Carina never said it a loud, but she had a fear of going to Quidditch World Cups after the events of 1994, where she lost Maisie in the stampede during the siege. The only ones who knew of this fear were those who were there to witness what happened, and a chosen few – Maisie, Charity and Sirius, Theodore, and Roman and Morgan. It became an unspoken agreement to keep the knowledge hidden within these few people as Carina would often beat herself for fearing an exciting global event.
The first time she attended a Quidditch World Cup match, to watch Roman’s game, Carina insisted that they simply get a hotel rather than putting up a tent like they used to. Her actions raised questions to the few family members who agreed to come with to watch the match, but Maisie saw the uneasiness in her as Ron and Harry insisted on making camp and tried to reminisce the fun they had… the fun before the siege that is. She lost in that argument, and everyone was on board with taking a tent.
But on the day of the Quidditch Cup, after using the Portkey, Maisie surprised everyone in the sudden change of plans as she and Theodore acquired a cottage not far from the stadium, while still away from the large crowd, giving them privacy and safety. While Maisie and Theodore received many whines and groans from Harry and Ron about the change of plans, they did not mind and simply used the Oscausi Charm and made their mouths disappear.
“Maisie told you, didn’t she?” Carina said to Theodore when they got a good distance from the others. “You did not have to, you know.”
“We’re here to enjoy the match, and watch Roman hit players off the brooms a hundred feet off the ground. It wouldn’t be fair if you’re the only one who is not enjoying.” Theodore shrugged. “Let Harry and Weasley whine all they want, and I dare them to say anything about me or Maisie or you.”
“I hate it when I ruin someone’s plans.” She grumbled.
“You’re not ruining anyone’s plans, Carina. We’re still here for the match, to watch Roman, the only difference is we have a good place, a comfy bed, a solid roof, and a space for the twins and Teddy to run around and play without Charity or Professor Lupin worrying.” Theodore took her hands and held it tight. “I told you before that I would never force you to do something that you’re not comfortable with.”
Her lips twitched to a smile. “I believe I was the one who told you that when you were nervous about having sex, and you said, ‘tell me if you’re uncomfortable because I have no idea what I’m doing’.”
He fought the urge to roll his eyes then. “Same thing.”
“It really isn’t.”
“Still, it’s the same with this. I know that you want to go back to the times of camping with the others during Quidditch matches, but let’s take this one step at a time.” He kissed her hands. “And I’ll be here, every step of the way.”
“Will you hold my hand when we climb the stadium?” It was supposed to be a joke, but then Theodore said, “Every second, and if you want, I’ll hold on to Maisie too.”
Since then, every match Carina was invited to watch in the VIP section, she would have Theodore at her side. From taking inns away from the crowd, she slowly inched closer and closer until she could handle being in the crowded space of the camps and not have to check on Maisie or anyone over her shoulder every step she took.
But then she became a mother, and one July morning, Roman came and invited the entire family to watch the finals that had Bulgaria and Brazil playing. While the children were excited for the match and were dancing with their godfathers in the living room, Theodore noticed Carina’s sudden silence.
After Roman and Morgan left, Theodore spoke with her, during their late-night drinking on the patio, about availing a cottage away from the venue to ease her mind. She rejected the idea as the children were excited to camp with the others and promised him that she would be fine. He could only nod and reassure her that everything will be alright.
~*~
“WAKE UP!”
Romulus and Viktor were sure their souls left their bodies and fell back, only to drag them down to the edge and off the bed. Groaning in pain, the two boys glared at their sister who was snickering at the sight of them on the ground, wincing in pain and with a possible broken arm… nope, not broken.
The sun had yet to come out from the sea of trees outside, and there was no sign of it rising anytime soon, yet Sofia was already dressed for the day, wearing her favorite purple flannel, and her boots made for the environment of the venue. Her purple camping bag was also set on her back that had her sleeping bag and all that she would bring for the event.
Passing their door and peering inside with a bed head and a toothbrush in his mouth, eight-year-old Theo looked at his brothers for a moment then snorted, choked on the toothpaste, and went to a coughing fit as he ran to the bathroom. Serves him right, the boys thought.
“Laugh all you want,” Romulus threw his pillow at his sister, who caught it with ease. “I’ll get back on you for this. Just you wait.”
