I gather my courage and tell her my intentions.
"I want to take custody of that evil woman. But neither I nor Percy can, given our relationship as soulmates. Credence doesn't trust Gellert that much anymore and I don't want to put pressure on Queenie and Jacob because their story is just beginning and …."
I stammer trying to explain myself. Taking pity on me, Tina stops me.
"Do you want me to adopt her?" She asks uncertainly, she seems surprised.
"Why me?" She is curious, surprised.
"When you realized she needed help, you didn't think twice and stopped that harpy."
She blushes.
"It was the right thing to do." Her expression changes to iron determination, confident in what she says.
"I want it to be you. I trust you and Percy too."
I smile at her and she smiles back.
"That would be nice." She sighs carefree.
"To be honest, I had already thought about it. To welcome him , I wanted to help him, but then…" she says calmly, stopping slightly at the end, remembering Gellert who was pretending to be Percy who stopped her from helping Credence, demoting herself from being an Auror.
"Gellert stopped you, demoted you, as if saving or helping a boy in difficulty, even if he was a Muggle, wasn't worth it, as if he was beyond us, beyond you."
She nods, projecting the impotence of that past moment that still torments her.
"I don't know how long it would take to make it happen. I wanted to surprise him, giving him a family, beyond the one that Percy and I could build in the future with him, a family that chose him out of love and because they really want him."
She agrees and smiles at me. We turn and go towards the door.
We see shadows cast on the door.
We look at each other, giving each other an affirmative sign, we suddenly open the doors.
Gellert is turned with his back not far from the door, Jacob is on the other side. They try to appear carefree.
Credence is still on the arm of the chair, Percy sitting in the chair with their bodies close together that touch without touching, sharing and enjoying the warmth of the small closeness.
Queenie is sitting on the couch. No point in eavesdropping on conversations if you can read minds.
Tina and I laugh a little at the image.
After a few hours we go home.
We have dinner a little later and decide to go to sleep.
Creed and I change and go to Percy's room.
We fall asleep in a short time.
The next morning I wake up peacefully in the middle of my soulmates. The positions don't change much, they squeeze me between them.
A few minutes later they wake us up and we get up to get ready. Blood stands out on the bed, alarmed she looks at Creed and then Percy looking for injuries, luckily they don't have any.
I look at myself, my pajamas are dripping blood from my lower back, and as I look up at my souls to reassure them I am greeted by their eyes full of concern, and noticing the blood, they move to take me out of the room to look for Gellert, given his affinity for healing magic.
Percy goes to look for him in the kitchen and living room, but he is not there so only his room remains.
Very strange that he is not up by now. There is a knock on the door, they wait anxiously. We hear the rustling of the sheets of someone getting out of bed, the sight that we encounter makes me and Percy huff, and Creed shows a small smile. Gellert has messy hair, of someone who has just woken up, going in all directions.
His eyes are vacant from the sleep he has just left, his pajamas are wrinkled from tossing and turning in bed.
"You are very cute when you first wake up, you know?" I ask, but also assert, provocatively, but in a playful way.
He looks surprised for a moment, blushing slightly, but it takes him a while to focus and compose himself.
"Why did you knock on my door?" He runs a hand through his hair, trying to give it some sort of shape.
Suddenly serious again and focused on me, Creed speaks in an agitated tone "She was hurt" ,
Gellert shifts his gaze to Percy, who blurts out: "It was that woman, she took the blow aimed at Credence, she had her back to that bad woman" he is enraged invoking the memory of how and who did it.
He nods and walks towards the living room, we follow him. I look at my souls, I sit on the couch with Gellert, I turn my back to him and I lift my pajamas slightly so he can have a good view of the lower part of my back where the wound is.
I hear him exhale loudly, clearly furious.
He puts his hands on the wound and at first I don't feel anything but after a few minutes the heat of Gellert's magic warms that spot.
A shiver runs through me, Gellert removes his hands, the wound is healed, there will be no mark, no scar to testify to the wickedness, the madness, and the cruelty of that woman; The only one who will always have the memory of her, of her wickedness, imprinted on his skin, will be Credence.
I turn and look at Gellert, I thank him. We all separate so we can get dressed, and we start having breakfast.
After we finish eating, we start researching the illusion spell. As I read, a thought pops into my mind. A few years ago I watched a series about the supernatural, and in one episode they talked about a golem that took the likeness of the person who gave it a pinch of their magic and blood.
I return to the real world and jump up abruptly from my place among my soulmates.
"What if we make a golem for both Credence and Gellert?" They all look at me, first alarmed, then thoughtful, and finally Gellert and Percy light up as they understand my reasoning. Creed is in blissful ignorance. The older wizards explain what a golem is and how to make it.
"So the golems will follow the path that Albus has torn up. Gellert will send his golem when he fights Albus in 1932 and 1945, and he will imprison the golem. We know when the major battles will be, and we will be able to prevent what I saw in my visions. They will think they killed Creed, that he somehow managed to survive in 1926, but in the end his Obscurial condition ran its normal course and killed the host in 1932."
They look at me doubtfully.
"If we create a golem for Credence, they will look for him and we cannot take a wand unnoticed, especially if they identify him," Gellert says.
"We'll get the wand before we create the golem, we'll have Credence do a heritage test to see if he has other houses to inherit, maybe old houses, besides the Dumbledore's. That way he can change his name and move around freely," I finish optimistically.
They seem surprised by my speed in creating a plan, they look at me proudly, both Percy and Gellert, and it's no different for Creed.
