Chapter 4: Leaving an Old Life

Tod decided that household charms were much more difficult than he had always supposed. Growing up, his parents had a house-elf, and with only an older brother and no sisters he rarely witnessed or had a chance to learn those spells. Even when he left the house he had grown up in, being disowned by his parents, living on his own in a small, dingy apartment, he never went very far to learn all the things he perhaps should have. He never made meals for himself when he remembered to eat. Ramen, cereal, and carrot sticks were easy access remedies to any hunger pangs he felt. All laundry was washed and thrown back into his trunk, just on the off chance that he had to move quickly. Cleaning and dusting were moot points, especially if he was gone on a job for several weeks. The only thing he cleaned regularly was the owl cage, otherwise Ascalpus, his small black barn owl, would refuse to come into the room with his mail.

So here he was trying to learn how to use the no-maj kitchen. He had figured out how to turn the oven on and off with his wand, but there were times when he simply couldn't use magic, at least not until Daisy went down for her nap in the afternoon. Dicing vegetables, preparing meat, and frying eggs were all done by hand. The results were very close to disastrous on more than one occasion, and it wasn't until mid-April that he could consistently produce edible meals. Until then, on more than one occasion he had thrown everything out, picked up the long-corded telephone in the kitchen and ordered Chinese. Even that was an adventure, until he had learned not to shout when speaking. How did Mallory ever learn to do all this without telling her husband?

As the rains decreased and the weather became milder, Tod finally established a pattern. He would rise in the morning, before anyone else, and make breakfast and lunch for the girls with the aid of his wand. He would then get the girls ready, which meant picking out clothes for at least 2 of the 3, brushing hair, making sure teeth were brushed, and ensuring that all school supplies were in the proper backpacks. David filtered in and out, and left before Tod would walk the girl the 5 blocks to the large brick elementary school. Daisy, whom he learned was too young yet for no-maj school, he then walked over to the adjacent playground and let her play for half an hour before walking her home. He then kept an eye on her while she puttered around, making a general mess and trying to bring a myriad of crickets, worms, and other critters into the house. As she played, Tod sent desperate letters to his guild, and more specifically the Watanabe brothers for extra work. He told himself that he was bored with playing house, and could easily pick up a job or two so long as they could be completed at night, but no letters seemed to reach him.

After taking Daisy to pick up her sisters, he walked them the 5 blocks back to the large, bright Victorian, and started dinner while they did homework at the table. This is where he had to work the hardest. No wand to help him, everything was done by hand, and throughout it all he could only wonder how no-maj's got anything done during the day. Throughout the entire meal-making process Fern (not Hyacinth) would ask him for help with homework. Geography and math were well within his grasp, but no-maj history and science were beyond him. David usually flew in the door for dinner, the girls showered and then he tucked them into bed. David would read a book to Daisy, Tod to Fern (he suspected that she felt bad for him since Hyacinth wanted nothing to do with him), and Hyacinth insisted that she could do it herself, thank-you very much. Lights were turned off and Tod would retreat to his room's window and cast the various protective charms he knew on the house, write some more letters to the Watanabe's and collapse into bed. Wash, rinse, repeat.

It would drive him to drink if he could get his hands on any firewhiskey.

Sometimes Tod would lay awake at night, wondering how Mallory did it. It was easy to make the excuse of business trip when she had to chase criminals for a week or two, but how did she keep her magic a secret from the man she went to bed with nearly every night? Surely, she knew that she would have to tell him one day, when Fern got her owl from Ilvermorny? And on that note, how could she think that Tod was right for this contract? Sure, he kept a keen eye out while walking the girls to and from school, and even put protective charms around the hapless David when he wasn't looking, but beyond the magic he felt useless. Daisy saw him as no more than a zoo keeper, Hyacinth interacted with him as little as possible and was the most vocal about his dismal domestic skills, and Fern didn't count because she pitied him and thought him to be helpless as a nanny. Even David he suspected of thinking he had been hoodwinked in hiring Tod, and Tod just couldn't bring himself to imperious the man more than he thought he should. How could one of the most gifted witches in America have made such a miscalculation?

It was on such a thought he was dwelling when he heard a familiar flutter at the open window. The familiar figure of Ascalpus swooped in through the window and landed on the edge of his pensieve.

