Hermione hugged her family goodbye outside the Kilokilo International Transportation Office. The boat had been sent home ages ago so they couldn't take that and Hermione didn't know how to fly it anyway. Tavi was talking with a house-elf who was working at the office while Cedric picked up the Portkey they ordered a few days ago.
"You've got everything?" Manuia asked.
"Yes, Papá," said Hermione.
"I wish you had chosen to go to Uluru instead of Castelobruxo," said Amalea.
"I know," said Hermione, giving her a side hug, "but I think Castelobruxo is best for me."
"We'll see you for Christmas," said Hana, holding up her medallion. "Message us when you get to D.R."
"Sure thing," Hermione replied.
"Thank you," said Cedric to the Portkey employee. He took the large sea shell and turned back to Hermione. "It'll activate once we get to the Portkey platform. It'll take us all the way to Luesma."
"Alright," said Hermione. "Got everything?"
"Yes," he said. "In my backpack."
"And I've got my things in my purse," she said, patting it.
"I have everything," said Tavi, lifting up her suitcase.
"You should really consider getting proper clothes," said the store house-elf as he went back to organizing the shelf. "This isn't Ancient Greece, you don't have to wear a toga."
Tavi flushed and tugged at her hem self-consciously before following Cedric and Hermione.
"If you'd like some clothes I bet Esperanza would be happy to make you some," said Cedric.
"Oh, no!" said Tavi quickly. "It is okay."
"If you say so."
When they reached the transport pad (half of which was a landing pad with a row of trash cans lining the end) a witch was checking that everyone had their hands on the Portkey. As soon as they stepped on, they had thirty seconds to touch the Portkey or they would risk getting left behind. If a person was left behind, they were directed back to the Transportation Office.
"Next," said the witch.
Hermione, Cedric, and Tavi stepped forward.
"Your thirty seconds begins now," she said, hitting a stop watch.
Hermione, Cedric, and Tavi circled the shell, Hermione and Tavi putting a hand on top while Cedric held it.
"Five… four… three… two… one!"
A tug pulled at Hermione's middle and they were suspended in mid-air and spinning wildly. Tavi was screaming as she gripped onto her suitcase and the shell for dear life. It felt like an eternity before they appeared over a stone landing pad. Cedric let go and floated gently down while Hermione and Tavi landed hard. He helped Tavi to her feet since Hermione quickly rolled onto her own.
"Please get off the platform," said a wizard . "We have another Portkey arriving in a minute."
Hermione, Cedric, and Tavi hurried off the platform and sat down on a bench to catch their breath.
"The cats," said Hermione, opening Cedric's backpack to pull out the cat carriers.
Belle and Crookshanks moaned and meowed in irritation at the bumpy ride.
"I think we can rent a boat to get to the house," said Hermione. "Or I can get a motorcycle with a sidecar."
The next Portkey arrived, and a couple floated down onto the platform arm-in-arm. Hermione lit up, recognizing them.
"Zaza! Viktor!" she shouted, waving her hand.
Esperanza grinned and ran off the platform to hug her cousin.
"I didn't realize you were coming today!" said Hermione, meeting her halfway and hugging her tightly.
"Yes, Viktor got his time off approved for my sisters' quinceañera," she said. "How has your vacation been?"
"Oh, it was awesome," said Hermione. "I can't wait to show you the pictures. What about yours?"
"Well, while Viktor was healing, we babysat his nieces and nephews," she said. "And when he was healed enough, we went sightseeing. I'll tell you more later. I'll get us a boat."
"I'll go with you," said Viktor, taking her hand.
Cedric leaned close to Hermione.
"Something happened," he said. "Between them, I mean… not anything bad. But something."
Hermione furrowed her brow. "You think?"
"Yeah… not sure what though."
Hermione hummed.
Esperanza and Viktor came back with keys and a slip of paper. "Are you okay to walk?"
Hermione and Cedric agreed and they walked down to the river where the boats were docked. Esperanza spoke to the man there and they got a speed boat that would be a tight squeeze for the four of them, but manageable enough for them to get home. Hermione hoped Cedric and Viktor would feel at home. While used to boarding school, they wouldn't be used to a large house filled with people. And they certainly weren't used to living with mostly women. Cedric had a little bit of that in Hawaii, but not on a scale like this.
"It's about dinner time," said Hermione. "I know we just had lunch, but I'm already hungry."
"It is one in the morning back in Bulgaria," said Viktor with a light laugh. "I'm ready to go to sleep."
"You'll wake up shortly," said Esperanza. "Brace yourselves."
Cedric and Viktor exhaled softly as they saw the house. With the setting sun, the orange house looked like it was glowing. The veranda was crowded as the family set up dinner. Someone noticed the approaching boat and the younger half crowded at the railing to wave at them.
"Now I see why you were not impressed with my father's mansion," said Viktor.
"I said it was cute," she replied. "But it also doesn't make sense to have rooms and not fill them."
After reaching the dock, Viktor got off the boat first and helped the others out. Esperanza put the slip of paper back in the boat and it drove itself away.
"Hola!" she called, climbing up the stairs to the veranda.
"Just in time," said Tía Manola. "We're just about to start dinner and after you eat you boys can have the tour which Ceci will give."