“I’ll be waiting. Get dressed, we leave in an hour. Breakfast is downstairs – and don’t think about going back to bed after this!” Sofia told her brothers. “Why does this pillow smell?”
Romulus and Viktor smirked, and the latter said, “Rom peed on it the other day.”
“Oi!” Romulus glared at his brother, while their sister threw the pillow at his face and ran to the bathroom to wash her hands. They heard Theo yelling at her to close the door, she did, the problem was Sofia closed it while she was inside which had their brother screeching at her: “SOFIA, I’M SHITTING RIGHT NOW!”
“IT’S AN EMERGENCY!”
“USE MUM AND DAD’S BATHROOM! YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE! GET OUT!”
“Theo, it’s too early to say shite!” They heard their mother from the kitchen. Then their father spoke from downstairs, “And you’re too young to be saying that!”
Coming downstairs all dressed and packed for their trip, the four Black-Nott children were greeted by the sight of Maisie, Teddy and the Goldstein twins eating with their parents. Unlike before, Charity, Sirius, and the Lupins decided not to attend the latest game, and rather spend it at home where they could relax with the boys away. But with them gone, it meant the three teenagers were to join Carina and Theodore in the trip to the game that was to be held at the Patagonian Desert in Argentina.
It took a lot of begging and groveling for the three to be allowed to see the Quidditch World Cup finals without their respective parents. Maisie even claimed that they created five rolls of parchment about the reasons why they should go, and that they borrowed her laptop so they could prepare a slide presentation showing the rules they set for themselves if they were to go (“we will stay with the group at all times”, “we will not participate in any sort of gambling… unless it’s with Roman”, “we will help with looking after the little devils”, “we will stop calling our nieces and nephews devils”) . After days and days of showing off with them doing chores – even the laundry – and responsibly babysitting their nieces and nephews, Charity and Sirius, and the Lupins gave in and lets them go, but they were to stay close to their guardian for that day: Carina and Theodore.
Just as Ethan was to get another piece of sausage, the enchanted spatula swatted his hand away. Joining their family on the table, the four children were served with plates filled with food and started eating.
“Slow down or else you’ll get a stomachache,” said Theodore.
“I don’t think that would be a problem for Theo,” Elias snorted.
Theo grumbled something under his breath and shoved a large piece of sausage into his mouth.
“Don’t worry,” Maisie spoke. “The new tent I got has a working bathroom in it.”
“Please don’t tell me you purchased a tent just for this occasion,” Carina sighed.
“The closest to camping you’ve done was sleeping in your clinic,” Theodore pointed out. “And in the medical bay in the Reserve… and in the living room here.”
“I borrowed it from a friend!” Maisie exclaimed. “And I did camp before!”
“When we were ten! Before the whole You-Know-What fiasco that involved Harry happened,” said Carina.
Theodore turned to his wife with an incredulous look. “You mean before you started in Hogwarts?”
“Exactly.”
Then one of her brothers coughed loudly, trying to hide the name “Finnigan” in the cough but failed. Not that Elias was trying to hide it in the first place. It earned a kick from his sister, then not long the two started a kicking war under the table, and Teddy and Ethan, and the children’s cheering did not help the situation.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Theodore waved a finger and locked the legs in place, stopping the kicks. “And I believe you three,” he gestured to the teens. “Promised to be on your best behavior.”
“We are!” Ethan said.
“Well, I am.” Teddy proudly pumped up his chest.
“You were cheering for Maisie to kick Elias’s balls earlier,” Carina pointed out.
“What? I was her moral support – I was supporting women!”
Carina and Theodore massaged the bridge of their nose. Finished with breakfast, the couple used magic to have the table, dishes, and kitchen cleaned while they did their last-minute preparations before heading out. While Carina headed to the study to see if Noctua and Hester, and Kai had a good amount of feed ready for the next few days they would be gone, Theodore and the others waited outside. As Teddy, Ethan and Elias played with Alcander and Snuffles, Theodore gathered his children to where Maisie was braiding Sofia’s hair on the swing.
“What’s up, Dad?” Romulus asked.
“I need you four to listen,” Theodore exchanged looks with Maisie. It was the first time the children saw their aunt so serious outside St. Mungo’s or the Reserve’s Medical Wing. “I need you to be on your best behavior today, all right? Your mum is a little worried about today.”
“Why is Mum worried?” Theo asked.
