"Blood traitor!  Scumsucker!  Ye besmirched the honor of my flesh with a Mudblood!"

"Och, ye should talk abou' dishonor, ye snivelin' coward!  Hidin' away like a bairn and lettin yeer clansmen do yeer fightin' for ye!"

"Don't ye talk to your great-grandfather that way, boy!

"Stay oot o' this, dad!"

Jason MacDonell, sitting at his dining room table with what remained of his lunch, had brushed the plate aside so he could bang his head repeatedly into the oak in frustration. It was not that he wasn't proud to be a MacDonell, or even Master of Bannochdaen, like the nineteen who had come before him. But why on earth they had decided to put the dining room right beside the Hall of Heads he would never know. Probably so anyone entertained in the castle would have to pass under their scrutiny.

The nineteen marble busts of the castle's previous masters, stretching all the way back to the 14th century, could be a source of varied and deep wisdom, giving useful advice to their descendants. Now and then, however, the prejudices and old grudges amongst them flared up, and the bickering rang through the entire castle when the present master was unwise enough to leave the doors open.

As the gravelly voices grew louder, and someone began shouting in Gaelic, Jason had finally had enough. Limping into the hall, leaning on his cane with his gloved hand, he drew his wand with his right.

"Och, there ye are, laddie! Hex this blasted--"

"Don't ye go cryin' to the Mudblood-lover, contaminating me castle with filth and--"

"YE SHOULD TALK O' CRYIN'! Was it not ye who--"

"ENOUGH!" Jason barked, slashing with his wand. Two leather gags appeared on the mouths of the busts of Ajax and Findlaech MacDonell. Both statues continued to yell in a muffled way, turning angry marble eyes on their descendant.

"Granddad Ajax, I agree, but ye're making my castle sound like a Quidditch brawl!" he said in exasperation. Then, looking at the other bust, he added, "And Granddad Findlaech, I've told ye, I'll have no more of that blood prejudice, or I swear I'll put your bust in the basement until I die."

Several of the other busts laughed as Jason limped off down the hall. When he passed the oldest, the bust of a rough-looking wizard glanced up at him, shaking his head and saying something glumly in Gaelic. The living MacDonell nodded with a sigh. "Aye, ye said it."

Though Jason did not speak Gaelic, and Fionnlagh MacDonell rarely condescended to speak English, each understood the other perfectly.

Stepping into the Room of Records (and closing the door snugly behind him), Jason rolled his eyes, looking at the organized chaos. Ancient books rested on dusty tables or gnarled shelves with sheafs and scrolls of parchment sticking out of all sorts of bizarre places. Magical globes hung from the ceiling, radiating light without the need for flame; a chance spark and the entire room would have gone up like a tinderbox.

Jason spent rather little time in here, brooding over forgotten relations and blood status. His father Colin, by contrast, had almost lived the last few years of his life in this room, assembling his master compendium, The Purity of Old Bannochdaen: Descent of a Noble Scottish Clan. It was doomed to remain unpublished, but Colin had put so much effort into it that Jason did not have the heart to lock it away somewhere, and he was far too much of a Ravenclaw to ever destroy a book.

But the recent talk with Archer Radley had caused him to drift in here more than once over the past few days. More pureblood mania, more "wizards first" -- Death Eaters wearing new robes, if this notion of a terrorist group turned out to be the real thing. But it might not have only have been the negatives that brought him to this domain of ancient records and relations. Radley and Raynor...part of him still couldn't believe it.

Sifting through the various family tree parchments -- a "cleansed" version by Findlaech MacDonell eliminating every non-Pureblood, even his own mother; an exhaustive effort by Ross MacDonell to track down every branch of the clan, even his Squib half-brother; Colin's own compromise version -- Jason smiled as he looked at the three most recent names. His father had not survived to see Jason wed Aurora Le Fey (though he imagined, with a roll of his eyes, that a marriage to "such a good old wizard family" would have pleased the man immensely), nor their two children, so Jason had added them himself. He wondered how his own head would look someday as a marble bust among his forebears.

Looking over the pile of documents, Jason heard the door to the Great Hall open behind him, and pointed his wand lazily over his shoulder. "Ye're back early, love."

Never a dull moment, Aurora sighed as she entered Bannochdean.She was so glad to be home. Knockturn Alley was a buzzed lately with rumors and information that Rory made the rather hard decision to reopen the Cloak and Dirk. True, she wouldn’t be bounty hunting like in the days before the War. Jason would most definitely not like that. Instead, Aurora decided to use it as a place to do her research and revive her infamous Dark Wizards files. She had a dangerous feeling that they would be needed again.

