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Chapter 15
"Demona's son?" Angela said slowly. "I have a brother?"
The Gargoyles had gathered together when Xanatos explained he'd had a visit from Demona. He'd just finished his explanation, ending with what Demona had said about how there would be three other gargoyles at this proposed meeting rather than two.
"According to Demona," Xanatos explained.
"While I'll admit, this is an...unexpected development, I'm more concerned with the fact Demona is friendly enough with another clan that they'd trust her to arrange a meeting with their second," Goliath rumbled in thought. Have you had any luck figuring out where she traveled to?" he asked, knowing that Xanatos was suspicious enough to try and figure out the redheaded gargoyle's motivations.
Xanatos grinned. The billionaire knew he'd never told Goliath, or any of the clan, he'd tried to figure out where Demona had disappeared to. Goliath may be muscular and honor-bound, but he did have some intelligence, even if he still had trouble with more modern concepts at times. But more importantly, Goliath knew how to figure out both people and gargoyles. He may not be perfect at reading others, but he usually had rather good ideas.
It was a slight ego boost for the billionaire to know he'd still managed to slip things by the larger being, especially in those moments where Goliath did figure him out or stop him.
It was one reason the cunning businessman had enjoyed, and still enjoyed if he was honest, squaring off against the gargoyle. Really, Goliath was the only one that had been able to challenge him before he and Demona parted ways, and before he had created Thailog. But he couldn't enjoy dealing with the other two. Demona was...dangerous was putting it lightly. And Thailog...well, the less said about the clone the better. His creation was perhaps the biggest mistake Xanatos had ever made.
"I'm afraid she covered her tracks rather well," Xanatos explained. "I couldn't find any trace of where she'd gone. I didn't even know she'd come back until she showed up in the lobby," he admitted.
"She said we'd had interactions with this other clan, didn't she lad?" Hudson asked, holding his chin in thought.
"Yes," the businessman confirmed, raising an eyebrow.
The elderly gargoyle pondered this. "The only two clans I can think of that are big enough to make this offer, from what you've told me Goliath, are in Japan and England," he said after a moment, not revealing specific locations due to due his distrust of Xanatos. "And of the two, only the English clan has had interactions with us here in Manhattan as well. I could be wrong, but assuming this isn't a trick of Demona's, my guess is that our visitor is from the English clan."
"They're certainly large enough to make the offer," Goliath mused. He thought back to his brief stay at Knights Spur when he ,Elisa, Angela, and Bronx where in London on their trip home from Avalon. He couldn't remember the clan's second, but he did remember something else Una had talked to him about. "In fact they restrict mates to two mating flights rather than three so they don't overpopulate their home. If they gave us some eggs..."
"...then they could permit a third flight on the next breeders moon," Hudson finished his former second's thoughts. "Maybe even the one after, depending on how many eggs they give us."
"The Japanese don't have that problem," Goliath agreed.
"Do you think the offer is real?" Angela asked. "I mean...Una was rather hostile to us at first, but I can't see her agreeing with Mother's ideals."
"No, Una wouldn't agree with Demona," Goliath agreed. "But Demona claimed that her views had changed when we last saw her. If that were true, perhaps Una would get alone with her."
"Or if Demona was acting like her views had changed," Brooklyn pointed out.
Goliath nodded his head in acknowledgment, and agreement, of his seconds statement. "I think the offer is real," the large gargoyle said after a moment. "This is a serious offer for any clan. And as much as Demona may dislike me, she does care for gargoyle kind in her own way. I do not think she would lie about something as serious as this offer." He looked over at the billionaire. "Arrange the meeting...please," he added, obviously still not use to allying with the man.
Xanatos' grin merely widened. "Of course."
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Walking into his office after meeting with the clan, Xanatos looked at his niece as she stood in front of the large monitor in his office, which still showed the clan talking with each other in the courtyard.
"There are gargoyles living here, real gargoyles." She snorted and shook her head. "The books I read at school say they're rare, almost extinct, and you have six living here."
"They are almost extinct," her uncle explained. "From what I understand, their numbers have dropped radically from what they were in the dark ages. And almost all live in hiding. Even now, with the clan public knowledge in the city, they're reclusive. Probably because they get reactions like the Quarrymen. The only reason they're here with me is because they were given little choice, and we have past history."