“Well,” Maisie finished her work and faced her niece and nephews. “First, you must understand. The World Cup is such a huge event that the Ministry alone cannot fully control the mass number of witches and wizards, so they hire Muggles to help out.”
“They obliviate them whenever the Muggles come to.” Theodore added. And he and Hermione were still trying to remove that as overuse of memory charms could lead to permanent damages.
Maisie continued, “Years ago, when were around Teddy’s age, we too went to the Quidditch World Cup. And during that time, Voldemort’s followers were still there, and there was a siege that had everyone running. Death Eaters were harassing Muggles, dangling them upside down in mid-aid. Your mum and Uncle Roman were responsible for me, and while running I got separated, and I don’t know what would have happened if your father haven’t found me then…
“The point is, your mother is worried that something like that would happen again. It took a while for her to get used to large crowds in those kinds of events, and she’s getting used to it, but now she’s a little worried that the same thing would happen again and one of you –”
“One of us.” Theodore corrected her. “Will get separated and never to be seen again.” He knelt before his children. “I need you to promise me – to promise us – that you won’t run off. If something happens, you four will stay together and be at our side. If you cannot find me or your mum, then go with Maisie, or Teddy and Ethan and Elias, or with Harry and Ginny.”
“We promise, Dad,” Viktor was the first to speak.
“We will behave,” Sofia added.
“And we won’t make Mum worry.” Said Romulus.
“We’ll stay by your side.” Theo reassured him.
Theodore smiled, he kissed his kids on the top of their heads and said, “good. And don’t forget to have fun, alright? Just don’t run off. If you want to go somewhere, tell me or any responsible adult.”
“We promise.”
Just as Theodore rose from the ground, Carina emerged from the door, locked it with a key which had every window and door in the house shut and locked with magic. It will not open without their key, and the spare they gave to Charity and Sirius, and the one in the Reserve hidden in a safe behind one of those portraits. There were so many that Carina would often forget which portrait it was Theodore hid the safe under… or was it a tapestry he used to hide it… maybe it was under the floorboard…
“Are we all set?” Carina asked.
The four children jumped off the swing. “We are!”
“Shall we? We have a long walk ahead of us.” Carina took Theo’s hand and led the group as she was the one to coordinate with the Ministry about the location of the portkey. After saying their goodbyes to Alcander and Snuffles, the family was off. Theodore used a Lumos Charm to create a ball of light to show the path through the woods that surrounded the hill, the sun has yet to rise. Sofia, Viktor, and Romulus walked with Ethan and Elias, and Teddy who followed a few paces behind them. They could hear the teenagers telling some sort of ghost story to the children, trying to scare them but it only ended up being funny.
“We’re sharing the portkey with another family, so best we hurry.” Carina spoke.
“May we know what family that is?” Theodore asked.
“The Diggorys.”
Theodore sighed. “Of course.”
Maisie laughed mockingly.
“Theodore,” Carina began. “He’s married with a kid. And it’s not like I still fancy him!”
“Hold on, you used to fancy Mr. Diggory?!” Theo turned to his mother. But none of the adults answered him.
“I know that! It’s not like we get along.” Theodore grumbled.
“Because you refuse to get along with him.” Maisie teased. “You don’t even talk to him!”
“There’s nothing to talk about!”
The walk was long. The entire time, as they passed through the woodlands, Ethan, Elias, and Teddy would make Maisie jump in fright with their constant pranks. They even had Rom and Viktor join in on the fun and taught them how to scare Sofia, but when they were about to jump on their sister, Sofia managed to grab them by their ears and dragged them along. She only let go when Theodore had them stop with the antics.
The Diggorys were already at the location with a ratty bag placed on the ground. Cedric was the first to greet them while Carina did so for their group. The two exchanged a quick embrace, Maisie doing the same, and then with Cedric’s partner. Theodore’s greeting was more formal in a way as he simply shook Cedric’s hand.
Cedric’s son, Cillian, was the same age as the eldest three children of the Black-Notts. The young boy favored mostly his mother with a few details that were Cedric’s. Much like his father he was what Maisie would call “a purebred Hufflepuff” or “a carbon copy of Cedric Diggory or Morgan but with a different face”.
“I’m sure you remember Cillian,” Carina said to her children when they greeted the young lad. “Uncle Morgan would bring him to the reserve.”
“Of course,” Romulus scoffed but then turned to his brother and whispered, “Not a clue.”