"The house looks different," Hermione commented. "I don't remember that tower on the Southeast side."
"We remodeled," said Maite. "Added on some extensions, changed the layout of the rooms. The youngest kids can't stay in the nursery forever."
Salome, Rafaella, and Melanie charged and grabbed onto a different person either by jumping into their arms or grabbing onto their leg. Viktor was left out until Manolo ran over and gave him a hug. He didn't seem to know what to do with the sudden contact and just patted the youngest Sanchez boy on the back.
Hermione let out the cats and the youngest triplets squealed and ran after them.
"We are so excited to have you boys here," said Tía Constanza, approaching their group. "I hope you don't mind sharing a room."
"It's fine," said Cedric. "Do you have a room for Tavi?"
"Hello," said Tavi, waving. "I am Cedric's house-elf."
Heads snapped up.
"Freed," said Cedric.
They immediately relaxed.
"Welcome to our home, Tavi," said Tía Constanza. "I think we can find a room for you. Um… do you like gardens?"
Tavi perked up and nodded.
"Wonderful, The Architects will build you a room on the roof next to the garden," she said. "For now… hm… we'll figure it out after dinner. Come on and sit, I bet you're all tired and hungry."
"I could eat," said Cedric.
The family table was large and round and somehow had plenty of space for all of them, and the center was a turntable so that food could be passed around. It only went left to avoid sudden spills. Hermione was sure there was a story that went along with that, but nobody told her about it yet. The table changed sizes depending on how many people were eating. The entire family was there to greet Viktor and Cedric since they were basically new family members.
"We're starving," said Celeste, patting her round stomach as she sat down. "Unfortunately, this baby is crushing all my organs and I can't eat a lot at once. He won't come soon enough."
"She will be here any day now," Diego assured her.
"He won't be here for a couple more weeks."
Hermione sat down between Cedric and Esperanza. Manolo insisted on sitting next to Viktor which was utterly adorable. Tía Constanza sat on the other side of Cedric. Salome, Rafaela, and Melanie ate at a smaller table with Tavi, whom they were very interested in and bombarded with questions.
Once the food was all set out and everyone had settled, Tía Constanza stood up and everyone joined hands. Esperanza smacked Viktor's hand when he reached out to take food then held it.
Hermione rested her hand on Cedric's shoulder and bowed her head.
"Heavenly Mother," said Tía Constanza. "We thank you for this day. We thank you for bringing Esperanza, Herminia, Cedric, and Viktor home safely to us. We ask that you bless the food on our table today, the hands that prepared our food, and the hands that made it possible for us to put this food in our home. Praise to this."
"Alabanza," Hermione murmured along with everyone else.
"Now, you may eat," said Tía Constanza.
Everyone grabbed and ladled food onto their plates, the table spinning slowly to the left as everyone grabbed a helping.
"Have some sancocho," said Hermione. "It's really good."
"What's sancocho?" Cedric asked.
"Seven meat stew," she replied. "We usually have it on Sundays since it stretches pretty far and we just throw a lot of the week's leftovers in it. The rest of the week it's simpler stuff. Arroz con pollo, la bandera, asopao, pasteles en hoja, lots of rice and plantain based dishes because rice and plantains are cheap and we got a lot of mouths to feed. Lunches are a you-find-it-you-eat-it type deal. Breakfasts? It varies."
"I typically make breakfast for a small group," Esperanza interjected. "I make breakfast for anyone who wakes up the same time I do. I don't know what time I'll wake up tomorrow, we just went back in time without a time turner so don't count on that."
"Are our quinceañera dresses ready?" Bianca asked.
"Did you bring us anything from Bulgaria?" Noa asked.
"Is that all you have to say?" Esperanza asked. "Not, 'we missed you hermana!' 'How was your trip, Zaza?' 'Life wasn't the same without you!'"
"We missed you, hermana," said Josefina in a sweet voice.
"How was your trip, Zaza?" Bianca asked in an equally sweet voice.
Noa raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying it."
"She missed me," Esperanza stage-whispered to Viktor before turning to her sisters. "I missed you, too. The trip was great. And, yes, I brought souvenirs to show you how much fun I had without you, and your dresses are almost ready, I'll need to do a fitting, I haven't seen you since September, you know. I bet you've grown."
"We know," they chorused.
"How are you liking the food?" Hermione asked Cedric.
"Pretty good," said Cedric.
"You didn't take very much," she noted. "You either, Viktor."
"I wanted to make sure everyone else got enough," Cedric explained and Viktor nodded.
Abuela Ximena and Mama Antonella took this as a sign to get up from their seats and spoon food on Cedric and Viktor's plates, making claims about how thin they were and that growing boys needed to eat.
"You're so thin, Viktor," said Abuela Ximena, putting more food on his plate. "Have some more pasteles."
"No, thank you," said Viktor. "I mean—no gracias ."
Abuela Ximena narrowed her eyes. "I ask if you want more pasteles."
Viktor leaned away. "Y-yes?"
"That's what I thought!" she said cheerfully, placing a few more on his plate.
Tío Greg leaned over. "Just roll with it Vik."
"Roll with what?" Viktor asked, looking confused.