"Where have you been?" he asked softly, siting up on the bed as the owl held out his leg ceremoniously. "Got something good this time I hope?"

Untying the letter from the dark beast's leg, Tod whispered, "Lumos" with his wand hovering over it. He immediately recognized Daisuke's handwriting on the envelope. Greedily he ripped it open and read:

Just got back from Italy. Takeo and I were retrieving a series of enchanted paintings from there. Sorry to have left you in Washington. Heard you escaped Big Brother unscathed. We're meeting clients at Smuggler's Cove. Come in you're nearby.

Best,

Watanabe Daisuke

"Knox."

Stowing his hand Tod grabbed his leather jacket and tiptoed down the stairs and out the back door. Past the sandbox and over the wooden fence he knew he was now past his own enchantments, and focusing on the bar he knew well, apparated with a faint 'pop' into the alley beside it to escape being seen.

Bright, multicolored lights illuminated the little dive, and a dull roar fueled by alcohol met his ears as he slipped in, immediately finding the brothers in the back at a tiny booth.

"He lives!" laughed Takeo, raising a glass of what looked like a very fruity drink containing a pink umbrella. Despite being twins, Tod could tell them apart; Daisuke was missing the lobe of his left ear, while Takeo wore his black tresses a bit longer. The latter was also much more outgoing, optimistic compared to his brother, Daisuke. Being partnered with them always worked well, as what one lacked, the other excelled at. For example, Takeo was excellent at transfiguration, while Daisuke was masterful in herbology, potions, and beast taming and identification. Tod could still remember watching from the balcony of the glass dome at Ilvermorny, as he, two years above them, watched as one brother sorted right after another into Thunderbird. Their parents were the liasons to MACUSA from Japan, and they were one of the few students, who like him, did not have an American-made wand. Their wands were Ollivander masterpieces; spruce with dragon heart-string for Takeo, and cherry with dragon heart-string for Daisuke.

While he had never associated much with them at school, upon joining the Crystal Coyote Guild of Small Jobs and Doings, they quickly became his favorite teammates when a job required more than one person. They were efficient, thorough, and like him, came from illustrious parentage to be marked as black sheep in their family.

"I don't feel much alive," Tod smirked.

"Well that's because your name is Death," Daisuke returned, punning on his trade name.

"Very funny."

"Where have you been man? You totally should have come with us to Italy! It was amazing! How did you escape those Aurors?" Takeo asked.

Tod took a deep breath. "I didn't. I had to make a deal, and then lay low for awhile," he frowned.

Takeo swore. "You mean you're working for them now?" Daisuke asked, eyes widening.

Tod shook his head. "No. I was forced into a deal with Mallory."

"But I heard she was dead," Daisuke countered.

"She was murdered."

The twins looked flabbergasted. "But she was so…"

"-Strong. Yeah I know. Someone was targeting her and her family though."

"She had a family?" Takeo queried, as if the question tasted bad in his mouth.

"Yeah. No-maj husband and three little girls. She knew she was going to die. In fact, she was already dying. In order to escape prison, I made a deal to protect her family after she had passed from whoever is going after them."

"You mean you had to…?" Daisuke asked, sympathetically looking at Tod's wand arm and then meeting his eyes.

"Yeah, I did."

Takeo gave a low whistle. "So, what? You just sit outside the house all day and keep an eye on them? No wonder you're bored."

"Actually, I used the imperious curse to get the husband to hire me as a household helper. That way I could walk them to and from school, make sure they're safe. But I suck at it."

"Really?" Daisuke chuckled, "But you cast some of the best charms I know!"

"It's not the charm-casting I'm bad at. It's the household helper part. That witch never told her husband she had magic, so I'm stuck doing a lot of the work no-maj style! And none of them particularly like me."

"Well that shouldn't be so hard for you," teased Takeo.

"There's a big difference between my biological family, who have never liked me, and this family who I'm bound to protect! I don't know how long I'm going to last like this."

"But why you?" Daisuke asked, his fine features puzzling over the situation.

"I don't know. She didn't even tell me who she thought might have cursed her. And from what I've seen so far, no one has been tracking the girls, and if they are, they're not close enough for the sneakoscope or any of my other tools to pick them up."