Cedric laughed lightly at the reaction from them. “I don’t blame you, we’ve been frequent in Ireland, visiting Cillian’s grandparents there.”
“Where’s Morgan?” Maisie asked.
“He’s already at the venue. Got the lots ready for us,” said Cedric’s partner. “He also asked us to give you these.” She produced a fan of tickets for the family. “VIP tickets.”
“YES!” The boys pumped their fists in the air.
As her brothers celebrated, Sofia approached Cillian who remained silent and simply observed them. “Do you like Quidditch too?”
“Aye, I do.” Said Cillian with a slight Irish accent. “I play with Da and my cousins, and sometimes with Uncle Roman when he’s over. What about you?”
“I like it and I play a bit, but I prefer dancing.”
“You dance? What kind of dance?”
“Ballet. What about you?”
“Can’t say I do,” Cillian snorted. “Mi Gran ha’ been tryin’ to teach me the Céili but I got two left feet.” Sofia giggle at that. As their sister talked to Cillian, Romulus, Viktor, and Theo fake-gagged behind her. The only time their sister ever giggles for a boy is if she likes him.
When the hour was approaching, the family grabbed hold on the ratty bag (“this is disgusting,” Maisie muttered as she held the thing). Theodore made sure to keep one hand on the bag while the other around two of his children, Carina doing the same with the other two. The vacuum feeling came, and one moment they were on the ground, holding the object, the next they were spinning in the air like those extreme rides in amusement parks. They spun and spun until they had to let go.
Ethan, Elias, and Teddy piled on the ground with a hard thud while the children were held by their parents who gently came down to the ground. Rom and the others laughed at the three teenagers’ position.
“Keep laughing, you twit!” Elias told him.
“Mum, he called me a twit!” Rom mocked.
“Are we there yet?” Ethan asked.
“No, that’s just part one of the travel.” Said Theodore. “The venue is in the Patagonian Desert in Argentina.”
Sofia, who suddenly found her two feet again, jumped and said, “Looks like I’ll get to practice my Spanish.” She grinned at her mother’s way.
Amused, Carina bumped fists with her daughter. Ever since Sofia heard her mother speaking the language when an old colleague of Carina came to visit, Sofia was enchanted with how it sounded adn begged her mother to teach her. Carina was more than willing to do so and began her lessons as soon as they could. Unfortunately no one in the family spoke Spanish other than Carina and Theodore so Sofia rarely practiced the language, especially when Theodore tends to practice their Greek more, and Roman sneaking in a bit of Gaelic. It was a wonder how they four Black-Notts don’t get confused with the languages they had to learn.
Just as Theodore said, another portkey appeared for them to use. This time, it was a rusty bucket. Teddy and the Goldstein twins were reluctant to touch the bucket. A vacuum and the dizzying ride later, the group landed on the sandy surface. Well, Teddy and the Goldstein twins landed on their stomachs on the sand and started rolling down the hill of sand.
Watching from above, Carina called out, “You three all right?”
“No!” Elias shouted.
“Just shake it off!” Maisie added.
“WE JUST ROLLED OFF A CLIFF!” Teddy exclaimed.
“Correction!” Viktor remarked. “It was not a cliff, it was just a really, really tall and steep hill made of sand!” His siblings snickered.
“PISS OFF!” Ethan yelled.
“Mum, Ethan told me to piss off!” Viktor mocked.
~*~
Harry and the others were already in the location when they arrived. Settled in the large tent they brought in the best spot they reserved, the Potters and Granger-Weasleys were already preparing for dinner – Harry cooking something in the little kitchen set-up outside the tent while Hermione prepared her purse charmed with the Undetectable Extension Charm to fit in all the snacks that they wanted. Carina stifled a laugh when she saw Huge put bags of sweets into the purse that Hermione took out earlier. It was no surprise that Hermione was strict about sweets, her parents were dentists afterall.
“You’re here!” Lily was the first to greet them, rather greet Theo as she practically threw herself at the young boy and held onto him.
“Hi, Lily,” Theo patted the girl’s head.
“Come on, Theo, I’ll show you where we’ll sleep.” The girl started dragging him inside.
“Hold on, shouldn’t I be bunking with the boys?” Theo questioned but it fell deaf-ear as Lily happily took him inside the tent where his siblings followed to greet their other friends and family.