"Everything," said Diego with a shrug. "The Sanchez women are used to taking care of each other and anyone that passes along. They're also matriarchal, so we take their last name when we marry in. At least, Greg and I did. Basically, they've been doing their own thing for five hundred years and it works for them. Follow along and it'll work for you, too."
Family dinners usually lasted close to two hours since it was when everyone would catch up with the week's events. However, halfway through, Manolo and his sisters were sent to bed with Tío Greg organizing the leave. It would be a few years yet before Manolo would be able to sit still long enough for dinner. At dessert, Tía Constanza cleared her throat.
"Cedric, Viktor," she said. "Before we wrap up, I'd like to let you know some standard House Rules." When she had their full attention, she continued, "In this House, everyone pulls their weight. One) you pick up after yourselves the best you can, house-elf or no. Two) we will not tolerate any—"
"Don't worry," said Esperanza. "They're as gentlemanly as they come and are as far from chauvinistic pigs as possible."
"Fine. Three) No fighting. If you have a problem with someone, you will talk about it and listen. Four) Keep in mind that there is a blind lady in this house. If you move furniture put it back within the taped lines. I don't like tripping. Leave it like you found it. Understand?"
"Yes, Tía," said Cedric.
"I understand," said Viktor.
"Good."
Mama Florencía spoke up a moment later. "Five) No premarital sex in the house."
Viktor choked, Esperanza knocked her cup over, Cedric lost his spoon in his pudding, and Hermione's water slowly spilled back into her cup when her jaw dropped.
"Mamá!" her daughters gasped in unison.
"Fine. No unprotected premarital sex in the house."
"Ay, dios mio," someone muttered.
"Mamá," Ximena hissed. "This topic is not appropriate."
"What? They're young, they're full of life," Mama Florencía said, sighing. "I was young like that once. So many memories."
"Ew…" said Noa, putting her hands over her ears.
"They're too young," said Tía Constanza.
"Not Esperanza and Viktor. You know, when I was that age—"
"Okay!" said Cecilia, jumping to her feet. "I'll give the tour! Herminia, Esperanza, a little bit of remodeling was done so just walk with us."
Relieved, they pushed back from the table and hurried into the house. It was easy to shake off the awkward conversation when they could focus on the house. Cedric and Viktor looked amazed and a little overwhelmed from the ground floor alone. The game room, the parlor/music room, and the sun room were all bright and wonderful.
"Whoa," they said at the same time when they saw the massive two-story library filled with books, scrolls, and albums that had been collected for centuries.
"We have a catalogue," said Hermione. "When you pick a book, you have to check it out by writing it in that book over there."
She pointed to an open book with lines for a name, book title, and date of checking out and returning. That way nobody would be looking for a book that wasn't there.
They circled to the foyer.
"We have stairs here," said Cecilia. "And an elevator there. If, for any reason, you're using the elevator you have to close the outside gate first then the inside gate before pressing the button for the floor you want. We'll take the stairs."
At the top of the stairs, Cecilia opened the double doors facing them.
"This is our ofrenda room," she explained. "The tradition was brought to us by Papa Javier from Mexico. Mama Florencía's father." She pointed to a picture of a man with a large mustache and a cowboy hat. He had his arm around his wife and a hand on the head of his eldest daughter. "Two of Mama Florencía's sisters moved to Mexico and started another Sanchez branch there and the third sister went to New York."
The room was strictly lit with candles. There were tiers of tables and shelves filled with pictures of deceased family members. A few opened their eyes and blinked at the sudden visitors.
"If any of you want to put pictures in here, you can."
Viktor and Cedric dug into their bags. Viktor, finding his picture first, put it in a free space near the front. An empty candle lit itself, illuminating a photo of two identical boys. Viktor and his twin brother, Valko.
Cedric got out the picture of his mum's family and placed it beside Hermione's mum. As he did, a small object fell out of his bag. Hermione picked it up and found it was a ring. She recognized it as Belphoebe's ring.
"Come on, much to see," said Cecilia, moving them along.
Without thinking, Hermione slipped the ring on and tuned back into the tour.
Cecilia showed them the children's playroom and the second floor of the library before going up one of the flights of stairs at the front, pointing out the water closets under the stairs. On the second floor, she showed Viktor and Cedric their shared room. It was really cool because they both had a bunk bed with a desk, yet the room was divided by a wall so they had privacy. Their bathroom had a water closet so that if someone needed to use the toilet, the other could still use one of the sinks.
"Wow," said Cedric.
"I wish my room at Durmstrang was like this," said Viktor, getting his trunk from Esperanza and placing it on the far side of the room to claim it. "Milo was okay roommate but his idea of half was… incorrect."
Hermione helped Cedric get his trunk out of his backpack and pushed it against the window.
"You can put your backpack down, you know," said Cecilia.
"I know," said Cedric, not removing it.
"Alright," she said with a shrug. "Adjacent to the boys' room, is your room, Herminia. You're sharing it with Bianca, Noa, and Josefina."
The spring green door was decorated with stickers of flowers and cute bugs.
"Vaya," Hermione breathed, pushing it open.
