Golden Boy

Alice had slept so well the night before she’d almost refused to get out of bed that morning. She’d spent the previous day with one of her favourite clients, who’d just received a promotion and wanted to celebrate. They’d taken a portkey to Montenegro, spent the day in the sun, drinking expensive champagne and played some poker. After a few hours in a particularly spectacular hotel, they’d come back to England and Alice had fallen into bed, tired, sunkissed and content. But today was an Eddie and Allie day; and nothing, not even exhaustion, would stop Alice from having that kind of day. After showering and dressing ( a turtleneck white cropped jumper, with tight fitting grey tartin / checked trousers and heeled boots ) she’d made her way to the kitchen and chopped some fruit for a healthy breakfast.

A warm smile came to her lips as Edgar came in, humming contently as he kissed her cheek. “Morning love,” she replied softly. She nodded her head. “Please,” she said. “I’m having fruit, do you want any?” she asked and sliced a few strawberries. She pursed her lips in thought. “I’m thinking Montreal or…Buenos Aires–” she told him. “What do you think?” she asked.

As a whole, Edgar was good at keeping in touch with his friends on a regular basis. It helped that his work schedule was fairly consistent, for all intents and purposes. Maybe it was because he was a first born child, or because the importance of family had been ingrained in him since he was a child, but Edgar had always believed that it was his responsibility to keep in close content with his friends that had become apart of his family over the years. Not to say he wasn’t close with his biological family, because of course he was, but he had found that he had more than enough room in his heart for more. 

Smiling, he got their tea fixed up to each of their liking, while he gave a nod, “That sounds great actually. I think we have some yogurt still, so I might grab some of that as well. Would you want any?” he asked, already moving to the fridge to get the mentioned food. “Either of those would be fantastic. Admittedly, I’ve not been to Buenos Aires, but it’s on my list. We could go there today?” he answered, happy to help make a decision. 

~~~~~~

Depression was a beast that Remus felt extremely ill prepared to deal with, especially when there hadn’t been all that much to get out of bed for in the first place.  There was work with the Order of course, but Remus could only be used for so much of that. That wasn’t anything to set a schedule by and since he was chronically unemployed it seemed, there was very little reason to try and get himself on track.  It was mostly endless days trying to find something to occupy his mind before it tried eating itself, failing and then hoping one of his friends would be kind enough to rescue him.

Usually it was Sirius or Lily or Mary that did the rescuing, but today, it was Edgar Bones who had gotten in touch with him seemingly out of nowhere. Remus had been too much into his own tortured life when they’d still been in school together, but he remembered Edgar as exceedingly friendly.  Still, the idea that Edgar would remember him enough to get into contact these years later gave Remus pause.  Certainly he had better people to be spending his time with.  He nearly didn’t come at all, but curiosity had gotten the better of him at the last minute.

He looked around the Three Broomsticks for a moment, knowing he was already late and finally laid his eyes on Edgar, who managed to have grown into his looks even more in the time since he remembered him.  The easy smile was the same though and Remus gave him a lopsided one back, reaching out to shake his hand before sitting down.  "It’s not every day the man you used to idolize in school asks for a meeting,“ Remus said with a teasing sort of smirk.  "I found I couldn’t in good conscious stay away.”  He pursed his lips.  "Though I can’t imagine why you asked to meet up in the first place.“

In school, Edgar had excelled. Academics had come naturally to him, but he had always yearned to learn more. Edgar enjoyed challenging himself where he could, and he more often than not, he was called upon by his professors to either help tutor younger students or help them advance their studies. He fully enjoyed being able to share his knowledge with others and mentor where he could. 

Shaking his head, Edgar knew his cheeks flushed at the compliment, “Oh please, I was hardly anyone to idolize,” he waved off, though he smiled none the less. Remus had always been brilliant, and Edgar had enjoy watching him and the other boys, grow into their own over the years. Remus’ work with the Order had shown that he was right in believing him to be both intelligent and skillful. “I’m grateful for that, because I can’t think of anyone better to fill this particular position,” he admitted. Edgar let his hands rest around his tea mug again, not one for coffee. Smiling softly, he answered the question candidly, “Short version, I’m here to offer you a job.” 

