Lil ficlet I keep coming back to. AU of the Accidental Vessel - what if Angrboða, the kids' mother, hadn't died? Mostly I think this came about because of lingering guilt over the fact that I'd killed her offscreen, in a sense, to avoid having to deal with why she'd never appeared/been alluded to before.
Don't kill the ladies off for manpain, guys. I keep feeling like that's what I did.
For the purposes of the story, assume Angrboða knows about the whole Gabriel thing. I know how it would have played out but that is another very dramatic story I'm saving for later.
The note had been mysterious and vague, but signed with a familiar signature. Gabriel would have gone just to figure out what the note-sender meant, but the signature meant he went down to Hogsmeade as specified just to figure out how on Earth she'd gotten to Hogsmeade in the first place.
"Surprise," said a voice behind him, and Gabriel whirled around.
"Angie!" He couldn't help it - he hugged her as hard as he could. "What are you - you look like you're fifteen!"
"I could say the same to you," Angrboða said, from over his head. She pushed at Gabriel's shoulders, and he reluctantly let go. "What have you been doing?"
"New vessel," Gabriel said. "Long story. How did you-"
"I'll tell you later," she said. She looked almost exactly his vessel's current age, hair braided up in a style he hadn't seen her wear since just after they'd married. Her dress was several decades out of date, and wouldn't have looked out of place in a movie adaption of the Great Gatsby, but it suited her, which Gabriel thought was the important thing. He had seen her wear that recently. She was very attached to the flapper era.
"You look nice." She might have actually been around his height. Was he taller, or was she shorter?
"Thank you. This dress's a newer fashion than those robes," she commented teasingly, linking her hand with his. "Why don't you tell me what I'm going into on the way up to this dance?"
"At the end of tonight," Gabriel said, walking with her back up the path to the castle, "you're going to tell me how you knew this was going on."
"You'll find out eventually," Angrboða said, with a smile. "I can promise that."
"Aw, no fair."
"You're the one who always said a challenge makes things interesting."
Gabriel pouted, but he was too thrilled to have her there to put any heart into it. "Will you pinky-promise to tell me?"
Angrboða rolled her eyes and tugged at his hand. "We're going to be late to this dance of yours."
"That's not an answer."
"I didn't mean for it to be." She smiled slyly over her shoulder. "Are we dancing tonight, or not?"
The two of them got a lot of curious looks.
"I feel a bit out of place," Angrboða murmured in Gabriel's ear, staring back at a pair of Gryffindor girls who hastily looked away.
"Perish the thought," Gabriel said, as theatrically as possible without being too loud. "Besides, there are three school's worth of students, ish. Everyone will assume you're from somewhere else."
Hermione, up at the front of the line, kept darting looks at him. Gabriel waved at her the next time she glanced over her shoulder.
"Friend of yours?" Angrboða asked.
"Yeah, she's nice. A little intense about some things."
The doors swung open. Angrboða looped her arm around Gabriel's, and they followed the other pairs of champions in.
The hall was decorated like a fairytale castle of ice. Gabriel could tell Angrboða loved it even without looking at her. The floor itself was smooth and white, but magically not at all slippery.
When the band struck up the tune, it was almost too good to be true. They both stared for a moment, before remembering to begin dancing.
"Is this a wizard song, too?" Angrboða asked. Her hand at Gabriel's shoulder was almost distracting, he hadn't seen her in so long. Too long. Never again, he thought firmly.
"It must be," he answered aloud.
"Wonders never cease." Their feet moved in an easy, memorized pattern. It had been ages since he'd heard this song. It felt like an equally long time since he'd danced with her.
Gabriel lifted Angrboða more easily than he usually did at the crescendo of music, sliding into a proper waltz. "When was the last time we danced to this?"
"Mm," Angrboða said, "1820?"
"No, it had to be later than that," Gabriel laughed. "Eighteen twenty? Regency England - well, maybe."
Angrboða shrugged. Her skirt spun out as they twirled, and Gabriel tightened his hand on her waist in preparation for some of the more twirl-y moves. There was a lot of lifting-and-spinning for this song.
Angrboða's hair flew out each time they spun, settling into a haphazard pile of curls dripping over her shoulder. Gabriel could almost imagine they were back in some grand ballroom, some court or fancy affair they weren't technically invited to.
"You look lost in your thoughts," Angrboða said.
"I'm admiring the view," Gabriel said, truthfully, and it was worth it to see her eyes crinkle up in a smile.
Gabriel's foot was very nearly stepped on during the next turn. He avoided it neatly, both hands going to Angrboða's waist in preparation. They were probably the best dancers there, not to be rude to any students. It was just that his wife happened to like dancing a lot.
Her eyes were sparkling now, enjoying a blast from the past in such an unfamiliar place. The Durmstrang students wore heavy capes that swirled out like her skirt and made Gabriel wish he was in more familiar clothing. Capes would have been great.
The finale ramped up both the volume and the pace. Gabriel didn't miss a step, though Angrboða still managed to make him look a step behind. She was wearing a bracelet that jangled with every movement. Gabriel was pleased to recognize it as one he'd bought her. The students around them barely warranted his attention.
They slowed dramatically for the last crescendo before throwing themselves back into a flurry of movement, and Gabriel was glad that he remembered every bit of the dance, even with the time that had passed and the complicated, constantly changing pace. He'd hate to look like a fool in front of her.
He'd missed this, honestly. Angrboða mostly, but this, too.
He was occupied with the smile on Angrboða's face, the final few notes, the slow pace to the trumpet blare that didn't last nearly long enough before it faded into crystalline piano notes.
They stayed in position for a heartbeat after the song ended, until the very last note died out.