An entire wall was two sets of bunk beds, except they were built into the wall with a set of stairs leading to the second level of full-sized beds. Each quarter having its own window, a shelf, and compartments underneath the bed. Hermione's was on the top right and had a turquoise comforter. She tossed her bag onto her bed.
"The bathroom has four sinks, two toilets, and a closet for dresses. Everything else goes into the built-in closets on that wall there," said Cecilia, pointing to the wall on the same side as the door.
"Your house is so cool," said Cedric.
"You haven't seen anything yet," said Cecilia, leading them to the third floor via staircase that was between Greg's and Manola's room and their children's room.
"This floor has the meditation room, the sauna, the workout room, and the quiet rooms," she said. "The quiet room is for when you get too much of everywhere else. We have two, side-by-side. Cedric, you'll use one for when you transform."
"Okay," he said. "Will it be safe for everyone else?"
"Oh, yes," she said, waving her hand. "You'll have Angela. She's an animagus, so she'll keep you company. You'll have your mind anyway with your potion."
In the middle of the floor, next to the lift, was a spiral staircase which led up to the roof.
"Up here is the lab," she said, gesturing to a building. "You'll hear noises from it, don't worry about it. This is the garden for tea and relaxing. The food garden is outside the kitchen. That tower is where Maite, Ana, and Elisa live. Esperanza, we moved your room up here so you can also use it for work."
Esperanza's room was large and already had her sewing supplies set up. There was a lot of light, but she could close it off with curtains. The ceiling was also glass and had a beautiful view of the sky.
"I love it!" she squealed, setting her purse down on a work table.
"You can explore the grounds tomorrow," said Cecilia. "We got the food garden, the baseball diamond, the fútbol-slash-Quidditch Pitch, etc. Don't be worried if you see strangers from the Girl Home. They know what goes on here."
Cedric released a breath. "Where's my room again?"
Cecilia laughed. "You'll get used to it."
"I'm going to go to bed," Esperanza said and kissed Viktor. "Buenas noches, bomboncito."
He murmured goodnight in Bulgarian.
Hermione wasn't tired at all. It was only lunch time back in Hawaii. Did she remember to tell Papá she made it there safely? Better safe than sorry. She tapped her medallion with her thumb.
M.A.D.E.I.T.2.D.R.S.A.F.E.L.U.V.U.
T.H.A.N.K.Y.O.U.L.U.V.U.2. Came the reply around the rim.
Hermione smiled and tucked it in her pocket.
"Herminia, Cedric, you two should try and sleep," said Cecilia, leading them back to their rooms. "Even if you just lay in bed and read a book. You'll adjust much better."
"Alright," said Hermione.
Noa wheeled out of their room. "Hey, Cedric, where's your arm?"
He frowned. "In a ditch somewhere along with what's left of my dignity."
"Not that," she said. "I mean, that sucks, but where's your prosthetic? Weren't you issued one?"
"I was," he said. "But it sucks. It doesn't work properly."
"Can I see it?"
"Sure." He shrugged off his backpack, dug out his prosthetic, and handed it to Noa.
"Primitive," she said, studying it and messing with the joints which refused to move properly. "Did they dig this out of a cave?"
"Probably," he said. "I have some money but if I buy a decent one it'll deplete most of what I've saved and I'm behind on production."
"Pfft, you don't need to buy one," she said, placing the prosthetic in her lap and backing into her room.
"Well, that's all organized," said Cecilia. "Goodnight."
"Buenas noches, Ceci," said Hermione.
Cecilia blinked and made her left eye match Hermione's right. "See you tomorrow. Maybe. I have to work."
Viktor went into his room, leaving Hermione and Cedric in the hallway.
"We don't actually have to go to bed, you know," she said. "Bedtime is only enforced for fourteen and under."
"What would you prefer to do instead, then?" he asked, leaning against the wall.
"I don't know," she said. "Honestly, we should probably unpack and you need to make sure Tavi settles in somewhere."
"True," he said. "Tavi."
Ten seconds later, Tavi appeared.
"You need me?" she asked.
"I want to make sure you get settled in somewhere."
"Oh, yes," said Tavi. "I was given a cot in Mama Florencía's room. She requested I help her in the gardens when she wakes. Is that alright?"
"Yes," he said. "I'm glad you have a place to be. Um, could you help me unpack, please?"
Tavi brightened up. "Of course!" She strode into the bedroom and got to work unpacking.
Hermione kissed Cedric's forehead and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "I hope you sleep well."
"Any plans for tomorrow?" he asked, leaning into her touch.
"Mm… not yet," she replied. "We'll think of something. Perhaps a do-nothing day is in order. We can look into sightseeing another day."
"Good idea."
Hermione kissed him again and backed into her room where Noa, Bianca, and Josefina were hanging around like lounging cats. Crookshanks had already made himself at home in Josefina's lap.
"Tell us everything," said Bianca.
"About what?"
"Uhh… the story about you and Cedric, how and why you almost died in January, why you are suddenly transferring to Castelobruxo when you have a super cute boyfriend at Hogwarts, what happened with that Final Task, is it true Cedric is a werewolf?"
"Oh, that stuff," said Hermione. "Okay."
She spent several hours telling them everything that happened since she last saw them before demanding they do the same.
