c. dearborn & l. d’eath

Even before Caradoc had joined the Order of the Phoenix, he’d always been a bit wary of Rabastan Lestrange. He couldn’t help it, something was just bugging him about the guy. Call it a gut feeling. Now, the line for ice cream at the party was fairly long, and Caradoc had been zoning out while he waited. He startled a bit when Rabastan came up to him, not expecting the reaction.

"Perhaps you've been walking on the wrong side of the Alley." Raising and lowering an eyebrow, a laugh left his lips almost indiscernibly. "I've passed many entertainments so far. Though, perhaps a queue is a moment of peace and calm." Stepping forward as the line moved, he leaned against a wall and set his stare more firmly on the other wizard. "How's life at the Ministry? You should ditch it, you know. Come to Gringotts. The goblins are much more fun, comparably speaking." Arguably, they were not very fun at all. But Rabastan valued the freedom. As long as he retrieved gold, they didn't seem to care where he'd been or what he'd done to get it.

Caradoc hadn’t been spending a whole lot of time here, nor was he paying much attention, as he was eager to go and spend some time with Regulus. There was a very good possibility that he had passed by the other entertainments and didn’t notice, too deep into his own thoughts. “Oh,” he said, a little embarrassed when Rabastan corrected him on how much there was going on here. He laughed a bit awkwardly.

Most days allowed for Pandora to sit behind the desk and study cursed dark magic items, but not today. She was busy doing inventory, parchment in hand and a quill, moving around the shop to check off what was there. It wasn't her favourite thing to do, but it had to be done.

Her attention was pulled in another direction when the door chimes went, and she glanced around a shelf to find a stranger standing there.

"Welcome to Cobb and Webb's, how can I help you?"

Despite the dark magic that surrounded Knockturn Alley, Lorcan had always felt somewhat safer here. No one was going to bother to hide their judgement of him if they had any, and he was sure many people had plenty. Lorcan was a half-vampire, after all. Vampires weren’t very popular among the Wizarding community. Still, he wasn’t particularly thrilled about being here today.

“Uhh, I know you guys sell a ton of things, right?” Lorcan said as he walked inside, suddenly feeling a bit out of place. “I was kinda wondering if I could sell you something? Obviously you’d be able to sell it off to someone else. I just kinda wanna get it out of my hands, you know?”

Caradoc laughed, surprised that Frank even knew about the concept of ‘pinky promises’. He supposed muggles weren’t the only ones to do that. He leaned towards his friend and hooked their pinkies together, indulging in the silliness.

"You're not wrong. It's hardly as though wix can stick our heads in the sand forever, and how are we supposed to blend in if we don't even know what we're trying to blend in with? Never really understood the reasoning behind it." Frank admitted. He knew he was preaching to the choir here with Caradoc but that didn't make it any less important. They all shared the same world. It was time wix started acting like it.

"At least I've got a tried and true twin survivor in my corner." He only half-joked. Merlin he wished Caradoc could see his siblings again. Would it be hard for him, if Ally did end up having twins in the future? Frank would hate for his family to cause Caradoc to remember something painful. "I'm very lucky I've got you in my corner, Doc."

Caradoc leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, as he listened to his friend and nodded along. “Exactly! We’re all taught to act perfectly normal around muggles and then you have so many people who don’t know anything about it! I know we have a functioning wizarding world, but there’s so much out there in the muggle world. Did you know—in the United States, wix can’t be friends with or marry any muggles! They call them ‘no-majs’ over there. Reducing muggles to just be people without magic,” he said, shaking his head. He always got passionate when it came to muggle and muggle-born issues.

“I’m afraid I haven’t met a ton of people who are into the whole vampire thing recently,” Lorcan answered honestly, but neglecting to add a serious tone because he wanted to keep things lighthearted. The way he said it was almost more self-deprecating. “Though I have a feeling that will change when my new music releases.” He winked at her as they reached the bar. “That’s not public knowledge though, so I’d appreciate it if you could keep that to yourself.”

As they arrived to the bar, Marlene ordered herself a glass of firewhisky, the usual whenever she wasn't drinking muggle beverages. A grin forming on her lips, she batted her eyelashes at her companion, settling comfortably in the bar stool, teasingly replying to his offer. "What kind of pretty girl would I be if I denied you the chance to buy me a drink?"

