"Think I drank too much again
Looks like fun, but it's pretend
Why do I try to fit in
When I just wanna go home
And I know this isn't like me
I just want people to like me
Got my glass up in the air
And I act like I don't care
And I take some, but I shouldn't
And I say things that I wouldn't
And I'm just part of the crowd
But I feel better now
Keep on playing that song that I don't like
I just wanna feel normal for the night
Keep on kissing that guy that's not my type
I just wanna feel normal for the night
I should go, it's getting late
But I'ma keep on dancing 'til I feel okay
So keep on playing that song that I don't like
I just wanna feel normal for the night "
Sasha Sloan- Normal
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
Cloe Rogers responded to me the next day morning with an invitation for a supper at her house in the D.C. suburbs.
Her house looked like from a cover of some fancy 50's magazine; colonial style with white pillars and perfectly maintained autumn flowerbeds and green lawn without a single leave from the red and brown trees framing the whole picture.
Enough to say; I felt very uncomfortable there.
I walked the garden path to the front door and buzzed the doorbell.
Somewhere inside there was a melodious sound and after a moment the door opened abruptly.
Cloe Rogers fitted perfectly to the glamorous house with her porcelain skin and golden hair. She was wearing a princess-style baby blue dress and pinafore.
Her green eyes went wide seeing me and I readied myself for explaining why my dishevelled self-wandered into her perfectly mowed front-lawn.
But she suddenly smiled brightly and threw herself at my neck laughing.
Don't look at me like that Fabian. Imagine how I felt.
As suddenly as she hugged me, she let go of me and clearly embarrassed smoothed down her pinny and smiled shyly at me.
"Oh Circe, I'm sorry! You're Remus, right? Come in, come in!" she let me in and tugged at my coat prompting me to take it off. "I'm so sorry, we don't know each other but I feel like I've known you forever by the way Mia talked about you!"
"What?" I asked feeling a little dazed by this much information.
"Mia Potter! You're here to talk about her, right?" she prompted again with a bright smile motioning me to walk further inside the house.
If you boys thought that Molly Weasley is the ultimate housewife, you should've seen Mrs. Rogers place. Everything from floors to the windowsills almost shone with cleanness. Even Mr. Rogers looked like a prop in some muggle 50's film; he had neatly slicked out brown hair, horn-rimmed glasses and dress pants in fine check.
Of course, he was reading a newspaper, Sirius.
He smiled seeing me and stood up with his hand extended for a shake.
"Oh! You must be Remus! My wife was so excited when you wrote." he looked at her with a tender smile.
"Honey, you remember that you have to pick up kids from my mom?"
The man smiled sheepishly and nodded. He went and picked up car keys laying on one of the drawers. Cloe cleared her throat.
"Honey..." when he looked at her, she pointed at the pot nearby the fireplace. Mr. Roger's eyes went wide.
"Oh right! Sorry..."
When he disappeared in emerald flames, she smiled at me.
"He's muggle. Sometimes it is difficult for him to switch to living in a magical household."
"Where have you met each other?" I asked politely while Cloe seated me at a dining table set up like shelves in Honeydukes.
"Actually we met at MACUSA." she started bustling preparing tea. "He was a representative from muggle Senate. So it's not like he's totally clueless when it comes to magic. But it's hard to teach and old dog, new tricks." she laughed.
When she served tea in a porcelain set, I finally had a chance to ask:
"What do you mean by the way Mia talked about me?"
She smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I can't talk about that! We're here to talk about Mia, not you or the Order, silly!"
I almost choked on my tea when she mentioned the Order.
"What? No! I don't mind it! We can talk about me and the Order!"
"Tsk,tsk! She didn't let me talk about it."
"I'm honestly a tad frustrated with all of this." I admitted. "Everyone's so cryptic about things and I feel like I didn't find out anything really important during my stay here."
"Well, maybe you should think why Mia wanted you here. I mean..." she swirled her tea in the cup. "She obviously didn't send you here. But she knew you would come here. She wanted us to trust you. So maybe she wanted you to trust her after this trip?"
I thought about that already.
"But it's difficult to trust someone who feel so...distant. After the last couple of days, I feel like all this time I've been learning about a character from a book. A fascinating book, really, but still- it's not real."
She nodded in understanding.
"I get it. Really. And I speak from position of someone who knew Mia for...17 years now. Circe...so looong!" she laughed. "We met the first day at sorting and we clicked right away. I was so ecstatic when we were sorted into the same house, even though then I didn't feel like I belonged to the Thunderbird House at all. But Mia was there just fine. I always felt that she had too much on her mind. She always did so many things. Knew so many things. Read so many books. Took so many classes. But at the same time had so many passions and met so many people. It was like she was living suspended between these two total contradictions. We had Mia hermit, bookworm and we had Mia social butterfly, the popular girl. But we were closest to her. We were her pack."
"We?"
"There were seven of us. Me, Mia, Rosa, Lottie, Alex, Irene and Theodosius." she motioned that I would help myself with something from the sweets on the table. "We were a strange bunch I will tell you this. We were simultaneously the misfits and the top of our school. Even more since me, Mia and Alex joined the Institiute. It wasn't a popular decision. Women from the Institiute are considered too... liberated. Some even accuse us for using black magic to curse men." she laughed happily. "There are guys that wouldn't eat anything I gave them even if their life depended on that." she added looking at the piece of cake I've put on my plate.
I shrugged and quipped:
"I will not refuse any sweets even if they would kill me."
"Rosa had the same before full moon." she said with a sly smile.
I suddenly felt very cold and the cup I held rattled quietly on the saucer
"I know a werewolf when I see one, Remus. Don't worry. It doesn't bother me at all. As I said, Rosa is a werewolf herself. And MACUSA works really hard to get rid of the stigma. Something Mia's responsible for in great deal." she shrugged clearly ignoring my distress. "Continuing! I We joined the Institiute when we were...fifteen? Theo said he would join with us if this wasn't a 'sisterhood'. But we made him a ceremony for an honorary member of our own sabbath...We really had fun in school. Our group...let's say we supported each other, because it often wasn't just sugar and roses. We all had some demons of our own to fight. So when we found out that Mia was putting a silencing charm on her bed since fist year so we wouldn't hear her scream when she had a nightmare...we made her tell us everything she could then." She looked at me with a pensive expression. "We finished school exceling everything. Mia broke every record there were to break. And we planned. We were seventeen and we had the whole future to plan and make. We...every one of our group were damaged in some way or the other. We really wanted to just be...seventeen for a while."
•••
20 June 1984, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles
"Fuck! Rosa! Don't splash the fucking water!" Theo hissed from his sunbed; he was wet, and his sunscreen dripped from his pale chest and legs.
"Language!" Cloe called in a sing-song voice arranging the snacks on the table nearby the pool.
The evening was warm and muggy. On the one side the setting sun blushed the horizon with red, orange and gold, and on the other night already claimed the sky with deep navy-blue coat covered with spare stars. The city below was starrier than the sky above it; the lampposts and car-lights shone from the distance like fireflies dancing around in a chaotic pattern.
They celebrated the end of exams, the end of school and the beginning of their adult life. The Potter summer house was a perfect place for some light-hearted parting, and Charlus and Dorea didn't have any objections when Mia asked them if they could stay there for a week before hitting the road. She laid sprawled on an air mattress and dozed off listening to Theo and Rosa bickering in the background.
Rosa swam around the pool to try as she said, "burn out the alcohol". Alex laid on the other air mattress, topless with her shades on even though sun set down a while ago. Charlotte sat at the edge of the pool sipping her drink. Cloe played the perfect housewife, as always, despite Mia begging her to sit on her ass and leave preparing the snack to the Potters house elf- Gypsy. Irene laid on a sunbed next to Theo reading a book.
"You could think they're married or something." she heard Irene remark and Alex snort and add:
"Don't say it! Mia will get jealous of her bae."
Theo, who must have heard this stood up from his sunbed and said in a grandiloquent tone:
"Mia, if you must know, my fair ladies, is the light of my life! Sun to my moon! Bonnie to my Clyde! Solo to my Chewbacca! Salt to my vinegar! Mac to my cheese!" he declaimed. "But unfortunately, she doesn't have a dick." he ended with a bow making Rosa splash more water at him and Charlotte and Cloe burst into giggles.
"That wouldn't be a problem for true love." Mia called without opening her eyes.