~o0o~
"Hermione!" Cedric slid into the kitchen looking panicked. "I can't find my mum's ring. She gave it to me shortly before she died and so I've always kept it on me and now it's gone."
"Okay, love, calm down," said Hermione. She held up her right hand. "You dropped it yesterday so I picked it up, but then got distracted, so I put it on for safekeeping."
"Oh, thank God," he breathed, holding out his hand to take it back.
"I bet Abuela would be happy to make a chain for it," said Hermione.
"That'd be nice," Cedric replied. "I had one, but I was worried it would break without me realizing it."
Hermione twisted the ring trying to get it off her finger. Frowning, she tugged on it harder, yet it still, refused to go past her joint.
"It's stuck."
"I'll help," said Bianca. "Hold out your hand."
Hermione stuck her hand out. Bianca grabbed hold and tugged.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Hermione cried, feeling her finger stretch farther than it should. "Be careful, my hands are still sensitive!"
"That's really stuck on tight," said Bianca.
"That's odd," said Cedric, taking Hermione's hand and gently massaging the pain away with his thumb while he studied the ring. "My mum didn't have small hands and, sorry Mimi, but yours are pretty dainty."
"Tiny hands," she sighed. "My one weakness."
"I have a solution," said Esperanza, flicking the pan with her wand so that it kept their breakfast from burning. She strode over and pointed at the ring. "Engorgio!"
The ring grew and became loose. Hermione went to remove it and just as it reached her joint, it snapped back down to its original size.
"Well, I'm out of ideas," said Esperanza, going back to cooking.
"Maybe Cedric has to be the one to remove it," Noa suggested.
"Yes, you try Cedric," said Hermione.
He managed to slide the ring most of the way off and paused.
"What if they try to take it away from me?" he asked, staring down at it. "The Ministry? Or Amos? I can't let that happen… No, you keep it Hermione. It's safer with you."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"I'm sure," he said.
"Well, that's settled," said Esperanza. "Who's hungry?"
~o0o~
BOOM!
Cedric dropped his book and looked at Hermione in alarm. They were enjoying each other's company in the family room after selecting books from the library.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Paula, Emilia, and Abril," she replied, catching a glass bird that fell off a shelf. She blew on it and it fluttered back to its spot. "They like to experiment, so they have a lab on the top floor."
"Why?"
"So that if they blow something up majorly then it'll only take the roof of the house," she explained, turning the page in her book.
"I mean why do they have a lab?" he clarified.
"Because they set their room on fire."
That made sense. Cedric sighed and leaned back.
Noa entered the room and made a beeline towards Cedric, her expression neutral.
"Hey," he greeted.
Without a word, she removed a bit of measuring tape from her pocket and measured Cedric's left arm, the length and width of his palm, and each of his fingers individually, even measuring the circumference of the base of his fingers to the tip. She jotted all these measurements down and left.
"Okay, bye."
Abuela Ximena entered the room. "Herminia, come, we have a lesson."
"Yes, Abuela," said Hermione standing up and tucking her book under her arm. She touched Cedric's shoulder lightly as she passed by.
He leaned back once more when the sound of screaming made him sit back up in alarm. He immediately relaxed when he heard Tía Manola calling after it. It was just the triplets. Before he could fully relax again, the youngest triplets burst into the room in various states of dress up. Tía Manola charged in after them trying to wrangle them to a single area.
Salome shrieked with delight and jumped onto the couch Cedric was sitting on.
"Sorry, Cedric," said Tía Manola, wrangling her daughters in. "Somebody gave them an extra box of juice."
"No problem," he said, getting to his feet and scooping up Rafaella in his arm. "Need any help?"
"Ah, no," said Tía Manola. "I—"
"I want Cedric to play with us!" said Salome, wriggling from her mother's grasp and attaching herself to Cedric's leg.
Melanie looked at her sisters and followed Salome's lead, attaching herself to Cedric's other leg. He chuckled, catching onto their playful nature and looked at Tía Manola, sensing how tired she was.
"Maybe I can keep them occupied for a little while," he said.
"Really?" said Tía Manola. "That would be wonderful! I really have to get some important things done that I've been putting off."
"It's no problem at all," said Cedric. "I love children. I could take care of them with one arm… not that I have a choice."
She chuckled and hurried off to do whatever she needed to get done. It was… a nap. Ah. Yes, that made sense.
"So… what do you want to play?" Cedric asked the little girls.
He did not like the looks and grins they exchanged. They dragged him through the house to a room that was completely decorated with children's drawings. There were low tables for drawing and tiny chairs for sitting. Several adult-sized rocking chairs were spread out and low bookcases filled with children's books and coloring books nestled beside trunks packed with toys and other things.
"You like it?" Melanie signed.
"It's brilliant," said Cedric. "So what do you want—"
Esperanza burst in with a tape measure, notebook, and pen floating around her. She hardly said a word as he was measured and held fabric swatches to his face.
"Er— hola," he said and closed his eyes. "Wait… you can't hear me. You never wear Merelin while you sew."
"Ah-huh. Ah-huh." Esperanza turned and left, brushing past Viktor who just seemed to be following her around awkwardly.
"Viktor! Play with us!" Rafaella called out.