Janus cawed from his place of honor (which happened to her shoulder). Rory gave him a gentle pat which he puffed up for. The raven and his flock would also be as invaluable as ever as well. With the anti-muggle sentiment continuing to bubble back up, Rory worried how long until those who stood up for muggles were targeted.  Given their reputation of giving Muggle-borns and their families sanctuary on Avalon, Rory and Jason were going to be near the top of that list. As a result, Rory was going to make sure that they were protected. Janus and his flock would be a part of that defense. After all, Avalonian raven have defended Avalon from invasion for centuries. Now they would defend Bannochdean as well.

Janus evacuated Rory's shoulder when they entered the castle. Rory watched as Janus fluttered to his perch.  The raven settled into his position as sentry to the castle. Aurora hoped that his brethren arrived soon from Avalon. She would feel much better when they did.

Mommy is home!

 Aurora grinned as she watched Jack rush towards her. Flapping in her arms was her favorite toy, a stuffed Abraxan. Jack adored Abraxans and the ones in the stables loved the little red headed girl right back. Aurora was always amused how they listened to Jack over Jason. A fact, that Jason often grumbled about and would bring a smile to Rory’s face.  She knew that despite his threats to sell them, he never would or he would face his greatest weakness, Jack in tears.

“Hello to you too, luv.” Aurora greeted as she scooped up her daughter, “I trusted you had a good day so far with Daddy.”

Jack gave an eager nod before launching into the details of the morning. Aurora grinned as she followed along, looking for her husband. Obviously he was still at home, since Jack was running around without Thalia nearby.  Thalia or Pan never left the little girl alone if Jason and Rory were out. Jack had a knack for getting into things that she shouldn’t like the Record Room. Aurora entered the Hall of Heads and paused at the results of Jason’s ‘diplomacy’.   Aurora arched an eyebrow at Jack’s long suffering sigh.

Great Grandpas Ajax and Findlaech were fighting again. Great grandpa Findlaech called Daddy some kind of traitor.

“I see.” Aurora commented. Her tone was colder than ice as she pinned the offending bust with a glare. Without hestitation, she marched right up to the bust. She could hear the mumbling through the gag. She mentally gave Jason a nod for finding a very effective method to shutting the elders up. Putting Jack down, she directed her daughter to visit her great great grandpa Fionnlagh. Jack enjoyed talking to him and was building a very fair Gaelic vocabulary. Content her daughter was occupied, she leaned into the bust of Findlaech.

“This is my last warning, Grandfather Findlaech. You start sprouting any of that blood nonsense in front of my children again, I will either banish you to the attic, have Thalia clean your mouth out with sulfuric acid or move you to Entrance Hall and allow Janus to use you as a perch. The choice is yours.” Aurora stated very coldly, “I will not have such talk in this house. Is that clear?”

Aurora briskly turned away without waiting for a reply. She wouldn’t harm the bust. Yet she was not about to listen to that nonsense in her own home. It was bad enough she had to deal with it in Knockturn. Shaking her head, she gave Fionnlagh a warm smile and kiss on the bust’s cheek. Jack turned with a smile.

Great Great Grandpa says Daddy is in the Record Room. Can I come with you?

Rory smiled at Jack, “Why don’t you see if Thalia can bring us a light snack, then you can stay. I need to talk to Daddy for a moment.”

Okay!

Jack took off like a shot towards the kitchen. Wistfully, Rory watched her go wondering if her own mother felt like this when Isolde would watch her go. Either way, Rory would protect Jack, Alex, and Jason to the best of her abilities. Nothing would harm her family. Nothing at all.  Turning, she headed towards the Record Room.

"Ye're back early, love."

Aurora couldn’t help but smile at the wand pointed at her. Typical MacDonell greeting. Grinning, she shut the door and sauntered over. Pulling her own wand, she wrapped an arm around his waist before placing her wand lazily under his chin. Pressing a kiss against his temple, she rest her head on the opposite shoulder.

“It was busy morning. Fortunately, The Cloak and Dirk wasn’t too bad off.  I noticed that your great grandfathers are gagged again.” Aurora commented softly, “Jack overheard them again.”

Jason smirked to himself as he felt the business end of Aurora's wand under his chin. Touche. Placing his gloved hand over hers on his waist, he leaned his head against her for a moment, enjoying the warmth and the smell of her hair as he always did. The tight set of his shoulders relaxed a bit, and he sighed contentedly.

"It was busy morning. Fortunately, The Cloak and Dirk wasn’t too bad off."

"Glad to hear it," Jason replied, meaning it in more ways than one. He was happy that her trip had been productive, and that the old, innocent-looking Le Fey redoubt -- the 'subtle citadel', he had once called it -- was still up to the task of protecting its occupants. On the other hand, if it needed truly thorough cleaning or reinforcing, Jason himself would almost certainly be 'recruited' for the job.