Lorcan grinned. “Exactly my thinking. Let me spoil you for a night, yeah?” He flirted back, becoming more relaxed the longer that they talked. He also ordered a firewhiskey, thanking the bartender as well the guy started to make their drinks. “Glad to hear that you don’t mind the vampire thing. I will give you a disclaimer, I’m not a full vampire, as you might’ve guessed. Sunlight doesn’t bother me and I’m not allergic to garlic. Though you might be able to see fangs.” He flashed her a pearly white smile.

Caradoc squeezed his eyes shut. If Regulus’ cover was blown because of him . . . He could already feel the waves of guilt hitting him. That was more painful than any injury inflicted on him could be. “Only if you must. Only if my life is in danger. If it’s anything else, you need to stay with your cover. I can handle being hurt by them, or being interrogated. What I cannot handle is you suffering in an effort to save me.”

With Regulus now sitting on the couch next to him, Caradoc wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and snuggled into his side. He hoped that he wasn’t going to be a burden on Regulus if he stayed here tonight. The thought of going back to his flat . . . He was already so tired, he almost wanted to fall asleep right here.

Having declined the Selwyns' invitation to their New Year's Eve party, Rabastan had been expecting a quiet night at home. He'd been thrilled about it. Lazy evenings were few and far between these days, but his wife had other ideas. Uncomfortable and hot, she had been unwilling to sit around for too long. So they'd decided to see what was happening in Diagon Alley, and that was where he now stood, fetching three cones of ice cream from Fortescue's: one for Alecto and two for himself (one of which Alecto would surely take). How she desired the cold beverage in the midst of winter, he did not know. But who was he to judge a pregnant witch.

"Hello, Dearborn." Joining the line, he greeted the other Curse-Breaker. They'd encountered each other plenty over the years. While not friends, he didn't mind the other wizard, not yet knowing that he was part of the Order. "Long time no see. Much like this queue. Never have I seen so much demand for ice-cream in December. There had better be something interesting at the front."

Even before Caradoc had joined the Order of the Phoenix, he’d always been a bit wary of Rabastan Lestrange. He couldn’t help it, something was just bugging him about the guy. Call it a gut feeling. Now, the line for ice cream at the party was fairly long, and Caradoc had been zoning out while he waited. He startled a bit when Rabastan came up to him, not expecting the reaction.

Tonight, Lorcan had come to The White Wyvern for the same reason that he’d go any other night: the drinks and the crowd. There was a certain charm about this place, in his opinion, that let a man with a shockingly pale complexion and fangs just blend in with all the other people. Here, he was a normal wizard. No one seemed to know him for his family or even for his singing (the latter of which stung a bit, but he was a fairly new artist) and no one judged him either. He could simply be, exist, and float.

“I’m afraid I haven’t met a ton of people who are into the whole vampire thing recently,” Lorcan answered honestly, but neglecting to add a serious tone because he wanted to keep things lighthearted. The way he said it was almost more self-deprecating. “Though I have a feeling that will change when my new music releases.” He winked at her as they reached the bar. “That’s not public knowledge though, so I’d appreciate it if you could keep that to yourself.”

“Hey, if you ever need help with the baby, I’ll be there as fast as I can apparate. I mean it. Parents rarely get sleep in the first few months,” Caradoc said, making sure that Frank knew that he was serious about the offer. “People often say that it takes a village to raise a kid, you know?”

"Honestly it could be handy to know regardless. Muggle Studies wasn't nearly as helpful as I wanted it to be." The teacher had been bloody boring, too. "Merlin, I have no idea. Some day I'd love one of both, a son and a daughter. I don't really care which one comes first. As far as I know twins aren't common in either family. Merlin can you imagine? What a handful."

Caradoc laughed, surprised that Frank even knew about the concept of ‘pinky promises’. He supposed muggles weren’t the only ones to do that. He leaned towards his friend and hooked their pinkies together, indulging in the silliness.

He was asked to meet, though he had heard about a death eater mishap that had happened, and it thought he would check in with the one involved. Edgar didn't want to make any assumptions until he had a chance to speak with them.

