"Wait - she's like my mum but she's one of you?  She can't do magic but they let her stay?"

He sunk down onto the seat next to Anton, bare legs folded up with his knees to his chest. Virgil took a long drag of his cigarette as he narrowed his gaze at the muggle. "Squibs come from magical families, they're already a part of the world. Not all of them want to stay though."

The young wizard shrugged and leaned sideways against the back of the sofa. "Lots of squibs just take on muggle identities and lifestyles. I guess it's easier."

Virgil had never really thought about it. There were no squibs in his immediate family and he didn't know much about any Carstairs squibs; they seemed to exist as distant figures with vaguely tragic lives. Abby was different though. Abby seemed to embrace both sides, wholeheartedly.

Anton continued, enthused by the little details of the wizarding world. Virgil smiled sadly when he trailed off in the realisation that there was some things muggles just couldn't be a part of. The Ministry of Magic was a dangerous place for the magic-less. He passed his cigarette over.

"They don't take him," he laughed lightly and shook his head at the other boy. "It's a boarding school, you see him off at Kings Cross when term starts. He comes home for holidays. All rather civil. What makes you think he's going to be snatched away? Didn't your mother explain?"

"My mum's the one who's worried about it," Anton offered, with a slightly shrug as he reached for the offered cigarette. 

Anton definitely felt a bit like he was at the edge of his element; all he knew about this whole wizarding world was what his mum had explained.  That had felt like the bare minimum, even a year ago when they'd had no other notes to use as comparison. 

He knew he'd have to be certain enough in his own information to calm her nerves when he got home that evening.  Seeing Micha off every year to some magical boarding school and then hearing the stories he returned with at the end of term sounded a far cry better than the uncertain warnings they'd been offered over the past year. 

Virgil's casual and nonchalant demeanor was just as reassuring as the content of his answers but Anton wasn't the one that needed the reassurance.  It would be up to Anton to fill that nonverbal void with Hanna. 

"All she really explained was her birth parents could do magic, which is probably where Micha got the ability."  Anton took several draws off the cigarette before handing it back.  "Beyond that, I'm not sure she knows anymore than the rest of us.  Her folks gave up when they realized she'd never be able to do magic.  Told her she'd never have a place and left her at some hospital or church.  I think she's worried her family would try to take Micha if they ever found out."

He listened patiently, reaching for the cigarette as Anton passed it back. A frown appeared between Virgil's eyes as the other boy explained how it was his squib mother didn't know much about wizarding society. They'd left her? Just like that? Their own daughter? It seemed... unthinkable in his position. But then again he'd never had to see his relatives contend with a squib in their lives.

             "I think she's worried her family would try to take Micha if they ever found out."

"They can't do that!" he interjected and sat up straight on the couch, smoke escaping his mouth. "I mean, we have... we have custody laws too and and..." Virgil trailed off. The initial indignation ebbed slightly as the reality of the situation fell into place.

No, maybe they wouldn't technically win custody in a court or whatever. But if Anton's mum was really cut off from magical society then she wouldn't really have any idea about how it all worked - the grown up stuff, paperwork. Lawyers. And what if they apparated in and just took Micha? Even if they won him back, he'd have to live with that trauma.

A dollop of ash crumbled off the tip of the cigarette and he took another puff before handing it over distractedly. "Wizarding society isn't some manner of cult. We have rules and laws and about the same moral breadth as you lot." Virgil paused to think, trying to shake off how irritated he was at the people who left Anton's mum.

"If I were your mum," he spoke slowly, "I'd wait until Micha is at Hogwarts before telling her family. If she wants to sort that out. Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the world. They can't touch him there."

Anton watch Virgil's indignation with a mixture of curiosity and wordless questioning.  As Micha's older brother, Anton absolutely wanted to believe the merit of Virgil's words.  It was reassuring to know the magical world had protections put into place for them and the Aigner's weren't free to come and whisk Micha away at their whim. 

But, he was also a student of history, sociology and international politics.  If the magic-less, like himself and his father, didn't even know the magical world existed, Anton had to assume they didn't have proper, adequate self-representation in the magical government.  Sure, they probably had some designated witch or wizard that acted in their name but that was about as effective as an all white judge and jury insisting they could speak fairly and without prejudice on behalf of all the other races. 

Things would only get more complicated if, one day, Micha decided he preferred to stay with the magical relatives that could better understand his life and world. 

However, the depths and details of such a conversation weren't best suited for the morning after euphoria with casual acquaintances.  Solving Schäfer Family Dilemmas wasn't what Virgil had followed him home for last night.  Anton felt like he at least had enough to placate his mum's worries and, for now, that was sufficient.

"I don't think she has any intention of telling them," Anton offered, honestly.  "She hasn't spoken to them since they left her when she was ten and I know there's no desire to start now.  She just assumes they'll find out anyway; none of us really know what's possible so it's hard to counter that theory?"  He offered an awkward half-grin and shrugged.  "For all we know, some magical singing teapot and cup lamented the birth of a magical family member in their living room they day he was born." 

That, Anton figured, was unlikely.  Not because he could even guess whether the singing birth-announcement teacup was magically feasible but because he was confident they would have heard from the Aigners by now, if that were the case. 

"I think, at least, I can convince her that they won't come and whisk Micha away.  They didn't do that with Sasha, after all."