"You have no idea how it pains me that we can only be best bitches." Theo threw himself onto the sunbed with a dramatic sigh.
"Drinks ready! I call for a toast!" Cloe clinked a spoon on her drink glass. Mia and Alex hopped to the pool to swim over the edge with Rosa, Charlotte, Theo and Irene strolled over to the table.
They gathered around the table picking up the drinks Cloe made. They were all laughing, joking and chatting with each other; for the last seven years they lived, learned and grew up together and now "family" was more applicable to them than just "friends".
Cloe lifted her drink and cleared her throat.
"I will start! I want to thank you all for being the best and worst influence for me for the last seven years!" she said causing others to laugh. "I know for fact that we will stay friends for whatever thing will come next. Remember that I will always be there for any of you if you need anything; either a hug, a slap or a good meal!" she motioned towards Rosa. "Your turn, Señorita!"
Rosa curtsied and lifted her drink too.
"I've never imagined that going to school I will find such a beautiful bunch of people and that they will become my friends. It wouldn't be possible for me to survive those years if it wasn't for all of you. Mia...your brilliance was a heaven-sent and I really feel like I owe my life to you. I will always be there for all of you. If there's anything I can do for you guys I will do it." she pointed at Charlotte with a mischievous smile. "Lottie, go for it!"
Charlotte laughed and looked at her hand holding the glass clearly embarrassed.
"Before I make a toast...I have to tell you something guys..." she whisked a chain from under her t-shirt. On its end dangled a golden ring with a big sapphire jewel. "Pierre proposed to me after the graduation."
There was a group ear-piercing squeal and the other six enveloped Charlotte in a tangled mess of limbs, hair and wet bodies.
"FUCK MY ASS, LOOOTTIE!"
"AAAA!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YOU'RE MARRYING THE FRENCH BOY!"
"Merlin, let me breathe!" Charlotte laughed detangling herself from her friends embrace. "I'm leaving for Paris in three weeks! Of course, you're all invited to the wedding once we have a date."
"Wow, it's so cool." Irene wept quietly.
"Circe, Irene, don't cry." Alex snickered and looked at Charlotte seriously. "You're sure Lottie? I mean...you wanted to go for a healer..."
"Yeah, I know...but I can go for it there. And...I will miss you guys..." her eyes glossed over with tears while her bottom lip trembled. "I will miss you all so much! You're the best fucking band I've ever met, and I just can't imagine being anywhere without you..."
"We will visit you, Lottie." Mia squeezed her arm reassuringly smiling. "I'm working on something that will help us quickly talk with each other no matter how far we will be."
"Yeah! You won't get rid of us so easily!" Theo laughed throwing his arm around Charlotte and placing a kiss on top of her head, making her smile tearily. She lifted her glass:
"To our pack, to our family! To love, to friendship, bad decisions and good wine!" She jabbed Theo in the ribs. "Now you, pretty boy!"
"Ouch! That's what I get for kindness? Okaaay...so...Alex, thank you for being the best wing-woman a teenager could wish for. Rosa, thank you for being the best, most hairy little sister I've never dreamt I would have. Irene, thanks to you I've mustered up the strength to finish school; you're a beast in the library, girl! Lottie...you know what for...Thank you. Cloe, I will miss having you around Kinky Mama Bear, maybe I will finally loose those two pounds though. Mia..." he looked at her with a little bit sad smile. "...I never thought I would meet my soulmate in such a way. Merlin...it could be worse...or better...I don't know...it doesn't matter now. What matters for me it's that we found each other. And that you're my best friend. I'm always here for you, please remember that. For all off you girls." he looked around and laughed "Best witches in the world! Mia, go girl!"
Mia smiled lifting her drink; she's been unusually quiet for most of the day, clearly deep in thought.
"I just wanted to say that you are my family. My fourth family as you all know. And this year is the last year I consider myself free from any worries. After that...I'm sorry if you won't hear from me very often, or if I'm distant, busy, unresponsive. When all the things I must take care of will end...I promise we'll meet again here. In the same squad." she looked around them teary-eyed. "And I will be again the friend that you all deserve. I promise."
Irene stepped forward and enveloped Mia in a hug.
"You'll always be the best friend. Don't worry about us."
"Yeah! You do you, boo. We'll manage." Alex added. "Just be careful and call us for back-up if anything happens."
"Thanks guys...Irene, it's time for your toast"
"To the Brilliant Seven! May everything go as we plan, because we will change this world for sure! I love you all!" Irene extended her arm and they all clinked their glasses with a cheerful shout.
There was some sense of finality in that evening, making them so pathetically sentimental. They couldn't help but feel that some stage of their life's just ended and left them robbed from everything that until now was safe and certain.
•••
Mia and Theo sat silently on the edge of the swimming pool with their legs in the water. They looked at the city below, slowly waking up with the first sunbeams seeping through at the horizon.
Alex fell asleep sometime earlier at the sunbeds; they covered her and Cloe with blankets. Irene, Lottie and Rosa went to sleep in the house.
Cloe tried to fall asleep for the last two hours, but the moon shone too brightly, and she still felt hot from the alcohol she poured into herself that evening. She really tried not to eavesdrop their friend's conversation by the pool, but it proved to be futile.
So she laid there listening and wondering how these two could be so close yet so far from each other. Her heart ached when she thought about that.
They looked like the total opposites. Theo was tall and slim. His straight, almost white hair shimmered in the light of dawn, falling heavily into his eyes. He was mostly pale but he tanned a little for last week with made his teal eyes even more intense in colour. Mia was short and petite and while Theo was all cold colours and sharp lines, Mia with her golden-brown skin, soft locks and amber eyes was all about warmness.
Irene one day inspired by another romance novel she read said that with their looks Mia could be the sun while Theo could be the moon.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Theo asked quietly. Mia breathed out a laugh and shook her head.
"I can't stop thinking about them you know? How can we be...? How can I? When there is this boy...those kids that could die so horribly one day? Some of them will never see their eighteenth birthday."
"Why you're the one who worries about it? It's not your fight..."
"It is. And I don't want to think 'why me' or something like that because I will go insane. That won't make any sense regardless so why bother?"
"We're...damaged." Theo said.
"Really damaged." Mia admitted.
"I thought about what Irene said. We're not special. We don't choose who lives or dies. We deserve a normal life, without all of this. You don't have any power over what will happen next.
"I want to be normal. I want to forget all of that. I don't want to know...But I do. So I have that power."
"I...Mia...you know what I want to say." Theo's voice sounded like he was in pain. "I want to help you so much..."
"I know. But I won't allow you. It's not your fight." she smiled sadly at him. "I'm already engaged in something that's too dangerous for anyone to go there with me."
"You've made that boy's life better already. He's got a father thanks to you." he hesitated before asking. "You've checked on them, recently haven't you? That's why you're so nostalgic?"
She nodded making her short curls bounce. She bit her lips nervously.
"They're at Aussie still. Harry seems so happy." she smiled but her face instantly dimmed with sorrow.
"And that guy?"
"He...he seems lonely."
"You can't give him a sign? Something for him to know that he isn't alone with all of this?"
"No Theo. I can't. It's too early."
"When it won't be? Wouldn't it always be too early?"
She didn't respond which on Theo sighed tiredly and combed fingers through his hair.
"I won't leave you with this shit Mia. Merlin, don't make me..."
"Remember that deal we made after the sixth year? When we decided on this road trip?"
"I want to back out of it!" he said a little louder and instantly looked at the two unmoving silhouettes laying on the sunbeds. When he made sure that their friends are asleep, he turned again to Mia. "You can't just simply expect me to leave you behind."
"I do. And you will. It will be healthier for us than this limbo we're in right now. I want you to find your happiness." she picked up his hands and squeezed lightly. "You deserve this. I want to hear you in radio one day. Or be able to buy your record. You won't be able to do this helping me."
"What about your happiness?" he asked furrowing his brows.
"I will manage. You won't have to worry about me."
"So I will have you near for next year only? And then until..."
"Yeah. Until I'm done...but we will talk, I promise." Mia smiled.
"I love you." Theo blurted out a little desperately and suddenly hissed like he was in pain. Mia let go of his hands with guilt written all over her face.
"I love you too." she said quietly.
"But it's not enough." he added.
"Sometimes it's not." she admitted.
They fell silent again and sat there until the sun raised above the horizon. Then they both stood up and after hugging each other quickly went separate ways; Theo to prepare breakfast and Mia to wake up the girls.
