Queenie looked at the piece of paper and the building number. As promised, she burned the parchment and went inside. In the stairwell, the sounds of residents and her footsteps were heard. I wonder how Non-Majs lives ... She stood before number 12 and knocked an agreed password.
- Thank God!
A woman fell on her, a few years older than her. Her hair lighter than her own were tangled and dirty from dust. She pulled out her wand instantly, but Queenie raised her hands.
- I'm Tina Goldstein's sister.
- T-tina's?
- Mr. Graves is her boss. He asked me to come to you.
- Oh ... Do you know where he is now?
- Teenie said hr was looking for someone else.
The woman dropped her hand and let the guest in. Instinctively, she took her coat from her, hanging it in the hallway. Queenie heard her every thought, but, in Tina's words, she refrained from commenting.
„Percy … where are you? What will happen to us if something happens to him? How stupid I was. We've lost so much time. I lost him … „
- I'm Queenie.
- Agatha.
- A beautiful flat.
- Thank you. Actually, this is my sister Myra's apartment. I do not know why I'm saying this ... I'm sorry, I'm a bit nervous.
Agatha looked back at the empty corridor. If she had not promised her husband, she would have been there for a long time. She wanted to keep her word. Her thoughts were interrupted by the guest and her delicate voice.
- Honey. You look terribly tired. Maybe you will take a bath and I will make tea and something to eat?
Queenie picked up the paper bag she'd brought and settled in the kitchen. At first, Agatha wanted to beg smiling blonde girl to get out of the house, but on the other hand she could not stand this emptiness and silence, waiting for the smallest sign of life from her husband. She caught the chair, feeling dizzy. Queenie was right next to her, leading her to the couch. She put the woman down, putting the pillows under her feet.
"Child ... oh no ... I can not lose them both ..."
Queenie barely refrained from loud sighs. She had to calm down Mrs. Graves as soon as possible. If she was expecting a child, the events of today would seriously damage her health. And they could harm the baby.
She scanned the contents of the cupboard, finding everything she needed. She brewed a herbal decoction and evaluated it by smell. It came out quite strong, but not enough to threaten pregnancy. Despite the weak protest, she persuaded the woman to drink everything. It did not take a few minutes, and Agatha slept deeply. Her pretty face looked calm. Wrinkles on the forehead and between the eyebrows have smoothed out. No wonder Graves fell in love with her. Listening to her thoughts, Queenie saw in the imagination a brave woman, ready for anything but to lose her beloved. She blamed herself constantly for leaving, and how badly she treated him.
Tina's sister sighed when she saw such devotion. She did not dream about anything else but her to have such love. She dreamt about the family she longed for since they were alone with Tina.
She returned to the kitchen and began to cook dinner. Agatha will sleep for two hours. She wondered how the Aurors were dealing with current events. Especially her sister. She was so scared when she heard about the attack. Then the prisoners began to run down and she was given the task of checking each one and finding them in the register of visitors. But to everyone's surprise and horror at the same time, each of them was a citizen of America. Most were pureblood wizards. An ideal profile of followers of a fanatic like Grindelwald.
Trying to light up thoughts and forget about the sorcerer, Queenie took charge of the cleanup, silently turning on the radio standing on the kitchen window. The flat was a bit grim, but spacious. Three bedrooms, a living room and two bathrooms. Together with his sister they could have dreamed about such a place, but on the other hand their own corner was not a bowel. And it was much more joyful.
Everything shone when there was a commotion from the living room. Queenie came running to see Agatha kneel over the broken mug and cry.
No longer thinking, Tina's sister knelt beside her and hugged her tightly. She whispered the soothing words and swayed her gently.
- Eat something, I'll prepare a bath for you.
- O-okay.
But when Queenie came back from the bathroom, Mrs. Graves was sitting over a full plate with empty eyes.
- What happened honey? You don't like it?
- I'm sorry, Queenie. Just…
- You're worried about Mr. Graves. I know. But he is worried about you even more. What will I tell him when he returns and finds you unconscious? I know you've gone through a lot today. You should take care of yourself even more.
- You're right ... Tears will not work.
Agatha rose, wiping her face. She stepped through the living room into the corridor. She took her coat. The clock somewhere in the apartment hit 11 in the evening. Percy left 6 hours ago. God knows what kind of alley he was lying in, bleeding out. She had to find him. Queenie stood in her way.
- Oh no, no, no. I am not allowed to let you out.
- Excuse me, Queenie, but I have to ...
A characteristic knocking followed the corridor. Both women jumped. At last Queenie, with her wand ready, stood at the door, ready to defend Agatha behind her. However, when door opened, she moved away quickly, letting in Graves, who took his wife in his arms and kissed her deeply.
Agatha stood for a moment unsure whether what she could see and feel was true.
- Percy?
- Yes darling. I love you so much...
„I'm at home. Finally at home. I love you ... I love you over my life, my miracle."
Queenie smiled at Auror's thoughts in her head. But after a while, silence fell. She tried not to listen to the voices in her head or those outside. She took advantage of the earlier proposal and went to the guest room.
Percival watched as Agatha bustled around, reheating the food her new friend had prepared. In the end, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He kissed every ankle on her knuckles, resting his weary head against her stomach. She began to stroke him on the head, dragging her fingers around the place where there was a thin scar, a souvenir after today. She knelt beside him and began to unbutton his waistcoat and shirt. Already at the first piece of clothing, she could see the graphite material turned almost black. On the shirt the stain reached the buttons. He shuddered when she touched the bandages. She pulled him to his feet and led him to the master bedroom. He did not protest.
