"Er, love what youve done with the place." Aster looked around at the mess in front of her, taking in the mounds of paperwork.
"Well I thought it was missing some things." Ifan countered as he moved around the walkway with ease.
"What is all this for anyway?"
"Court. Or at least information to be able to get it to court."
"That just raises more questions, not going to lie." She admitted as she read through the document closest to her, something on the matter of Veriterserum and its weaknesses.
"I - we - are aiming to get a hearing for Sirius Black to remove the charge of his betray of you and your parents."
How would that help? He'd still have the charge of thirteen other deaths on his bill. When she pointed this out Ifan nodded as he rubbed his eyes.
"We're aware. Which is why I'm collating all this. To see if it's possible if we can work around that. James says Black wouldn't have killed the Muggles - Pettigrew yes, but the others no. And certainly not by explosion."
That painted an image she didn't need, she thought, scrunching up her face. That was nightmare fuel, right there.
"I was hoping I would have made more of a dent in all this by the time you came home. I didn't want you to be surrounded and enclosed in small spaces." Aster grinned at him, happy to know he had picked up on her anxiety in cramped places.
"As long as my bedroom is still a bedroom I can manage." She laughed as she slipped by through the maze to get to her room so she could put her shrunken trunk down.
Once she had tossed it away she made her way to the kitchen, skipping through the door.
"Eppy! Jospo!" She cried, scooping them into a bone crushing hug before they could tackle her.
"Miss Asty!" They crowed in unison, clutching her back with their bony fingers digging into her tightly.
"We's made you your favourite, Miss Asty. We's been missing you."
"I've missed you too! Hogwarts' bread has nothing on yours." She told them before smirking. "Although I'll need to compare your cooking again."
Eppy gasped before throwing herself away and cooking up a storm with a range of things in addition to what was already made.
It wasn't long before they all sat down at the table happily munching away on the veritable banquet on the table, with the two House Elves staring at her for the duration of it.
"I don't know why I doubted you. You have talents that they clearly don't." Aster finally pronounced making them burst into tears and thanking her relentlessly, making her feel a bit guilty that she had made them so emotional from her teasing.
"How can I get people's presents for Chr - er, Yule?" Aster asked later as she cupped her hands around her cup of tea, the fire roaring giving off a pleasant warmth in the dying light.
"You can send off order forms, if you wish. Most places also do gift wrapping for an extra charge so they can be delivered straight to the recipient's address." Ifan replied absently as he flicked through a wad of documents and moving them into separate piles of useful, possible, and not relevant.
"How do I know what to order, though? Are there catalogues?"
"Mm. Usually yes. Unless you go to someone such as Mita who just seems to know what is needed or wanted." Ifan paused as he thought, "I've still to learn how she does that actually." He shook his head before going back to his papers. "But I can get the relevant things for you. You have a lot of people to buy for then?"
Aster cocked her head as she thought on it. "Not really. Need to get ones for Theo, Blaise, Pansy and Daphne, for sure. Possibly Malfoy, and Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore. Especially as the Headmaster was there on Samhain. And of course, you, Eppy and Jospo go without saying."
"You don't need to get the three of us anything. Trust me, your presence in our lives is gift enough."
Aster wrinkled her nose. "That was nauseating, Grandfather."
Ifan froze minutely before forcing himself to act normally - he doubted that she had realised that that was the first time she called him so. "Yes, I quite agree. But still needed to be said. It may be worth getting Master Malfoy at least a token so as not to offend, his Line is a very powerful influence, after all. Professor Snape is a difficult one, it would be polite to do so as your Head of House, but from the little knowledge I have of him, I doubt he is one to particularly care. Dumbledore you can just give him socks and he'd be over the moon. Or knitting supplies. He's forever running out of yarn due to the sheer size of his projects." He replied, thinking of the giant socks he would attempt that only Hagrid could use. He was unashamed to think that he had unravelled the ones he had been given by Albus which he straightened out and returned the yarn as a gift back to him at a later date.
"Thanks. Think sweets will be alright for Malfoy then? Snape I have no bloody clue. I have the feeling he hates sweets, it probably will melt him." Aster snorted, imagining her surly Head popping in a hard boiled sweet and squeeling "I'm melting!" in an impressive impersonation of the Wicked Witch. Wonder if his robes would still billow in conjured wind.