•••
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
"Again, I have a feeling like I'm listening to plot of some book." I became really engaged in Mia's story. Like in a good novel I felt for every of her hurts and downfalls; this was frustrating. "They've seen each other after that road trip?"
Cloe nodded; she clearly still felt guilty about overhearing that conversation.
"Yes, they've seen each other a few times. I guess it would be more often if Theo was on better terms with his brother."
"Brother?"
"Yes. Magnus Sayre."
"They're brothers!?"
Cloe snorted and stood up.
"You have no idea." She walked to a bookshelf and took down a giant photo album. She put it on the table and started looking through it; hundreds of moving faces and silhouettes flashed with the rustle of pages and movement of small, manicured hands. Finally, she found the picture she looked for and pointed it without a word.
It was clearly a picture from graduation ceremony.
In the middle, stood Mia in a black, short dress crossed with a purple sash and matching heels. She had a pointy hat with wide brim on her head. She smiled brightly showing off her Ilvermorny Diploma to the camera. When I compare this Mia to the one we know now I can finally say how uptight and tired is the one we know.
On both each of her sides, hugging her, stood two young men. They looked almost like mirror reflections; both tall with fair, almost white hair. They've both where so pale that if it wasn't for their teal eyes and darker brows, they would look like albinos. The differences where slight; one looked more laid-back with his hair and robes in an artistic mess with an identical purple sash. The other had wire-frame glasses and looked more neatly and more reserved than his brother. He had a bright blue sash.
But there was something uncanny about them. They looked too doll-like, too perfect. Their hair shined too much and their eyes had that unusual colour...
Then it dawned on me.
"Veela...Twins?"
"Magnus and Theodosius. The one and only Sayre twins. Half-veelas. Their mother was one." she looked over my shoulder at the photo. "Guess which one is which?" there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
I looked again at the photo trying to figure out the dynamics of the trio. The twin with glasses when looking at camera had a face of polite indifference, but when he looked at Mia his eyes got softer and more focused, and his lips crooked in a small smile. But the laid-back one...he looked at her in the same way.
"Oh my, that's no good." I said quietly making Cloe laugh.
"Oh, really? It got worse over the years. Those two...they were like two sides of a coin. They couldn't be different. Mia really tried to make them get along better. But it just ended in this messy situation when Mia and Theo wanted to be with each other but couldn't and Magnus wanted to be with Mia but couldn't...and oh, that was so awkward, really." she concluded with a sigh supporting her face on the palm of her hand.
"Why they couldn't be with each other?"
"Theo always said that's because he liked boys more. But that was just an excuse. He dated girls and guys the same. We never really knew why they didn't hit it on, they were like...made for each other it seemed. But one night on the road trip he got soooo drunk because at one of our longer stops, it was at Green Bay I believe, Mia got an invitation for a festival from one of the locals. And she accepted it. Theo was so sad that evening..."
•••
4 September 1984, Green Bay, Wisconsin
"I'm unfair." Theo mumbled taking another gulp from the bottle of wine he held. "We agreed that it's okay. I've dated and she didn't even mention it..." he groaned burying his face in the crook of his arm.
Alex and Cloe glanced at each other quickly; they found him in their hotel room at 2 a.m. emptying the room bar.
"Theo, maybe you just should hit it on? I mean..." Alex looked at Cloe for a help.
"You should at least try a relationship." Cloe said in a firm tone.
They didn't expect Theo to laugh, so they were taken aback by his hysterical giggles.
"You two think she would be there with some redneck asshole and not with me if we could be together?! You think I would allow this?! That I'm such a sissy to just let go of her?! I'M NOT MY BROTHER!" he suddenly shouted and the bottle in his hand broke into tiny pieces.
"Theo!" Alex grabbed his hand to check for glass and Cloe immediately started cleaning the mess with her wand.
"I'm cursed. I'm fucking cursed." Theo mumbled when Alex removed glass pieces from his palm.
"Stop moving around! What the hell are you talking about?!" Alex hissed.
"My blood is cursed!" he hissed back still trying to snatch back his hand.
Cloe froze with her eyes wide.
"What?!"
"What? What does that mean?" Alex looked confused between them; raised in a muggle household she didn't know much about hereditary curses.
"My blood is bad. I didn't know it until I've met a Potter..."
"What the hell does that mean?" Alex repeated with more force.
"Blood curse is a hereditary curse. It can trigger in every member of the family and it can have various effects." Cloe said. "It's very, very rare."
"And the fate wanted that I'm the one who suffers." he said blankly finally relaxing his body and letting Alex check his hand.
"What are the effects?" Cloe asked softly sitting across him and capturing his heated gaze.
"It started in the first year...Just painful jabs. My heart felt like someone gripped it hard and squeezed. I didn't connect it with Mia at first...we were kids...I loved her back then, but it was innocent. That hand-holding, hugs...But then the fourth year came...we kissed day after Valentines Day. And I...I thought I was dying...We started suspecting that something wasn't right..." he winced remembering the pain. "It was that moment when we told you I've went to the hospital wing because a pixie bit me." Theo chuckled. "So stupid."
"So...you can't touch each other?" Alex asked slowly.
"Yeah...we...we can't touch each other. And it's getting worse and worse. Mia predicts that if we stay with each other too long it will hurt because of her mere presence."
"That's awful!" Cloe gasped quietly.
"But...what about your brother? Why you mentioned him?"
Theo looked at his friends with glassy eyes.
"He loves her too. And he's not cursed. But he let her go. 'Mia's not mine, brother. And she's neither yours to have. Let her go.' AS IF I HAD A CHOICE!" a mirror on the wall broke with a loud clink making all of them jump.
"But why Mia? Why it doesn't hurt to touch others? She's adopted, right? She's not a Potter by blood..."
He shrugged apathetically and Cloe answered again.
"Magical adoption is as important as blood ties. She's a Potter and clearly the curse recognizes her as one."
"We don't know. We looked everywhere. We even asked her parents. It hurts to hold their hands... And my father...you know...I can't ask him that..." he suddenly sobbed and Alex hugged him gently. "Why us? Why her? Why I have to love her?" He buried his face in her arm and cried.
The girls fell silent lost in their thoughts, sometimes looking at each other, sometimes at their friend. They sat like that until Theo cried himself to sleep.
Cloe and Alex hoped that he won't remember much in the morning.
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
"That's...horrible." I said.
"You have no idea...Holding your friend like this...while he cries his heart out..."
I guess I have some idea in that matter.
"I...actually know what it's like."
She smiled sympathetically and patted my hand.
"I know, darling, I know. You've been through war after all."
"So after your road trip Mia went to work with Thunderbirds?" I asked taking a cookie from the tray. "I talked yesterday with Capitan Johnson."
Cloe clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"Another unfortunate soul. Sometimes I have a strange feeling that every man that had any closer contact with Mia is condemned to bad fate."
"Why?"
"I don't know! But if you think about it, it's true! I know it's not malicious on her side. But men just..." she shrugged. "She has something in her. And Capitan Johnson...who treated her like a daughter...blames himself right now for Mark's death. Mia wasn't the same after that. She blames herself on the other hand. It's basically a mess right now." reaching for the kettle she tapped it with the tip of wand making it whistle and shoot out steam. When she refilled our cups, she continued talking. "We've met Mark. He and Mia...they were really good together and there was a lot of love there, between them. He was sweet and caring and made her laugh. Mia for the first time ever mentioned a family of her own." I saw her eyes dart to the fireplace and the framed photos of Mr. Rogers and two golden-haired toddlers. "After Mark's death, when they arrested that psycho she went to Charlotte and Pierre to Paris for six months to detach herself. She rarely spoke back then...like she was...I don't know how to describe it. Locked up in her own head? Like she just locked herself inside to shield from the mental pain she was in. She lost weight, stopped eating...stopped taking care of herself. Just sat on the balcony in Charlotte's apartment and did nothing. We went together...but I was helpless. She would just ignore me or smile sadly at every suggestion I've made. Theo joined us as soon he heard about all of this and miraculously Magnus tagged along. The two of them visited her often. Sometimes together but mostly alone. Theo visited Mia so often that she threw him out one day when she caught him wince in pain in her presence. But it was Magnus that surprised me the most...he was so..." she stopped looking for a word. "...determined...I've heard he started looking into Blake King's origins and history. He investigated everything there was to investigate. And every piece of evidence he found he handed over to the MACUSA Court Of Justice. Just to be sure that this freak would end up locked up forever...He juggled between this, his job as a transfiguration teacher in Ilvermorny and visiting Mia. And finally...one day he snapped.