A smile in his voice, he added, "But more glad that ye're back."

"I noticed that your great grandfathers are gagged again."

Sighing this time a bit in lingering annoyance, MacDonell took a step away so he could turn and look at her. He nodded, rolling his eyes. "Same as ever. They get too bored and start debating blood purity. The funny thing is, Findlaech's mother was a half-blood. Did I ever tell ye that?" He gestured to one of the family trees. "I'm always tempted to remind him, but I'm afraid I'll get sucked into the brawl myself."

He shook his head. "And Ajax...maybe the greatest hero this clan has ever produced. But ye can hear his voice from the stables if the windows are open! It's like having a foghorn!"

"Jack overheard them again."

The emerald eyes narrowed, and there was a touch of anger in his expression now. "Did she? I'll deal with it," he promised, looking toward the door to the Hall of Heads, his wand hand twitching and suggesting exactly how he was considering 'dealing' with it. "I'll hollow out their heads and use them as vases, so help me..."

When Jacquelynne had come to him at age six and innocently asked, Daddy, what's a Mudblood?, having heard the term from her ancestor Lennox, Jason had been so outraged that he had almost crushed Lennox MacDonell's marble jaw in his magic left hand. Only the pleas of his other ancestors had prevented him, but the murderous look in Jason's eyes had apparently left quite an impression, because Lennox MacDonell had never entered the occasional debates since, and remained totally silent when Jason was nearby unless he was asked a direct question.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back to Aurora, expression a bit embarrassed by his ancestors' antics. "I'm sorry, love." A bit hesitantly, he added, "At least my father's behaving."

Colin MacDonell had never been to the level of Death Eaters about blood purity, but he had reminded Jason disturbingly of Horace Slughorn. He believed that Muggleborns were wizards, just not good ones. He had tried to raise his son and heir to see his pureblood heritage as a special status, a gift, but Jason doggedly considered it a chance of genetics.

"Same as ever. They get too bored and start debating blood purity. The funny thing is, Findlaech's mother was a half-blood. Did I ever tell ye that? I'm always tempted to remind him, but I'm afraid I'll get sucked into the brawl myself."

Aurora let him pull away to face her. While she would rather cuddle and enjoy the sense of security he emanated, she knew they need to discuss this. She didn’t mind if his forebears argued, but she didn’t want her children affected just yet. When they were older, Rory would explain how stupid some wizards were about blood. She glanced at the tree Jason indicated and smirked.

“I believe every time he starts, you do.” Aurora commented, “Maybe you should post the real tree in the Hall to remind them.”

"And Ajax...maybe the greatest hero this clan has ever produced. But ye can hear his voice from the stables if the windows are open! It's like having a foghorn!"

“I rather think it’s tied between the two of you,” Aurora smiled, “At least I now know where you get your temper from.”

Joking aside, Aurora could understand Jason’s anger.  Normally, Aurora allowed Jason to deal with his family.  She did, however, keep her own eye on them. After the scene with Lennox, she rather hoped the others would realize that they need to watch themselves around Jack and Alex. Alex would staunchly ignore the bickering, concentrating more on learning every good hiding place in the castle. Jack on the other hand, was fascinated with the chance to talk with her ancestors. She loved listening to Morgana’s portrait tell her stories about Arthur or learning gaelic from Fionnlagh.

"I'll hollow out their heads and use them as vases, so help me..."

“I suggest letting Janus and his flock use them as perches or Thalia can wash their mouths out with acid.” Aurora suggested with a mischievous gleam, “She is rather eager too since the house elf comment.”

"I'm sorry, love.  At least my father's behaving."

Aurora gave Jason a quick kiss. She didn’t blame him for his ancestor’s squabbling.  It was the nature of the beast. After all when you have that many generations of headstrong males in one room, fighting was inevitable. Discretion on when they started fighting would be nice.  Plus, again, she wished they learned from what nearly happened to Lennox to knock it off. But they were MacDonells, stubborn until the end.

“I think after scaring Jack in to tears when he first tried lecturing her, he learned to not go there.” Aurora suggested, “After the Second War, I think he realized that blood doesn’t make anyone better than another.”

Suddenly a wicked thought hit her. Grinning evilly, she turned the idea in her head. She doubted Robin would mind the idea. It would be one less voice hounding him to get married and continue the line.  There was even the perfect spot in the hall for it. Plus, it would be an added protection and much needed voice of reason. No one dared to argue with the famous Le Fey herself.