He paused and looked after his girlfriend then back at them. Like Cedric, he never lived in a house full of people free to do whatever, and didn't know what to do with himself. He also seemed nervous around the kids like he was going to hurt them by accident.
"Come on, join us," Cedric said, invitingly. "I don't know what game we're playing yet, but I'm sure it'll be fun."
Viktor eyed the children apprehensively, took a deep breath, and entered the room.
"What game shall we play?" he asked, clumsily signing the words 'game' and 'play'.
"Tea time!" said Salome, grabbing Viktor's hand and leading him to the table.
"Wait!" said Rafaela, holding up a hand. "Only princesses can sit at tea time!"
Melanie made little excited gasps and opened up a yellow trunk which was filled with dress up clothes.
"I see," said Cedric. "No princes?"
"Princes ruin everything," said Rafaela. "They wake you up from naps and kill innocent witches and dragons."
Cedric hummed and nodded. "I see, then we will be the best princesses we can be."
He nudged Viktor with his elbow.
"Hm? Oh, yes." He hesitantly took the tiara and feathered boa Salome pressed into his hands and looked at Cedric.
Cedric, without breaking eye contact, put on the pink and purple plastic tiara and wrapped the orange boa around his neck. When children wanted to play, it was best to roll with it. So, Viktor followed along and sat down in one of the tiny chairs, wincing when it creaked. The three girls were bedecked in their own feather boas and plastic tiaras, along with fake jewelry that probably came from a board game. They had a tiny tea set and a tower full of plastic treats. Cedric felt like a giant at this plastic table and didn't quite know what to do with his legs. Viktor was sitting sideways, with his right leg stretched out. It seemed he wasn't quite recovered from his run-in with the Thing.
Rafaela was in charge and directed everyone into what needed to be done. Melanie didn't mind and Salome interjected once in a while. It was obvious they'd had fights over this before and were still working through it. They were six after all.
It was a novelty for them to have boys who were willing to play. Manolo, at nine, had deemed himself to old for this stuff and Diego was always too busy. Their papá would play with them, but he and mamá were working full time. They'd also never really interacted with teenaged boys until Cedric and Viktor.
"Do you have tea all the time in England?" Salome asked Cedric.
"Of course," he replied. "Tea time is always at three o'clock."
The three girls turned to look at the clock on the wall, slowly mouthing where the big hand and little hands were. It was nearly three, which made them nod in satisfaction.
An hour into play later, Hermione entered the playroom.
"There you are Cedric, I—" she stopped in her tracks.
The girls had roped Cedric and Viktor into dress-up. What they didn't realize was that involved makeup smelling heavily of wax and fruit. They were sitting side-by-side with unamused expressions and their arms crossed. Well, Viktor had his arms crossed and Cedric just had his arm draped over his stomach. Oblivious to their change in attitude, Salome, Melanie, and Rafaela were having the time of their lives.
"Don't laugh," said Cedric to Hermione.
Her face was twisted up.
"I'm not laughing," she squeaked and snorted. "Do I look like I'm laughing?"
"A little," he said. Rafaella took a puff and powdered more glitter on his cheek, making him sneeze. Whenever he considered trying makeup he was thinking something more along the lines of eyeliner.
"Oh, well, don't worry," said Hermione, removing her camera from around her neck. "Now, I'm just going to take a self-portrait…" She turned her back and held the camera at arm's length, snapping a photo while she made a peace-sign. "Just totally casual."
"Nia, play with us!" said Rafaela.
"Oh, I'd love to," said Hermione, looking at the picture she took while trying not to grin. "But I'm helping prep for church in the morning."
"But we want to be with you," said Salome, making her eyes bigger.
"Well, how about you join me?" said Hermione, swerving the manipulation tactic. "We can staple song books, prep vegetables for dinner tomorrow, oh and the kitchen needs cleaning before we can prep."
"Never mind."
"By the way," said Hermione, backing out of the room. "You boys have never looked prettier!"
She left the room and cackled, turning right to go upstairs rather than left to go downstairs. Manola came in a few minutes later to get the girls ready for dinner. She basically had the same reaction as Hermione.
"Alright, come on," she said, clapping her hands. "Time to clean up."
"Do we have to?" Salome asked.
"Yes, you have to," said Manola. "Cedric, Viktor, you can clean up in that bathroom there. There's some cold cream and washcloths in the cabinet."
"This happens often, huh?" said Cedric.
She smiled and nodded. "Greg handles it better than I do, to be honest. His scalp isn't as sensitive as mine."
The two boys got up and put the tiaras, boas, and plastic jewelry away before hurrying into the bathroom and closing the door.
"I think this is giving me a rash," said Viktor, smearing the cold cream on his face and passing the open container to Cedric.
"I'll be finding glitter for days," said Cedric, plucking the clips and bobbins out of his hair. "But as long as they're happy and having fun."
"Da," said Viktor. "When I have children, I will play with them like this."
Cedric looked at him in the mirror and raised an eyebrow.
"We haven't talked that far into future," said Viktor quickly, wetting a washcloth and wiping the cream off. "We are just enjoying time together and will talk again before I leave."
