Joe's Note: It's been a while, hasn't it? I could offer all manner of excuses related to what's gone on in my real life, but that would ring hollow the moment you look at the rest of my account and how active other stories have been. The truth of it is… I didn't forget about this story or anything, my muse just had no interest in working on it. I always promised myself that I wouldn't produce utter crap just for the sake of being able to said I updated, so I spent some time away from Ex Astris Gloria working on other stories. Then my muse decided to rouse itself and… well, here we are. By the way, in addition to getting first looks at chapters? My patrons have near-exclusive access to art of the characters from this, and my back-and-forth with them has influenced how some of the characters have evolved. Just putting that out there.
Dedications & Thanks: To Nicolas, Alexander, Howard, MJ, Daniel, Christopher, mpop, Riley, bloodylord, Luke, Zachary, Marc, Ziryo, Elliot, Crusifikz70, Timothy, Leigh, Jason, Chris, George, Koby, Ken, Thyatira, William, Invernos, Paul, Pat, Warren, Mitch, and Jess for sponsoring me on , and making it easier for me to spend more of my time writing. Additional thanks go to the incomparable LogicalPremise for his amazing set of references covering many untouched facets of the Mass Effect universe, as well as listening to me ramble about ideas for the future of this story.

"If I had known I would be cooking for asari tonight, I would have made… I have no idea. What do you normally eat?"

"Food." The corner of Luciana's mouth quirked upward as she used her fork to spear through a potato, a carrot, and what the elcor in the market had assured Harry was genuine Terran beef despite its slightly off color. Stuffing the entire thing into her mouth with far less decorum than Harry would have expected from someone in her position, the asari chewed and swallowed before elaborating. "Which is to say that we're obligate omnivores, same as humans. While Thessian asari are closer to what you would call pescatarians, those of us from Óasi are considerably more adventurous. That said, we do prefer fattier meats and higher calorie dishes altogether; our bodies burn through fuel very quickly because of our biotics."

Harry nodded as he filed that information away, before looking over at where Epipsychidion was very carefully picking her way around the meat in favor of focusing on the starch and vegetables. "Although evidently your kind has preferences, just like everyone else."

Looking up from her dinner, Epipsychidion looked sheepish. "Hanar are piscivores and so while this one is capable of eating anything, she is more comfortable being a pescatarian. She is capable of digesting meats, but it is significantly more difficult and less efficient for her body."

"I wonder…" Leaning forward, Luna drew her wand from its customary place behind her ear and stared at Epipsychidion's plate. "Any food we conjure is nutritionally null. But we can transfigure food. I wonder… if I transfigured the beef into some kind fish, would the change go deep enough to satisfy Epee's body?"

That… Harry had no clue about. During the search for the horcruxes, they'd transfigured bland but nutritious things into more interesting foods just for a bit of variety, but their underlying nature had ensured the food had actually satisfied them. They'd never tried turning bread into a banana for more potassium, or a potato into a cupcake for a quick boost of sugary energy. "I don't know. Considering she can process meat, it wouldn't really hurt her if it didn't… but that one's up to Epee. It's her stomach."

Epipsychidion looked from Harry to Luna and back several times before turning to Luciana in askance, the older asari shrugging in response. "This one has not gotten to be who and where she is by avoiding risks. Very well. You may attempt to 'transfigure' her dinner."

"Oh! I was too busy asking you about yourself to give you that demonstration before dinner, wasn't I? Transfiguration is the magical art of turning one thing into another. In this case - assuming I do it right - I'm going to completely convert the bits of beef into a piece of an Earth fish called cod. Which should allow your body to digest it easier." Waving her wand, Luna separated out the pieces of meat on Epipsychidion's plate, drawing them back together into something resembling a proper steak before transfiguring them into… evidently Luna was feeling fancy, Harry mused, because she'd skipped straight past 'cod fillet' and gone for one of the grilled and seasoned cod fillets that he'd begun making after their American vacation. While he was curious as to how good it'd taste compared to the real thing, he would leave Epipsychidion to enjoy her- "It's a grilled cod fillet seasoned with a Cajun spice mix and lemon-pepper, and basted with a lemon butter sauce. I have no idea what any of that means but I remember what it looks like and what it tastes like from when Harry's made it, so… bon appétit!"

