Chapter Twenty Six
Melok took a deep breath, glancing behind him at the four Goblins who were about to follow him to James' place for what would be one of the most important meetings of the century. The movement toward a merger of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and the Sanctuary Network was slowly progressing, and while the Wizengamot's concerns were at this point fairly well alleviated, there were certain creature groups - the Goblins, House Elves, Centaurs, Werewolves, and Merfolk - which were large enough in population and intelligent enough that without their cooperation, this merger would fail in the long run. As such, they planned to meet with leaders from each community and ensure that Helen would adequately provide for their needs before officially accepting full responsibility from the Ministry.
The jurisdiction of the United Kingdom would be the trial group for this merger, and if all went well, then it would serve as an example of a workable system, and allow Helen to take over full control of Creature regulation throughout the world. It was pivotal that they did things right here and now. Absolutely pivotal. Melok had felt the weight of his decisions in the course of his work with Hermione, no doubt, but what he was doing with Helen and James right now would fundamentally alter the course of his people's future, and he was standing in support of this action. It was nerve wracking to be taking such a bold stance, he felt, especially in a situation where Hermione's experience did not offer a probable outcome. While in Beta, Helen had taken full control, that had been in extraordinary circumstances and this was not remotely the same situation. This had never come to pass in Alpha, and as such, was uncharted territory.
The representatives he was bringing with him were a varied bunch. That was appropriate. He'd been selected for his existing connection to Helen and Newt Scamander, and because of his expertise in warding and as the foremost expert on Mages. If his line failed, the future of Mages could be compromised, and the Goblins did not want that to happen. In other words, he was making a choice based on a willingness to trust Helen Magnus to care not only for his well being, but also for the well being of his descendants - to ensure that either she or her heirs would protect his family line, so that they in turn could protect and educate the future Mages of the world.
Griphook was the youngest of the bunch. He was only thirty two, but he was one of the few among their people who was a descendant of the royal line, not diluted by human blood so greatly that he was mistaken as anything other than pure Goblin. Zuerst was his family name, dating back generations upon generations. Griphook was personally mentoring young Richard Feliz, the pair having become fast friends in the time since Hermione had urged him to bring the young Slytherin to Gringotts to test him for Goblin blood. They were kin, after all, however distantly.
Nettclug was the only female in the group. She was about his age, Melok thought, perhaps a bit older. She came from a good family although to his knowing she was yet unmarried. He thought he'd heard someone mention the possibility of her being the one to bear Richard's offspring when it came to it, although that might have been just rumor. He wasn't sure. Regardless, Netty - as she preferred to be called - was smart as a whip and often called on for diplomatic issues, so it was no surprise she'd been brought in for this meeting. She was sensible and even tempered, and exactly the sort of personality that would be needed today.
Klingoll, as a counterbalance to Griphook most likely, was among the oldest of their people still in his right mind. He was nearly four hundred years old, Melok believed, and had seen a great deal in his long life. What wisdom he had was a factor of experience more than natural tendency, although he was known for being the sort to cut to the chase so quickly that it was often mistaken as having a short temper. The truth was that it wasn't an issue of being quick to anger so much as having little patience for walking in circles around a solution when one could just get there directly.
Hirnfest was the current leader of the Goblin High Council. He wasn't one of the royals, but one didn't have to be of the royal line to sit on the High Council, nor to lead it. All royals were given a place on the Council, of course, but to lead it was something earned, and Hirnfest had been sitting as Leader since the previous one had died during Grindelwald's early rise. He was a steady Goblin just past a century and a half in age. He was always ready to listen, slow to judge, but quick to act when evidence showed a need for it. Melok respected Hirnfest a great deal, and hoped he'd see the merger with the Sanctuary as just as necessary as Melok did, because if so, Melok felt the rest of the Council would fall in line without much issue. Hirnfest would certainly take into account Griphook, Nettclug, and Kingoll's opinions before rendering judgment, but once his decision was made, he'd stand by it and be more than prepared to handle any resistance the rest of the High Council offered.
Melok checked his pocketwatch one last time. "Let's go," he said to the others, tossing some Floo Powder into the fireplace in front of him. "London Sanctuary!"
He stepped through at once, trusting his fellows to follow, spotting James, Helen, Newt, and Hermione as soon as he appeared on the other side. He moved to greet them all, shaking hands with James and Newt and accepting kisses on the cheek from both Helen and Hermione. By the time he turned back around, his fellow Goblins had made it through.