"That's a good plan," said Cedric. "Don't forget, you still owe me another round of Seeker's Bombardment and a duel."
"It is on." He frowned. "My face itches."
Cedric hummed and cleaned off his own face, cringing at how sticky the makeup residue felt. But that's because it was children's makeup and not Maybelline or… whatever brand of makeup Esperanza and Hermione used. He wasn't sure.
"I do think you and Esperanza are meant to be," he said. "I've seen a lot of relationships."
Viktor exclaimed something in Bulgarian. Cedric raised his head and shouted, "Oh, my God!"
Viktor's face had red splotches all over it that were spreading quickly and the rawest areas were swelling.
"Are you two okay in there?" Manola asked, knocking.
"No," said Cedric, flinging the door open. "Viktor's having an allergic reaction to the makeup!"
"Santa Maria!" Manola exclaimed. "Come with me, we have something for that. Cedric supervise the girls, make sure they wash up."
Cedric nodded and looked at Salome, Melanie, and Rafaela.
"You heard your mum," he said. "Wash up."
"Do we have to?" Rafaela asked.
"Yes," said Cedric. "Playtime is over for everyone. Time to wash up for dinner." He pushed the Winnie the Pooh step ladder over to the sink with his foot. "Who's first?" Silence. "If nobody volunteers then I'll have to pick one of you." More silence. "Okay, Rafaela, you first."
Manola returned without Viktor.
"He's with Angela," she said before he could ask. "He'll be fine. I can take over from here."
"Okay, thanks," said Cedric, moving on to go find Hermione. When he made it to the first floor, he nearly bumped into Tía Constanza. "Oh, lo siento."
"It's okay," she said. "I was actually looking for you."
"Oh?"
"Yes, come with me to the library," she said, beckoning for him to follow.
She swept her white cane across the floor to make sure she wouldn't trip on an overturned rug or a pair of shoes or anything that might end up in her path and led Cedric to the ground floor.
"Go on and sit while I find what I'm looking for," she said, skimming her fingers along the bookcases.
"Okay," said Cedric, sitting down in one of the arm chairs.
"How long have you been a legilimens?" Constanza asked.
"Um…" he thought about it. "Well, I've always been empathic. I guess I started hearing people's thoughts my second year of school and it just grew from there. It's not like I do it on purpose. Sometimes people just think loudly."
"It's rare for someone to naturally be a legilimens," she replied. "I know you don't use it for bad reasons. Herminia told us that you use it to help people."
"Honestly? I think it started when Amos started ignoring me." Cedric shrugged. "I never knew what mood he would be in and if I could pick up on it then I would know how to react and it just grew from there. People's thoughts are so weird sometimes. I hate when I hear intrusive thoughts. Most of the time it's followed by an internal argument about why they would think that. I always hear or see thoughts when I make eye contact. It depends on how people think and what they're thinking."
Constanza nodded and found what she was looking for.
"Did you know," she said, "that you can bring your legilimency to a whole other level?"
"I can?"
"Mmhm." She approached him carrying a large book and sat down. "Now… I'm an Aurologist, but for my Level Three E.D.A.M.s.—"
"Edams?"
"No. E-D-A-M," she clarified. "Exámenes de Apitud Magia. Your Nasty Exhausting Wizard Exams. We take Level Ones our fifth year, Level Twos our sixth, and Level Threes our seventh. There are higher levels for continuing education, though, by then most people are in mentoring programs."
"Oh," he flushed and cleared his throat. "Sorry for interrupting."
"It's okay, you have questions," she said, waving her hand. "So, for my E.D.A.M.s I wanted to prove that magic could extend beyond what was considered normal. A deaf person could cast spells in a new way, why can't a blind girl learn magic that requires eye-contact? And, oh, I learned so much. I discovered so much. I wrote a book about it."
She gave him the book. It was all black and had gold lettering on the cover.
"All you need to know is in that book and we will study the practical for it, too," she said. "You can do wondrous things if you think outside the box."
Learning how to extend his magic beyond what anyone else could do? Brilliant!
"Okay," said Cedric eagerly. "I'm ready for my first lesson."
"Excellent," she said. "Step One: Read that book."
"Oh." Sighing lightly, he flipped it open.
"I'm kidding," said Tía Constanza, breaking into laughter. "You should have heard your voice!"
Cedric smiled and chuckled, closing the book.
"Step one," she said. "Close your eyes and focus on the magic that you use for legilimency. If it's easier you can say the incantation legilimens so you can feel for the frequency of magic."
"Okay. I'm ready!" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Legilimens!"
~o0o~
Sunday, around six a.m., everyone had gathered in the entrance hall wearing their Sunday best. All of which was pure white with colorful embroidery on hems and collars. Hermione pinned half of her hair back with a big, white chrysanthemum and wore flat sandals with her dress. Cedric and Viktor weren't expecting to go to church but, luckily, Esperanza had white suits ready for them that matched Greg's, Diego's, and Manolo's.
"So, how are we getting there?" Cedric asked.
"The bus," said Hermione.
"Cedric, you don't have to bring your backpack," said Tía Manola.
"I know," he said.
"You can run it upstairs real quick."