"You'll have to tell me sometime."
Xanatos grinned. "Only when you tell me you're girlfriends name."
Hermione's eyes widened as she turned to her uncle.
"What can I say, I'm observant," he said with a grin.
Hermione blushed lightly. "You're not going to tell Mom and Dad are you?"
Xanatos smiled sadly at his niece. "No...I'm not going to out you. Though I will say Fox and Owen know already, but Owen is...unique, and Fox is, well, lets just say that the fact I'm a man held no sway over her being attracted to me." He walked over and put a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. "But I do want you to know that if my sister and her husband don't approve when they find out, you can always call me. I promise you, as long as Fox and I are alive, and probably Alex as well, you'll have a home here."
Hermione smiled and hugged him affectionately. "Thanks Uncle David, that means a lot to me."
"No problem kiddo." Pulling out of the hug he said, "Though since we're not going to discuss you're girlfriend, perhaps we could discuss what it's like to be a witch? Who knows, maybe you can give some ideas on how to deal with Alex's magic." He ran a hand over his face. "Lord knows I'd be lost at times without Owen to reverse what Alex does."
Hermione grinned at her uncle's distress. "Or we could discuss how hot my aunt is instead," Hermione said, in an attempt to tease her uncle. "Especially since you said she's bi."
"I said no such thing," he said in amusement.
"You implied it."
Xanatos chuckled. "You're definitely related to me, but we're not going to discuss what my niece wants to do with my wife."
"What does Hermione want to do with me?" Fox asked, startling both her husband and his niece, from the doorway.
Uncle and Niece looked at each other before looking back at the redhead. "Nothing," they said together.
Fox sighed. "Shame, I guess that strap-on I bought is going to go to waste after-all." At the stunned look that graced the other two's faces, Fox grinned. "You two are both too easy to tease. Now hurry up and get to bed. "You have that conference call first thing in the morning," she reminded her husband. Looking at her niece by marriage she added, and you have some steamy dreams to get to if you ever want to touch me," she grinned.
Walking away, Fox chuckled at the blush left on Hermione's cheeks.
Maybe if she were fifteen years younger and not married to David, she'd make the young woman's fantasies come true. As it was, she was more than satisfied with David, and even if she wasn't, she didn't go after jail-bait.
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Macbeth sat in his private study of his London Townhouse.
He still didn't know how to begin the letter he intended to write.
As James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were two of his best friends. He would have died for both them...hell, until Peter betrayed them, he would have died for him as well. As Macbeth, he still considered them two of the greatest friends he ever had in his long lifetime. And while he admitted disappoint in them due to how they reacted to his 'death' and Harry's 'orphaning', and lord knew he planned on having words with them about that, he not only wanted to reconnect with them, but he wanted their help.
Still, how do you write a letter to two friends that until recently, assuming Dumbledore actually told them the truth about his meeting with he and Demona, thought you were dead.
"Haven't you finished those letters yet?"
The old king looked up to see Arthur standing in the doorway. The other king, along with Sir Griff (who was currently in stone sleep), were staying with Macbeth for the time-being. This was both because they had agreed to help him deal with the wizarding world, and (as Arthur admitted to Macbeth) because the other king enjoyed having someone to talk to when he was awake during the day.
Macbeth grinned at the legendary king as said, "I've got one done, the one to the head of the DMLE, but I'm having trouble finding the words to even begin the letter to my old friends."
"Would you like my advice?" At the Scotsman's nod, Arthur suggested, "Don't try to explain yourself in the letter. Simply offer them proof you are their recently deceased friend, and request the meeting. You can deal with the explanations and personal details once you meet." He grinned lightly, "Probably after a punch or two has been thrown."
Macbeth chuckled. "Probably," Macbeth agreed. Picking up his pen, he said, "Thank you," to the other man.
Arthur waved him off. "I'll be in the sitting room with a book, after I order dinner. You have any preference?"
"Not really. The great thing about living so long is that I've tasted much of the worlds cuisine."