"Melok," Hirnfest said. "Will you make the introductions?"
He cleared his throat and began pointing to people. "Lady Hermione Black, who is my Mage and who originally made the proposition for this alliance. Doctor Helen Magnus, who is Head of the Sanctuary Network, and Doctor James Watson who manages the London branch of the Sanctuary where you presently stand. Newt Scamander, the renowned Magical Creatures expert who has been working closely with Doctors Magnus and Watson, and with Lady Black, to ensure this merger meets all the needs of everyone involved." He then turned the other direction. "Hirnfest, the Head of the Goblin High Council. Klingoll, one of our most respected Elders. Nettclug, Diplomatic Envoy. Griphook, Representative of the Goblin Royals."
"Welcome to the London Sanctuary," Helen said formally. "We have a place to sit and converse prepared not far, if you'd just follow me?"
Melok almost expected them to be led to the comfortable lounge where James most frequently had guests, but when they were led into a formal dining room with a long table which had chairs on one side transfigured to include steps, allowing the Goblins to easily get onto them, he could see why this had been the selected location instead. Tea trays were already present, with parchments and quills laid out in front of each seat. He appreciated that despite the fact that Helen and James preferred to do things the Muggle way, they'd gone the extra mile to accommodate for the Goblin preference for Wizarding writing tools.
Hermione nudged him and pointed to the Head of the table, and he noticed the chair there was also configured for a Goblin. It took him a moment but he understood quickly enough; the four of them represented the Sanctuary exclusively, and Melok's four fellows represented the Goblin interests exclusively. He alone represented the driving force bringing them together, and therefore it was appropriate for him to be placed at the Head of the table in a neutral position, where he would not appear to be for or against either party. His Mage really did think of everything.
Once they were all seated and tea was poured, Melok realized that it was likely up to him to prompt the start in discussion. Gods knew he was more than familiar with the issues at hand. He really just needed to get them talking. Once they began a discourse, all he'd really need to do was ensure they stayed on topic and didn't stray into a debate that had nothing to do with what they were here to talk about. "Alright then," he began, straightening. "For some months now Doctor Magnus and her colleagues have been working with the Wizengamot to gain their approval to take full control over the jurisdiction of regulating magical creatures. For the most part, that is an issue of lower life forms with intelligence levels that are minute enough that regulation is an issue of responsibility rather than permission. However, in the case of some species, Goblins among them, this merger will inevitably fail if we cannot come to an understanding and agreement about this merger. For decades we've struggled against the Ministry of Magic's laws and regulations about how our people live their lives. If the Sanctuary takes over the regulation of magical creatures, we will no longer be answering to them. We will be answering to Doctor Magnus and to the Sanctuary Heads, such as Doctor Watson, who oversee the regions we reside in. As such, now is the time to discuss what issues we have in how the Ministry has been handling our cares and concerns. We want to get this relationship off on the right foot, I should think. Helen is an advocate for good communication, I assure you, and I think you'll all find that she's more prone to listen to what you have to say than the Ministry lackeys have been in the past."
Klingoll spoke up first. "I've read all the transcripts from your talks at the Ministry. Plenty of good to be said. What I haven't seen much discussion on is law enforcement and that concerns me. All the transcripts say is that law enforcement will be handled internally, and that the Ministry will concede that the Sanctuary has superior jurisdiction in matters of law enforcement. That doesn't tell me much of anything."
Helen nodded. "It is our belief that taking over regulation of creatures and yet allowing the Ministry to maintain any jurisdiction over the legal matters of them is a recipe for abuse. How can I be expected to earn the respect of a people group if I merely have the ability to give them rights, but not to restrict them when they break reasonable laws? That said, in the Abnormal community, most law enforcement is handled internally, tribe to tribe. This works well for the most part, and I do believe it would work well for the Goblins, Centaurs, Werewolves, and so forth, too. What I suggest for your people, Klingoll, is that we build a prison. Unfortunately, people break the law as a matter of inevitability, and on occasion do require incarceration be it short or long term. Prisons are necessary, although I would not agree with submitting your people to Azkaban and therefore the jurisdiction and treatment of the Ministry. By having your own prison, you are in control of the sentence, and the treatment of the prisoners."
"And how is this prison of ours to be funded?" Griphook inquired.