“We could really tweak them and have Morgana’s portrait come for a visit. Mackenzie could bring it when he brings the other ravens from Avalon. You know how well she tolerates stupidity. Plus the fact she is there might stun them into perfect silence.” Aurora suggested, “Jack and Alex would love it. Especially Alex with her stories of chivalry and Arthur.”

"Maybe you should post the real tree in the Hall to remind them."

"Maybe..." Jason offered, though the uncertainty in his tone was clear. He gestured to the stack of parchment behind him. "But it'll be this all over again, won't it? Findlaech will complain if there are any Muggles or Muggleborns on it, and Lulach will be upset if I don't follow his Squib son's line to modern times too."

He rolled his eyes with a grin. "I can nay exactly hunt down every Muggle MacDonell and say, 'Och, sorry to bother ye, but am I your long-lost wizard cousin?', can I?"

"I rather think it’s tied between the two of you. At least I now know where you get your temper from."

Jason grumbled a bit at this, but wisely said nothing coherent. Denying that he had inherited the MacDonell stubbornness and temper would be somewhere between 'fiction' and 'outright lie'.

"I suggest letting Janus and his flock use them as perches or Thalia can wash their mouths out with acid. She is rather eager too since the house elf comment."

Sighing, the wizard shook his head. "Maybe the first, although I sympathize with Thalia." Grumble though he might, chastise them occasionally as he was compelled to, other than the incident with Lennox when Jason's temper had come very close to fracturing, he was generally duly respectful of his ancestors. "In the long run, it'd take a lot for me to actually destroy one."

He glanced at the door, making sure they couldn't hear him, and added, "I'm glad they stopped me from breaking Lennox's jaw. It'd be like burning a Hogwarts Headmaster portrait, wouldn't it? Cheating my descendants out of their wisdom, even if it does come with a bit of unpleasantness."

"After the Second War, I think he realized that blood doesn’t make anyone better than another."

Frowning, Jason looked down and did not reply, crossing his arms over his chest. He had not parted on easy terms with his father, and the man had been murdered by Death Eaters when he held the castle against them. Though Colin's bust and Jason got along decently enough, it was hardly the same.

"We could really tweak them and have Morgana’s portrait come for a visit. Mackenzie could bring it when he brings the other ravens from Avalon."

"Ah. Aha. Ahem..." The former Auror's eyes widened for a moment before he could control the expression, which bore a striking resemblance to the very one he had worn when Jack asked if they could let the Abraxans roam the grounds freely. "That's...that's an...intriguing idea, love..."

Morgana Le Fey's portrait was intimidating in ways Jason hadn't known portraits could be. She rarely bothered saying anything to Jason, and when she did she had a tendency to twist her painted wand in her fingertips as if she wanted to curse him. Though she might be a bit less ominous off Avalon, which added to her unsettling mystique greatly, Jason rather doubted it.

"I can't imagine she'd like it here, though," he finally said, smiling hopefully. "Nay exactly the reverential treatment she gets on Avalon, is it? Not that I'm not all for Alex learning to be chivalrous, but...but it's a nice treat for him to visit Grandma, eh? Nay the same if Grandma comes to visit him, it loses that special touch!"

"But it'll be this all over again, won't it? Findlaech will complain if there are any Muggles or Muggleborns on it, and Lulach will be upset if I don't follow his Squib son's line to modern times too."

Aurora could admit the wisdom of what he said. She supposed it would just encourage the arguing. She also had to admit that the busts could be useful when they wanted. It was just getting frustrating trying to explain to her children why some of their ancestors were that way without being too disrespectful. After all Jack would eventually inherit Bannochdaen and may need their help from time to time. They also were Jason’s family and by extension hers, she couldn’t be too harsh on them.

"Maybe the first, although I sympathize with Thalia. In the long run, it'd take a lot for me to actually destroy one."

“Well they are your family, love.” Aurora smiled, “Even when they are being stubborn, they can be quite useful.”

"I'm glad they stopped me from breaking Lennox's jaw. It'd be like burning a Hogwarts Headmaster portrait, wouldn't it? Cheating my descendants out of their wisdom, even if it does come with a bit of unpleasantness."

“Just don’t let them know that.” Aurora advised, “Or they’ll get even worse. Although Lennox has become more pleasant as a result.”

Aurora noticed how silent Jason had become. Wordlessly , she walked to him and touched his arm. She didn’t mean to remind him of how his parents died. It was a hard loss to anyone to lose ones’ parents. She found herself thinking on her own parents. At least Jason had Colin’s bust to speak to. All Aurora had was her parent’s journals and their wands.  She often wished to have her mother here to ask questions about parenting. Aunt Morgaine was a good substitute but it wasn’t the same. Saddened herself, she rest her head against Jason’s arm.