"I imagine sweets would be fine. Snape? No idea either. I'd ask your mother for advice on that."
Aster nodded before frowning and looking around the cluttered room. "Where are they, anyway? I've not seen them since we came back."
"Hm? Oh. Probably in the dining room. Which I don't recommend going into - its even more busier in there than here. Same with my office."
"Bloody hell. Didn't think that would be possible."
Ifan chuckled in agreement, not wanting to tell her how what she saw here was less than even a week ago.
"Can I help?" Aster volunteered, "It may help, er, go through it quicker?"
Ifan blinked at her before nodding. "If you'd like. I'll need to...censure...some of the documents. Quite a bit can be grim reading."
He put his pile down before lumbering over to the window, scanning it briefly before grabbing a load and passing them over to her.
"What you're looking for is anything can be used as blackmail, background on Pettigrew or information on the Fidelius Charm."
Giving him a thumbs up Aster settled back in her chair, pulling a blanket over her legs and started reading. She quickly came to the conclusion that going through documents was mind numbingly boring, despite the promise of coming across juicy information. For the most part the content was redundant and irrelevant.
For the next two days the two of them slogged through, the pile of parchment with possibly useful information was barely four inches thick, in complete contrast to the useless lot.
It was when they were eating lunch on the third day that Aster decided to broach the subject.
"Um. I wrote to Blaise." She started, making Ifan look at her from the sheaf he had brought with him to the kitchen. "Er. I put feelers out on how to go about getting information." She hedged, chewing her lip. "He um...he wrote back."
"Oh?" Ifan prompted when Aster tailed off.
"He said to talk to his mum. Madam Zabini." She blurted. "Apparently she has, er, connections and can get things sorted."
Ifan sat back, rubbing his jaw as he thought. "How close are you to Master Zabini?"
"He's one of my best friends. I think."
"You...think?"
Aster shrugged as she tore up the crusts on her plate. "Never had friends before. Dunno how you know." She mumbled, blushing at her admittance.
"I don't think most people know, to be honest." Ifan advised. "I know I certainly struggle, and I'm six centuries in. What does he know of the situation?"
"Not much, I think. Knows I'm an orphan cause of the Dark Lord. I wouldn't be surprised if I knew more though - he collects information himself."
Ifan chuckled, "I wouldn't be surprised. His mother is infamous even amongst the Fae in her network of...connections." He continued to think on it a bit longer, idly swirling his coffee in his cup.
"Should I have not said anything?" Aster nervously asked as his silence lengthened.
"Hmm? No, it's fine, don't worry. I think...you may have made things a lot easier, actually." He admitted, still looking into the middle distance as he thought before he turned and smiled at her. "I'll put my own feelers out, before I do anything. But if you are friends with the boy then I imagine Madam Zabini will be open to negotiation. Her regard for her son is well known."
Aster beamed at the compliment, happily drinking her tea at the thought she had helped the situation rather than make it worse.
On the 21st December Ifan woke Aster up bright and early, before the first rays of the dawning sun had begun to break over the horizon. He rushed her to get dressed and put on her winter cloak and boots before dragging her out into the cold mountain air.
"Grandfather, why are we out here?" She grouched, tripping over roots and twigs as they meandered their way through the forest.
"Because, merch i mi, we are going to pick a tree! And a log." He happily cried, undeterred despite the grumblings he could hear from behind him.
"I get the tree. But a log? And why couldn't we wait until it was a decent hour?" She griped as she silently added so she could see where she was going without the aid of torchlight.
"I couldn't wait." Ifan chortled, "and the log is for us to burn over the next twelve days. I would do it with a full tree but we don't have the room this year." He explained patiently, helping Aster climb over a fallen trunk.
"Not to mention the hazards." Aster said dryly, nodding in thanks for his help before going back to watching her feet on the wet mulch squishing underneath her boots.
"We're magical, Aster. That's hardly an issue." Ifan reminded her. "Either way, ever since I was a boy it's been tradition to go out on Yule morning to gather a tree to decorate and a tree to burn. Then, once we get back, we'll sit with Eppy and Jospo as we usually do before we decorate. I don't tend to do the whole house, I must admit, but if you'd like to do so next year then we can."