Taking a break from his patty flipping, Harry happily greeted the Black-Notts and the Goldsteins and Lupin with a warm smile. He made sure to mess with Teddy’s hair and jest with the twins before letting them join the chaos inside where they could hear the children already having a head start. They were already chanting the songs of the teams they were supporting with Ron taking the lead in singing for the Bulgarian team – even when his sister was the opposing team in the match.
“You’re a bit late.” Said Harry.
“No, we’re right on time. It’s your lot who are early.” Carina rolled her eyes. “Honestly, who camps days before the actual match?”
“And unlike you, Harry,” Theodore began, “some of us have real jobs.”
“I have a job.”
“Being the Chosen One does not count,” Maisie jokes. “By the way, we were joined by the Diggorys earlier at the portkey. Theodore was jealous.”
“I was not – I’m married – he’s committed – why would I be jealous?!” Theodore exclaimed.
“Just admit that you were practically gloating that you got to show off the product of your love and hard labor to Cedric earlier.” Maisie gestured to the rowdy children playing inside.
Before Theodore could say more, Carina kissed his cheek and dragged him inside to their little space inside the tent. Harry did not space a Knut in the tent. It was massive inside, with a capacious common area, three separate and private sections for the couples, and two larger ones for the boys and girls to share (Maisie included, she’ll be bunking with Sofia, Lily, and Rose).
Left in the privacy of their small space to fix their things, Theodore and Carina took in the comfortable looking room with the tent-walls, the double bed that they would share, and the corner where their bags will be placed. They did not bring much, just Theodore’s backpack with all of their belongings.
Behind them, beyond the tent-wall, they could hear the squeals of laughter that came from the children. It brought smiles to their faces, but it soon disappeared as Carina sat on the bed and let out a long and tiring breath she has been holding in for a while now.
Honesty and the truth were part of their relationship, and their vows. She kept her worries hidden well with their children, putting up a face of strength, but once the door was closed, once they were alone, she removed that mask so Theodore would see. So he could see the real Carina, the one that she never even showed Harry, Hermione, Ron, or even Sirius and Charity.
“How are you?” Theodore sat at her side, the bag discarded on the ground. He took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. “I could feel you holding your breath the entire time we walked through the tents.”
“You’re exaggerating.” She scoffed. “I squeezed Theo’s hand a bit too tight earlier.”
He knows. He heard Theo mention it to her earlier before letting go of his mother and joining Maisie instead. “He forgave you, and they’ll understand why Mum is a bit on edge right now. They’re smart kids… they’re ours after all.” Theodore kissed her shoulder. “What do you want me to do to make you feel better?”
“This is a tent, and our family is just at the other side –”
“I wasn’t suggesting that!” Theodore flicked her forehead. “But I wouldn’t mind a quick one in the desert – ow! Ow! Ow – I was joking!” Carina released his side where she pinched him. “Seriously, Carina, if there is anything you need. I could make arrangements where we could get a spot away from the crowd.”
“And separate the kids? No – they were looking forward to this, and I don’t want to ruin it. I’ll be fine. Honest.” She pressed her forehead on his.
“All right… but if I hear Weasley and Granger going at it later tonight, I will blood apparate us to the desert – or I use a spell to apparate them to the bloody desert.”
It was enough to make Carina laugh. “I doubt Hermione would even think of doing something like that – Ron, yes. But Hermione? Don’t you remember when they all found out that we were no longer virgins?”
“You’ll never know. Come on, let’s go look for Roman before the match starts.” Theodore purposely pulled her up swiftly from the bed so he could swoop down and steal a kiss. “We’ll be safe. Nothing will happen to us.”
Hearing those words, Carina remembers the time when she would whisper them to Theodore when he would be paranoid of their surroundings. The war have took its toll on them, and there were still times when the sound of exploding snaps or a sudden chilly breeze, or even just a sudden silence would have them jump to their feet, wand in hand, and search the perimeter. Though they have moved on from it all, there were still some scars they will carry for the rest of their lives.
Joining the others in the common area, Theodore and Carina were greeted by the sight of their children playing with the Potters, Granger-Weasleys, and some of the Weasleys who just arrived, and to their surprise, a wolf was also in the premises. A large wolf that stood almost up to Theodore’s waist, with auburn fur, and piercing blue eyes. As they watched in amusement at the side, the wolf’s attention turned to them and instantly bolted – toppling the children that rode on its back – and jumped on Theodore.
