Chapter Fifty-Three
Diamonds Are Forever
Jennifer looked up from the Headmaster's desk and smiled when Severus strode in from the Doorlift.
"You're quite early today," Jennifer noted.
"Yes, all done for now," Severus replied, taking off his cloak. "Alexandria has gotten her approvals and has returned to her job, so now I'm returning to mine."
"That's wonderful news, Severus, but what did you mean by 'for now'?" Jennifer asked, wondering why he still had his back turned.
"I have agreed to come back for two months starting in mid-August," he explained.
"Mid-August? Does that mean you want me to handle the busiest few months of school for the year in this chair?" Jennifer said in shock.
"Yes, for most of it," he agreed.
"Does that include my birthday?" she asked dangerously, and he turned around.
"I would say it includes more than one birthday, actually," he confessed, and Jennifer brightened immediately.
"Severus!" she exclaimed happily.
"I'm filling in while Alexandria is on maternity leave, although Wilder promised to come back early if I am in a pinch, albeit that he offered quite reluctantly," Severus said.
"If he wants to stay home, he ought to be allowed to stay. But what about me? You know perfectly well that I always take off for a few days when there's a birth in the family," Jennifer pouted.
"And I am certain that Ick will be more than happy to fill in for a day, but I need you here to help Hermione arrange the staff, schedule, and all the details he doesn't know how to do. Alright?" Severus asked.
"Yes, alright. It's for a worthy cause, after all," Jennifer said with a smile. "To be honest, I wasn't even sure I was going to see you until summer. I suppose the baby sped things up?"
"Ludo Bagman sped things up, by coming to the conclusion that Alexandria's medical leave was set up so she could conduct some spy-related research under the table," Severus said.
"Oh no! Is that how come they arrested Bagman's men in Milan?" Jennifer asked.
"Yes, and you ought to ask Alexandria or Alicia about that one. You might find it incredibly amusing. But after the incident in Milan, Bagman decided to confront Alexandria himself. Wilder and I both had a feeling the Bagman would do something like that, so I assigned Wilder to go back in owl form to keep an eye on things. Alexandria and Ludo both found out who Wilder was at the exact same time... you would have loved to have seen their expressions... I taught Wilder how to use a Pensieve just so I had the privilege of seeing it myself," Severus confessed, and Jennifer laughed at that. "And here you have known from the beginning."
"Oh yes, I knew he was a Pooka from the moment I saw him, and even guessed that he might have taken an owl form to gather information at the Ministry. I'm sure that's why the Magician spent so long avoiding me. He knew I'd see through it," Jennifer said with amusement. "When did you catch on, Severus?"
"Oh, that was all on account of Austere, actually," Severus explained. "When I first got there, I was bribing Austere with mice to get all of the information I needed about which boxes were static and went to specific offices and which ones rotated depending on the offices needs. Austere has a stunningly good memory, nearly as good as Corey's, and his main job in her office is to help her keep track of which boxes were connected to which offices at any given time. He also kept track of which Portkeys were connected to which Portkey Pad in the foggy corridor so that when it needed to be arranged, he could help her navigate them until she had them memorized."
"Well, we all knew there had to be some reason she put up with his attitude," Jennifer said.
"Oh, it's more than that, because I also found that whenever I got particularly vexed about some backwards procedure the Ministry was making me do, he made for a good pressure valve. Anything I vented about no matter how petty the complaint was echoed by Austere, who spends all the time agreeing with all of the complaints and sympathizing with you while you make it. Don't laugh, it's strangely therapeutic, and in an office that is constantly under stress, he is a very necessary member of the main office team," Severus defending.
"That is all quite enlightening, Severus," Jennifer said with a chuckle. "But I don't see what this has to do with Wilder yet."
"Well, you know how Alexandria's system relies on carrier and Agent Owls and other flyers, correct?" he asked, and she nodded. "I happened to noticed that while Austere and Wilder chatted constantly when the two were together, Austere ignored all of the other flyers that came in. At first, I thought it was his ego, considering that he would comment on what I said if I began speaking to them while using a translation device, but never about their original comment. It took me a while to realize that Austere didn't understand owl hoots and gestures any more than I did without a translation potion. But any time Wilder spoke, Austere replied straight away, even interjecting critical remarks before I had time to reply. After that, I noticed that Wilder also understood when hawks, falcons, and other non-owl flyers that came in with reports, and they all understood him.