Aster thought on the foil decorations that her aunt would make her pin on the ceilings and around the walls along with the paperchains that would inevitably give her paper cuts before she pulled a face.
"Depending on your idea of decorations, I'm good."
"Homemade wreaths and garlands, for the most part. Oh - mind your feet there, it's a bit slippy."
"Thanks. Er, I'll think about it. I have a year, after all."
"True. Ah! Here we are." Ifan exclaimed as they entered a clearing with a circle of pine trees ringing around the edges and a holly bush in the centre.
The grass was still rather green despite it being the dead of winter and the torrential rain that had been pouring for the past week. Odd wildflowers were dotted about as well of snowdrops, witch hazel, bluebells, crocuses and fireweeds. Soft sun beams managed to break through the branches, and seemed to emphasise the smell of the flowers, leaves and pine needles into a comforting scent. Birdsong drifted through the air along with the scampering of wildlife, the heads of rabbits popping out of the long grass before disappearing as they approached.
"It's beautiful." Aster murmured, her earlier mood forgotten at the sight.
Ifan looked down at her before smiling softly back at the clearing. "It is. Our family has been coming here before even I was born. Even the locals who stumble upon this, once in a blue moon, call this Dôl Dylwythen. Dylwythen Meadow." He translated at her confused look.
"What do we do once we've finished with the trees? It seems...criminal to take something away."
"We replant the one we took, and plant a seedling for the one we burn. Come on, pick out two you like."
They spent the next hour going from tree to tree, comparing the sizes and bushiness of different ones with Clacker squawking a caw if one had a nest or other animals burrowing in the trunk and branches.
"What do we do when we've made our decision?" Aster asked when she realised that neither of them had any tools to cut down the trees let alone taking them back.
"I'll ask Jospo to sort them out. Last time I did so, I never heard the end of it." Ifan lamented, thinking of the glares and reprimands that he received from the usually quiet Elf.
"I like this one." Aster declared, bringing Ifan back to the present, seeing her thirty feet away with her hands planted on her hips as she faced a deep green lodgepole pine tree about six feet in height.
"A beautiful choice, merch i mi. Now, to find one to burn. We don't want any old one - it is, after all, to held keep evil spirits at bay."
"Does it work?" Aster asked, cocking her head as she looked from the tree to her grandfather.
"No idea. But the symbolism is rather apt, I think." Ifan confessed as he moved to look for a good option.
"Can we take some holly? I've always wanted to have some to decorate with."
"Of course! Here, er, there - a knife to snip some branches. Be careful though." He flipped the blade so the wooden handle faced Aster.
Taking hold of the hilt with gentle fingers she moved to the bush and proceeded to cut through a bunch, making sure to keep her hands away from the thorns.
Once both of them were satisfied Ifan called for Jospo to point out their selection. The old Elf bowed lowly before snapping his fingers and the choices disappearing immediately, along with the bunch of holly Aster was holding, before he too disappeared with a crack after another low bow.
"Right! Homewards. Would you prefer to walk back or to Apparate?"
"Er, Apparate if that's alright? My legs are killing me."
"Not a problem. Take hold of my hand. Ready? One, two, three - !" And with another crack they disappeared, leaving Clacker in the clearing, making him caw in indignation that they left him to fly back on his own.
When they got back Jospo had already placed the tree in the window of the living room, balancing it without a pot and keeping it straight through his own magic. He had also put the box of ornaments beside it, ready to be used. With Ifan's permission, Aster ran to the crate, digging through the hand carved baubles, painted ceramic discs, knitted snowflakes and knotted ribbons.
"Where's the tinsel? And lights?"
"The what? The lights I conjure, whenever I've tried to use Wizarding lights they seem to spoil for some reason."
"Tinsel. You wrap it around the tree. It's like, er, feather boas, or stoles?" Aster tried to explain.
"Oh! That's what those ribbons are for." He said as he crouched down and brought out a selection of decorations before starting to wind the ribbons around the tree.
"How come you're not using magic?" Aster queried, watching as he balanced the material expertly.
"Takes away the, er, magic of the occasion, if you'll pardon the pun."
"Fair enough. I'll let you do that bit though, I've always struggled doing the tinsel, let alone those fiddly things."
Ifan shot her a smile at her over his shoulder while she compared the different items, deciding whether she wanted to incorporate them all together or to have the different types in tiers.