“ROMAN!” Theodore tried pushing away the wolf’s face from his, as the beast kept licking his face. Not long, the wolf transformed to a tall and muscular man wearing the Magpie colors, with curly auburn hair, and was sitting on Theodore’s lap, kissing the man’s cheek. “I hate you!”
“I love you!” Roman hugged him, pressing their cheeks together. Before Theodore could gut him with a wand, Roman apparated and appeared behind Carina to kiss her cheek. “Glad to see that you’re all here. Hope the trip wasn’t too tiring.”
“It wasn’t. Though, Ted, Ethan, and Elias did roll down the sandhills.” Said Carina.
“Ha! So, what do you think of the spot? Not too crowded – not too close to the arena and not too far. And of course, the Chosen One got the best tent that his fortune could buy.”
It was a way to check on her, Carina knew Roman’s little ways to make sure that she was alright. A kiss on the cheek, the little hints in his words. Roman too knew of her anxiety with coming to crowded places, specifically Quidditch Matches.
“It’s perfect, Rome. Where’s Morgan and Maeve?” Carina asked.
“Maeve’s here?” Ethan’s head perked up from the human pile made by the children with him and his twin at the bottom, and Teddy sitting beside them, feeding him crisps.
“Aye. They’re just making sure the Diggorys are all settled.” Replied Roman. They’re heading here a little later.”
“Uncle Rome!” Sofia got out of the human pile and went to Roman’s side. “Will you be staying with here in the tent?”
“For dinner, yes; but Morgan and I got our own tent with Maeve with the Diggorys. Hope you don’t mind cooking for more people, Harry! The Diggorys are coming over here later.” Harry only waved his spatula as a way to say he did not mind. “Anyway, I saw Neville and Hannah in the grounds earlier – Seamus and Dean are here as well. And the Scamanders, too!”
“Aye, Rolf did ask for leave for a couple of days because of the match.” Theodore mentioned. “Is Newt here as well?”
“Nah, he’s looking after the Scamander twins – well, that’s what Luna said. And, I also ran into Cho, too – and Nigel.”
“Huh, it seems like everyone is here.” Carina mused. “And Smith’s here too?”
“Saw the back of that wee bastard’s head earlier.” Roman had a mischievous look on his face.
Just as lunch was to be served, Morgan and Maeve appeared. They were greeted warmly by everyone and were given a seat beside Roman – Ethan had him and Romulus switch seats so he could be beside Maeve. And to everyone’s surprise, Ginny too appeared, taking a break from their training so she could be with her family before the match starts later.
It was a large family setup in the tent, with all of the Weasley siblings present with their own families. Though, Bill’s family and Percy’s were only there for the meals as they have their own tents nearby. But Charlie. Charlie was more than happy to be there and was sitting beside Theodore so they could catch up. He told stories of the goings on in Romania, while the latter mentioned the Scotland Reserve. From their talk, it was suspected that there would be a collaboration training between the reserves in Scotland in the near future to apply the new regulations about dragon keeping for all the reserves in the magical world.
Ginny left as soon as lunch ended, so she may prepare for the match, and a few hours later, the entire family left for the stadium. Walking through the crowd, Carina held onto Theo and Viktor while Theodore had Sofia and Rom with him. She made sure to also have Teddy and the twins walking ahead of them with Maisie so she could have them under her watch. Thankfully, the climb to their seats at the VIP section had no trouble, just a couple of run-ins with a couple of old school friends, and colleagues. As it happens, the Kholers were there to watch the match and got the seats all the way at the top so they could have a bird’s eye view of the match, then there was also a few of Carina’s colleagues — Headmistress Guzman was also there, wearing Harpy colors to support her granddaughter who was a player for the team.
Settled in their seats, Carina finally let out the breath she was holding in the entire time. Sensing the tension on her, Theodore clasped her hand in his and whispered that they will be fine. That their children were safe.
“If it makes you feel any better, I already have an escape route if something were to happen,” Theodore added.
She sighed. “Even if it wasn’t for me, I know you would still have one. You always have a plan… but thank you. But don’t worry, I’m fine and I will enjoy the match. One of the things I like about the VIP seats is that we’re far from the crowds – we get our own space, a bit of privacy –”
“My! This is an unexpected surprise!” the voice of the womad had every adult’s smile disappear. Rita Skeeter walked down the step and entered their booth, with her was her photographer and her levitating and scribbling quill and pad. “Every famous face in the Wizarding World is right here in this booth, and look at these little ones!” She gushed over Albus. “You look just like your father when he was thirteen and slipped his name into the Goblet of Fire.”