"We should sit down," Angrboða said.
"We'll have to share a table with other people," Gabriel reminded her.
"Suddenly I'm not hungry. Let's go outside."
They made their way through the crowd as the band struck up a lighthearted reel, less heavy on the trumpets than the last had been. It was easy enough to sneak past groups of excited students, especially when most of them at this point had been lured to the dance floor. The gardens were deserted, some bugs buzzing around, a few birds calling to each other from hidden spots in trees, but no students.
There was something like a small maze, near the center. Gabriel gestured, and the entrance filled itself in with more hedge so that it became a wall.
"You said you were low on power." Angrboða affectionately slapped his shoulder.
"I have enough for that," Gabriel lied. He twisted his hand into Angrboða's, both of them very much in the other's space. "Besides, we came out here for privacy, didn't we?"
Angrboða's mouth was curved into a small smile. "We did," she said, and kissed him.
It was nice, Gabriel reflected, actually being the same height as her. No more tiptoe kisses. He brought his free hand up to cup her face, bending backwards slightly under Angrboða's eagerness.
"You owe me a lot of those," Angrboða whispered against his lips when they'd finished.
"Gladly," Gabriel said, and then (because he could) pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"What was that for?"
"I couldn't resist, you're so much shorter."
Angrboða laughed. "Of course that's what you'd like the most about this." She linked her hands behind his back, which unfortunately meant he couldn't hold either of them. "I think we may have left too early. I'm still in the mood for dancing."
"I'm sure we can rustle something up." Gabriel put a hand on her shoulder, an inversion of their usual positions. "What was that one you always liked...?"
He started humming. Angrboða looked blank for a moment before she recognized it.
"Another waltz?" She teased. Gabriel kept humming through his grin, swaying slightly.
Angrboða recognized where she was supposed to start dancing, because she did as soon as Gabriel reached it. The miniature maze was silent except for them and the noise of grass being squished under their feet. It was a far cry from the veritable palace they'd left inside, but that didn't matter.
It was a sad kind of song, despite not having any words. Gabriel might not have bothered to remember it if Angrboða hadn't liked it so much while it was popular.
"I can't believe you remember this," Angrboða said, leaning against him. Gabriel would have made a smart remark about how he never forgot anything, except that would require him to stop humming.
He had nearly forgotten what a short song it was. They'd barely left a mark in the grass when it wound down, besides a few rapidly-vanishing footprints where it had been compressed under their weight.
"When was that from," Angrboða mused, "Last century?"
"Sometime then," Gabriel said. "It was a modern revival of some waltz, wasn't it?"
Angrboða nodded, paused, and said, "I bet I could still pick you up like this."
Gabriel spread his arms in invitation, not questioning where the thought had come from. Angrboða hooked one arm under his knees and Gabriel braced his own around her shoulders before she swept him off his feet.
"Nice," Angrboða declared, and then dumped him on a conveniently placed wooden bench.
"Ow," Gabriel said, laughing too hard to sound sufficiently injured. "Was that necessary?"
"Your butt's not that nice," Angrboða informed him, sitting down next to him.
"You like it."
"True."
He was the one who leaned in this time, tugging at one of her braids to pull her in as well. Kissing Angrboða was something he never got tired of. Gabriel would freely admit to a huge bias, but hey, he was allowed to have an opinion.
"I don't mind this vessel," Angrboða said when she pulled away, their faces still very close together.
"It grows on you," Gabriel replied, "but your seal of approval does matter. How much liking is 'not minding it'?"
"It means I'll tolerate it." Angrboða picked up his left hand. "The lack of a ring is a definite downside."
"I didn't lose it," Gabriel said. He knew exactly where it was - still on the ring finger of his last vessel. "I just - can't get to it right now."
Angrboða gave him a long look, leaning back a little further. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Promise," Gabriel said, and he meant it. He brought their hands, still entwined, up to press a kiss to her knuckles. "Getting better everyday."
"You had better be," she said. "I'm not the only one who misses you." Slightly reproachfully, she added, "you missed Hel's birthday."
"Damn," Gabriel said. "When was that? I thought it wasn't for another year." Gods only celebrated birthdays once a decade; otherwise it would have been like a human celebrating every month. Repetitive, which would take all the fun and excitement out of it.
"A year or so ago."
"Damn," Gabriel repeated, spirits sinking.
"She didn't mind," Angrboða said, obviously lying. "I told them what you told me."
Gabriel sighed, leaning against the back of the bench. He was sitting sideways, which made it a little awkward.
Angrboða tugged on their joined hands so that he slid over to lean on her. "If you think any of them are going to blame you for this, we're going to need to have words," she said, businesslike. "They know you'd never miss that if you could help it. I mean, it's not like you're their father who they've known their entire lives or anything."
"Alright," Gabriel said, "I get it." But Angrboða had succeeded in cheering him up a little.
"And before I forget," Angrboða added, drawing a folded envelope out of a pocket that probably hadn't been on the dress originally, "this is for you, from them."
Gabriel took it. It was barely folded, and thick, which spoke of multiple letters inside. "I'll read it later," he said, tucking it into a pocket in his robes. "I'd rather concentrate on you for now."
That's really as far as I ever got. Basically what happened is when Gabriel backtracked through time to go get his vessel, he went back to Angrboða for help fairly soon, so future-him was the one who helped Angrboða get there. If that makes sense.
If you want to re-read with a soundtrack, the song they dance to is 'Mahoney's Debut' from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (go for the official soundtrack version). The one Gabriel hums is 'Fireside Dance' from Oz the Great and Powerful (which I have never seen, but I like that track).