The wizard waited in the main seating room, looking over parchments of other missions and potential ones, he glanced up when he heard footsteps.

"Come in and sit down. I thought we could debrief."

Nervous was an understatement. Caradoc was downright terrified, ready for anything to happen in this meeting. Still, he put one step in front of the other and when Edgar spoke, he sat down at the table, a few seats away from his boss.

“This is war.”

Caradoc squeezed his eyes shut. If Regulus’ cover was blown because of him . . . He could already feel the waves of guilt hitting him. That was more painful than any injury inflicted on him could be. “Only if you must. Only if my life is in danger. If it’s anything else, you need to stay with your cover. I can handle being hurt by them, or being interrogated. What I cannot handle is you suffering in an effort to save me.”

Could anyone really blame her for pushing the limits, risking more than she had or should? Marlene had nothing to lose and nothing to prove, the world simultaneously pitied her and turned the blind eye. She played the perfect act, allowing no light into her darkest cornerns, but she did wonder how people failed to see through the cracks. She was coming undone for everyone to see, but they refused to have an actual look, perhaps scared of what they might find. The ongoing war was hard on them all, each and every single person she knew faced struggle upon struggle, all too busy trying not to lose the people around them or their sanity-- Marlene had already lost both.

A fact she'd already accepted, the witch felt thankful to have no eyes following her as she rushed through the doors of the White Wyvern, hoping for a distraction-- whatever the way. The brunette had taken her fair share of drinks before hitting the bar, though she carried herself as she was sober as a judge. Her eyes scanned the crowd until they settled on a familiar face, the right choice for a fun and uncomplicated night. "Hey." She greeted the wizard as she came to his side. "Can we share a drink, love?"

Tonight, Lorcan had come to The White Wyvern for the same reason that he’d go any other night: the drinks and the crowd. There was a certain charm about this place, in his opinion, that let a man with a shockingly pale complexion and fangs just blend in with all the other people. Here, he was a normal wizard. No one seemed to know him for his family or even for his singing (the latter of which stung a bit, but he was a fairly new artist) and no one judged him either. He could simply be, exist, and float.

Lorcan sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “I cannot speak for all vampires, what might get through to some might not get through to others. I would advise to appear as least threatening as possible, as calm. Perhaps even dress casually . . . Not in the Auror robes, y’know? As for them challenging the Ministry . . . Protests, violence, even, if they’re pushed to that point. Just resistance, being uncooperative—” he paused to shrug. “—it could really be anything.”

As Ted had expected, Lorcan's answers were as wide-sweeping as his questions. Vampires were a complex species, as deep and nuanced as any other beings. Though they were a small community, each individual was different so there could be no single approach. It made this work more difficult in some ways. But in others, it made it simpler. He'd had no intention of treating them as anything other than equals - Lorcan's words only supported his aim. A mass approach would do no good. "That's useful, thank you," he said in response, and that was where he'd leave it. Further questioning would go nowhere at this stage.

Lorcan didn't need to tell Ted about familial fears. He knew the gut-wrenching guilt that came with even remotely considering going against a fixed regime - by proxy, through Andromeda, but he knew it nonetheless. There was a look that crossed her expression whenever she thought of it, whenever something reminded her. He doubted she was even aware of it. But he was. Her pain - he felt it keenly.

Lorcan took a bit of time to think through the older man’s words and finally, he nodded. “That seems quite fair,” he agreed, casting his gaze over their surroundings before he realized that there was nothing much else to say now. It seemed that his meeting with the Auror was coming to an end. “I appreciate that our time together has been one free of judgement. I don’t usually get that a lot with other people I meet.” Especially Ministry people, but Lorcan neglected to add that.

“I killed Edward Avery,” he said, knowing that Regulus would recognize the name as a Death Eater. “I-I didn’t mean to . . . He was attacking us, he was going to kill us, I didn’t . . . Reg, I . . .”

From his position on the floor, Reg let his wand drop into his lap. He reached to take Caradoc's trembling hands, his gaze resting intently on the other man's face. "This is war, Caradoc. It's life or death, you had to do what you did to stay alive. He would have killed you without thought, and he wouldn't have gone home and felt a single scrap of guilt. I'm glad it was him and not you. And I'm glad you came straight here."