Taking a sip of his black tea, he continued, “Most field teams have an apprentice or two that work with them, and the one I’ve been training for the past couple years has moved forward. Now, we have the option to pull from Ministry interns, or select our own replacement. Since it was my apprentice that moved up, I get to pick who we replace her with, and you were my first thought,” he admitted. Edgar pushed the file towards him, giving him the details of the job, hours, pay, and benefits. “I need someone that thinks quick on their feet, is empathetic and understanding in the field, and has a desire to learn. More over, I need to someone I can trust to not only use their common sense when working with magical creatures, but to also have my six if the situation calls for it. Truthfully, I think you’d be a perfect fit,” he offered, giving Remus time to mull the proposition over.

Marlene looked up at the familiar voice, and the half-smile stayed as she recognised Edgar. “Well, he seems to like you anyway.” she said, as Cerberus wagged his tail and looked at Edgar expectantly. Cerberus was a good guard dog, but she’d found he was pretty good at reading people, and knew (correctly) that Edgar was no threat to him. “I’m doing good actually, better now that not everyone in the Order is looking at me like a suspect.” she answered. There was a slight edge to her voice, but she shrugged. She was mostly over it. “What about you?”

“Seems so. Can’t say I’m not glad for it,” he admitted with a smile, happily petting the pup once he allowed it. “What’s his name?” he asked, smiling warmly as he continued to put the German Shepard. Edgar gave her an empathetic smile, “I imagine that’s made things a bit easier. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Anyone who thinks you’d betray either Lily or James that way, let alone help the Death Eaters, clearly hasn’t been paying attention,” he replied. Edgar had expressed his distaste at the accusations that had been thrown around Marlene during that whole fiasco. He couldn’t imagine how betrayed she must have felt by the members that had accused her. “I’ve been good, busy though. We’ve had an increase of smuggling cases lately, though I’m sure if we’re just getting better at interfering or if there has actually been an increase in cases,” he admitted. Once the Auror’s and Magizoologist departments started working together, they’d found it much easier to find cases of smuggling and help stop them.

BONES-FORTESCUE FAMILY

Edgar & Alice Bones-Fortescue: Michael B. Jordan & Inbar Lavi

Adopted Children: 

Atlas Bones-Fortescue: Caleb McLaughlin  Xiomara (Zo) Bones-Fortescue: Isabela Merced Mac Bones-Fortescue: Noah Jupe Sofia Bones-Fortescue: Scarlett Estevez 

Not Pictured: 

Baby Neville Bones-Fortescue (Longbottom)

Family History

With the end of the war came navigating a new, post war, life. Despite never having a romantic or physical attraction to one another, Alice and Edgar had formed a platonic partnership over their years as roommates. Having always discussed the possibility of adopting a family of their own, romantic partnerships be damned, they had been hesitant to actually act on their future dreams. However, Edgar had gotten his fostering license regardless, knowing that adoption was likely in his future. 

It had started with a smuggling case. Edgar was apart of the field retrieval team, and while he had expected to find the baby dragons, he hadn’t expected the little boy amongst them. Magical creatures weren’t the only thing being smuggled, and Edgar had taken emergency custody of Atlas that night. The opportunity falling into his and Alice’s lap, it was no surprise that after having fostered the little boy, they decided to adopt him. Slowly, and then all at once, Alice and Edgar figured out that they not only loved raising a child together, but also the life they were building. Atlas Bones-Fortescue had become the first addition to their family, and the catalyst to adopting the others. 

Next came Zo and Sofia to their family, adding another layer of completeness. Having started the process for adoption traditionally this time around, they connected with the sisters almost immediately. Sofia had taken to them with the ease that only a child could possess, while her older sister had been much more cautious. Siblings were often separated in the system, and Zo never wanted to hold her sister back from being adopted into a loving family. To her surprise, separating them had never even been in question, and both girls found a home build of safety, love, and respect with Alice and Edgar. 

Mac had come to them last, but he was still quite young when he joined them. With both Atlas and the girls adjusted to the way their family worked and the rules and routines they maintained, adding Mac in hadn’t been as dramatic as it could have been. The other three kids had helped him adjust, and before long, the Bones-Fortescue family functioned like a well oiled machine. Alice and Edgar had build their family on love, mutual respect, and tolerance, allowing their kids the space to make mistakes and grow from them. 