•••
20 October 1988, Paris, France
The terrace in Lottie's and Pierre's Devaux apartment overlooked at the Eiffel Tower and Seine. The sun flickered at the restless river waters. The sky was absurdly blue, the day inappropriately bright and city was disgustingly busy and crowded. People moved between fiery autumn trees in relaxed, walking pace.
But despite that the apartment was a quiet and safe haven; a bubble where Mia could barricade herself from the rest of the world.
She spend her days sitting in a big, wicker armchair looking at the sky or sleeping in her guest room with the curtains fully closed. Pierre was on a business trip; he left two weeks after Mia came. He was very placable and didn't ask questions, just welcomed her and just said that she could stay as long as needed.
Charlotte was in home; three months pregnant with a small baby-bump she readied herself for welcoming little Ariel on the world.
Cloe, ran around both of them; trying to convince Mia to leave the apartment for a moment and Charlotte to sit down and let her take care of everything.
She failed in both things.
After two weeks Theo came to them and checked on Mia almost everyday which irritated her. He repeated that such feelings are better than apathy. Until two days earlier Mia's stinging hex missed his head by an inch; he knew it was a first warning. Mia never missed.
"The weather's pretty today." Mia heard a familiar voice behind her. She sat on the wicker armchair, rolled up in a ball with knees under her chin. She glanced above her shoulder to see Magnus standing in the balcony door with an awkward smile and glasses slightly crooked on his nose. His hair reflected the light brightly.
He always had this scholar vibe about him that his brother lacked. His voice was calm and confident, and he never swore. His patience was almost unwavering. He was the prefect teacher.
When she turned away in response he stepped closer; he held a box in his hand and a book in the other.
"My...Theo...said not to be an unsensitive...prick." he said with a little hesitation; Theo most definitely didn't use the word 'prick'. "So unpricklishly I've brought you some chocolates and a book."
She looked at him again. Magnus saw a little, thankful smile dancing on her lips but her eyes where still empty.
"I... Maybe you would like to go to the Bibliotheque Nationale today? Cloe said you hadn't seen it yet. It's beautiful..." he walked closer and put his gifts on a table nearby. He leaned his back on the balcony railing. His face now was a mixture of longing and sadness. "Please, tell me what I can do to make you respond to me just once..."
When she didn't answer and just looked away Magnus swore loudly. She looked back at him; this time with big eyes. She couldn't recall a single time she heard him curse.
"Fuck...FUCK! Damn it, Mia! Don't do this! Don't turn your back on people who care about you. I know you've lost someone close...someone you loved. Probably more truly than you ever loved my brother or me on that matter..." he spoke quickly, heatedly and his teal eyes burned with anger. "But you have a family here, worrying about you! I've may never been so close to you as Theodosius but you can't just fucking ignore me all the time. Screw this, you can ignore ME, but don't ignore Charlotte or Cloe! They're your sisters for fuck sake!" he ran his long hair through his fingers in frustration. Mia noticed that he looked much less put together than usual; his hair was dishevelled and too long and he was wearing an unusual for him cardigan and t-shirt instead of a shirt or just a robe. "You have no idea how painful it is to see you like that. Merlin knows how much I've wished for you to be happy. I was so content knowing that you are somewhere just happy with him. But now...you've got to take care of yourself! Mark would want that. WE really want that!" he came up to her and slumped to the floor beside her, grabbing her hand. It was another gesture quite unlike him; he usually kept his distance and, unlike Theo, he wasn't a cuddly, touchy type. He pressed her hand to his cheek and placed a chaste kiss inside her palm shutting his eyes tightly. "Please, tell me what to do. I'll do anything..."
They sat like that in silence for a longer moment and Magnus was about to give up when Mia spoke:
"I'm sorry Magnus." He looked at her surprised, but when he saw her smile, this time with her eyes looking at him fully conscious and warm he smiled back. "We can go to the Bibliotheque, today."
"Okay! Go get ready." he stood up and held out his hand to help her. "I'll wait." he added, and Mia knew he meant so much more than this day.
•••
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
"They started seeing each other?"
Cloe shook her head.
"Another year passed before they started. Along the way Lottie asked Mia and Theo to be Ariel's godparents. But Theo declined saying that he won't be able to participate enough because of his tours and concerts. So Lottie asked Magnus and he agreed. And she to this day says it was the best decision." she turned a couple pages and pointed to another photo in her album. There was Mia holding a bundled infant looking down on it with a wondered smile. Magnus stood beside with his arm around Mia and looked at both them with the same admiration Mia looked at the child. "So Mia came back to the States and started working for MACUSA. She started seeing Magnus in September 1989. Me and Hector married in October that year and they went together to the weeding making it official. Theo...well, Theo took it bad but he handled it better that everyone thought he would. Next year they rented a flat together in Washington with a Floo connection to the Ilvermorny. Their carriers were dynamic and press called them the 'Washington Power-Couple'." she shook her head. "Those headlines were just absurd.'"
"American dream?" I quipped sourly.
"American bullshit more like." she said, clearly angry at the thought. "It all looked perfect on the outside. But on the inside...Mia and Magnus started fighting a lot after a while. The pressure for the job and outside world just grew and they just started taking it on each other. There were happy times when they got along...but these were moments. The worst period started when Mia got the proposition from your Ministry to take up a position in the UK. A year and a half ago." she shook her head.
"Why? Magnus didn't like it?"
"Not a one bit. Firstly he dismissed it as something unreal. But when it became apparent that she really meant it he...well he did the worst thing a guy can do when he feels he's losing control in the relationship."
I crooked a brow.
"He proposed?"
She nodded with a tight smile.
"He proposed."
"It went badly?"
"Remus, dear..." she leaned towards me with an expression of someone who has some spicy gossip to share. "It went HORRIBLY."
•••
19 September 1993, Washington D.C.
Mia dragged herself up the stairs to their floor slowly; that day was just one long, boring meeting. She felt exhausted and sleepy and just wished for a glass of wine and a hot bath.
She just hoped that Magnus wasn't home.
They fought a lot recently and just the previous evening they went to sleep after shouting at each other for an hour; she cried herself to sleep in their bed in Washington and he went to sleep in his bed in Ilvermorny.
Last time they ended sleeping in different beds they haven't spoke for two weeks.
Mia opened the flat door and instantly yanked her wand from the holster.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the light in the living room lit up revealing a whole room of her friends and co-workers with Magnus standing at front of them with a puzzling smile.
Mia looked at them with big eyes and then looked at Magnus narrowing them suspiciously. He walked toward her and side-hugged her placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Happy birthday sweetheart."
"Magnus...what's all of this?"
He shrugged with a sheepish smile.
"You have such a rough time lately...and I wasn't helping really...so I though some fun would be good right now." he kissed her head again. "Go change, we'll wait."
She threw a glance at her sabbath; besides Charlotte and Rosa who she knew were abroad. Alex, Irene and Cloe looked at her knowingly when she motioned with her head towards the bedroom. She smiled at Magnus and made her way to the bedroom along the way thanking a few friends and co-workers she saw.
When her girls walked after her she closed the door and leaned at it with panic all over her face.
"Please tell me this isn't what I think it is."
Irene looked away chewing her lip, Cloe twisted her hands in a nervous gesture and Alex shook her head pitifully.
Mia slumped a little lower at the door.
"Oh Lilith...Oh fuck..." she mumbled. "He can't do this. We talked about it so many times."
"He tries to manipulate you." Alex huffed. "So fucking immature. Poor boy doesn't know that he will be the one who ends up humiliated."
"Alex, don't say that..." Irene scolded her and looked at Mia with a pleading expression. "Try to talk with him now before he does something drastic. You can say we told you...just try to handle it without much drama."
"If guy wants drama then why she shouldn't give it to him?" Alex asked incredulously. "He thinks Mia is some princess he can trap here without her saying anything."
Cloe cut in preventing Irene from retorting.
"It's about UK, right?" she asked seriously pinning Mia down with her eyes.
Mia looked away.
"Yes."
"Did you even talk with him about it? Does he know?"
"No. It's not his burden to take..." she crossed her arms and rubbed. "Besides...he wouldn't believe me."