"The Sanctuary is prepared to fund the cost of building it," James replied. "The London Sanctuary would fund the first one somewhere here in the United Kingdom, and down the line provided things go to plan, other Sanctuaries would fund the building of more as needed, region dependent. The funding of staffing and upkeep would be the responsibility of the Goblin Nation. This splits the responsibility between us. I would encourage, to keep the upkeep cost to a minimum, that you utilize penal worker methods for low risk prisoners, potentially saving money in where you'd need to employ somebody by utilizing a prisoner's skills instead while they are serving their term."
"That being said," Helen said firmly, "Because this would be a joint venture, I would insist that anyone who is on trial to potentially be imprisoned be tried by a council which includes a representative of the Sanctuary. I need assurance trials are above board, and I will need some assurance that prisoners are being treated in an ethical manner once convicted as well. In time those safeguards may no longer be necessary, but I'm sure you understand it takes time to build trust, and I have a reputation of being ethically aware to maintain."
"That's a perfectly reasonable request, Doctor Magnus," Nettclug replied, smiling softly. "Will we only be permitted to hold fellow Goblins accountable under the law, or will this be a prison which could potentially house Wizards, too?"
"Goblins, Wizards, Abnormals," Helen shrugged. "I don't have an issue with whom. My concern is that you are an intelligent people who have just as much right to self govern and have laws which are respected as anyone else. If the laws you make are not respected, then I do believe it's quite fair that you have some reasonable means by which to punish the offender, so long as your laws are readily available for the public to see. It wouldn't be fair if you punished someone for, say wearing purple on a Sunday inside Gringotts, telling everyone it was against an obscure law, when nowhere was that law readily available for anyone to have read about."
Melok couldn't help it. He laughed. "Who would come up with such a stupid law like that?"
Helen cringed. "Some of the Old Testament laws were fairly ridiculous. I had a dear friend, Albert Einstein, who was Jewish and we had all sorts of talks about the value of such restrictive laws. He argued that it was about self discipline. I argued it was about raising the bar so high no mere mortal could hope to reach it, and therefore one must reach for God in order to dream of doing the impossible."
Melok stiffened at Albert's name, and a quick glance at James showed him doing the same. He'd always known that James had been involved in how Liz had come into his life, although they'd never talked about it. Gods knew he'd not actually spoken to Liz in the better part of a decade. They'd had an argument about priorities, she'd buggered off to France, and it had been only a few months later that he'd married Genia and after that, well… he sighed, musing that Hermione was probably going to kick his arse if she found out about Liz.
He only half paid attention as conversation continued around the table, Helen, Hermione, and Newt contributing to the debate with the four Goblins he'd brought, while he and James remained mostly silent unless asked a direct question. Melok figured James' mind was resting on the same topic as his was, and it was not the topic he was meant to be focused on.
Elizabeth of House Koch, Goblin Princess, human Witch, born the daughter of Albert Einstein, who called her Lieserl. When she'd presented with magic, her mother had brought her to James, and James had brought her to the Goblins, who had been his only real Wizarding contacts at the time. The Goblins in turn had tested her blood, thinking to ensure she did not have a genetic link to a specific family before finding a foster home for her, and then they'd realized she was of a royal line. At that point, the Goblins weren't going to let her out of their sight, and they'd sent her to live with Melok's parents. A few years later, he'd been born, and he'd never known life without Liz in it. She'd always been there, always been his sister, and always been destined to grow up to marry a Goblin.
Originally, when he'd been born, his parents had given some consideration to betrothing him to Liz, but as they grew it was clear they had only familial feelings for one another, and their parents didn't force the issue, assuming any number of other Goblin suitors could be found for Liz. That said, a great part of his early years had been overshadowed by the insinuation that he may grow up to marry a Witch, and that may well have contributed to his predisposition to be attracted to Witches more than he was attracted to Goblin women.
So much of Melok's wariness in allowing Hermione to claim her title as a Goblin Princess had been because of how he'd watched it destroy his sister. Liz had been so high spirited, and so intelligent, not unlike Hermione. She was expected to marry a Goblin, and while she had many Goblin friends and had even taken Goblin lovers a few times, she loathed being ordered to do things. She wouldn't risk a Witch or Wizard's magic being taken from them by marrying, or even a Muggle or Squib's life, so she's simply chosen not to marry. She did not commit to relationships at all, keeping things casual, and she did not stay in one place long enough to form serious attachments at all. Liz did everything she could to ensure the Goblins had nothing they could take from her she would care about if she lost. The only thing she really loved was her brother, and she knew he was safe from their wrath because his family line was just as important as hers.