Sometimes Edgar had normal weekends off, and others he had days off during the week. It all depended on the magical creatures he was working with and when they came under his care. If the Auror’s caught wind of an illegal trade happening, he could be called in at any time, depending on which team was on rotation. Still, he had today off, and he had planned with Alice before hand so that they could have a day full of plans. Edgar put on his dark jeans that rolled at the cuff and a cropped maroon sweatshirt that had patches on one sleeve. Moving down to the kitchen, he kissed Alice on the cheek as he put on the kettle to start his cup of tea. “Morning, Dove,” he greeted, moving to get his own mug. “Tea?” he asked, before deciding how many mugs to get down. “Where are we going today?” he asked, knowing that it was her turn to pick which city they explored. On the rare days they both had off, it had become a tradition to travel to a new city together. Wizard travel made it possible, and Edgar was infinitely grateful for that.

 When Ed’s apprentice graduated onto a team of her own, he was tasked with finding a replacement. Amalia had started out as an intern for the Ministry and he had plucked her out of the available candidates. Despite having never considered a career in magizoology, she had quickly taken to the career. Edgar was grateful that at this point he was allowed to choose on his own. Amalia had been great, and Ed wanted to find someone that had the same kind of drive she did. Besides, he wanted to work with someone he liked. This time around, Edgar got to pick without reserve, and he got in touch with Remus almost immediately. He had no doubt that the younger boy could succeed at this career. 

Seeing the door to the Three Broomsticks open, he smiled warmly as he caught sight of Remus. Waving him over, Edgar stood up and reached out his hand in greeting. “Remus, it’s good to see you. Thanks for coming,” he smiled. 

Marlene was in an unusually good mood, so when Cerberus trotted up to someone on the path, she didn’t immediately call for him to continue walking. “Careful. I’d say his bark is worse than his bite, but that wouldn’t be quite true.” she said dryly with a small half-smile “But he’s generally well behaved.” she added, as she looked up.

Working with magical creatures for a living, Edgar was sometimes a walking magnet to animals in the park. When a large dog came up to him, he instinctively put his hand out slowly for him to sniff. He was a handsome dog, and clearly had some semblance of training to be off his leash and not running off. Hearing a fairly familiar voice, he smiled, “Thanks for the warning,” he replied, before continuing with a smile, “I try not to pet other people’s pets without their permission anyways. He seems well trained though,” he mused. “How are you, Marlene?” he asked her kindly. Edgar knew things had been difficult in her realm lately, and he knew she had other people to talk to, but he still wanted to give her something akin to support. 

FAMILY TREE

Mary breathed out a sigh of relief at Edgar’s familiar voice, feeling a little less on edge to know that he was beside her. She still hadn’t raised her wand to do any damage, too intent on making sure that no one was injured to care much for the task at hand. The others were doing their part, and she knew Lily would be able to slip away with Ted without anyone noticing, especially now that they had gotten the apparition wards down. “Are you okay?” She asked, wanting to make sure that he hadn’t been hurt by any of the chaos either. “You go ahead of me, I’ll cover you,” she counter-offered. It was better that way – he could do the damage, she could make sure no one got hurt. 

Emma laughed, shaking her head at him. He was ridiculous, but she actually thought bringing it up to someone in the spell invention department wouldn’t be a bad idea, even if Edgar was joking. “Well I won’t die from a twisted ankle, and I’ve got the best person in the world with me to make sure of that,” she said, wishing she could take back the comment on Ted, but it was too late. Taking his hand, she hummed softly. “Honestly… I remember vaguely… I sort of drank two bottles of wine on my own,” she grumbled. “It doesn’t matter, he chose her and that’s that. I have you and Alice, right?”

“It’s amazing that we have a whole department dedicated to creating spells, and yet, we still have so many mundane things we should have magic for,” he mumbled, knowing that at the time, they were more focused on war like spells and not mundane ones. “No, you won’t, but I’m still going to worry nonetheless,” he admitted. Worrying about his girls came second nature, and it was just something he learned to live with. “I do try my best,” he teased. Edgar gave her an empathetic smile as he nodded while she talked. “Well we can’t be held responsible for what we do after two bottles of wine,” Edgar mused, lighting the subject some. He knew it was touchy, and that it wasn’t something Emma liked to talk about, so he didn’t push. “Alice and I definitely got the better end of that deal. He’s a fool, but I suppose it’s lucky for us,” Edgar told her, matter of fact like.