Epipsychidion prodded the fillet uncertainly with her fork several times before deciding to take a chance on it, breaking off a piece and sticking it into her mouth. Unlike humans, Harry wasn't just treated to wide eyes: the asari's crests pulsed with bursts of red and pink light. "This is… amazing. And you said that Harry could prepare this?" Luna nodded, giggling softly as Epipsychidion promptly shoveled several more forkfuls into her mouth. "If this one was not interested you for your own virtues, she would ponder courting you simply to be in a house where food like this is served."

Harry couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. "Why not 'court' the cook himself? Or is this where you two finally admit that Luciana is here for that reason?"

Shaking her head, Luciana offered a bemused little smile at that. "Tempting as the offer might be, my particular strain of Sylléktries are only allowed one daughter to prevent us from overpopulating the small and incredibly secretive enclave that we all occupy together. Although if you really are that interested in having a daughter with four golden eyes someday, my daughter is midway through her fourth century. The perfect time to settle down and start a family."

"Considering how secretive 'your strain' is, would that really be a good idea?" Finished with his dinner, Harry leaned back in his seat and gestured over to the garish golden cloak that was thrown over the back of his couch. "After poking through Calia's mind, Luna gave me a primer on Sylléktries. You're going to want us so that you can produce magical children to help fight the Reapers when they come. But you hide yourself away from the rest of the Sylléktries; if Aria's to be believed, this trip is the first time her Pelesa has ever seen your face. So for some reason, I'm thinking that you wouldn't want a four-eyed Dahlia Potter out on the front lines fighting with the other troops."

"When the Reapers come, the secrecy around my strain's origins will be irrelevant."

"And between then and now?"

"You raise a valid point. It was an idle comment at any rate; Adelia is current fascinated with one of the two rachni queens living on Óasi." Harry still hadn't managed to figure out what rachni were but resolved to do so as soon as he could; if Luciana was willing to pass up a chance to throw her own daughter at Harry in favor of said daughter mating with one, they were bound to be fascinating. Then Harry discovered that not only was Luciana capable of emulating two-eyed facial expressions, but her arching a brow the way he did was actually kinda cute. "Although I'm curious… Dahlia Potter?"

Harry offered a shrug in return before smiling faintly. "All of the women on my mother's side of my family are named after flowers for something like… five generations back. If I have a daughter, I could see myself continuing that tradition." Leaning toward Luna, he lowered his voice slightly. "According to that journal we found deep in my Gringott's vault, Dahlia is what my mum would have called me if I'd been born a girl."

"So can I call you that next time we use that one potion?"

"…maybe." Doing his best to fight down a blush at the distinctly curious looks on the two asari's faces - evidently they had better hearing than he'd suspected - Harry straightened back up and turned his attention back to Luciana. "So, let's put all our cards on the table here. I know what you want from us. I know why. I know it would be a really easy way to out of our current predicament while helping you out too. And hey, the idea of being the father of a completely new, alien society of magic users… it really appeals to what little ego I do have. But even if I am willing to get over the cultural taboo on polyamory that I grew up with and go along with this? I'm not going to give up my daughter nor am I going to cut her mother out of my life. Which means whoever I end up fathering a child with, I need to at least like her. I won't require love. But we at least need to enjoy each other's company. Which also goes for you." His gaze drifted to the left, catching Epipsychidion with a forkful of food in her mouth. "If it turns out that we can't stand living together, you don't get to do your thing with Luna."

"That's not fair!"

Narrowing his eyes, Harry glanced over at Luna. "First of all, you don't even know her yet. But secondly… even once you do, would you really pick her over me if the two of us didn't get along? Really?" Luna's eyes widened and she peered over at Epipsychidion for a few seconds before meeting Harry's gaze once more and shaking her head. "I'm not saying no asari at all ever. I'm saying that if we're going to be operating as a family, everyone has to like everyone. You'll have veto power over anyone I meet as well. I mean, what if I wanted to bring home someone who you got on with like Hermione and Pansy?" Now if Epipsychidion - or whoever Luna settled down with - and his asari didn't get along… they'd cross that bridge when they got to it. "At least for now. I'm not stupid; I know they're not going to stop at one child, or even one mother. But… I want something resembling a real family in my future. I don't think that's too much to ask for."