Deciding on mixing them all together, Aster knelt as she placed them round the bottom working to the top, making sure that none were too close together and all facing the right way.
"Is this one really from 1682?" She marveled, brushing her thumb over the carved digits on the back of a wooden carved Celtic knot.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. My brother made that when he was a boy." Ifan told her. He remembered that year quite well; it was just the two of them for a change - he couldn't recall why - and he was determined to make it a pleasant Yule despite the loneliness. They had walked out to the clearing and chose their tree and log, as he and Ifan had done so today, as well as picking up some fallen branches of a recent storm to make decorations and gifts for one another.
Rhodri had taken himself to a corner and started to attack a section with relish, not letting his older brother come near him to have a look, until later that day. It was rather basic and rough, but he was young. Each following year he would then add something more, refining and smoothing it down until he declared it complete two years before he died. The final design was still a Dara knot, however the 'ropes' was inlaid with carved spirals, the centre had poured silver in a tiny stream of slivered wood. Ifan still had no idea how he managed that.
"How long did it take for him to do all of that?" Aster asked in awe, making Ifan aware that he had told her the story.
"Oh, now you're asking. Must have been, oh thirty years in all?" Ifan guessed.
"So young." Aster murmured in sorrow. It was young as a human, but to be Fae and die at that age? It was tragic.
Ifan hummed in agreement, not wanting to explain the reason or talk more of his baby brother anymore.
"I'm guessing putting a star or angel at the top isn't done?" Aster changed the subject so as not to pry.
"Quite right. Christians do such things. We tend to use more...unusual items."
"Like what?" Aster asked suspiciously as she saw Ifan shuffle on his feet.
"A common one is using the skull of a deer, or such."
Aster pulled a horrorfied face, "That's horrible!"
"If you say so. But that's tradition for you. What would you like to place in its stead?"
"Er. Some of the holly, maybe?" Aster suggested after thinking for a moment.
"A splendid idea. Do you want me to put it on?" Ifan offered once he realised that she wouldn't be able to reach.
Not long after the tree was finished and Eppy pranced into the room, placing the variety of gifts underneath in an organised fashion.
"The log is ready to be prepared, Mister Master and Miss Asty." She squeaked once her job was completed, gesturing them to go into the kitchen so the four of them could decorate and make it ready for the burning to start.
The rest of the afternoon was spent weaving twine around the log so that it could hold the natural decorations of pine cones, needles, dried orange slices, berries and snippets of evergreen. Ifan burrowed three holes into the hollow so that it could hold three candles and then a sun into the front and back.
When they sat down to eat, there was a steaming pot of beef stew which had been simmering for the majority of the day, and filled the air with the scents of rosemary, thyme with the hint of cinnamon. Bread was also provided, of course, except this was baked into the shape of a five point star.
That night they sat the log on to the hearth, lighting the candles before lighting a fire itself in the grate, lighting up the temporarily clear parlour along with the conjured warm lights Ifan had dancing along the braces of the tree. They each sat in their chairs, holding hands as they sent up their prayer.
"Eternal Spirit of Light, grant us protect;
And in that protection, security;
And in that security, knowledge;
And in that knowledge, awareness;
And in that awareness, the awareness of the rightness of things;
And in that awareness, the love of it;
And through that love to come to the love of all Creations;
And in the love of all Creations, the love of the Divine Spirit
And all Goodness, Beauty and Truth." *
They chanted together, Ifan taking it slow so that Aster could remember the words which she had been taught only a few days ago and had been practicing on her own since.
They felt their magic rising in the air surrounding them, a gentle breeze lifting their hair and tickling their faces, the sense of colours of navy, reds and oranges trailing around them in a lazy circle. Aster had never felt anything like it, even at Hogwarts with the millennia old school soaked in thousands of students and professors magics.
As the prayer ended, the magic crested before dropping into a ringing silence, leaving the both of them breathless.
"Well done. How do you feel?" Ifan asked quietly, taking in the sheen of sweat on her forehead and drooping eyes.
"T - tired." Aster cleared her throat before yawning widely, making Ifan snigger.
"I'm not surprised. You can go to bed if you wish. We'll leave the gifts for another day. We have eleven to go."
Aster nodded and agreed around another yawn before stumbling to her feet, making her way to the door before pausing and throwing herself at Ifan.