Cedric shook his head and managed to clip the straps together across his chest so it wouldn't fall off. He'd taken to wearing it everywhere, even indoors. Hermione wasn't about to stop him as long as it made him feel safe.
"Everybody here?" Abuela Ximena asked, doing a quick headcount. "Good. Let's go."
They filed out the front door and waiting for them was a big, dusty bus. Tío Greg got inside and took his seat as the driver. It took some time but they all managed to find seats. Noa's wheelchair had a special section in the front where her wheels could be strapped down so she wouldn't roll around.
"This is much nicer than the Knight Bus," said Cedric, taking his seat by the window. "I like how the seats are stationary."
"I do, too."
Once everyone had been seated, Tío Greg started the engine and drove down the incredibly narrow road at speeds that normal buses shouldn't even reach, but not as fast as the Knight Bus. Hermione felt her heart jump into her throat and she grabbed onto Cedric's sleeve.
"We're not going to tip over," he said. "This isn't like the carriages."
"What happened with the carriages?" Renata asked loudly, looking over her shoulder. The bus went quiet and everyone looked over their shoulders.
"Third year, Halloween, our carriage tipped over," said Hermione trying not to make it sound like a big deal. "And this one's fat ass nearly crushed me."
"My butt's not that big," he said. "It's muscle."
"It's very nice," said Renata.
"Hey! Mine!"
"I'm just commenting. You're lucky."
"None of that talk before church," Tía Constanza warned.
"Sorry, mamá."
Mama Guadalupe stood up.
"We will be there soon," she said. "Let's all warm up those lovely voices. Now, Cedric, Viktor, what vocal range are you? Let me hear Cedric first."
Cedric took a deep breath and sang a verse of the song he and Hermione got together to. She smiled and rested her ankle against his.
"Lovely," she said. "Viktor, now you."
Viktor flushed. "I'm not good at singing."
"It's okay, you aren't soloing," she assured him. "Just sing a few scales. Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do."
Viktor hesitantly sang before cringing and trailing off. Maybe he just had a different type of singing voice.
"Good effort," said Manola.
"I think you sound amazing," said Esperanza, kissing his cheek.
A pleased smile crossed his face quickly falling away to unamusement. "That's not funny."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Okay, just stay by your lady and it will balance. Everyone start on your vocal exercises."
The bus filled with cacophony as everyone went into their own separate vocal exercises, whether it was sirens, tongue-twisters, or other crazy stuff. Cedric and Viktor glanced at each other and then back at the family, unsure what to make of this and if they should join in or not.
"Stop!" Guadalupe shouted after a minute. Once they were in silence she blew a note into a pipe.
They vocalized in harmony. Hermione straightened her back so that her voice would sound better. Consonance resonated in a near ethereal type manner.
"Our soloist this Sunday for opening mass is Esperanza," Guadalupe continued once she was satisfied that they were warmed up.
"She always solos," Bianca scoffed.
Esperanza stuck her tongue out. Guadalupe ignored them in favor of her list.
"Maite you will solo after the First Reading; Emilia you will solo for the Alleluias; Celeste, Juana, María, you will group during Communion." She looked up over her glasses. "Herminia, you will sing the final hymn which you managed to avoid last year."
"Okay." She opened her song packet and began memorizing the notes for the final hymn, humming them under her breath.
Soon enough, they arrived at Luesma and unloaded near the doors. They entered the mostly empty cathedral and made their way inside. It was gothic architecture made of coral limestone with high vaulted ceilings and beautiful yet worn down façades. Cedric twisted and turned his head this way and that when they entered trying to take in the beauty of the stained glass windows and the wood carvings of the trials of Jesus. Hermione was still fascinated by it all, she only saw it a few times last year, after all.
It was a short way up a set of stairs to the choir balcony. Waiting for them were red robes and bibles. Within the half-hour of their arrival, the rest of the choir showed up and Guadalupe was leading them through their warm-ups and songs as people entered the church for Mass until, eventually, they started the opening hymn.
Esperanza took her place at the podium and sang, her angelic voice filling the cathedral. Hermione glanced down the row at Viktor who was staring at her with complete awe.
"What if I don't understand enough for Mass?" Cedric whispered to her.
"It's just an hour," she whispered back. "I'll let you know what the Gospel is."
"I didn't know you were religious."
"Sort of. I mean, I believe in a higher power and all, but I mostly like the meditation and Father Julio and Mother Doralis are pretty open-minded. They even marry gay couples. Besides, the magical denomination of the Catholic church is different from the No-maj Catholic church. Witches wondered why they should be persecuted for doing the same things Jesus did and so," she gestured to the Priest and Priestess making their way down the aisle to the altar. "they made their own denomination and don't really answer to the Vatican."
"I like to whisper, too," Tía Manola whispered, leaning in between them. "Talk after."
Hermione held a finger to her lips and opened her bible to share with Cedric.
Mass was a nice place to meditate and the sermon was all about how family didn't necessarily mean the people you share blood with. Perfect, in Hermione's opinion, for Cedric to hear. Her solo went off without a hitch and they all went back to the bus.
"I like hearing you sing," Cedric murmured in her ear.
Hermione smiled and hoped she wasn't blushing. She really liked hearing him sing, too, and made sure to think it loudly enough for him to hear.