Luna nodded as she leaned in to take his face between her hands, pressing a flurry of kisses against his forehead, nose, and lips. "Of course not. As much as I want this and as fun as it sounds, I would never ask you to share a house with… space babe Draco… much less your life. Or worse, Millicent." They both shuddered at that; time had done little to improve the Slytherin's looks, temperament, or personality. After thinking for a few seconds, Luna gently turned his head toward Epipsychidion. "Although you have to admit, seeing faces like that each time you serve her a meal would do wonders for your ego."

True, true. Reaching up, Harry gently pulled Luna's hands away from his face and interlaced their fingers before turning to the subject of their conversation. "I'm not saying you can't stay for now, either, Epee. Well, if you and Luciana do manage to talk me into signing on with the Sylléktries, that is. I'm just asking that if it turns out that you don't like me, or I don't like you, or you and Luna end up not getting along as well outside the bedroom as inside it? Accept that it wasn't meant to be and move on."

"This one finds that to be an acceptable idea." Epipsychidion glanced down at her plate before offering Harry a sheepish look. "If you don't mind, though, this one is here for protection rather than negotiation, and she would prefer to focus on the delicious meal in front of her for the time being."

Harry chuckled and waved dismissively before looking at Luciana, the matriarch placing her fork on her thoroughly cleaned plate and dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "Very well. Theoretically speaking, of course, since we haven't 'talked you into this' yet… what would you want from us in exchange from your services?"

"Decent armor for me, decent armor for Luna, and… do you use the same ship classes as Thessian asari?" Harry waited for Luciana to nod her assent, confusion plain on her face, before grinning wolfishly. "I want a storm cruiser."

As Epipsychidion began choking on her dinner, Luciana's jaw dropped. "Surely you can't be serious."

Bypassing the homophone joke that would likely be ruined by their translators, Harry's grin widened. "Perfectly so. You see, the first thing that Epipsychidion is going to learn from melding with Luna is that I'm prone to doing incredibly stupid things. Heroic things, mind you, but stupid ones. I need a ship. If I'm going to own a ship, I'm going to need a ship that can stand up to my stupidity. And that means a storm cruiser. From what I've seen on the extranet, their crews seem like my kind of people, too. Gryffindors, through and through."

Finally getting over her shock, Luciana leaned back in her own chair and eyed him calculatingly. "Thanks to our superior technology base, we generally build things smaller and more efficiently than our sisters on the homeworld… but you're asking me to put four hundred and fifty meters of battering ram disguised as a ship and a crew of two hundred and seventy-five at your disposal? Are you… what even makes you think that we have a storm cruiser just lying around that I can hand you, even if I was willing to agree to this?"

"You're looking at this the entirely wrong way. Liselle told me that it's possible for outsiders to become Sylléktries. You're not losing a ship, you're simply assigning it to detached duty so that your two newest citizens can see the galaxy for a bit. Then it will come right back to rejoin your fleet." Luciana looked somewhat mollified by that, and Harry decided to dangle one of his remaining carrots in front of her. "Besides, I'm going to need a decent-sized ship if I'm going to bring other witches and wizards back to you."

"Others?"

"My people were backwards and foolish and self-absorbed, but they were resilient. I can't believe that they've died out in the last two centuries or so. And while they're no asari, they're longer lived than baseline humans and have long memories to match." Reaching up, Harry brushed his hair back to reveal the scar that Voldemort had given him so many years ago. "As soon as I start traveling the galaxy, having a bit of fun, maybe stirring up a bit of trouble? My people will recognize this scar. I won't have to hunt down others of my kind, they'll flock to me." Hopefully. It was a bit of rare egotism on his part but… he had been a pretty big deal in the wizarding world before his 'death', if he did say so himself.

Luciana regarded Harry thoughtfully for almost a minute before finally replying. "There's a lot of uncertainty in that. Are your people still extant? Will they want anything to do with you? Will they want anything to do with us? And given your previous demands… unless you take a fancy to an existing storm cruiser's captain, we'll need to build and crew one from scratch for you." What? Why? "It's a warship, not a pleasure yacht. Even you falling for a captain wouldn't solve problems; a stock cruiser's captain's quarters could house you and her but not Luna and Epipsychidion. To say nothing of any children you have."