"Hmmm…I wonder…" Daisuke mumbled. Tod raised an eyebrow at him.

"I overheard Gordon, the head of the Dragot Dragons bragging to Archer the other day," he said slowly. "He was bragging how his guild will outdo ours very soon because he has a pair working on a big project. When Archer asked what it was, Gordon told him that it was already in motion, and he couldn't say too many details yet, but when it was done, they wouldn't have to worry about being caught by aurors anymore."

"What does that have to do with wiping out some little girls?" blurted Takeo.

"Think about it. If you topple all the Aurors and their families, you topple the ability of MACUSA to enforce the laws. And who better to start with than wiping the last of the family that's been enforcing the rules since the beginning? They'll probably go family to family…" Tod said.

"That's an awful lot of killing. I mean, I know you've killed a few people, but it was usually they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. You've never actually cast the killing curse," Takeo frowned at Tod.

"They'll eventually come after your family too," Daisuke said softly, apprehensive of bringing up the subject of Tod's relatives.

He shrugged. "What family? I technically don't have one anymore. Besides, Wyatt and my parents are too strong, and too paranoid to be caught off guards."

"I bet Mallory thought the same thing," Takeo said.

Tod huffed. "It's hot in here. I'm going out for some air." Sliding from the booth he headed toward the door.

"Hold on man!" Takeo called, both he and Daisuke throwing a Dragot a piece on the table and following him out.

"Aren't you waiting for a client?" Tod asked after finding himself on the sidewalk in the cool, foggy night air.

"They're a small fry. Probably aren't going to even be able to pay what we want," Daisuke excused.

After walking a block to a quiet street corner, Daisuke slowed and spoke again. "Look man, we're sorry we left you in Washington. Takeo and I still feel awful about that. We didn't actually have a client tonight. We just wanted to bring you out to apologize."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because we weren't sure you would come out without the excuse of a job. No offense but you're not exactly the best company for going out for drinks with. You're wild on the jobs, but a little too bookish for those sort of shenanigans," Takeo joked.

Tod nodded. It was true. As adventurous as his life was, there was a part of him that liked staying inside and reading, preferring studying to manual labor. He supposed that was why the Horned Serpent's jewel had lit up when he stood in the glass dome, bucking centuries of Fischer family tradition of being chosen exclusively by the roaring of the Wampus. He was no warrior- he was a scholar.

Walking another block, he found himself heading for the quiet neighborhood where three little girls and a dithering no-maj lay safely tucked in their beds.

"What we're trying to say, is that if you need help with what you're doing…"

"…we're here for you. We owe you."

Shrugging their generosity, Tod explained, "Don't beat yourself up. They set up that job to capture me, at least that witch did."

"Still though," Daisuke offered.

"Thanks. It was pretty perfect too. They were just waiting for me to…does this fog seem thick to you?" Tod asked, a feeling of dread and misery creeping up onto him. While northern California did have a large number of dementors compared to the rest of the world, Tod doubted their arrival while he was away from the house was a coincidence. He had been tricked again. Whirling on his compatriots, a fierce anger overtook the misery from the dreaded beings he could feel. "Are you in on this?!" he demanded.

Both brothers looked shocked, and even in the dim lights, Tod quickly locked eyes with each and carded through their thoughts and memories. There was no deceit to be found. In fact, they were coming to the same conclusion he had. Swearing loudly, he pulled out his wand and focused with all his might on the brightly colored Victorian, a familiar compressing sensation propelling him from his spot on the downtown sidewalk to the scene. As he suspected several dementors were on the verge of breaking his protective charms, whirling about the house, figuring their way in, their rattling breath shaking something small and terrified in Tod's chest. Thoughts of despair welled up from inside him, questioning what he was doing. He was no Mallory, no Auror. Who was he to try and protect these young girls left in his charge? He was going to fail…

Compartmentalizing his misery as best he could, he thought about when he had first enchanted his motorbike, or learned how to read…

"Expecto petronum!" he shouted into the night air on that deserted street. A weak wisp of light flowed from his wand, pausing the dementors in their task, and diverting their attention to him. Happier. He needed something happier.