"Well I haven't," Arthur said. "I think I'll order from the Indian place Staghart suggested. I haven't tried Indian food before."
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Angela landed on a rooftop, and turned to scan the sky behind her.
Confident she hadn't been followed, meaning she had managed to sneak away successfully, Angela thought for a moment. She had never visited her mother's home, but thanks to being a successful business woman in her identity of Dominique Destine, her address was easy to find, at least with Xanatos' resources. And she had found the address out a while ago, even if she hadn't acted on the information before.
But now she had a brother, a real biological brother. And Angela wanted to meet him, preferably before the meeting with the rest of the clan.
Only the dragon knew how Brooklyn would react to him. Angela didn't want their first meeting to involve her having to dived her attention between her brother, and keeping Brooklyn from making as ass of himself.
She liked the beaked male, but his hot-hotheadedness was one of several reasons she had chosen Broadway over him.
The trick was to find Demona's house when she hadn't actually been there. Recognizing where she was, Angela reached into the pouch she kept on her belt, and pulled out the map she'd printed off several months ago with directions to Demona's home.
She was pleased to realize that she was actually closer to Demona's home than the castle was. The lavender gargess' had certainly chosen the right direction to sneak away in.
Noting the landmarks and other details she would be able to identify from the air to guide her, Angela put he map back in her pouch, before jumping off the rooftop.
As she glided in the direction of her mother's home, Angela couldn't help but wonder what her brother would be like...and who his father was.
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Harry was sparring with his mother.
Demona was insistent that Harry know how to defend himself in human and gargoyle form, both with and without his wand and new mace.
Of course, first he had to learn to use the mace she had gifted him with for his birthday. As it was, Harry was barely keeping up with his mother. He was exhausted, sweating, and sore.
His mother wasn't even breathing hard.
Demona had centuries of combat experience under her belt, and her own favorite weapon was the mace. So in it's use, she was a master. She knew that Harry didn't stand a chance against her if she went full out on him, not yet anyway. As it was, the red-haired gargoyle was working just above her son's level. This was so that sh challenged him, without utterly crushing him.
And since Harry was just starting to earn the mace, Demona outclassed him easily.
Still, Demona had to acknowledge that Harry had advanced rapidly from that first combat lesson she'd seen between her son and Macbeth. And at least he was incorporating his talons and and tail in combat while using the mace.
Constance was inside the manor reading. Or at least that's what she'd said she'd be doing while the mother and son spared in the lawn, underneath a few wards Demona had put up to prevent an humans from noticing them of course.
"Pull your wings back as you step back," Demona instructed, even as she hit Harry with the foam kiddie bat she was using to prevent herself from hurting Harry by accident, even as he used the actual mace. She could tell Harry was exhausted, but she still remembered being exhausted in the battles she fought with Macbeth, yet she still had to fight.
Harry needed to learn to work through that exhaustion, just as she did. It might not be of much use in a skirmish, but it could still be the difference between life and death for her son one day.
As she stepped back however, Demona noticed something. Before Harry could attempt to attack her she ordered, "Hold!"
Harry stopped his movement with a sigh of relief.
The gargess looked up, confirming what she had spotted from the corner of her eye. Another gargoyle was flying towards the manor. They were too far off to identify.
Demona was thankful she had reconfigured her manor's security system to ignore gargoyles. The last thing she wanted to do was inflame the hostilities between her and the clan again, and an accidental injury or death due to her security system would do just that.
After a few moments she was able t identify the gargoyle by the way she glided. Angela was, while not as good as Demona, or even Harry at this point, the smoothest glider in the clan aside from Lexington (whose fixed wing-style gave him an advantage over the back wing gliders). As the figure's wings were clearly back-wings, this gargoyle could only be her daughter.
"Looks like you're going to meet your sister sooner then expected," Demona informed her son.
"Huh?"
Demona pointed towards the gargoyle gliding towards the manor, and was pleased when Harry followed her gesture with his gaze.
"Wow," he said. "You know, I'm still amazed at how good our vision is at night. I would never see her if I was human now."
Demona grinned. "We are creatures of the night Harry," she pointed out. "There's a reason the lighting inside the manor is so low."
"It still amazes me."