Rising to his feet, Harry began clearing the table even as Epipsychidion finished the last of her dinner. "Actually, we can do some amazing things with spatial folding and pocket dimensions that would render that problem mostly a non-issue. Remind me to tell you about wizarding tents some time, or maybe show you. Probably best if I show you, to be honest; it's the sort of thing you really need to see to believe. As for the storm cruiser itself? Well, that's the price I'm asking for contributing some truly unique children to your people. At least two but considering that I'd been picturing myself raising three or four someday, I could see myself fathering more even if Luna decided not to. So the question then becomes… if that's my very firm price, do you still want to sell us on becoming Sylléktries?"

Before Luciana could respond, her omni-tool burst to life in a flurry of chirps and glowing windows. Glancing down at it, she frowned faintly. "It's one of my guards. Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about humanocentric terrorists and shadowy information brokers who have their fingers in everything from assassination to slavery?"

"…not really a fan of either, to be honest. Why?"

"Oh, Cerberus and the Shadow Broker both sent delegations to try and recruit you. Originally I was going to let Aria deal with them as she saw fit, but it appears that events have conspired to force me and mine to take a more active role." Luciana tapped at her omni-tool for a few seconds before deactivating it and folding her hands in front of her. "But enough about such things. Might we continue this discussion over dessert?"

Stepping off the shuttle, Macaria winced as something crunched beneath the heel of her thankfully thick-soled boot. Omega. If not for the Broker's deep pockets and odd whims, she could honestly say that she would have gone her entire life without visiting the cesspool. Looking around, she noted the positions of Aria's security forces relative to the human shuttle that was landing a few berths down before gesturing for her companions to follow. A pair of fresh operatives on the tail end of maidenhood, they were hardly Macaria's first choice for companions on an operation but she'd picked them while still under the assumption that she would be running a honeypot. Humans did seem to like the maidens more, after all. Then she'd realized that her orders were simple: keep the Cerberus operatives from interfering in Sylléktrion business. Killing them accomplished that nicely and kept her from being drawn into a drawn-out, three-way seduction competition. "Remember the plan?"

"I ignore everything else going on and force my way past up onto their shuttle. Clean house if there's anyone left, and then start preflight checks." Kasha raised her arm to display an omni-tool already glowing with the controls for the program she'd need to clear any lockouts on the shuttle's control. "And while I'm doing that…"

Deciding they were close enough, Lysa unholstered and expanded her pistol before grinning viciously. "I pick off the tanned one who can't decide on a name. And then lay down additional fire if you haven't pierced Lawson's barriers yet."

Macaria nodded. "I'll take her biotic highness. We take the ship, we get out of here before Aria pitches a fit that we're fighting our battles on her station." Drawing her shotgun, she took a deep breath before generating a warp field in her right hand and striding purposefully toward the shuttle's descending ramp. "Let's do this."

Closing into her shotgun's most effective range, Macaria drew her hand back to hurl her warp at the distinctive, white and black-clad target now standing at the foot of the ramp staring at her… and then a weapon roared off to her left and the world went green.

Already in the act of drawing her Tempest, Miranda Lawson's eyes went wide as the shotgun-wielding asari and her two companions were blasted with a cone of green light and simply… ceased to exist. It took even her enhanced brain a few seconds to process the turn of events and then she followed the blast back to its source: a positively massive asari in purple and gold armor wielding an utterly alien weapon. While normally that was the sort of thing that deserved thanks, doing so on Omega was also admitting weakness. "I could have handled that."

The asari let out a low, rumbling chuckle before trading her larger gun for an equally alien pistol and firing one glowing green shot over Miranda's shoulder. A splash of something hot and wet against the back of her head made Miranda look back, and she winced as she watched Brooks's body - now missing the head and most of the torso - collapse onto the ramp. "Definitely more fun than watching Pelesa and her runt go at it, especially since they weren't going to let me join in. Miranda Lawson."

"I have no idea who you're talking about, my name is-"

"Miranda Lawson." Holstering her pistol, the armored asari closed the distance between them before fisting her hand in Miranda's jumpsuit and lifting her clean off the ground. "My superior wants to speak with you. Therefore, you will be going to speak with her. Would you prefer to walk or be carried?"

Well, if her choices were fighting a Sylléktria with energy weapons and an unknown amount of backup when her own backup had gone and lost her head… or meeting with whoever this woman reported to? "I'll walk." The asari regarded her warily for a few more seconds before lowering her to the deck, and Miranda offered her most charming smile in response. "I must confess that I've wanted to say this to someone ever since I was a little girl… take me to your leader."