Melok was startled at the sound of chairs moving over the floor, and looked up to see everyone standing, looking quite pleased with themselves. The meeting must have gone well. He moved to stand, sighing heavily as James walked toward him. "What?" he asked irritably.
"You were barely paying attention," the London Sanctuary Head commented. "Given who Helen mentioned, I can guess where your thoughts were at. When was the last you spoke to her?"
He sighed. "Nearly ten years."
James looked at him incredulously. "My friend, we are going into a war. It is past time to work through whatever discord there is between you."
Melok shook his head. "It's not that there is some great discord. I was seeing Genia. I was serious about it and we'd talked about having children. I was honest with Liz about that. Liz was concerned that if she stayed in contact with me, the Goblins would use Genia and any children we had against her - that they wouldn't give a toss about my human wife and half breed children, and that they'd use Genia and our children's deaths as a way to punish both of us for not doing our duty."
"You disagreed," James concluded.
"At the time," he replied. "By the time I realized she was right, I had far too many other priorities than to consider hunting down my sister."
A cough sounded behind him. He spun, and saw Hermione standing there with her hands on her hips and a raised eyebrow. "Sister?"
He groaned. "Oh, great."
James patted his shoulder. "Give Liz my love when you see her."
That said, James walked off - the coward - leaving him alone with his Mage who had a look of annoyance on her face. "So. How is it that you have a sister that I don't know about?" she asked petulantly.
"Well she hasn't come around for nearly a decade," he grumbled. "I don't even know for sure where she is. Last I tracked her, she was in Italy, somewhere near Naples. That was a few years ago though, and I doubt she's still there."
"Why not?" Hermione inquired.
"Because that's my sister for you," Melok huffed. "She doesn't stay in one place long, and she doesn't make friends. She doesn't get attached because she knows that the minute she does, the bloody Goblins are going to punish her for it!"
Hermione frowned. "Punish her? Why?"
Melok rolled his eyes. "Her name is Elizabeth Koch. She was born to two Squibs, and given up for adoption when she showed magical potential. Of course, when her biological parents made that choice, I doubt they understood what they'd be subjecting their daughter to."
His Mage went back to smirking. "So your sister is a Witch?"
"What of it?" he asked.
She flopped down on a chair and grinned at him. "Nothing. It just explains so much about you. Anyway, so how are we going to find your sister? You obviously weren't paying attention, but one of the concessions Helen got the Goblins to agree to was to outlaw those sorts of punishments for those in the royal bloodlines. People like your sister can be encouraged to marry Goblins, and offered incentives, but they cannot be forced, and there will be legal repercussions for any Goblin caught forcing a royal into a marriage not of their choosing. I asked Helen to work that one out for me. Richard shouldn't have that hanging over his head, nor should my younger counterpart, in due course. I still won't likely come forward about my bloodline because I don't need to with Richard already in place, but for future generations, it's taken care of. For your sister it's taken care of. She can come home."
The idea of Liz meeting his sons filled his head and heart, and Melok felt like he might explode with the joy it made him feel. His sister had only met Genia a couple of times, but she was going to love Hermione, and she'd been on him so much to spend more time with people other than Goblins, so if she came home to see how much of his social circle now included Witches, Wizards, not to mention Squibs and Muggles, she'd go nuts. "Thank you," he said, voice thick with emotion.
Hermione's hand touched his cheek. "Of course."
Sirius walked into Arcturus' room, knocking lightly on the open door to alert his son of his approach. The younger man was sitting at his desk going over something or other, and jumped at the sound, papers scattering everywhere. "Bloody hell!" Arcturus muttered, leaning over to gather the displaced items off the floor.
Chuckling, Sirius moved forward and knelt on the ground to help pick up the mess. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at his son when he picked up a brochure from a Muggle travel agency for Rome. "What's this?" he asked.
His son snatched the brochure out of his father's hand. "A surprise I'm trying to plan for Cor's birthday," he admitted softly. "Do me a favor and don't say anything to anyone about it, will you?"
Sirius frowned, not liking the idea of his daughter in Rome all alone. "You're sending your sister to Rome for her birthday?"