"Ah. Aha. Ahem...That's...that's an...intriguing idea, love..."

Aurora smiled at the tone and glance at his face. She swallowed a giggle at his look. It was fun throwing Jason for a loop when she could. Of course, she wasn’t sure why Jason was weary of Morgana. Sure Morgana tended to be more guarded around non family. However, Aurora got an earful of Morgana’s approval of the Auror when Jason started the rescue missions and bringing Aurors to Avalon to train. Aurora still remembered one time when Jason had walked by and Morgana started lecturing Aurora on why she wasn’t flirting with the handsome Scot.

"I can't imagine she'd like it here, though. Nay exactly the reverential treatment she gets on Avalon, is it? Not that I'm not all for Alex learning to be chivalrous, but...but it's a nice treat for him to visit Grandma, eh? Nay the same if Grandma comes to visit him, it loses that special touch!"

With laughter in her voice, “Are you afraid of my Great Great Grandmother, MacDonell? She adores you, you know. She just won’t say it. However, if you rather not having her here to referee, I will understand. If my parents’ had a portrait I would have suggested them. Mom was always good at making men behave.”

Kissing him quickly again, Aurora turned to summon a messenger’s bag that she had brought from the Cloak and Dirk. The bag zipped through the halls and into Aurora’s waiting hand. Giving Jason a mischievous smirk, she opened the bag and pulled out a few files. They were the newest rumors and information concerning a few of their old enemies. She figured he might enjoy helping her find patterns and connections to any potential cases he might be handling.

“Think you are up to a bit of a challenge, love.” Aurora teased as she posed with the files, “These are newest rumors that Byron had found out over the past few nights. He is going to owl me with more tonight. He would visit but he know how you feel about his kind.”

"Well they are your family, love. Even when they are being stubborn, they can be quite useful."

"Yes, yes, family," Jason grumbled in reply. "Can nay live with them, can nay throw them off the battlements..."

"Just don’t let them know that. Or they’ll get even worse. Although Lennox has become more pleasant as a result."

"True," Jason admitted with a nod. Then he grinned wryly. "Though fortunately, being a Ravenclaw as I am, I can probably come up with an option somewhere between 'blanket tolerance' and 'total destruction'. I told Findlaech I'd lock him in the basement until I died."

When Aurora touched him arm, Jason wrapped it around her shoulders for a moment, saying nothing, for nothing needed to be said. They had both lost their parents to murderers, and each knew the other's feelings more than most outside observers ever would.

"Are you afraid of my Great Great Grandmother, MacDonell? She adores you, you know. She just won’t say it."

"What a...creative interpretation that is, darling," he returned with a leery sort of smile. He had never felt comfortable around the portrait of the great Dark witch; though she was not as unsettling as Voldemort, or as unstable as Bellatrix, there was still something there. Not so much overt malevolence as...scheming. She struck him as someone who always had a plan, or several. Multi-layered, hydra-like, and staggering in their depth and complexity. The woman had been the enemy of Merlin; even dead, she was not someone to underestimate.

"However, if you rather not having her here to referee, I will understand."

"Oh good!" Jason replied with obvious relief and almost indecent haste. Then, clearing his throat, he added quickly, "That is...er...probably for the best, love."

"Think you are up to a bit of a challenge, love. These are newest rumors that Byron had found out over the past few nights. He is going to owl me with more tonight. He would visit but he know how you feel about his kind."

"Good," MacDonell replied darkly, a brief but unpleasant look passing through his eyes. He had come to a resigned acceptance of Aurora's fascination with the vile things, but he absolutely drew the line at having them anywhere near his children -- and, by extension, the castle. He glowered at nothing for a moment before remembering the first half of her words.

"Files, ye say?" He rolled his eyes, smiling again, though it looked like it took effort. "Between your...friend and Radley, I feel like I should set up a Dark Arts consulting business..."

He paused, thinking briefly, then grinned more easily. "'Avada brush with the Dark Arts? Is it crucio that it's resolved immediately? Imperio-tive that no one find out? Then come see MacDonell! Experienced and discreet.'"

Smiling broadly at his own strained puns, he added, "So what does..." He stopped himself from saying 'the bloodsucker', and instead opted for, "Byron have for us?"

Aurora just took in Jason’s quiet strength as they cuddled. Once she thought she was alone in missing her parents. It was void she had spent a great deal of her adult life trying to fill. In a way she was still trying to make up for not being able to save her mother and father from their enemies.  She could understand better than anyone the pain Jason felt when Death Eaters took his own parents. In addition she could understand his hatred and need for revenge.  Putting an arm around his waist, she hugged him close. He was her rock just she could be his. It was a match that surprised many yet made perfect sense.