"Thank you." She breathed as she hugged him, before scampering out of the room in embarrassment to her bedroom.
She only kicked off her shoes and jeans before diving into bed, and she was asleep before her head had touched the pillow.
The next week and a half was a blaze of activity.
On the 22nd - the day for hearth and home - they helped Eppy sweep and clean the floors, dusted the surfaces and clean out the hearths. Aster conked quickly that night as well, although she was weirdly nostalgic at the reminder of the cleaning she did at the Dursleys.
On the 23rd - the day for courage and rekindling - Ifan and Aster spoke to one another on their pasts, talking of their struggles they've overcome. Lily and James also appeared, speaking of their own trials and tribulations. Aster didn't sleep well that night, her mind whirring with the thoughts of all the bad times she had encountered.
On the 24th - the day for community and friendship - they opened their gifts from friends.
Aster received an impersonal gift from Malfoy of a gift token for a tea shop 'to expand her tastes', a dainty bracelet from Pansy with a charm with a ruby inside. Daphne had sent a knot of different hair ribbons, each more lavish than the last - one even seemed to have had crystals in it. When she would wear such a thing, she had no idea. Mita had sent a pouch of crystals and runes along with a small black book on how to use them. Blaise's present touched her, it was a blank book, about the size of a piece of A4, and full of empty sheafs of parchment. The cover was made of wood and had vines burnt into the spine with a triquetra in the dead centre. With it came a note simply saying 'Your Grimoire', along with a list of things she could put in in a different hand. Theo's was also touching, it was a selection of pencils and drawing paper and a beaten up book of tips for drawing - with the name Calliope Nott written in elegant handwriting. Aster stared a the name for a few minutes, hoping to high Hell that it wasn't Theo's mum's name.
There was also another parcel wrapped in silver with a brief and cryptic note simply saying: Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time for it to be returned to you, use it well.
"Er, Grandfather?" Aster hesitated, "I've got a suspicious note."
"Oh? Pass it over, please." Ifan immediately requested, before rolling his eyes. "Melodramatic fool." He muttered before passing it back to Aster. "Don't worry, it's only Albus Dumbledore being himself. Nothing to worry about."
Smiling in relief she opened the package and a bundle of silvery and soft fabric fell into her lap like water.
"Bloody hell, there it is!" James yelled in excitement, making everyone jump. "It's the Potter Invisibility Cloak! Forgot the old codger had it."
"If he's had it that long wouldn't it have lost its...use?" Aster asked, thinking of the book she had read during the summer about such things.
"Pfft! Nah, not ours, starlet. The Potter Cloak has been in the Family for literal centuries, from the time we were Peverells."
"As in the Three Brothers?" Aster pulled a face in disbelief.
"The very same," James said smugly. " That" he pointed at the Cloak, "is one of the Deathly Hallows."
"How'd you know? It doesn't exactly have a name tag. It could just be a whole Family myth thing."
James gasped in horror, "How dare you! You offend us, Aster, truly!"
"That's why Dumbledore asked to borrow it, love. He wanted to check if it was what the Potters have always thought." Lily explained, ignoring the theatrics of her husband.
"Oh. That makes sense. Did he have the Wand and Stone?" Aster asked, looking up at her mother.
"No idea. I was rather the same thought as you - that it was a nice story." Lily shrugged.
"But you don't now?" Aster raised her eyebrows before rolling her eyes at Lily's confused look. "You said you were of that mindset. Meaning you no longer are."
James snorted, "You're too smart for your own good, definitely your mum's girl, you are."
"Yes, she certainly couldn't have got it from you, dear." Lily laughed before turning to her daughter when she heard her clear her throat. "Things have happened since that has...proven...that I was wrong." She explained delicately.
"How? You're dead."
"And there's the proof you're your dad's." Lily sniggered as James nodded before frowning.
"Oi!" He cried in dismay. "Just because you're not wrong doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."
"You'll li-...endure. Anyway, yes, it's because we're dead that has made us aware of things. It's all very convoluted and unnecessarily complex. And something we'll discuss when you're older." At Aster's put out expression she softened her tone. "It's a big deal, love. And something that we need to work out how to approach. Just be patient."
