect them?"
"Of course, but that's not all. I have to keep training and building myself stronger as well. So what's the official story the Times are putting out?"
"Officially, we've all been told to keep Sayle's resurrection as tight-lipped as possible. So instead Saryna was kidnapped by the Puritans for some scheme and you, being dragged along, fought tooth and nail to protect her from her would-be attackers. Anyway, I have to get going. Got some important stuff to take care of back home. You be careful and take care of yourself, alright?"
"Of course, Orion. I won't do anything massively idiotic. Stay safe out there, yourself. I know how the Puritans regard your.. Orientation."
"Don't worry about me. I can hide my preferences from the unsavory types. So long, Nick." Orion said as he stood upb the loud crack of Apparition sounding as he left the mall, thankfully with a charm around him so it wouldn't seem he had simply vanished.
Nick got up from the table himself and made his way to the glamoured door that lead to the floo tunnels, sighing. Everything from here is going to get more complicated. Murphy's Law, I am at your mercy. He thought before flooing back home.