"Of course, at that point, I didn't know if there was something going on or if he was simply an unusual owl. Merlin himself often spoke of his owl and how he spoke different languages, so I was thinking perhaps he was one of those," he went on. "Well, as you recall from having to do security yourself, when I first got there, Thomas and 'the Magician' as we knew him then was working on securing the Ministry offices. While they were in the middle of moving the Justices offices in to the center rooms, Thomas sent him to my office to give me an update on progress. The Magician had spoken no more than three sentences when Austere made a smart arse remark about something he said. The Magician immediately countered, and they were soon bantering like a pair of competitive siblings and not realizing just how revealing it was until the Magician finally caught my expression. Somehow, the Magician had figured out how to maintain his language ability with his feathered friends and yet hide the ability from humans other than Alexandria. Alexandria, of course, would have no way of knowing that he had been doing such a thing, since she would be able to understand him despite his attempt to hide it.
"Once I realized what was going on, I sent Bael and Corey to lunch and demanded an explanation from him, then interrogated him until I could connect all of the pieces together. The more he told me about himself, the more I realized just how perfect a fit he was for Alexandria," he added. Jennifer grinned widely at that. "I also discovered that Austere had been giving him advice about human behavior... often the wrong advice at that. I really had no choice but to intervene at that point. With Thomas' permission, I made Wilder an Agent right after he finished his job with security, and began training him immediately after," he explained.
"What's his Agent name?" Jennifer asked eagerly.
"The Mask," Severus replied.
"Oh, perfect! I love it," Jennifer said enthusiastically. "How fun it will be to have a Pooka in the family, Severus!"
"You may call it fun now, but it will not be fun when any children they have get into Hogwarts. Do you realize what it is going to be like having to teach Half-Pookas? Their mischievous streak is instinctual, you know. They can't help but get into trouble... I know you've been a victim of Wind's mischief from time to time, and we've all had our moments with Caprica. It is going to be hell," Severu warned.
"And they're going to be our grandchildren and we will love them no matter how trying they might be," Jennifer concluded with a warm smile.
"As grandparents, yes. As school administrators, I'm not so sure. Perhaps we should start reinforcing the castle walls... while there's still time," he suggested. Jennifer simply chuckled and got up so that Severus could sit in his chair again.
A few days later, Jennifer invited Jay to lunch, and he arrived to find all of his favorite foods laid out on her desk.
"What did she do this time?" Jay asked flatly.
"Hello, Jay, come on in! Could you shut the door, please?" Jennifer requested.
"No Quintin either. This has to be about my mother," Jay decided. "Although I don't know why we're talking about her now. Apparently she's alright, considering she's gone back to work and Grandfather's back here where he belongs."
"Oh, yes, everything's perfectly fine," Jennifer assured him with a smile. "Come and make up a plate and we'll talk. I won't get started until you've eaten something, so the sooner you have some lunch, the sooner you'll hear why I wanted to talk to you."
"Fine," Jay said, and made up a plate and sat down in the chair next to her desk.
"I need to let you in on some family news before it hits the papers tomorrow," Jennifer explained. "But first, I want to explain why it's being published at all. I know you must have seen that there had been some arrests in Milan involving the Mysteries department, and you knew from family that Alicia and Alexandria happened to be there at the time."
"That's nothing new. Work always follows my mother around," Jay replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Yes, well, this time it wasn't entirely her fault," Jennifer explained with a curled lip. "As I've already mentioned, your mother really was on leave to get a much needed holiday. Your grandfather was concerned about the amount of stress she was displaying, and thought a holiday was long overdue."
"Long, long overdue," Jay agreed emphatically.
"Well, unfortunately, since it was so unusual for your mother to take a holiday, Bagman had a hard time believing that her needing a leave of absence was real. He got it into his head that she actually stepped away to work on a different case. I suppose it didn't help that your mother decided to use her break to visit the library, looking up cultures to try to figure out what culture the Magician came from," Jennifer said.
"Did she find it?" Jay asked curiously.