"What a...creative interpretation that is, darling,"

Aurora giggled softly, “Creative? Nay, it is the truth. She use to lecture me about not flirting with the Handsome Scot that was staying there. Add in that you were a warrior and extremely intelligent, she wanted me to elope with you immediately.  You weren’t there when I finally told her we were getting married.”

Aurora remembered the look of surprise then approval on her ancestor’s face.  True, Morgana had a dark reputation and one that put her at odds with Merlin. However, there were her journals that countered the stories. Morgana was quite the political strategist, but then with opponents like Merlin and her own sister, she had to be. Poor Arthur was the squib pawn caught in the middle , despite both Merlin’s and Morgana’s best efforts to avoid that. Well no good deed goes unpunished. As a result, Morgana’s portrait had fun with her whole dark mystique. She was an intimidating woman and would probably make even Lord Voldemort squirm with one of her dark glares. 

"Oh good! That is...er...probably for the best, love."

Aurora let out a husky laughter at that. She couldn’t blame Jason. Instead, she grinned, “If you really want to tweak her nose, we can have Arthur visit instead.”

"Good,"

Aurora ignored that remark towards her friend. She didn’t expect Jason to totally approve of her connections to that world. However ten years living amoung them, Aurora learned how to not make herself a target thanks to Cain.  Plus Byron was willing to help because of Cain’s orders to his clan in England to help the MacDonells anyway they could.

"Files, ye say? Between your...friend and Radley, I feel like I should set up a Dark Arts consulting business. Avada brush with the Dark Arts? Is it crucio that it's resolved immediately? Imperio-tive that no one find out? Then come see MacDonell! Experienced and discreet.”

Aurora started laughing at that, “Giving me competition there, love? Here I thought you might like to see what some of our old opponents have been up to lately. As well as potential cases you will have to deal with.”

"So what does...Byron have for us?"

“Quite a bit actually. It seems that there is a huge spike Muggle suicides in certain areas around Diagon Alley. However none of the victims really fit the profile.” Aurora stated softly as she pulled out the files, “I need some help sorting through what is relevant to all the incidents going on, what is potential relevant, and what is pure junk. I also thought you might like to help update my Dark Wizard Files that were so helpful to the Order. I’m hoping they can be helpful again. Don’t be too harsh on Byron, he respects you for not cursing the one time he said hi to you after you closed Nocto permenantly.”

"She use to lecture me about not flirting with the Handsome Scot that was staying there. Add in that you were a warrior and extremely intelligent, she wanted me to elope with you immediately."

One of the former Auror's thin eyebrows rose. "I'm...flattered, I suppose." It seemed a safe reaction. "Though I suppose a sorceress living alone on Avalon must have gotten lonely from time to time...she could probably sympathize." He winked.

"You weren’t there when I finally told her we were getting married.”

Secretly glad of this, Jason simply nodded and smiled.

"Here I thought you might like to see what some of our old opponents have been up to lately. As well as potential cases you will have to deal with."

"Bah!" Jason grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Why I ever let them talk me into serving on the Wizengamot..." Of course, he had been totally out of place with nothing in magical law enforcement to do, and the Wizengamot really was a good compromise. But he had never seen files so thick outside Umbridge's office before he started on the high court.

As Aurora went into detail on the files, though, Jason's expression darkened in earnest, his eyes sharp and fixed on his wife's face. He leaned back away again, resting his back against a bookshelf and tapping the eagle head of his cane gently against his forearm.

"Don’t be too harsh on Byron, he respects you for not cursing the one time he said hi to you after you closed Nocto permenantly."

"That was out of respect for you," the wizard noted grimly, but passed the topic by quickly. His frown became more pronounced. "I'd be happy to help ye, love, but if ye think all these 'suicides' are really murder by Dark wizards -- I assume that's where you're going with this? -- if ye think that, then we have to tell Raynor. I'll help ye sort it out, if it will make things easier for the Aurors, but we can't delay too long."

He smiled a half-wistful, half-contemplative smile. "It's not our job anymore."

"I'm...flattered, I suppose.  Though I suppose a sorceress living alone on Avalon must have gotten lonely from time to time...she could probably sympathize."

“It takes a strong warrior to convince a sorceress to leave her haven. Morgana had her warrior and I found mine.”Aurora blushed slightly. She did admit to herself that after the War and Jason returned to London, she did miss him a great deal. It was hard not to when one went from seeing him every day to maybe a few times a week. At the time, she didn’t want to admit she had fallen for the Auror. It just seemed to cliché to go from distrust to love. Yet, she did and when he told her, she couldn’t help but confess her own feeling. She never regretted it since.