"Mia...just try. How he's supposed to understand if he doesn't know?"
Mia sighed heavily; she lost weight recently again and dark circles under her eyes said everything about the quality of her sleep.
"I'll try...but...I really thought a lot recently about it and..." she broke off and shook her head frowning. "Whatever...I'd better talk with him. Thanks girls."
"No probs. You do you boo." Alex gave Mia a quick hug and motioned Cloe and Irene to follow her out of the room. The girls hugged Mia on their way out and left her there alone to change and think.
•••
"Magnus, we need to talk..." Mia found Magnus in the kitchen preparing her cake and chatting with his friends from Ilvermorny which she didn't like. She threw them a glance adding. "Alone."
The pair looked at her strangely but didn't move until she lifted her brow and looked them up expectantly. They shuffled out the kitchen looking apologizingly at Magnus.
She turned to face Magnus; he lifted his brow mirroring her expression from a moment ago; something that railed her up mercilessly every time. She took a deep breath and repeated:
"We need to talk Magnus."
He leaned over the counter.
"What's wrong? What do you want to talk about?"
"This..." she motioned toward the cake and the kitchen entrance where the party sounds came from. "All of this."
"I know, Mia. This is sudden...and after yesterday I guess you could still be mad at me..." he actually looked sheepish with his glasses crooked on his nose, rubbing the back of his neck. He grew out his hair through the previous year and it curled at the collar of his shirt. "I really want to start over. We've been stressed out lately...and I know you feel like you're going nowhere with the Act..."
"It's not that Gus!" she started impatiently but he cut her off taking her hand in his and squeezing them with a tender expression.
"We can start again. You don't have to run away...this is not a solution. You can achieve everything, sweetheart. We can achieve everything...I thought about it a lot. And I think we should buy something of our own. We can afford it; we don't need to rent a place. I know we agreed to take it slow. But it's been three years...we could start over with that." he picked up her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles in that familiar way that usually melted her heart but right now just chilled her when she realised, he didn't want to listen.
"Magnus we really need to talk about it...you don't understand. I really have reasons for that. We need to talk about it, it's not just my whims...I really..."
"I know Mia. I know it haven't been easy for you lately. But I'm ready, we can get through this together. I have a surprise for you...I really can't wait to see your face when you see it." he kissed her forehead, smiled to her and walked out of the kitchen leaving Mia standing there in shock.
•••
"Can I have your attention?!" Magnus called in the living room. Mia walked out of the kitchen and her sabbath sisters immediately could tell that the talk didn't went so well; her face was a little ashen and her eyes were wide and terrified.
Cloe thought that it was so unlike Mia. That basically Mia was so unlike Mia lately; she always had great social skills but through last couple of years she withdraw herself mostly and acted almost...shy. Right now, she looked like she was about to faint. In retrospect Cloe wished for Mia that she just fainted right then and there because the mess that unfold was something that would be on the lips of Washington gossip dealers for years.
"I really wanted to do this for a long time...because...It's just the thing a man wants to do when he's in love, right? And I have the luck to be in love with the most brilliant, beautiful and sweet witch that walked the face of the earth." Magnus said with a smile looking at Mia; how he didn't see her distress was a mystery for Cloe. Here and there a quiet 'awww' erupted from someone. Some witches dried the corners of their eyes with their handkerchiefs.
Cloe glanced nervously at Alex and Irene.
Alex looked cautiously between Mia and Magnus clearly waiting for a good moment to interrupt without causing a scene. Irene twisted a lock of her hair around her finger with her eyes glued to Mia.
"Magnus..." Mia started weakly but he cut her off again taking her hands into hers and fell on one knee before her.
Cloe saw Mia mouthing silently 'Fuck' over and over.
"Mia. Will you make me the honour and be..." he let go of one of her hands and reached into his pocket and retrieved a small jewellery box. He was about to open it and pop the question but in that exact moment Mia's expression harden suddenly. She regained her voice and said with force:
"No."
Magnus face fell in shock and the room went silent.
"Mia..." he started weakly, but she cut him off just like he did a couple of times this evening only.
"I won't marry you, Magnus. We talked about it over and over. But you just don't know how to listen. You. Never. Listen." she snatched her hand from his loosen grip and straighten herself proudly. "I'm not some trophy wife. I thought you knew. I wanted to talk with you just before this. But you ignored me. So now..." she looked around the guests linking her eyes with Cloe, Irene and Alex for a second before turning again to Magnus still kneeling with the box outstretched. "Now you learn the hard way. I'm sorry."
With that Mia turned on her heel, toward the apartment door, took her coat off the hanger, picked up her bag and left closing the door behind her. There was a moment of silence where Magnus still kneeled on the floor looking numbly at the box in his hand.
Finally Alex called out to the rest of guests:
"I guess that means the party's over, ey? Get yo' asses out of here people. Nothing to watch here!"
•••
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
We sat in silence for a while sipping tea before I finally asked:
"Why she didn't want to marry him?"
Cloe shrugged noncommittally and stirred her tea.
"Firstly, I think she loved Magnus but not in that way. Secondly, she never wanted marriage really. She is her own woman. The only moment when she mentioned starting a family of her own was with Mark. After his death...I think Magnus was a heal patch after that. Mia really wanted to get back to normal...try a normal life at all..." she broke off deep in thought before adding "Lastly the vision of moving to UK loomed over her. She couldn't ask Magnus to go with her. Skipping the fact, he would refuse with his career in Ilvermorny blooming. He became deputy headmaster recently."
"What's with moving to UK?"
Cloe's expression became cautious like she didn't want to say too much.
"Oh, she had planned it for years now. One way or another she knew she would end up there." she shrugged again. "She was determined. We all knew it. Even Magnus. But I guess he didn't want to let her go once he got her. Big mistake on his part."
She put down her teacup and started going through the photo album until she stopped on a page completely occupied by a magazine cover.
It was a cover from Moder Witch Magazine where Mia became the heroine of their cover in May 1994. I found this cover while going through the media coverage.
The cover photo showed a portrait of Mia; looking slightly up, above the photographer's head like she was looking towards the bright future the article talked about. She was illuminated from behind by a golden light giving a soft halo around her soft locks. Her amber eyes looked incredibly light and piercing. Her expression was solemn and simultaneously dreamy.
The article and interview inside are one of the pieces I've copied and brought back with me. I think it's quite interesting and gives some insight in the style of politics that Mia prefers.
"I've seen this in the MACUSA Great Archives."
She smiled.
"So you've met Irene already."
That explained why the lady helped me so quickly and gladly. I felt a little uneasy at this; exactly how many steps ahead Mia was?
"That's where she announced she will be claiming the position in your Ministry. Public opinion was divided; some said it was a great success to take such a prestigious position in such a noble and ancient Ministry like the United Kingdom's Wizard Community. Some said it's a degradation for someone who was considered next MACUSA President in upcoming decade. You know...such a bright, young witch being send to some backwater country. No offence."
"None taken." I waved my hand dismissively and she continued.
"When the article came out a month after the Werewolf Inclusion Act passed in the MACUSA. That was...an incredible evening for all of us really. Rosa was ecstatic." she said in a dramatic tone picking up her teacup. "And Mia triumphed."
•••
14 April 1994, MACUSA Congress Hall, Washington D.C.
"My honourable fellow Congresswomen and Congressmen. I presented to you my project and the representatives of the American Werewolf community who agreed to out themselves so publicly which I'm incredibly grateful for." she motioned toward the group of three sitting on her right beside the rostrum in the middle of the Congress Hall. Her eyes lingered on Rosa who seemed calm but the white knuckles of her hands tightly gripping the hem of her robe said everything. The other two, a man from Oregon Mia contacted a couple month earlier and a woman from L.A. Rose found in a werewolf bar there, were visibly terrified by being there.
Mia looked again at the people before her and continued.
"We are talking about our citizens. Thousands and thousands of people every year are forced to go through their transformation in unsafe and dangerous conditions. Only the wealthiest can afford better circs. Holding a job with lycanthropy can be hard but not impossible. The same goes for fulfilling the compulsory education as the example of Miss Gomez shows. The Wolfsbane Potion is the solution for less painful and more conscious transformation. Refoundation of this specific potion is fundamental to the success of the whole programme. I handed over the estimate to all of you month ago and as you could see in my calculations the cost of the whole program is something that won't even scratch the budget and it will increase tremendously the well-being of almost 9% of the United States Wizarding Community." she summed up her presentation. She took a second to make eye contact with few people in the stands. "We, the Congress can change that. We can help with all these people. It's in your hands now my friends. I leave the vote to you. I leave you to choose what's right. And I believe that you will choose the right thing." she paused looking around one last time
"Thank you for your attention."