"No, she was in the wrong section of the library," Jennifer said with amusement. "Still, it went noticed, so when she went to Milan, Bagman sent his men to spy on her to try and figure out what she was up to. That led to a bit of an altercation which got them arrested."
"A silver lining," Jay shrugged. "But I'm betting Bagman wasn't happy about it."
"No, not at all. He asked for a parlay, and things got rather heated. Fortunately, the Magician was there and got your mother out of a tight spot," Jennifer explained. "The problem is, that leaves the situation with Bagman unresolved. The Ministry, especially your mother and your grandfathers, are very concerned about the tension and need to diffuse the situation to prevent another spy war, and the easiest way to do that is to prove to Bagman that your mother's medical leave wasn't a fake, by making it a matter of public record."
"Does that mean you're publishing one of Conner's reports? Because that would be entertaining," Jay replied.
"As it turns out, they really didn't need to," Jennifer replied gently. "You see, stress can be triggered by many things, and one of the things that can make it difficult to control is being in the first trimester, because the body is very busy readjusting a mother's hormone levels. Your mother is expecting."
Jay stared at her a moment. Then he groaned and put his hand to his forehead, kneading it.
"It's his, isn't it? The Dashing Doppler," Jay said.
"Yes," Jennifer said with a soft smile. "They've recently come to terms with each other after he came to her rescue with Bagman. In fact, your grandfather took them to Mariced's last night and helped them pick out a Dragonheart Diamond set. They picked the engagement ring set, so they're already wearing them. He's her Cosmic Match, Jay."
"Then I feel sorry for him," Jay said crisply, getting up. "I feel sorry for him and the baby, for having to get stuck with my mother. I hope he likes being a domestic house husband."
"No, Jay. That's not going to happen this time... wait, I'm not done explaining!" Jennifer said sternly, but Jay simply waved her off as he went out her office door and shut it behind himself.
"I suppose that went well," Jennifer said to herself with a long, drawn-out sigh.
To the general public, seeing an announcement in the gossip column that someone related to the Snape family was expecting felt like it was a monthly occurrence.
But when the announcement made the front page, it was enough to raise a few eyebrows, especially when there was a wedding announcement on page two.
The Ministry of Magic called a press conference today, inviting reporters representing the Daily Prophet and both WizTV news organizations into the Minister's office for a briefing with Ministers Malfoy, Craw, and Clemmons to clarify rumors surrounding Minister Clemmons' recent medical leave.
"The Minister of Mysteries was briefly on leave to help her alleviate early symptoms of pregnancy, specifically to reduce stress by getting her away from what is a highly intensive job," Thomas informed the press. "As you have noted, she has now managed her symptoms and has returned to work. While we regret making public a citizen's private affairs, the Minister of Magic, Minister of Mysteries, and I have become concerned about recent speculation of her leave of absence, so we have decided to make these facts public in the interest of transparency. And for those who are probably wondering, Mage Wilder, whom the public knows more widely as the Dashing Doppler, has indeed been given a pardon by the Minister of Magic for services rendered to the Ministry, by helping secure and insure the safety of all of our colleagues who work in the Ministry building on a daily basis."
It was Albus and Bael who ultimately determined when the wedding was to be held. They were eager to get home, and while Albus had promised Alexandria to officiate, he had insisted it be no later than a day after school let out.
Not long after the ceremony, Albus wandered over to find Severus standing by himself in the Craw Mansions' garden, taking it all in.
"I am terribly sorry, but Bael and I can't stay much longer. I really do have pressing business at home," Albus said.
"It's quite alright. Two months in this family is more than enough time to thread needles," Severus had ensured him. "Besides, we're still waiting on the groom's paperwork to go through, giving him citizenship through the Sentient Beings Act."
"There were no protests, I trust," Albus said mischievously.
"It wouldn't have mattered if they had protested. Even Draco sees the benefit of having a fairly restrained Pooka as part of the Ministry. His power is great, but it is tethered by his loyalty to my daughter. Together, they make a formidable match," Severus replied.
"Oh, no doubt about it. I never would have guessed that Alexandria would have such a match, but on retrospect, it makes so much sense it is delightful to see them together. And how happy they look!" he commented, and they glanced in their direction.