"Why I ever let them talk me into serving on the Wizengamot..."

“They didn’t have to try too hard, love.  I believe you already had the acceptance letter written before you even asked me about it.”Aurora pointed out with a grin.

Aurora spread out the contents of the file.  Dates, locations, bits of dialogue, and photographs began to spill out. And this was only from the past two weeks. Aurora wondered what the coming weeks were going to look like, especially if there were more  incidents.  She wanted to have her files ready to turn over once she stepped away to let Cain take over. Her old mentor/teacher offered to help and Aurora gratefully took him up on it.

"That was out of respect for you. I'd be happy to help ye, love, but if ye think all these 'suicides' are really murder by Dark wizards -- I assume that's where you're going with this? -- if ye think that, then we have to tell Raynor. I'll help ye sort it out, if it will make things easier for the Aurors, but we can't delay too long."

“I agree.” Aurora stated simply, “It’s only a matter of time now.”

Aurora refused to delay any information. However, she wasn’t going to just forward any old information to Tamis. She had standards after all. Plus, it would just be a distraction. Aurora was going to help not hinder the investigation. She owed Tamis and Archer that much. Everything needed to be settled before she stepped away.

"It's not our job anymore."  

“I know.” Aurora admitted with a sigh, “I know you don’t want to get too involved. However, I want my files in order, because I know you are going to pull me from any investigations.”

Aurora paused as waited for Jason to look at her, “I am pregnant.”

"They didn’t have to try too hard, love.  I believe you already had the acceptance letter written before you even asked me about it."

"I'm sure I do nay know what ye mean," Jason said airily, busying himself with a piece of parchment sticking out between two books and trying not to smirk.

"I agree. It’s only a matter of time now."

Frowning, the wizard fixed his emerald eyes on the seemingly disjointed documents, knowing full well that there was always some type of order to Aurora's organizational chaos. The Ravenclaw in him could usually spot the pattern after a moment. "These two," he said after a moment, tapping a parchment sheaf and then a clipping of the Daily Prophet with the eagle device at the head of his cane. "'Gas leak'. I still do nay understand what exactly that means for Muggles, but I know what it means for us."

He exchanged a dark look with his wife. The Muggles had a tendency to chalk up seemingly inexplicable deaths to 'gas leaks', or occasionally the even more cryptic 'carbon monoxide'. Nine times out of ten, when the Muggle investigators themselves could not trace the source of such a leak, it was because the Muggles had actually been slain with the Killing Curse. Indeed, for a while during both Wars, 'got another gas leak' became a Level Two code phrase for a Death Eater Muggle killing.

"I know you don’t want to get too involved."

"Though tell that to Level Two," Jason grumbled, though good-naturedly. "Did I tell ye what Radley had for me? He thinks--"

"However, I want my files in order, because I know you are going to pull me from any investigations."

This was such an odd statement that Jason glanced up, emerald eyes narrowed quizzically. Of course, neither of them really belonged on a field investigation anymore, but if they needed to consult their various sources, who better to have at his side than a partner whose moves he knew as well as his own?

"I am pregnant."

Jason stared.

Then he opened his mouth, closed it again, and stared some more.

When he was finally beginning to look like a Confunded troll, he finally turned and fumbled with the parchments on the desk behind him before taking two and comparing them. He looked back at Aurora, blankly incredulous. "No one in my family has had more than two children since 1766," he noted, waving the parchment weakly as if to persuade her by force of logic. "Are ye sure?"

Aurora merely smirked at her husband’s feigned innocence. Jason MacDonell is as about as innocent as the devil himself.  Add in his natural cunning, one got a very dangerous opponent. Not many would chose to verbal spar with him, let alone tease him. However, Aurora was also a Ravenclaw and if there was one thing she enjoyed it was a challenge.

Which was why she loved this man dearly. She couldn’t think of anyone more reliable than him to follow her thinking. Even as he read over her files and reports, she could see his mind connecting the dots like she had. There were too many inconsistencies with the reports. There could only be so many gas leaks in an area, so many carbon monoxide accidents. Yet Muggles will believe what they want and take any seemingly logical explanation at face value.  Apparently, so did some wizards or Level Two would have been all over these reports.

These two 'Gas leak'. I still do nay understand what exactly that means for Muggles, but I know what it means for us."

“I do too.” Aurora frowned, “And it is not good news by any stretch of the imagination. That means they have been practicing. I wonder if level two could use any of this to trace it to ringleader.”

Though tell that to Level Two. Did I tell ye what Radley had for me? He thinks--"

Aurora really wanted to hear the end of that. It did explain why Archer Radley suddenly decided to seek her out again. Obviously Jason might have told him she could be of some assistance. Not that Jason was wrong, but warning might have helped. Aurora shrugged that to the side. She would deal with that later. Right now, she needed to have Jason understand why she was doing what she was doing.