Biting down on his lip for a moment, Regulus was silent for a moment. "Did anyone see Edward die? Anyone that might identify you, that might retaliate?" Regulus might have started feeding the Order information, but to protect Caradoc he would fall back on his arsenal of dark magic and he would feel no guilt about it.

“This is war.”

Caradoc smiled, unable to help thinking a little bit more about his younger twin siblings. He really, really missed them. Sometimes he felt like he had betrayed them when he decided to lead a magical life instead of a Muggle one. He sighed, trying to focus on Frank. His friend deserved it, with such good news. “I think fatherhood’s gonna come naturally to you. Once you set your eyes on the kid . . . You’ll just know everything. Well, maybe not at first, but everything you need to take care of the kid will be inside you, and with Alice. And you’ve got me and all your friends,” he said.

"You better keep that speech handy for when I'm crying because the baby won't sleep." Frank only kind of joked. He knew babies got fussy and could only understand so much. This was going to be a long and very amazing next 18 years of his life. "I'll probably make you give it to me at least 10 more times."

“Hey, if you ever need help with the baby, I’ll be there as fast as I can apparate. I mean it. Parents rarely get sleep in the first few months,” Caradoc said, making sure that Frank knew that he was serious about the offer. “People often say that it takes a village to raise a kid, you know?”

What Maddy said actually gave Caradoc an idea to get out of lunch tomorrow with his parents . . . Was it a smart idea? No. Did he care? Also, no. “I’d love another firewhiskey,” he said after he finished his own. “And I have a request for you . . . It’s stupid, but hear me out. Tomorrow, I’m supposed to go to a dreadful lunch with my parents. A witch and a Vampire - not fun. You think you know any spells that might . . . Damage my voice? Temporarily, of course! And not right now. But if tomorrow I could write a letter to my parents saying, ‘sorry, can’t have lunch, my voice is gone’ that’d be a really good excuse.”

She nodded as he spoke, listening intently to words she never expected to hear. She had never given the slightest bit of thought to the fact that Lorcan was half-vampire. He was perfection and if perfection came with a half-vampire so be it. "The world is insane," she cocked her head to the side. "You should be fighting people off with a stick. I mean, it's lucky for me that I get to be sitting here with you chatting away but for anyone to be so prejudiced is ...stupid." She couldn't think of another word but the word also encapsulated what she wanted to say. The thought was stupid. And stupidity was ruining the magical world as they spoke. She leaned in. "You are showing them. You are getting out there -- kicking ass and taking names. You are showing those idiots at Hogwarts that anyone can make it no matter their make up.

Madhuri lifted her glass. "This time we toast to saying 'fuck you!' to the morons in our world!"

“I appreciate your vote of confidence,” Lorcan said with a happy smile, drinking more of his firewhiskey until the glass was half-empty. He was definitely feeling the alcohol hit him now, but not in a bad way. It was refreshing to be around someone who was so nice. “I really wish I knew you at Hogwarts. Most of the people there were not kind to me . . . Even my own house.” He shrugged. He had tried to put his Hogwarts days behind himself, but the memories lingered.

Lorcan mulled over the idea of a Ministry envoy, pondering over what the most realistic outcome would be amongst the vampire community. “I think some may be more open to cooperate because they fear the Ministry, and others will be resistant because they do not like the Ministry. However, the one common thing within all vampires is that none of us trust easily, and none of us really trust the Ministry of Magic. An envoy is a good start, but whoever you choose will be challenged, and they will have to prove themselves to earn the community’s trust. Even then, you’ll never get everyone on your side, especially those already poached by the Death Eaters. But, for people like my parents who haven’t fully committed, I’d like to believe that they can be shown the truth,” Lorcan said, choosing his words carefully to explain all his thoughts on the matter.

Lorcan sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “I cannot speak for all vampires, what might get through to some might not get through to others. I would advise to appear as least threatening as possible, as calm. Perhaps even dress casually . . . Not in the Auror robes, y’know? As for them challenging the Ministry . . . Protests, violence, even, if they’re pushed to that point. Just resistance, being uncooperative—” he paused to shrug. “—it could really be anything.”