In fact, Wilder was so excited about both the human ceremony and its meaning that he was having a very hard time keeping to one form, turning from Human to Owl to Cat and Chameleander and everything in between, while Alexandria calmly maintained her conversation with Mandria and Stew no matter what form her husband was currently in.
"Her life will never be dull, but then it never was. I have no doubt it'll be just one adventure after another with them; their strong curiosity feeding off each other. It will be entertaining to watch," Severus decided. "Some of the best adventures I've known are the ones that don't involve me directly. There have been plenty the last couple of years, and I have enjoyed the luxury of watching them from a distance."
"I see. So that means that you being pulled into an adventure is long overdue," Albus teased him.
"Bite your tongue, you are going to ruin my current streak," Severus protested, making a ward against evil in the air. Albus only chuckled.
"Try all you might, Severus. I am quite certain that by the time I visit again, you will have had a personal adventure or two whether you want to or not," Albus said. "In fact, I'd even put a wager on it."
"Oh?' Severus said, attempting not to look as interested as he was.
"Shall we say a hundred galleons?" Albus inquired. Severus blinked, but then realized that not agreeing to it would be the same as admitting defeat.
"Very well, a hundred it is, then. Only don't tell Jennifer," Severus replied.
"No need to worry. I already have her down for fifty," Albus said with amusement. "By the way, did you recall that Mr. Toby and his wife would be back in the fall?"
Severus groaned, wondering if he had made that bet too soon. Albus patted his shoulder and then walked off to find Eben. Shaking his head, Severus went to find Bael.
Eben looked up expectantly as he saw Albus walking over, his pause to say hello giving Eben a chance to distance himself from the crowd at the tables as Albus walked over.
"There you are, Eben. Everything is set up, I trust," Albus said with a smile.
"Yes, Culver and I will meet you at the scheduled time," Eben agreed solemnly, glancing over at Jay, who had distanced himself by volunteering to help Conner at the pens. "It's hard not feeling a part of one's own family sometimes," he noted, gazing at Jay.
"Yes, it can be quite hard," Albus agreed. "Especially when you know the hardest is yet to come."
"Yes," Eben agreed solemnly. "Fortunately, this one will be easy."
"One can hope," Albus agreed, and stepped away again.
Eben's eyes went back to Jay, then noticed that Alex, Wilder, and Rus were walking over to coax him away.
"Let's go over to the bench under the oak tree for a moment," Alexandria suggested to Jay. "I promise what I say won't take long, but I want to talk to you before we leave on our trip." Jay sighed, reluctantly following them over to the garden and sitting on the wall.
"Just where are you going on your trip, Mum?" Rus asked with interest. "I know you told everyone not to bother pitching in for it."
"We're going to go on a backpacking adventure through Europe," Alexandria explained with a smile. "It'll be a full adventure of exploring, with us visiting some of Wilder's favorite places but also taking a lot of back roads so it's going to be exciting and new wherever we go."
"What about the baby?" Jay asked critically.
"I've already gotten Sagittari's okay and the second trimester is the best time to travel, but thanks for worrying about me," Alexandria said with a smile.
"I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about our sibling, if just being born in this family wasn't enough," Jay said.
"Well, anyway, I was wondering how the two of you would feel about moving back in when we return," Alexandria suggested. Rus smiled, but Jay stared at her fixedly. "You see, we've hired more administration help in the Mysteries department so that I don't have to be there all the time any longer. It'll be eight to five except for emergencies from now on, and we'll both have plenty of time to dedicate to family. We can even get a bigger place once we're back, so you can have your own rooms -"
"Thanks but no thanks, Mum," Jay interrupted firmly, putting up a hand. Alexandria frowned in disappointment, despite having expected his reaction. "I'm seventeen now, and personally, I don't think I should even have to go to visitations at this point, let alone move back in. I've got one more year of Hogwarts, which means there's only one summer left for me to even have to worry about where I'm bunking at. And since you seem to be giving me the choice, I'm staying with my grandparents where I belong. Have a good life, but I'm not interested. Wilder, have a nice trip, just don't let her selfishness ruin your life like it ruined ours."