She bowed her head slightly and left the rostrum after her guests. She grabbed Rosa's cold hand and squeezed it firmly. Rosa squeezed back looking forward with a blank expression. They took their seats on the audience stands.
Joseph Moore, President of the MACUSA, spoke from his place at the presidium table.
"Thank you for your presentation Congresswoman Potter. I think it gave many of us some insight on how we can deal with the lycanthropy epidemy of last two decades..." he hit the table beside him with a small wooden hammer. "We will now vote! Who is in favour of implementing the proposal of the Lycanthropy Act submitted by Congresswoman Mia Potter?"
There were wands raised and the Congress Hall lit up with hundreds of flickering green sparkles.
"Who is opposed to implementing the proposal of the Lycanthropy Act submitted by Congresswoman Mia Potter?"
And again, wands were raised and this time red sparkles lit up the room. But there were apparently fewer of them.
Mia and Rosa looked at each other barely holding back their excitement.
Moore hit again his desk and said:
"As the President of MACUSA I announce that the Potter's Lycanthropy Act is officially in force."
The roar that was heard in the room was practically deafening. Mia and Rosa hopped on their feet and in each other's arms crying.
"You did it! Mia you did it!" Rosa wept happily into her friends' arm.
"We did it! We both did it Rosie!" she corrected feeling the tears stream down her face. She looked above Rosa's arm at the hall in which people cheered shamelessly; many wizards and muggles touched by lycanthropy came to the voting as it was the first time someone even brought up the struggle of their community to the MACUSA.
She saw Theo in the corner of the hall; his bright hair reflected the dim light illusive way. He caught her eyes and smiled waving. Mia smiled back gratefully, knowing that he couldn't come closer to her. But he still came knowing how important it was to her and to Rosa.
The rest of the day passed by in a flurry of people shaking her hand, congratulating the win, asking questions over and over. But the sweet taste of victory was tainted by the bitter thought about loneliness awaiting back in her empty apartment.
•••
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
"That was a huge break in...well life...for many people. And for the next three months Mia overlooked the insertion of the Act. It was wild. Generally speaking last year was wild for her. That...her father's death...the move and other stuff." Cloe leaned back with a thoughtful face and asked. "You don't happen to have a cigarette on you, don't you?"
"No, sorry I don't smoke."
"Go figure." she smiled in a strange way. "You look like a goody two shoes. Eh... I would kill for a cig right now." she groaned kicking off her heels. "That's a nasty habit I had to kick when I had the twins...but sometimes when I'm stressed I just crave one like a madwoman."
"You're stressed? Why?"
She sighed heavily; she really looked stressed for the first time during our conversation.
"It's still fresh, you know? Last months took quite a tool on us. All of us. We had our dealings. So Mia proposed a get-together in the Potters L.A. house. Like ten years ago. We were supposed to blew off some steam and relax for a couple of days. Only girls. I mean Theo was invited but for obvious reasons he couldn't arrive. So it was only us..."
•••
9 July 1994, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles
"Hello, daddy! Hello, mom! I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb! Hello world! I'm your wild girl. I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!" Mia and Alex howled to the recording clutching their drinks to prevent them from spilling around the carpet in the spacious living room of the Potters summer house.
Irene and Cloe laughed at something sitting huddled at the couch while Charlotte with focused expression, sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth tried to pour the perfect amount of rum into her drink. Rosa dozed off at the chair; the beer bottle in her hand tipped dangerously to the side.
They clearly needed this; they needed to see each other, goof around and just stop thinking for a while. Cloe noted with satisfaction that Mia looked almost normal; the worried lines on her face relaxed and the dark circles under her eyes faded a little bit through past four days.
"Guurrls!" Charlotte called out slurring a little. Her Louisiana accent became prominent when she was drunk.
"What is it Lottie?" Alex called out through the music.
"I luv you y'all! Those Parisian bitches ain' shit when it comes to you!" she took a few steps towards Mia and Alex and tripped over the hem of the rug landing on Rosa and starling her. Rosa's beer and Charlotte's drink spilled on the rug while the rest of the girls laughed looking at them try to detangle from each other.
Mia shook her head with amusement looking at the whole situation when the doorbell rang startling the girls.
"Uhm...you ordered pizza or something?" Alex looked confused.
"No." Mia shook her head and squezeed her wand reassuringly. "It must be someone we know. Who can pass the wards. A pizza guy would see an old shack here."
"Maybe it's Theo?" Rosa aske from beneath Charlotte; she gave up trying to detangle from her friend who wrapped her arms tightly around the smaller woman in a wave of drunken affection.
"He shouldn't come here and he knows it." Mia said hesitantly.
"Yeah, but you know how he is." Cloe said with a small smile. "He hasn't really seen you in four years."
Mia sighed; it was true. Last time they saw each other in person, sat in each other's company face to face was in Paris when she recovered from her heartbreak after Mark's death. She missed Theo, they tried to write and talk to each other as often as they could, but it wasn't the same. Inevitably, she felt that they drifted apart over the years.
The doorbell rang again.
"I'll take care of the mess, go get it." Cloe encouraged her gently. With a nod Mia went to answer the door.
When she looked through the peephole at first, she thought it was Theo, but then she saw glasses and a little longer hair...
"Magnus?" she asked uncertainly cracking up the door. She didn't expect him there.
"Hi Mia." he looked good. Certainly better than a couple of months prior, after their break up.
"What are you doing here? Everything's alright?"
"Yeah...I...just wanted to talk to you. I tried to catch you at work but your assistant is like a Cerberus." he chuckled dryly. Mia smiled; she would even say that Nora is closer to Hungarian Horntail. "She brushed me off for almost two weeks and then she said you took some time off." he looked her in the eye making Mia shiver under his gaze; there was something sad but also heated in his eyes. "Theo spilled beans and told me you would be here with girls."
She nodded motioning him awkwardly inside. She tried not to look at his hair, his teal eyes hidden behind wirerimmed glasses and how his lips twisted in that unbearably sexy way as he smiled looking at her. She really tried to ignore the tight knot in abdomen she felt after hearing his voice.
She thought she cried over their relationship and friendship long enough but seeing him after almost a year woke up some emotions she didn't want to dwell on for too long. They were too sweet and too bitter at the same time.
"What do you want to talk about?" she embraced herself. Suddenly she felt too naked in a simple dress with spaghetti straps and without a bra.
She expected a girl's night not a confrontation with her ex.
"Can...can we sit down and just talk?" he made a move like he wanted to touch her but suddenly changed his mind. "Just talk, Mia. I really missed talking with you."
She nodded and motioned him to follow her. They walked into the living room.
"Hi girls." Magnus called calmly.
"Ay, it's Theo!" Charlotte shouted drunkenly.
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked sharply ignoring Lottie's babbling.
"If this is any consolation to you, Alex, I'm just as happy to see you." Magnus responded sourly.
"Well, I've asked you a question asshole..."
"Alex, stop." Mia interrupted her sharply. "I'll handle this. Relax, okay?"
Alex nodded hesitantly and Mia walked towards the terrace door into the garden. Magnus followed after.
"Theo, were are ya' going?" Charlotte called clearly disappointed.
"Lottie, it's not Theo." Rosa said kindly patting her friends cheek.
•••
They sat at the edge of the swimming pool with their legs in the water, their shoes discarded on the side, and Mia thought it's quite ironic. Ten years earlier in the exact same spot she talked to his twin brother about their relationship. Or rather why they couldn't have a one.
She wondered what Magnus wanted to talk about. On the one hand, it was most likely about their relationship, whatever it remained. On the other hand, she never suspected him of reaching out. He was too proud.
But did Magnus Sayre ever act towards her as she assumed, he would?
"Somethings never change." he said with a sour expression. "Alex still hates me like hell and Lottie still confuses me with Theo when drunk."
Mia smiled; it was comforting for her that somethings stayed the same.
"You look good." he said quietly. "Healthier."
"The rough patch ended for now." she shrugged. "I'm taking time off until September. Then I will close all my business in the MACUSA before moving to UK." she braced herself before she looked at him. "You look good too. I've heard about the promotion. Congrats."