Ted gave his friend an affectionate, but teasing grin. “Pretty sure that you could focus on studying anywhere. You’ve got a gift for it,” he told his friend, but it was all in good nature. He pulled his Defense Against the Dark Arts book to the top of his pile, drawing out his quill and getting it ready to write. 

He looked up at Edgar and smiled warmly, feeling a strong surge of affection for the other boy. “You’re the best, mate,” he told Edgar earnestly, sitting up a little straighter in his seat now. 

Waving him off, Edgar laughed, “It’s not a gift, I just have a lot more practice at it than some people,” he mocked, though his tone was entirely kidding. Looking at the book, Edgar pulled out the study sheet that he’d already made and passed it to him. “Mark the topics you’re less confident in. It’s fine if it’s all of them, but prioritize which ones you need the most help with. 

Smiling warmly, full of sincerity, he replied, “Anytime, Teddy. I’m happy to help where I can honestly. You’re one of my best friends; I want to see you succeed.”

“I have always envied that ability of his. Tried to reproduce it on my own a few times to no avail, it seems. I think that it’s a trait that is solely Arthur.” She missed him and the way that things were when they were younger. He had quickly become one of the most important people in her life, the first person that had truly treated her like family. After everything that she had gone through, all of the foster homes, all of the shitty foster parents, having Arthur had been her saving grace. He introduced her to Quidditch and he welcomed her into his family when she needed it. She nodded her head in acknowledgement of his thanks. She had to respect Edgar’s career choice, it was hard work, taking care of the unwanted, and most people well, they didn’t want to do it. Whether it was children or animals, it was all the same. Hell, she almost thought that being an unwanted animal was worse, people were so cruel, after all. And there weren’t as many laws protecting animals as there were children. “It’ll be good for them,” She offered him a small smile. “They’ll find their home there and nobody can hurt them there.”

“I’ve thought of seeking out another team,” she admitted. “But then that would make my years with the Harpies wasted, I think. So I don’t know. Patience isn’t my strong suit. I need to learn to be patient.” She was sure that good things would come if she could just wait. But she hated the idea of having to wait much longer. She had already been waiting for so long. She smiled, though when Edgar said that patience was overrated. “I’ve always thought that,” she agreed, laughing. “Oh, he’s adorable and he knows it. He has those puppy dog eyes that means he can get away with anything,” she said, shaking her head. “Me too, though. I kind of love him so much already,” she laughed. She nodded her head. “I think i’m going to have to get a book or something, he’s been learning, but there’s still a ways to go.” She smiled. “That sounds perfect.”

Grinning, he nodded, “It is. One of those uniquely Arthur traits that just makes you love him more,” he agreed. Arthur was one of his favorite people, and he’d learned early on to accept him and to take him as he was. He was a much more complex person than most people realized, and he was just grateful that he could consider him his best friend. Edgar had seen some of the cruelest parts of humanity, and yet, he saw the best in it as well. Every time his team helped take down smugglers, traders, and illegal farms, he saw how cruel people could be, but also how kind his people were when out in the field to the creatures that were being harmed. Edgar loved his job, and there was nothing else he could see himself doing. Nodding, he replied, “It will be,” he agreed, knowing that Hogwarts was one of the best places these beings could go. Smiling softly he agreed, “They’ll find a safe home.” 

“I get that honestly,” he mused, though after she continued, he added, “It might mean starting all over too. Another team might make you wait just as long before making you a season regular, whereas you’ve been with the Harpies long enough that you’ll be worked into that position sooner,” he considered. Laughing, Ed shook his head, “Patience is a virtue and all that, but I can definitely understand not having it. It’s something I still need to work on as well,” he mused, before adding, “Me too.” Shaking his head, Edgar grinned, “I’m glad you know he’s going to get away with everything. Cute puppies always do, honestly,” he teased. A wide smile formed as he nodded, “Good, I’m glad to hear it! I’m sure you two will be well suited for each other,” he started, before continuing, “a book would definitely help. There’s a lot to learn from those.” Edgar smiled warmly as he commented, “Brilliant, I would love that.”

Stellarum Lapsus Task #3

“fight because you don’t know how to die quietly.” 

“I can’t believe we have so many spells but a twisted ankle is the one that they lack the spell for, it’s so common!” she complained with a laugh. Looking up at him, she bit her bottom lip. He was so undeniably sweet, and she didn’t know how she got so lucky with a friend like him by her side. “Edgar, my love,” she said taking his hand and kissing it. “I’m fine. Truly,” she assured him before looking away and clearing her throat. “Though uh… Yesterday… I uh… We… I uh… Ran into… Ted.”