"Selfish? I gave up everything for you..."
"You gave up nothing..." Jay snapped. "You gave up nothing except me and my brother. And I won't ever forgive you for it," he said, walking away. Alexandria looked down, trying to keep her eyes clear.
"Should I talk to him?" Mage wondered.
"No, it runs deep. Too deep to be solved with just one talk," Alexandria acknowledged.
"She's right," Rus agreed with a sad smile. "And I'm afraid I have to decline as well. I mean... visitations would be great, I don't want to give those up like Jay does. I'd miss you too much. But Jay needs me, you see. He needs me to be there for him. And except for the bit of Whitebridge I still have to finish next year, I want to stay with my brother. Can I have a hug?" he asked, and Alex immediately responded, glad to have even one of them in her arms, even if only for a second.
"You're so much like your father, Rus," Alex said, sniffing slightly against the tears.
"He must have been very kind," Mage ventured.
"Yes, very. Thank you," Rus replied.
"Maybe next year... I could ask you again," Alexandria suggested quietly.
"I think you should," Rus agreed. "Now, go have your adventure! You deserve it, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
"Thank you," Mage offered, and Rus smiled and hurried over to talk to his brother. "So I suppose we'll be off then?" he asked Alex.
"Yes, I guess we should, but let's not forget to fetch your Chest Cloak off the wedding gifts table," Alexandria said, the two of them walking over. "So where did you want to Portkey to first? Do you want to go to Parra like my parents suggested?" she asked.
"No need for a key! I've arranged for transportation," Wilder informed her.
"Transportation? Why am I afraid?" Alexandria asked warily.
"Did you not wonder why your Uncle Sirius hadn't given us a present yet?" Wilder asked.
"There were so many, I honestly hadn't noticed," Alexandria admitted, and he jerked his thumb towards the edge of the property where the dirt road was. Alexandria glanced over then laughed. "Oh, no!" she said, when she saw there was a third motorcycle next to Zack's and Sirius, but this one was a Triumph and had a bow tied to the front. She then looked over with a tilted head to see her Uncle Sirius standing with Severus, tipping his ice tea at them when they looked in his direction. "Do you really expect me to get on the back of that thing in this dress?"
"Only for the first mile or two, to make an impressive exit. I'll let you change the first chance we get," he promised.
"Fine... are you sure you know how to drive that thing?" Alexandria asked.
"Of course! I learned it from a James Bond film," he declared, his wife saying it at the exact same time.
"Just what have I gotten myself into?" Alexandria asked with an exasperated smile.
"Hopefully nothing short of a brand new adventure," he replied, then helped Alexandria convince the guests to meet along the roadside.
Shaking out the rice, Alexandria put on her helmet, lifting up her dress as tightly as she could as she climbed on the Triumph behind Wilder. With a dashing salute, Wilder drove them out of view.
"Well, that went about as I expected," Severus decided.
"Happily ever after is what I expect," Jennifer told him with a smile.
"The more things change, the more things stay the same," Severus mused. Jennifer groaned softly at that, but then chuckled as they walked back through the gardens to enjoy spending time with their family.
End of Book Two of Seeker Series
A/N. Well, that was fun! Whoever thought writing an HP fanfiction series would lead me to writing a car chase sequence? But this book certainly wouldn't have seemed complete without it.
Real life has been intruding on my writing schedule this summer, So the first chapter of the next book will either be out two weeks into August or at the latest on September first. I'm also going to be working on my artwork and trying to revive my website, with both links to my fanfiction as well as my other works, namely my digiital collectibles comedy blog (currently on Medium, but likely moving it to my website once it's back in order). Now that the update is done, preview for the next book is below the line!
The next book is going back to a straight mystery adventure, somewhat reminiscent (but in no way connected) to Riddle of the King and Monkey Paw, and what a motley crew of characters will be dragged into the next quest! We'll be exploring different countries, looking at other legends... while still touching base with Hogwarts. Justice Snape and Nicky Pyther will be Sorted along with some new friends, while Quintin and his friends will have their fair share of challenges. There will be plenty of cameos, a terrible team-up, and plenty of student mischief. So I hope you all come back for the next book, Jennifer Craw and the Smuggler's Medallion.