Arcturus looked affronted. "I'm not daft, Father. I'm taking her to Rome. She doesn't hate my company, after all, and while she's the one who's pining after the adventure, I'll admit to a certain curiosity."
That made him feel a bit better. Arcturus would look after Lycoris, certainly, although he'd probably send an emergency Portkey along with them to be safe. Hermione could probably make one, or barring that, he could have one made legally at the Ministry. It wasn't as if emergency Portkeys were all that unusual a request when traveling in foreign countries.
The fact that his son and daughter got on as well as they did was a double edged sword, he thought. Those who didn't know them, and who they were to one another, often mistook them for husband and wife until corrected, and in the case of traveling to Rome, Sirius was almost thankful for that general assumption. It meant that some Rome native who fancied himself a great lover wouldn't attempt to seduce his daughter - not if a man he presumed was her husband was in such close proximity. He shook his head, remembering that this was hardly the first time Arcturus and Lycoris had traveled together, and not the first time he'd had similar thoughts. "It's no wonder," he mused out loud, "that you never remarried, and Cor never found herself a husband. You two are so often mistaken as spouses that you drive away potential wives and husbands short of people who are already well acquainted with our family."
His son stiffened. "I've no desire to remarry, Father. I do not believe Cor has any interest in marriage either. Please don't force us. For Merlin's sake, I've already produced a bloody heir."
Sirius raised his hands in silent surrender. "I wasn't pushing. You're right, you have done your duty. I was merely bringing it up out of concern. Melania has been gone for nearly thirty years now, son. Are you not lonely?"
Arcturus shook his head firmly. "I'm perfectly content with Cor for company. Besides, can you imagine some Witch having to suffer through getting Mum's approval?"
He let out a barking laugh. "Fair point. I should touch base with your sister, though. I'll respect if you feel so strongly against a remarriage, but she deserves the option to freely seek out love without fear of my approval standing in her way. I just want her to be happy. I want you both to be happy."
"I'm confident her answer will be the same as mine," Arcturus replied with an air of certainty. "I know my sister."
Sirius eyed his son critically. "Is planning vacations with your sister really all you want of life, Arcturus? I know when I came back, I took the Headship back from you. Would you like to have more responsibilities, like you did when I was gone? I feel like I'm doing you a disservice to just… I don't know, leave you be, as it were."
His son rolled his eyes. "I was never suited to be Head of the Blacks in the first place. I loathe politics. If I have my way then it'll pass over me entirely and go right to Orion, in the end, and I'll never have to deal with that rot again."
Sirius felt a lurch in his gut, knowing that in most cases, the only way a Headship passed anyone up was if they outlived their heir. The other common reason was disownment, but Sirius didn't see that as likely. "I'd really rather not outlive another of my children, son," he said softly, thinking of how hard it had been to watch Regulus die.
"Nor would I wish that on you," the other Wizard replied. "However, I am certain I am far from being the only Black in our history who wasn't suited to Headship. What do you say about adding into the bylaws of our family policies a clause about abdication? That perhaps an heir may abdicate under certain circumstances?"
He considered the question for a moment. "What circumstances did you have in mind?"
"For example, in the case where they'd already produced a child which might be named heir in their place," Arcturus offered slyly. "I'd also suggest, on a practical level, an allowance for an heir to abdicate if they're medically sterile, reducing the risk of the line ending with them. Another good cause would be if the current Head felt they were not mentally disposed to be a good Head, they could be asked to abdicate in favor of a sibling or cousin. They wouldn't be required to, but it would set precedence for someone in line for Headship to, for want of better expression, fall honorably on their sword."
Sirius nodded, seeing the merit in all the points. "Alight. I'll write something up to add an abdication clause to our bylaws, although I want to talk to Hermione about it first. She'll likely have some input to offer. That said, Arcturus, I want your word that you'll give it at least six months of honest contemplation before you commit to abdicating. If I write this up, I'll write it in a way that will not allow for the thing to be undone except for under extraordinary circumstances, such as no other heirs being available to take Headship. We can't afford to open the door for someone abdicating down the line and change their mind when their son later does something they don't approve of. You need to be sure."
He got an actual smile out of Arcturus - a rare thing from his first born - for agreeing to the idea. "I'll do that," the younger Wizard agreed easily. "Of course, you do know that once Mum gets her sticky fingers on it, it'll turn into a proposition to be implemented to Pureblood Houses in general, and not just to our family, right?"