"Alright. I suppose every kid should be told 'I'll tell you when you're older' at least once by their parents." Aster acquiesced, before sliding the watery fabric through her fingers again. "This is going to be so cool!" She muttered to herself, excited at the prospect of using it with Blaise - Theo would likely be impressed by the academic of it all. The lovable nerd.
On the 25th - the day for hospitality and responsibilities - the four of them sat down and made their own list of jobs for the coming year, rather unexciting but it allowed them time to play around with their gifts from the day before.
On the 26th - a day for self-care and healing - they went for a long walk and relaxed in front of the fire, Ifan teaching Aster the beginnings of mindfulness and how it can help soothe anxiety and allow to bring focus to oneself. On the night Aster used it to make herself sleepy and managed to fall into a dreamless sleep.
On the 27th - a time for children - they decided to exchange the presents from themselves as there wasn't much that could be done.
Ifan was astounded at the hand carved rune stones that Aster gave him, kept in a handmade pouch made of soft leather. He in turn gave Aster the pendant as the Dylwythen Heir, along with a wire wrapped obsidian stone on the long silver chain. Lily and James had asked Ifan to buy other drawing materials which went nicely with Theo's gifts.
Jospo had clutched Aster's hand and had dragged her outside to show her the garden which he had made just for her; it had a massive willow tree overlooking the patch, with flowers of night jasmine, lavender and wildflowers and aster flowers planted in spirals. There was a bench grown into the shape of a chair, the perfect size for her to curl up in, nestled beside the willow tree. Lanterns floated about making it give off an ethereal glow and emphasised the relaxing atmosphere. Aster beamed and gathered the old Elf into a hug, exclaiming her love of it before dragging him to a sapling she had planted with Professor Sprout's help. She had decided that she was going to give a plant for Jospo months ago, even before he helped with Blaise's gift, and had nurtured the plant from the start of the school year. Jospo burst into tears at it, sobbing over Aster's clothes and had taken to cuddling the pot with reverence.
Eppy was given a book bread recipes and the request for her to improve the ones in there. Again Aster was smothered in tears from a crying Elf as she was given a small bracelet made out of ribbons that Eppy had collected over the years, including one that belonged to Aster as a baby.
Aster went to bed feeling extremely loved and couldn't stop fiddling with the pendants and smoothing over the bracelet with her thumb, feeling all the different textures and using her newly learned mindfulness to take it all in.
On the 28th - the day of truths, values and honour - they spent the day in the kitchen making all sorts of food which they then popped around the country to children homes and soup kitchens to be spread around.
On the 29th - a day of reflection and strength - Ifan took Aster to Godric's Hollow so they could visit the graves of the Potters, placing flowers on each Potter, from Lily and James, to her grandparents and beyond. When they returned home Aster was regaled with tales of the family she had never met, laughing at anecdotes and crying at tragedies.
On the 30th - a day for justice - they spent going through more documents and organising the information they had decided were useful and removing the already refused papers.
The 31st was a day for self-reliance, and so they each did their own thing before joining at dinner and talking of their day.
And the final Yule day, the 1st January was spent making their goals for the new year and how to overcome their fears.
By the time the 2nd came round, Aster was overcome with love and the feeling of family. From going to hiding at this time of year to being at the centre of the celebrations was boggling. It was overwhelming.
The remainder of the holiday was spent between doing their hobbies, Aster doing her homework, and going through the paperwork. Ifan didn't send off for anymore information - if Madam Zabini was to help then he'd rather not add unnecessary work. Aster had finally been sent her 'chequebook' - as she called it - from Gringrotts, after she sent numerous complaints through Ifan. It would have been great if she had it when she was getting presents, but that's life.
Overall she was exceedingly happy and had spent a lot of time lying in bed pinching herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. For all her life she had struggled for a scrap of attention, bad or good, and within six months she had that and more. She had friends, she had family, and she was wanted. Everything was amazing.
So why did it feel like this could end in fire?
A/N:
An actual Druid prayer - thought it was a nice touch.
I'm quite happy with this chapter. I hope I got the feeling of how Aster felt across at the weird feeling of being part of stuff in the brief timeline at the end. I also wanted to emphasise the feeling of family. Hope it worked!
To Ghostwriter71: thank you for your kind words! I prefer grey characters too, especially since reading stories like The Last Peverell by animerocker646 and CDT by eirajenson.