He huffed with silent laughter.
"That's nothing. I'm the one that should congratulate you. You helped a lot of people with your act, Mia." he flashed her a genuine smile. "That's admirable."
"Thank you." she averted her gaze; looking at him hurt. She wanted him to leave as much as she wanted him to touch her.
"I screwed up Mia." he said suddenly making her look at him with a silent question in her eyes. He looked at the city below; the car lights, the lampposts, the feverish frenzy of colours and brightness. "I screwed up our relationship. I only understood how much recently." he looked at her. "I talked with my brother. About us. About you."
He called Theo differently but never brother.
"You two made up?"
Magnus laughed bitterly.
"And have we really ever argued? We just didn't talk that much." he looked at his hands. "Our father made sure that we wouldn't be good brothers to each other. But after he died we started talking." she heard him swallow through the bile in his throat. His voice was strained like he fought with himself. "And we talked through a lot of things. Really. I...we both changed." he looked at her again. "We all changed."
"We did." Mia confirmed softly.
"I guess...I wanted to talk with you...I never intended to start a relationship with you." he admitted carefully. "But once it happened...I really didn't want to let you go. I made a mistake...I didn't listen to you often enough. If it wasn't for Theo who...helped me understand that you didn't really talked to me because I wasn't listening to you from the very beginning. I was too convinced that I was infallible."
Mia snorted.
"He apparently still knows me well."
"Yes, he does." Magnus chuckled clearly embarrassed. "The funniest part in all of this is...that I'm not sure I will ever stop loving you."
"Magnus..."
"No, I know. It's too late right now. But I know I haven't told you that often enough." he took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose lifting his glasses slightly. "I talked to Theo and he told me...he told me why you're leaving for UK. He told me about the nightmares...and about her...about the Potter boy..."
Mia suddenly felt a cold shiver crept up her spine, despite the warm evening air.
"What did he tell you?"
"Enough to make me worry about you."
"He shouldn't have...how could he..." she started to panic. He betrayed her trust. He talked about her deepest and most protected secret. He was the only person who knew almost everything...
And he just spilled it to his brother.
She knew Magnus wouldn't use this against her. He was a good man and no matter how often and fiercely they fought; he had his heart on the right side.
But it wasn't right...this isn't good.
She felt a warm hand on her arm and snapped her head up only to meet worried pair of teal eyes framed with long, dark lashes.
"Mia...I'm worried. I'm worried about you." he squeezed her shoulder and held it seeing her scared eyes.
"No need to be worried." she said quickly, averting her gaze. "It's my burden, and it always were. Theo knew that."
"He told me you always said that. But that's the problem. You have a whole life here. Family, friends, carrier, home. But you just put it on hold for this thing. You have subordinated your whole life to lead to this one point. You subordinated it to dreams and memories that may not even exist, Mia."
Fear in her eyes suddenly changed into something dangerous. Her curly hair looked fluffed like it was electrified by an invisible current.
"What does that supposed to mean?"
"That I don't understand how you can leave people you know for..." He paused, pursing his lips as if to control his emotions. His hand fell from arm to her hand on the edge of the pool. He didn't thread their fingers together, just held his palm on top of hers.
"For what?" she asked quietly.
"For a misimagination." he looked her in the eye with something challenging in face. "I believe you've experienced some kind of trauma when you were a child...probably before your parents adopted you. Your mind just filled out the blanks. It's still haunting you as this...obsession."
Mia got up quickly, yanking her hand from under his and headed for the house. Inside, through the terrace window, she saw Alex, Cloe, Rosa and Irene scattering in different directions like scared cockroaches as if they were counting that she wouldn't notice that they were eavesdropping.
"Mia, for fucks sake!" Magnus caught up with her and grabbed her wrist.
She turned and looked at him in a way, which in the past already forced braver and more desperate wizards to step back. But Magnus just clenched his teeth and shook his head as if he wanted to let her know that he would not let go so easily.
"Wait. Just talk with me."
"You come here. To my fucking house! Just to call me delusional!" she spat with poison in her voice taking a few steps towards him. He stood his ground looking at her.
"I didn't call you delusional! Don't put words into my mouth!" he leaned, towering over her. "I'm not the only one worried you know? But apparently I'm the only one who's brave enough to call out Miss Perfects' bullshit plan!"
She hissed at him and tried to yank her hand free without success.
"You're not a messiah, Mia! Even if there's a speck of truth in all this, that's not your responsibility!"
"It is! I'm the one who can stop this! I know what will happen! I can save them...my...family!"
"WE'RE YOUR FAMILY MIA!" he shouted. That made Mia yank her wand from a wand holster on her thigh and point it at his chest. Magnus immediately let go of her hand and lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Mia..." he broke off when she started walking towards him with fury on her face.
"Don't..."
Step.
"...you..."
Step.
"...fucking..."
Step.
"...dare to..."
Step.
"...JUDGE ME!"
With a loud splash Magnus landed in the swimming pool.
After a second he surfaced spitting water; his fair hair stuck to his face and glasses. Mia stood on the edge with her wand hanging loosely at her side and a cold, indifferent expression in her eyes.
She watched Magnus lift himself on the edge of the pool. Water dripped from his hair and shoulders, making his shirt tight against his skin, enhancing every dip and curve of his chest and abs.
She looked away.
"Tell your brother not to show himself to me if he knows what's good for him." she said blankly.
Magnus took off his glasses and took out his wand tapping them wordlessly to dry them off. He put them on and walked toward the exit without a glance. Mia was still standing there, her eyes fixed on the city lights.
When she thought that he would pass her without a word, she felt a strong arm sneaking around her waist, felt wet fabric and too long hair tickling and leaving water droplets on her face when Magnus kissed her. Her hands twisted into his soaked shirt bringing him closer.
She couldn't remember if anyone ever kissed her in such toe-curling, mind-wiping way. Magnus seemed to put all his passion, love, regret and anger- all those things he mostly repressed inside him- into this one kiss. Mia felt like she was being burned alive. From his bruising grip on her skin and the soft, sensual way his lips moved against hers. She let out a small whimper.
And as soon as it began it ended.
She suddenly felt very cold without his body close. They both panted, looking at each other with big eyes.
"Goodbye Mia." finally Magnus choked out as if he didn't trust his own voice and walked away.
He disappeared inside the house and after a few seconds Mia heard the front door close after him with a loud click.
•••
11 October 1994, Washington D.C.
"Aaand he left." Cloe said in a sad tone. During her story she dug out a lonely cigarette from the bottom of her handbag. She stood beside the opened window and blew out the smoke outside into the warm autumn twilight falling outside.
She somehow dropped the sweet act she firstly put on. Even the darkening interior of the living room we sat in looked less perfect than it did in the day light.
Cloe Rogers seemed to have her own stories to tell. But right now, she clearly thought about her long friend and how so many things crumbled around her.
"It never seemed strange to you?" she suddenly asked turning towards me with a piercing gaze like my response was important to her. Like she still needed to judge if I'm worthy her while, Mia's while. If I'm really someone who could be so important among many others to her friend. "How strange it is that it's so easy to love a person with mission? To love someone who's priorities won't ever be entirely linked to you? How stupid is that?"
"I don't think it's stupid." I said quietly. "I've been there so I know how it feels."
She nodded pursing her lips before taking another deep drag of her cigarette.
"You know the rest of the story now really. Mia closed up all her affairs in the MACUSA and came to work for your Ministry." Cloe shrugged smiling mischievously. "I've heard already about the commotion she caused there. But I don't know what her plan is really."
"You trust her?"
"With my life and life of my family..." she smiled bitterly. "She's my sister you know? Never been closer to anyone in my life besides my husband and the girls from our pack. Couldn't even say that about my mother. Daddy left for a pack of cigs when I was three so I don't even remember him so well..." she laughed hoarsely. "The thing is Mia is the best person I know. But she never speaks or thinks about herself in the first place. So I'm afraid she will one day crumble underneath all of this bullshit that has been thrown at her." she flicked the cigarette bud through the window. "Is that all you wanted to know?"
I hesitated. I wasn't of course all I wanted to know. But I figured it was all I was going to get.
"I think I've got all I wanted."
"Good." she nodded and smiled warmly. "I'll pack you some cake for the road."