"Likely," Sirius begrudgingly agreed, groaning softly. "Just what I needed. More time in Wizengamot sessions."
He stayed and talked to Arcturus about his plans for Rome for a few more minutes before he excused himself, walking a bit further down the hall and then down a flight of stairs to the Library, figuring it was likely where his daughter was at present. She was just as much a bibliophile as her step-mother was, and so it was no wonder that Cor and Hermione had become fast friends over the years, often getting into lively intellectual debates.
Sirius smiled softly as he saw his daughter curled up, feet tucked under her, on an armchair, as he entered the Library a few minutes later. Her nose was in a book, to no surprise, and she didn't look up when he entered. "Got a minute?" he asked.
"Not unless you have a strong grasp on Bridgem's Theory," his daughter grumbled.
He sat in the arm chair across from her. "What about it?"
She looked up. "I didn't realize you knew anything about higher level Transfiguration."
He raised an eyebrow. "How exactly did you think I became an Animagus, Cor?"
"I had been leaning toward either dumb luck or cheating off of Mum," his daughter admitted.
Sirius bristled. "I'll have you know, I'm quite decent at Transfiguration, thanks. So what about Bridgem's Theory is giving you trouble?"
"Well, you see, I was thinking about Gamp's Law," she explained with a huff, "in that one can't make something out of nothing, but Bridgem's theory allows for the expansion or reduction of mass as needed to suit the purpose of the caster. In the general sense, I can wrap my head around this, but what I'm trying to sort is the gender bias. I can, in theory, physically alter my body in size and shape to make myself appear to be a man, however on the base level when it comes to reproduction organs, that would literally be making something out of nothing on the biochemical level. It doesn't make sense and I've been through every Transfiguration book in our library and can't find any sort of explanation!"
Sirius sent a silent thank you to Beta Narcissa for helping him look incredibly insightful to his daughter right now. "You won't find the answer in Transfiguration textbooks. You'd find it in books about Healing. You're forgetting about our third chromosome, Cor. Our genes are mutable, and therefore along with the expansion of mass necessary to make yourself male, in theory, you could also Transfigure on the genetic level the bits that are female into bits that are male, exchanging one for another so that the hormone balance would be maintained. That's how permanent Transexual transitions are done, although there is some Grandmaster level spellwork to make it lasting, mind you. The temporary version is doable at Master level."
Lycoris looked at him like she'd been struck dumb. He wasn't sure if it was because she didn't expect him to have the answer, or if she didn't expect that answer, or something in between. The book in her hands slammed shut. "Well then. That answers that question, and there went two days of my life down the drain."
He shrugged. "Next time ask. Chances are either me or your Mum know or know someone who does."
She scoffed. "You're a dreadful Slytherin, Father. Now, you did come here for a reason, did you not? What did you need?"
"Oh," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I was just reminded that while I've sort of assumed you and your brother knew that I was open to either of you seeking suitors, blood status and whatnot be damned, I hadn't actually made that plain. I'm not pressuring you to get married, but if you were interested, I wanted to be clear that whoever you fancied, I just want you to be happy."
Cor laughed, although he didn't honestly take it as the happy sort of laugh. The tone was more bitter, as if she doubted the veracity of his claim. Her arms crossed over her chest. "I am not interested in taking a husband. Or a wife, just in case that's what you're wondering. Arcturus and I have managed tolerably with only one another for company for thirty years, and we were close even before he lost his wife. Frankly, I do believe if I took a husband he'd find good cause to be jealous of the time I preferred to spend with my brother."
Sirius frowned. "You know, most brothers and sisters grow up and develop lives independent of one another."
She shook her head, looking resolute. "Not me and Arcturus. We may not have shared a womb, Father, but we're as close as any twins you've ever known. You can't comprehend the bond we have. I'm not even asking you to try. I'm just asking you to respect that it exists and not come between it. He is mine, and I am his, and woe be the idiot who stands between us."
He shrugged. Fred and George Weasley had been like that, and so had Fabian and Gideon in Alpha, before they'd died. They were the same now, even as little boys. Arcturus was nearly five years older than Lycoris, but he supposed that didn't matter. He and Belvina had nearly a decade between them, and he might say the same about her that Cor had said about her brother. Woe be the idiot who stood between them. That was love, right? That was family.
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