Aurora watched as the new sunk in. She hadn’t planned on becoming pregnant again. Wasn’t even sure if she could? However, she had begun to suspect something when the symptoms began to appear. Serena confirmed the truth as best she could. Her cousin even threw in her own curveball that it might even be twins. Although with MacDonell currently impersonating a fish, she wasn’t sure if he could handle that.

"No one in my family has had more than two children since 1766. Are ye sure?"

Aurora rolled her eyes as he waved the parchment. It reminded her of a character in those Star War movies that Mac was obsessed with at one point.  Sure his family might not have had more than two, Le Feys, on the other hand, were known for having four or five. Her parents were the rare expection when they just had her. Besides unless he became sterile after Alex was born, they were having twins.

“Jason, unless you have a curse on your family that makes you sterile after the second child, you can still have kids. Men stay fertile until they die, love.” Aurora pointed out as she shook her head, “Serena is reasonably sure that it is twins, but she did say it might be too early to tell. Merry Christmas, handsome.”

Usually the MacDonells were a perfect complement to each other, both calm and poised, coolly self-confident and radiating an aura of cleverness and control, as well as that subtler hint of danger to anyone who pushed them. But every once in a while, Aurora would throw out something so totally unexpected that Jason's usual smooth demeanor would crack, and she would be left as the exemplar of cocky self-assurance while her husband had a look like a stunned gnome.

This was one of those latter times.

"Jason, unless you have a curse on your family that makes you sterile after the second child, you can still have kids. Men stay fertile until they die, love."

"Aye, I know that," Jason growled, rolling his eyes despite himself. "But..."

He paused, could not find a sufficient 'but', and just gave her a confused look, waving the parchment at her again.

"Serena is reasonably sure that it is twins, but she did say it might be too early to tell."

MacDonell's eyes were now so wide the emerald in them looked like tiny jewels sitting on white pillows. "Twins?" he repeated, as if it was some foreign word he did not understand. Then something clicked, and he finally looked down at the parchment he was holding. Throwing aside the older versions, knowing they would be useless for this, he followed his father's notes back. It was Muggles in question, so ordinarily they might not have appeared, but there was a tragic story involved...

"I have had that in my family," he said incredulously, pointing to the twin Muggleborn sisters, Theresa and Morgan Wallace. Of course, Theresa and her husband James had death dates only thirty years after their births, but that seemed the wrong detail to share with Aurora.

"Merry Christmas, handsome."

Lost as he had been in the process of digesting Aurora's news, Jason realized at last that he had forgotten the most important point. He looked up to her, meeting her cool gray eyes as his own narrowed back to normal, relieving him at last of the vacant look so atypical for a Ravenclaw. He set the family tree down on a table without looking at it, reached up to cup her cheek with his real hand, wrapped his gloved one behind her back, and kissed her.

"Aye, I know that. But..."

Aurora waited for the but. However, there was non forthcoming. This meant Jason had no counterpoint. Sometimes he can be just as caught up in his family’s past as any of his ancestors.  Aurora really wanted to bat the waving parchment to the side. She never expected him to jump up and down for joy. After all, every generation of MacDonells were never that big. He was an only child himself.

"Twins?

Aurora was about to remind him that Serena wasn’t totally sure yet. Before she could, Jason did something she wasn’t expecting.  Jason dove back into the pile of parchment and papers. Her information slowly mingle with his family trees.  Aurora caught the older parchment as Jason discarded them. She was use to catching things he tossed aside if it wasn’t useful at that moment.

"I have had that in my family,"

Aurora peeked at the parchment in question. Indeed he did have twins in his tree. Well, that answered one question she had wondered about. Her family never been blessed with twin in a very long time, centuries actually. There was a chance the gene never really died out, but Aurora found that the gene being from Jason’s side much more plausible.

Before Aurora could comment, Jason was looking towards her. She gave him a loving smile. As his fingers caressed her cheek, Aurora gave a soft sigh. His touch still thrilled her and made her feel beautiful. It amazed her every time they kissed just how cherished she felt.  She found her home with the man and nothing was going to take that away. Aurora kissed him back, gently wrapping her arms around him.

Distantly, she could hear their children approaching. As she enjoyed being in Jason’s arms, the world felt right. There were problems just now. Just the two of them and their ever growing family. Despite the bumps and occasional bickering, she wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Aurora pulled away just as Jack, Alex and Thalia burst in with tea and cookies. Smiling, at Jason, she winked.

“We’ll discuss that in more detail later, love.” Aurora teased, “The children are here.”