She put him on the bed, pulling off his shoes and socks. Gently, she pushed him on the mattress and cut the bandages.
- Volnero Sutur.
The edges of the wound came together and sewn together with a shiny, thin, hair-like thread. She should have used it right away. How could she expose him ... A few hot tears fell on the man's stomach, ripping him from temporary dullness. He wanted to get up, but she would not let him.
- Agatha.
- Please, lie down. You need to rest.
- You too.
The woman smiled faintly and went to the bathroom adjoining the bedroom. She took a copper basin from the cupboard under the window and filled it with warm water, adding grated soap chips. She put a small towel inside and stirred it energetically to create foam. She returned to the room, sure that Percival had fallen asleep at that time, but none of these things. He lay there staring at the canopy above himself. Empty look in his eyes. She knew that look. A look of man who lost his colleagues. She made the decision that she must convince him to talk, or he would shut himself again. And he will suffocate from everything. She sat down next to him, grabbing a cloth and washing the battered body of her husband.
- Everyone came back?
- Two novices have disappeared. I just hope they just ran away and they did not come back in shame. There were no signs of a fight. We were looking for 3 hours. In the morning we will start again.
- You should rest for a few days. Sorrow can replace you, it is his responsibility.
- The president requires my presence.
Agatha unbuttoned his suit trousers, which were suitable for being thrown away, but Graves caught her hands.
- I can make it to the bathtub. And undress myself.
- You can not wet the bandages.
In fact, he did not have the strength to argue with her. He was so tired that the only thing he dreamed about was a sleep. A long sleep. He felt strangely calm giving up completely. As if for a few moments, feeling the affectionate touch of his wife, he found peace. He fought his whole life. Always alert and ready for action. Maybe it's time to give up. Though for a moment.
His eyelids became heavier and heavier. He shivered with cold. In the end, however, the heat began to spill over his body as if he was immersed in a warm bath. Agatha's voice was so far away.
- Percy? Percy!
A strong slap on his cheek woke him for a moment. He looked surprised at the woman bending over him. There was horror in her eyes.
- I thought ... sorry. I panicked. You're so pale and your lips almost blue… You look like…
- You are so beautiful - Percival forced himself to raise his hand and remove the tangled hair from her face. Agatha smiled, calmed down. She saw him confused and probably raving, but it did not bother her. He lost too much blood, his head was probably light.
- I need to tell you something Percy ...
-Yes?
- I ... I mean, I ... I'm pregnant Percy.
For a moment he thought he had heard wrong. He was surprised by the fear in her eyes. As if she did something bad. The thought hit him and in the next second gave him vigor. He sat up awkwardly, swaying. Agatha tried to calm him down, but he knelt in front of her, lifting up the shirt she was wearing. Her usually flat stomach, now slightly rounded up and bigger. It was slightly hard to touch. Tense. On the right he noticed a bruise that spilled over her hip. Anger boiled in him. He wanted to kill whoever did it. He stood up, unbuttoning her shirt. He pulled her clothes off his wife's arms and began to look through her new "acquisitions." She had another furious burgundy bruise on her shoulder and collarbone. One of them had the shape of an irregular star, after the hex.
Percival took Agatha's face and kissed her. The thought of being a father grew slowly in him. The events of the day before were just coming to him. But he found the strength to overcome fatigue and take his wife to a bath. The water was still warm.
- You will tighten the stitching.
- You will have someone to mother.
The woman, after all, smiled, letting herself be undressed. It was a strange experience. As if the time of separation never existed. Percival looked at the slim figure of his wife for a moment, unable to marvel at the fact that his child was growing up in this small protrusion.
He offered her a hand, to carefully enter the bathtub.
- Percy. I can handle it. Go to bed.
- You can slip.
- Put a second towel. Please.
He did as she asked, to her surprise. He was the one who put everything on his own and controlled everything like during work. That was one of the reasons for her leaving. They often clashed with each other. Agatha, however, came to the conclusion that it was high time to compromise. Percival left the door ajar. „Just in case".
The woman took the sponge and began to scrub. She wanted to leave as soon as possible. She bathed herself expressly. Less than a quarter of an hour was a record for her. When she left, she actually slipped, but she caught the edge of the tub. She was so tired.
Entering the bedroom she smelled the scent of a casserole. Her stomach twitched. Percival sat patiently in a chair by her dresser, not wanting to lie down before she came back, to stay awake. Seeing through her long nightgown the outline of her body, he swallowed saliva loudly. He had no idea he would miss her so much. And that he will discover it only when she came back. Fatigue, however, took over, for which he was grateful. He did not want to hurt her and the child.
Agatha sat down on the bed, covering her feet with a fluffy quilt. It was getting colder in the evenings. She took a plate from the bedside table and began to consume food. She looked at her husband, admiring how he could look so dazzlingly good, even though he was a hematoma. Almost all his back was covered with a purple bruise, which overlapped the previously worn shoulder.
- Will you come to me?
He nodded, rising slowly. She could swear that his knees were creaking. The mattress next to her buckled when he lay down gingerly. He came close to her, placing his heavy head on her shoulder, pressing his face to her chest. He kissed her gently through the fabric. Agatha bit her lip. She was thirsty for his touch and mouth.
She looked at his face, which made a strange expression. Slight smile. He carefully placed his arm down her abdomen, his hand embracing his protruding part.
She did not even notice when he fell asleep. He just let out a satisfied sigh and immediately floated away. She set the empty plate down and lay down a little lower. She put her arm around his shoulders and put her head to her black hair. In the background, the bell began to ring. Midnight…