Chuckling lightly, Demona instructed, as she handed over her bat, "Go put your mace and the bat away, then go tell Constance we have a guest."
Harry hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is it really Angela?"
Demona smiled sadly at Harry. She realized that he wanted family more than anything. Being raised by the Dursley's and treated so horribly by his 'relatives' had caused him to latch onto her and Macbeth easily. It didn't help matters that gargoyles were naturally social creatures, and unlike other gargoyles, he had no rookery siblings.
And while Demona admitted that being around Harry had helped her even, despite her lone attitude she still yearned for clan, she was his mother. Constance helped, but Harry needed a rookery sibling. She was sure Harry recognized Hermione as a rookery sibling, even unconsciously, but the more connection he could build the better in her opinion.
It didn't hurt that she wanted to see her two children to be close.
"I can't think of anyone else it could be," she confirmed. With a sigh she said, "I need to talk with her anyway, explain some things. But I promise you, before she leaves, I'll introduce you."
Harry smiled, and turned to walk into the manor.
Several moments later, her daughter landed on the grass in front of her.
The two females looked at each other in silence for a moment, before Demona broke the silence. "It's good to see you Daughter," she said softly.
"You don't mind that I'm visiting?" Angela asked tentatively.
The redhead smiled. "I would never be mad that visited me Angela," she assured. "In fact I wish I could see you more, especially since there is so much I need to make up for."
"Mother?"
Demona's smile dimmed. "Soon, you and I need to have a private talk. There...there are things you deserve to know. But that can wait." She took a breath and asked, "I assume you heard about your brother?
"Yes." The darker haired gargess shifted nervously. "I was hoping you'd let me meet him."
"I wanted you to meet him," Demona assured her daughter. "And he wants to meet you."
"Really?"
"Really."
Angela took a breath and asked, "What's his name?"
"Harry." Demona gestured towards the manor, "He and Constance are inside...They're courting," she added.
"Constance is the London Clan's Second?"
Demona gave her daughter an appraising look. "How did you figure out she was part of the London clan?"
"Hudson did," Angela explained. "It was the only clan we've encountered that's well enough off, but restricted enough, to make the offer."
"Constance is indeed the London Clan's Second. I think her and Harry will be good together, should they proceed to becoming mates." She turned and began to walk towards the manor. She only paused to look back at her daughter and ask, "Are you coming?"
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Harry watched from his spot beside Constance as his mother and sister stepped through the door to the sitting room.
His first impression of Angela was that, aside from her lavender coloring, dark hair, brown eyes, and smaller brow-ridge, she resembled their mother a fair bit
Angela thought much the same thing when she laid eyes on her brother. With his coloring, outside of his darker hair, she couldn't help put see a male version of their mother physically.
Demona broke the brief silence by saying introducing the non-blood related gargoyle. "Angela, this is Constance, the London Clan's Second."
Angela looked away from her brother to the other gargoyle. She remembered seeing the other female when in London, though they hadn't actually interacted. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said politely.
"You as well," Constance said with a smile.
"Are you really going to offer our clan some eggs?" the Avalon born gargoyle asked.
"No," Constance said. "I'm just going to assess your clan. It's Una who will make the final decision, after I report back to her."
"Oh," Angela said, a little sadly.
Constance smiled in reassurance. "If the rest of the clan is as polite as you are, it'll look good when I report to Una."
Angela smiled at the other gargess for the reassurance.
Angela," Demona said, drawing her daughters attention. "This is Harry...you're brother."
Harry smiled nervously and said, "Hi."
"Hi," Angela greeted in return.
Demona grinned lightly at her children's nervousness. "Constance, why don't we go over the plan for tomorrows meeting, and leave Angela and Harry to get to know one another?"
"Sure," the English gargess agreed, before following the redhead out of the room, leaving the two siblings alone.
"Mom said you grew up on Avalon," Harry said breaking the silence.
"I did," Angela confirmed. "Along with my rookery siblings."
"What was that like?"
Angela smiled and began talking about her childhood on the mystical isle.
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Sorry about the wait. I hope you enjoyed however. The next chapter will have some more Harry/Angela bonding, and maybe the meeting with the clan.
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