Nöel's handler was the one to see the team off to the station. He didn't mind. His own handler was skilled; she had to be if she wanted to be paired with Team Able's leader. But she would not be seeing him for a majority of the next year and he knew she would get sentimental. Her parting words would be messy and tearful, and his impeccable clothing would be ruined. Anastasie's handler was very tense in crowds, suspiciously so. It would be annoying if the station's security were to pull them aside.
He was the one who had suggested the three handlers not go along. To his knowledge, none of his teammates had ever been on such a long engagement before. He decided it would be a good substitute for the biannual proficiency exam, considering some of the possible dangers they might face. Director Branagh had grudgingly given him the okay. Their head of security thought differently. Some of the top Actives in New York and their head of R&D going on such a long term engagement would surely send their clients into frenzy!
He had rolled his eyes at that. As if he hadn't already planned for a situation like this. He came in the next day, or rather a blood clone of himself, with a blood clone for Nöel and Anastasie. Dong Li herself said that her second in command had the correct qualifications to fill in for her at any board meetings. "I'm going to email him everyday to check on his progress. I'm certain he will meet company standards." Her statement was punctuated with a glare that had the older male shriveling.
Still, it would be an interesting vacation for the four of them. He was very thorough in researching the world that his parents came from. British Wizarding society was very different from the small clusters of magical communities in America, and he did not like going into a situation if he didn't have all of the variables accoutned for. Lucas wouldn't tell him much. His memories of England were painful to deal with.
After their luggage was loaded and their goodbyes were said, they boarded the train quickly. Nöel had an arm wrapped around Anastasie's waist, Dong Li walked, her gait very stiff, and he felt for the wand hidden up his sleeve. He had no idea how the magical folk in this country managed with the stupid sticks.
Thankfully traffic had been light and they made it in time to find several empty compartments. They chose a compartment right by the back exit of their car, an area mainly occupied by Slytherins. He, being the last one, waved his hand to shut the door. Anastasie made sure no one was lurking outside before she plopped next to her boyfriend.
Dong Li was the first to speak up. Her voice was quieter, higher pitched, but still retained its sharp quality. "It still feels strange to be a child again." She shook her head. "When I was eleven, I was working on my dissertation."
Nöel chuckled. "And now you're attending a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Imagine what your professors would say. I mean, the first time I was eleven, I was wreaking havoc on the Sûreté." He sat up a little straighter when he asked his captain a question. "So Harry… does it feel strange to be in England again?"
Harry shrugged. "Most of my early memories were wiped when I came to New York. As far as I'm concerned, the only personal ties I have to the United Kingdom are my mother and father." He shrugged. "It's a small price to pay for being a child prodigy. That and the sociopathic tendencies." The compartment was very quiet afterwards.
Anastasie had already fallen asleep, leaning against the taller French boy next to her. Harry wasn't surprised. She had gotten back from an engagement in D.C. an hour before they were leaving for England. Price for being New York City's most requested Active, he thought to himself.
He gave a small yawn that he failed to hide from the woman (girl, he corrected) next to him. Dong Li rested her hand on his thigh. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you up when we arrive." Harry was about to refuse when Nöel interrupted. "Dong Li and I can take turns with watch duty." He gave a thin smile. "We need our captain well rested."
Harry sighed. He didn't like it when he wasn't on the rotation, but he conceded. He had a nagging feeling that he wouldn't be getting any peace at Hogwarts. He might have been a magic prodigy, but he still needed his nightly doses of rest.
Dong Li was only certain Harry had fallen asleep when she could the slow eye movement associated with the first stage of NREM sleep. She cursed when her hands started to shake, the tremors uncontrollable. They died down just as she had found the container of L-Dopa in her purse.
"Parkinson's is a bitch, isn't it?" She scowled her agreement, but was just thankful it wasn't worse. "Don't worry. You finally have an opportunity to kill the bastard who cursed you." Nöel said darkly. Her sour expression was directed at her teammate, albeit a softer one.
"I understand that you care for me and don't like seeing me in pain. However, this engagement holds a higher precedence than my revenge." The French boy rolled his eyes.
"You're such a stickler for the rules! What's so bad about reversing that curse? Once that curse is lifted and you have control over your whole body again, you can work more efficiently, benefitting yourself, the rest of the team, and the entire department of research and development."
"Must I explain this to you again? The Manhattan Dollhouse branch was created to help Rossum secure its place in the world market; hence its location in the financial district. Even though I didn't intend for any of my… personal research to be selfless, it has benefitted our parent corporation tremendously. No one would ever accuse the world's top manufacturer of MRI imaging equipment of human trafficking. So really, my curse has benefitted this entire operation more than most people can imagine. Don't forget why Salvatores sponsors this team specifically." Dong Li's finger combed through Harry's messy black locks while she drawled, a slight Hong Kong accent becoming apparent. She brushed the bangs to cover his scar. Anyone could be peeking after all. Nöel sighed.
"Might as well crack these textbooks open and start reviewing."