•••
I stood in the hall of Rogers home. Cloe gave me a cake in the box and hugged me again this time warmly like I was an old friend.
"Take care, cuddle-bear." she said quietly. "And hug Mia from me, will you?"
I nodded. She let go and stepped back reaching into her fanny's pocket and handing me a black business card.
"And if you ever need something just use this."
I looked at the front. There in an elegant, golden font read:
MISS ROGERS
MAGICAL MISTRESS
DISCRETION GUARANTEED
Below was a drawing of pink lips. I made big eyes and looked at Cloe who looked like she was having a great time.
"Oh, you blush like a schoolgirl!" she opened the door and pushed me delicately in the chest to make me back up outside. "It was such a pleasure to meet you Remus. I hope that one day you will visit me in less formal circumstances. You know...all work, no play..." she laughed again at my face, waved and closed the door.
•••
13 October 1994, Sticks and Stones, London, England
They sat for a longer while in silence after Remus finished his story. Each of them somehow processed the whole story. It was well after one in the morning.
Finally Fabian's voice broke the quiet of Remus's living room:
"You've got that business card, mate?"
"Wow, Fabian. Like fucking wow." Sirius looked at him with something akin to disgust.
"Yeah, I've got the business card. And I'm giving it to Sirius at this point." Remus moved a thick folder across the table toward Sirius. "Here's everything I've gathered in the Great Archives."
"Thanks." Sirius took the folder and looked at his friend and his sickly, pale face. "Really. I owe you for this Moony."
"Oh, you bet." Remus laughed weakly. "It was an interesting experience but hell, I hate going overseas."
"Okay, but what we've really got from all of this?" Fabian grumbled. "Because what I gather she can be a Yankee spy."
Sirius snorted.
"Merlin, Fabian, are you sure you didn't drink from Mad-Eye's mug? You didn't catch something in his office?"
"She's an ex Thunderbird, Black. That's no joke really. Your girlfriend would kick our asses with her hands tied behind."
Sirius had no doubt that she would do it without training, but he didn't say it aloud and only shrugged.
"She's not my girlfriend. And I don't see why MACUSA would decide on snooping on us. It's not really that hard to find out about most, even classified work at the Ministry. Maybe only the Department of Mysteries is somehow fine when it comes to this. But the rest?" he huffed. "Why bother sending here one of your more prominent young politicians only to try spy things you can just pay to find out about?"
Fabian eyed him suspiciously.
"I guess I don't want to ask how you know so much about obtaining classified information?"
"I guess you don't." Sirius shrugged and seeing Remus doze off leaning on the palm of his hand he downed his tea. "We'll be going Moony. You need to rest."
"Wait." Fabian stood up. "What are we doing right now with all of this?" he motioned towards the folder currently lying under Sirius's palm.
"I am taking this with me. What will you do? I have no idea."
"What? But that's intel!"
"Well, yes my dear Fabian. That's intel I've that I commissioned as a private person for my private money."
"As if you would pay Remus for this!" Fabian snarked and Remus only shrugged.
"I'll have my profit from it."
"I gave a recommendation for Remus on this trip! The Ministry have the right to it!"
Sirius and Remus looked at each other before Remus spoke.
"Mate, I didn't use it. Didn't have to. Mia made everything open. I can return that paper to you."
Fabian opened and closed his mouth a couple of times like a fish taken out of the water. Finally he scowled and said to Sirius:
"I can still confiscate this."
"Of course, you can. The same way I can go complain to Fudge about this unlawful decision."
The Auror sighed heavily and rubbed his face tiredly.
"Asshole."
"Send your own people to gather intel. You're here only because Remus thought it's important for you to be here."
Remus shrugged tiredly.
"We're playing for the same goal, gentlemen. I thought it would be good as Fabian will decide for himself whether to trust this woman."
Redhead clearly felt abashed when Sirius and Remus looked at him questioningly.
"I...I don't know! I have a lot of questions right now. And I won't answer until I get this clear." with stern expression he pointed his finger at Sirius. "And I also advise you to think with your head, not your dick, Black."
"I think you're confusing me with someone else." Sirius said lazily, putting the folder in his messenger bag. "You really think I have time for romance, Fabian? Or that I would put in risk everything I'm working for, for a lay? I've really sacrificed more than that already. I thought you knew me better."
The Auror had the decency to look ashamed after that but despite it he added:
"Bo offence Black but I've seen wiser man get tricked like that. And it never ended pretty."
•••
He was in the church in Godric's Hollow several times in his life.
First time at the wedding of Lily and James.
Then at Harry's baptism.
Then at the funeral of his best friends.
He remembered the interior of this church quite well.
Sirius nervously adjusted his dress robes and left the vestibule entering the main chamber of the church. His footsteps echoed between the empty benches while he walked.
His eyes were fixed on a small figure standing at the altar in a white dress. Hearing his footsteps, the figure twitched and turned toward him.
Mia smiled at the sight of him, making him feel butterflies in his stomach. She looked unearthly with her hair cascading down her shoulders and the white of her dress highlighting her skin.
On her head was a simple gold tiara in which he recognized the tiara of his great-grandmother; one of the Black family memorabilia that has been laying in the treasury for decades because it was worn by a "blood traitor".
On her neck was a golden necklace with a round amber-coloured stone which reflected the dim light of the candles at the altar. It looked ancient and well-crafted. He didn't recognize that one.
Sirius stood in front of her smiling tenderly, feeling the emotions make his heart speed up. He had a feeling like love and pride were about to burst his chest.
"Hi puppy." she said quietly with a sly smile crooking her lips.
"Hi kitten." he responded huskily; the pet-name rolled off his lips like it was his second nature.
He was so captivated by the way the light danced in her eyes like in the gem in her necklace that when he saw a hand encircling her waist, he almost screamed startled.
He automatically took a step forward but stopped when his eyes met a pair of teal ones.
On both each of Mia's sides, hugging her, stood two fair-haired men.
One in a leather jacket stood on her right looking him straight in the eye while caressing her cheek and gathering back the hair from her neck. He leaned in and started kissing and nipping at her neck; Sirius saw his lips stretch in a mocking grimace.
The other one had glasses and simple navy robes. He didn't look at Sirius; instead his whole attention was on Mia. He touched her face gently with one hand while the other grabbed hers. He smiled tenderly at her completely ignoring the fact that she still looked at Sirius like nothing changed. Like they were still alone in the church.
Sirius felt he should be furious at them for touching her. He was possessive in nature and it was the most natural thing in the world for him. But the need to grab her and mark as his didn't came as fear gripped tightly at his heart.
"Mia..." he breathed out taking another step towards her. She looked at him questioningly still smiling.
"What's wrong Sirius?"
He extended his hand and with a pleased smile she did the same. But just as their palms were about to meet, she gasped, and her eyes went wide.
Her face paled and Sirius screamed in horror as a dark-red stain appeared on the front of her white dress, and the bloody gore spilled from her parted lips.
A quiet chuckle pulled him from stupor. He looked up and met a pair of cold brown eyes.
Behind Mia stood a tall, young man with long brown hair, pale skin and square jaw. His pale hand with long spidery fingers gripped Mia's shoulder while the other held up a bloodied knife. His mouth stretched in an ugly way revealing white teeth with extremely sharp fangs.
"Is this enough?" he asked in hissing tone...
•••
...and then Sirius jolted awake with a scream.
He sat upright in his bed, alone, the sheets slipping from his chest and pooling around his waist. He immediately regretted doing that, bending over in pain.
His chest hurt like he was the one stabbed. His skin was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat and his head pounded with pain.
He lay down on his side and a strangled sob escaped his throat.
It's been a while since he had such a dream.
Last time before Pandora...
He jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom next to his bedroom. He practically hung on the edge of the bathtub, vomiting into it loudly time after time until his stomach was completely empty. His head ached so much that he though he went blind.
Finally- he wasn't sure if it was an hour or just five agonizing minutes- he collapsed back onto his bed. With shaking hand, he covered his mouth feeling hot tears running from the corners of his eyes.
Sirius focused on his emotions in the dream; it was so real he felt like could collapse just from the mere thought that something could happen to her...
"Kitten..." he whispered through his hand felling the same familiarity he felt there.
His chest still ached like his mind didn't register that it was all a horrible vision. That Mia was safe and sound, probably sleeping in her hotel suite.
That they were just acquaintances, not lovers, not even friends.
He sincerely hoped it was just a nightmare.