Harry sighed. “You know that that’s not what happened.”
“She comes close to our kids and I’m kicking her out,” Theodore whispered to Carina.
“What are you doing here, Skeeter?” Carina asked the woman.
“Carina Black, still the feisty girl as you were back in Hogwarts – motherhood may have changed you a bit.” Carina raised a brow at that. “But it suits you – I heard from a little bird that you’ve been frequent in your trips to Germany, anything on that?”
“I am one of the Maj-ASTRA senior members, I conduct training and seminars in other schools specializing in Magical Astronomy, and for this year the convention for the Maj-ASTRA will be held in the Magical Berlin Observatory.”
“Is that so?” Skeeters’ eyes twinkled with an idea to twist the tale. “And what about Witch Weekly’s beloved Dragonologist.”
“I have not, nor will I ever agree to be in Witch Weekly.” Theodore stated.
Skeeter ignored him. “Is that a new tattoo I see?” she pointed on Theodore’s arm as he had pulled up the sleeves of his shirt due to the heat, showing his tattoo clad, muscular arms that has caught the attention of many as they passed by. “And what is this about? A memento of some sort?”
“It was supposed to be a mark that wards off evil, but I guess it does not work…” Theodore stated.
Then Morgan spoke, “Shouldn’t you be writing about the match, Skeeter? Because you’re facing the wrong way.”
“But the match has not started, and I am sure the people will be just as excited to read about this grand reunion of famous witches and wizards – my, I just happened to see Neville Longbottom earlier with his family, and others of your little ‘secret' organization.”
“I wasn’t part of their secret organization,” Theodore stated. “And I believe Granger did not want me there either.” He sent a mocking look at Hermione’s way.
“I already apologized for that!” Hermione called out. “It was a different time then – we didn’t know that you were…”
“I told you that Theodore was a good person,” Carina pointed out. “But neither of you listened!”
“We already apologized for it!” Harry said.
“Family drama!” Skeeter grinned. “It must be awkward at family dinners then – with your complicated history, I mean.”
“It adds to the entertainment.” Teddy spoke.
Skeeters slid to Harry’s side where the man was sitting with his children. “Is that a scar I see, Auror Potter? I’ve heard whispers that the Aurors have been doing a case with the Tamers of the Reserve.”
“As always, Rita,” Harry sighed. “I am not allowed to say anything about the missions.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Won’t.”
“Very well,” Rita moved to her next target for her little article. “Maeve Alston, as the only Muggle in this grand arena, what can you say about it?”
Maeve exchanged glances with Ethan before answering, “Quite normal… this isn’t my first time in a Quidditch Match.”
“Of course, it isn’t. But how do you feel right about being the only Muggle here?”
“Like any other morning. I live with two wizards who are constant mother hens – one who would always make my lunch with a wave of a wand, and the other constantly trying to give me a heart attack by taking me to spontaneous apparitions and broom rides. This is quite normal.”
“You live with your brother and brother-in-law? Fascinating, what about your mother?”
“I believe that is none of yer business, Skeeter,” Roman spoke in a threatening tone. “Now, if you please, get out of our box and do yer job.”
Roman was not quick to anger. He was the second most patient person in the box with Morgan being the first. But if matters involving his family were being picked on by nosey people in search of gossip, he would not hesitate to step up. There was a time for jokes, Roman learned that as he grew up.
“What an awkward scene I have walked into.” A familiar man’s voice broke the silence. Of everyone who turned to the door of the booth, Theodore groaned silently and slumped in his seat and tried to hide.
“Alexander,” Carina was the first to speak, startled with the sight of the man.
“Great-grandfather!” Sofia and Romulus waved at his way.
Alexander Achillia, donning his purple and white robes, happily patted his great-grandchildren’s heads and greeted Carina with a peck on the cheek. “Sit up, Achilles, you’re a grown man, you should know your manners by now.”
“What are you doing here?” Theodore questioned.