“Someone ought to invent it. Take it up with the spell invention department. Maybe they’ll have something say on the matter,” he teased, giving her a grin. In truth, it was one of the many frustrations of the wizarding world. Sitting beside her, all of this was easy. It was the best parts of his day just getting to come home and relax with his two favorite people. So long as they were safe and happy, everything would be worth it. Giving her a smile he hummed, “Well I’m glad you’re alright. I just worry, you know,” he smiled, though he didn’t phrase it as a question, because of course she knew. Emma knew him better than most after all. Raising his eyebrow, Edgar instinctively reached out to take her hand, “Are you alright? I imagine that wasn’t the most pleasant experience.” 

Dorcas always spent entirely too long on trying to pick gifts for Arthur. How did you thank someone for taking them in and showing her the kindness that Arthur had? How could she ever thank him for everything that he had done. “Oh, i’m sure he would find some use for it and potentially get himself into trouble,” she laughed. “True,” she said with a grin. Before Edgar had taken his job, she had never paid much attention to magical creatures and their plights. She had always just focused on Quidditch. But it had been very eye opening, hearing his stories about the poor animals that he worked with. Perhaps she saw some of herself in them, the frequently orphaned magical creatures that he worked with. “They’re in good hands with you,” she told him. “If anyone can fix them up, it’s you.” At his explanation of what they were going to do, she smiled and nodded her head. Of course they would find a home at Hogwarts. It seemed like all lost souls, human and animal alike were drawn to Hogwarts. Other than the Weasley family, Hogwarts had been the first place that she had felt safe, had learned her place. Had met Emmeline and Olivia and her friends. Friends that she had never expected to have. She had so many fond memories there. “Of course they will be happy at Hogwarts,” she said. 

She nodded her head. “Oh, it is. Would it be bad to say that i’m waiting for one of them to retire? I’ve been patient for this long and I know that it’s just a little bit longer. But i’m starting to lose my patience,” she admitted. “Thank you,” she said with a smile. “I know. It’s just the waiting. Patience has never been my strong suit,” she said, shaking her head. She laughed and nodded her head. “His name is Asher, and he’s so cute. I adore him. It was kind of a last minute thing, but I definitely don’t regret it.” She smiled. “Well I’ll take all the advice I can get. I’ve never done this before. Do dragons pee all over the floor? Because he does that. It’s so gross,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Come over anytime, seriously. We would love the company.”

Grinning, Edgar nodded, “Oh absolutely. I wouldn’t doubt it for a second. Art has always been ridiculously good at making trouble out of the mundane,” he laughed. Truthfully, Arthur was brilliant in that way, if a little destructive, but Edgar had seen the brilliance that the other boy possessed. His smile softened at her words and he gave her a very sincere, “Thank you, that means a lot,” because it did. Dorcas had faith in him, and had faith that he would always act with the creatures best interests at heart. He loved his job more than anything, and he was just grateful that he got to pursue a career in something he was passionate about. If his years at Hogwarts had taught him anything, it was that people could be wholly cruel to beings that were different from them. Nodding, he gave a hum, “I couldn’t agree more. They’ll be well cared for there, and that’s all I can ask for,” he admitted. The hardest part of his job was letting them go when he knew it was past time for them to stay, but he knew it was important none the less. 

A smile formed as he shook his head lightly, “Not at all, luv. I think that’s a perfectly acceptable wish, especially given how underused you are on the team. In fairness, I think anyone of your talent would, and I’m sorry it hasn’t been quite so fulfilling lately,” he lamented. Dorcas was brilliant and she had a passion for Quidditch, as well as the skill. Waving his hand he laughed, “Please, patience can be overrated,” he teased. He knew it had to do partially with seniority, but he also knew that she was being undervalued in a lot of ways. Still, he smiled at the change of subject and added, “He sounds adorable. I can’t wait to meet him. Last minute pets are always the best, and I’m so glad you got one suited for you,” he grinned. Edgar was genuinely excited for the younger girl and had no doubt that they’d be perfect for each other. “No usually, though there’s a lot of ways to potty train - thankfully there’s a lot of books and articles on it these days,” he grinned. Nodding, he offered, “I would love that. I’ll be a day this week and swing by with dinner after work.”