"Expecto petronum!" erupted two voices near him over the hum of their motorcycles as they landed nearly onto the hilly lawn. A monkey and an elegant crane made of light burst away from them, running and flying at the dementors, driving them away.

Slowly, the fog cleared.

"I think that's the first time I've ever seen you fail at a charm," Daisuke said, breathlessly turning off the engine of his bike.

You should see me do household charms, thought Tod, but instead said, "I've never been able to master that one. I can never conjure a happy enough memory."

"Is this the place?" Takeo asked, gesturing to the house, sitting quietly before them.

"It's gotta be," Daisuke answered for him. "I can feel all your protective charms. They have Tod of the Crystal Coyotes all over them."

"Which means…?"

"They're not the ones I would have chosen, but then again, you're a lot more subtle than Takeo or I. No wonder whoever is after the girls hasn't attacked before now. They probably couldn't find you before, and when they did, they had to figure out how to get past all this."

"Well they've found me now," sighed Tod, running a hand through his hair.

"We could help," offered Takeo.

"He's right," said Daisuke. "Obviously you can't leave your task now. I mean, you could have died tonight had we not been here. You can't leave these kids. Takeo and I still have freedom of movement though. We can figure out who's behind this while you keep and eye on the little girls and the no-maj."

Tod scratched his chin thoughtfully. It definitely would help if he knew who was behind it, because the sooner he could get rid of them, the sooner his task of protecting the last of the Graves would be complete.

"Alright," he agreed. "If you help me, you can stop feeling guilty about leaving me in Washington. Your debt will be repaid."

When the brothers finally departed, Tod felt bone-weary. It was late, and he was going to have to be up in a few hours. After re-fortifying the defensive charms, adding one or two new ones, he slipped inside and up the stairs after grabbing a quick mug of hot cocoa. He had almost made it to his room when he heard the sound of sniffling. It was coming from the door between Hyacinth and Fern's room and David's bedroom. Poking his head in, he saw Daisy sitting by her nightlight, holding her stuffed kitty and crying.

Speaking as if to a frightened animal, he asked, "Daisy? What's wrong?"

"Scary dream," she sniffled, looking out from the choke hold on her stuffed animal, snot running from her nose and mixing with the salty tears. It was almost a shock to not see her with a smile on her face. Scanning his memories, Tod could not recall a time when she had cried since he had come here, with the exception of when Hyacinth picked on her. The scary dream made sense though, with dementors having been outside her bedroom window a mere half an hour beforehand.

Bending down, he offered a hand. "C'mon. Let's go to the bathroom and get cleaned up."

Tentatively, as if just realizing that he was an actual person for the first time, she placed her small hand in his. The bright light of the bathroom stung his eyes as he wetted a cloth and wiped her face.

"Wipe Sarah's too? She was crying too," she requested, holding up the stuffed cat. Doing his best to maintain a serious demeanor, he wiped the cat's as well.

"Alright, let's get you back to bed."

At this, Daisy shook her head, grabbed at his jeans and buried her face in them.

"Daisy you need to go to bed," he tried.

She shook her head and then shyly looked up at him. "Those scary things will come back in my head. Stay with you?"

Deliberating a moment, Tod saw in her minds eye that she had indeed dreamed of the dementors, and felt a bit guilty. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and he didn't like it.

"Ok. But just this once."

Eagerly she let go of his pants and gripped his hand instead. He lead her to the little bedroom, tapping the door twice to make sure that the disillusionment charm was activated so she could not see the owl and clutter of magical instruments that lay around the room. Staying fully clothed and just toeing his shoes off, he crawled into bed, pushing up against the wall to give enough room for the little girl to lay in the crook of his arm. He allowed her to sip some of his cocoa, which seemed to help. After, she curled up, her head on his shoulder, one hand preoccupied with the kitty, the other fisted into his shirt. She lay for a bit, writhing around now and again to get more comfortable, always just as Tod was drifting off. In a final, exhausted attempt to make sure she went to sleep, he took his wand out and murmured a small charm his mother had used for him when he was young and would not sleep.

Slowly, as if bleeding into the night air, soft, classical music filled the room. Within a few moments Daisy's breathing evened out, and Tod was sure she was asleep. He followed soon afterward.