“I came for the match, obviously – put a lot of money on the Harpies.” Alexander winked at Roman’s direction, who too placed a bet. “And, just as I was going to my own booth, I saw you lot all the way here. Honestly, Achilles, are you going to deprive your family the best seats in the finals? I would have thought with all the money the Reserve has been making you would at least get the best accomodations.”
“This is the best accomodations.”
“Not by so far, my dear boy.”
“The place you’re sitting at is reserved for Ministers and people, such as yourself. Not open for the public to purchase.”
“Pity, it seems you have not been making good friends with the Ministry then.”
“What gave you that impression?”
“Well, one of the reasons why I came here is to invite you to join me in my private box right there!” Alexander pointed to the top box that was close to the pitch where a few of his grandfather’s guards stood waiting. “We would have the best view of the match, and good food.”
“Food?” Romulus’ eyes twinkled at that.
“Yes, I even had them made our favorite dish, my dear boy. What do you say?”
The four children turned to their parents, waiting for their answer. Though the bribe of a good view and good food was tempting, it would mean that they would be separated from their friends and family, and the entire thing about this was to spent their day with them while watching the Harpies winning the Cup.
“We thank you, Alexander, but” Carina began. “We will be staying here with our family.”
“Are you sure, my dear? The box offers privacy and security.” Alexander said.
Whether Alexander was simply stating a fact, or he knew of her worries, Carina did not know, but it did catch her off guard. “We are perfectly fine here. Thank you.” She said.
“Oh well.” Alexander sighed in defeat. “Before I leave,” he snapped his fingers and four purple pouches appeared on the laps of the four Black-Nott children, all filled with sweets and snacks. “And, I do invite you to join me tonight for dinner.”
“We already have plans,” Theodore said.
“After them, then. It is only right that I see my great-grandchildren afterall.” Alexander bid his farewell to the Black-Nott children then left. Completely ignoring the rest of the people in the booth, while also leaving a juicy story for Rita to write about. That is, if she had to guts to write about the Achillias who have been one of the oldest and mysterious families in Magical Europe.
“Well, this is quite a family, indeed.” Rita Skeeters smirked. With that, the witch left to find more gossip to write about. Just as she left, the match finally began with the loud commentating made by Lee Jordan and an Argentinian witch who spoke in Spanish.
~*~
Loud cheers came from the tent as they celebrated the Harpies’ win. From outside where Carina was drinking a glass of butterbeer with Theodore, and Morgan joining them as Roman was inside jumping around in his wolf-form with Theo on his back, they could hear the loud singing of the Harpies’ song, others singing it off tune.
They were not the only ones celebrating, there was singing that came from other tents. Some sang the Harpies song, the others sang the Bulgarian team’s hymn – pride, was what Theodore said when they passed a couple of tents singing the hymn.
“Any louder and there might be a fight,” Morgan spoke.
Theodore chuckled. “I never understood the whole thing about people pouring their hearts to their teams in sports.”
“It’s a pride thing,” Carina supplied. “Before we forget, your grandfather wants us to visit his tent later.”
Theodore threw back his head and whined. “We don’t have to, and you know it.”
“Either we go there ourselves or he sends someone to get us. I prefer the former.” Carina said. “Or… maybe it could be just us two who goes there. The kids are having so much fun and I don’t want to ruin that.”
“Are you sure?” Theodore asked.
Carina shrugged. “Yeah. They’ll be safe here.”
Theodore was not sure what to say, hearing that from Carina, when earlier she had been anxious to come to the game, was flabbergasting. She had been worrying about this day for almost a week, then suddenly she was fine with leaving their children in the watchful gaze of their family.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Morgan spoke when he noticed Theodore’s surprised look. “Roman and I will keep an eye on them, and if anything were to happen we’ll get them to safety – you have your compass, right?”
Carina produced the golden compass that she had in her coat pocket. “Always do.”
“Go on, Theodore, I’ll make sure they don’t cause too much trouble.”
Theodore welcomed Carina’s arm that wrapped around his own and led her away from the tent and followed the directions on where Alexander was. “Why the sudden…” he trailed off.
“A wise man once said,” she started. “Worrying means you suffer twice.”
Theodore let out a breathy laugh. “Is that so?”
“I won’t lie… there’s still a bit of worry in me, but Roman and Morgan are there, they’ll protect them.”
He leaned down and kissed her head. “It’s a step.”
“A small one.”
“Does not matter. What does is that you just made one, and I’m proud of you, Black.”
Carina smiled.