"It seems like a good plan. We'll discuss it with the others and go get the wand for both of you and have you do the test."
"We'll be safer if you can change your identity too, Sara."
says Percy, pride overflowing in his eyes, Creed and Gellert mirror his gaze.
Suddenly, as if overwhelmed by a thought, Creed speaks alarmed: "What will we do if we don't have other affinities with other Houses? We'd be in danger..." He's scared.
I really think about it, your question makes a good point, he may have no other lineage beyond House Silente, and I may not have any either.
"We could get adopted in blood by one of our companions in misadventure" I say still a little absorbed, trying to think if one of them could accept to adopt us.
"I could offer if the need arises" says calmly, perhaps a little insecure, Gellert.
He also seems intimate, opening up to us, and hopeful that in case of need we would accept, as if we could not accept being blood of his blood, even by adoption.
It is true that he hurt my soulmates, but he believed he was doing it in the right way, that dictating orders, commanding and imparting by forcing his thoughts was what was needed. And in a certain sense it is like this, average people expect to be ordered and guided in the right direction, now it is different, now he has someone who supports him emotionally and physically in his ideals and who prevents him from killing only indiscriminately to be welcomed and listened to. I will keep him with our feet on the ground. Because I understand what he wants but I don't approve of the way he wants to make it happen; We have friends who will help us, we know what we want, we know enough about the obstacles that will come our way and together we will overcome them.
By secretly taking control of the highest political ranks and military force, and whatnot, of the Muggle world we would be able to control them enough to defend ourselves from them and their weapons that continue to grow and improve. We would be able to, hopefully, protect the magical children who are outside the magical world and in the Muggle world, as happened to Credence.
As it will happen with Tom, with Severus and with Harry, but I will not let that happen. It will not happen.
I will take them with me, I will raise them, I will give them the love they have never had, I will teach them good and evil and I will protect them to the best of my ability.
It could have happened to me, I could have turned into someone bad if my parents had not wanted me or loved me. And even though I'm furious with them for making me forget who I am, and what I am, if they hadn't done it who knows what could have happened. I...
I will never forget my husband, I chose him and I chose to love him, I had Levi, my baby, and I loved him more than anything in the world. I will never forget them, I never would and I never could. But they are gone, they are dead, and I would like them with me but that's not how it works; They are dead and without even knowing it or wanting it they gave me a second chance. Or maybe it was God, or Lady Magic I don't know, but for me it will always be them and only them who gave me this second chance, this second life. I will always look for them in the night sky, covered with stars, who watch over me and watch over me like my guardian angels.
I focus my attention on the people in the room, they look at me with concern and expectation. I smile at them slightly, trying to reassure them, and reassure myself to get my mind off such strong thoughts. I release a deep breath, which I had been holding, I hadn't even realized.
"I'm fine, I just ended up in my head for a while. The thoughts were too many and too fast, but I'm fine now." I reassure.
Gellert just nods, accepting it. Percy has a frown that makes him frown in anguish, as does Credence, but they seem to accept it for now and relax slightly.
"I would be happy to be your blood." I say softly, a smile on my lips, trying to make him understand my trust in him.
"They are my soulmates, but you, you are becoming family, my family. Even if it takes Creed and Percy a little longer to trust you, we have a lot of time together to warm them up to you, haha." I say confidently, chuckling slightly at the end.
Percy grimaces slightly at the idea, but his face relaxes in an instant, Credence seems wary but knowing their history that's normal.
"We should ask the others if they would be willing to adopt Credence. I think it's too soon to trust you again." I say knowingly, I smile in Creed's direction who reciprocates gratefully that I interceded for him.
Gellert nods understanding where the distrust comes from, he takes it quite philosophically.
Inside I'm going crazy, I asked Tina not a day ago if she could, wanted to, adopt Credence. But this way it will be much easier if he is adopted with a blood rite, we should not waste time on paperwork, because he will legally be Tina's son. I am so happy.
Putting an end to the speech, for now, we return to the present realizing that it is noon.
We get our asses off the couch, Gellert off the armchair, I introduce my souls and Gellert to Italian cuisine. Roman to be precise, and I serve with a pinch of their help: carbonara.
At first they seem skeptical, even though the smell makes their mouths water visibly, for the first bite. They chew and after a few seconds all three of them freeze in amazement with their eyes shining with delight.
"It's delicious!" They say in unison still slightly amazed and happy. They begin to dig into their plates with much more enthusiasm. We finish eating and settle into the living room, changing places.
Me between Gellert's legs with my legs on top of his that rest on the arm of the chair.
(Like this but with his legs resting on the arm of the chair)
Credence and Percy on the couch are a little closer than usual. Creed has his shoulder resting on Percy's shoulder, his body subtly leaning towards him.
I watch them in enchanted silence. They are slowly getting closer, maybe they don't even notice, but the touches and caresses speak for them. Little by little Percy slides his right arm behind Creed's back, his hand rests on his side caressing him softly.
(The legs rest touching the ground, and instead of the left arm, it is the right one that is on Creed's side)
I ask Gellert what day it is, trying not to disturb my soulmates, they seem at ease.
It's December 4, 1926. Exactly 9 days to go and Circus Arganus, where Nagini is forced to perform, comes to New York City showing their performers with their tricks.
The afternoon passes like this, reading Percy's old school books, each with their own cuddle buddy. I'll have to ask Gellert if he has any other interesting books in his castle or in his family's vaults, and if we can borrow them of course. I'll ask Percy too.
Notes: Sorry for the shorter chapter than usual, I hope you like it anyway, and that I can make up for it with the next chapter.