What Had Begun Between Them As A Mutually Beneficial Physical Agreement Had Quickly Become Something

Christmas day had been entirely chaotic as he had thought it might be. Magnus was old enough now to be excited about their annual traditions, and Fen had spent the night in Nancy's spare room so that the three of them could be together as soon as Magnus woke up. That wake up call had been at 5am, with his excitable son not settling down for another few hours until Fenrir allowed him to open one small present because Santa had been. Magnus had been full of energy all morning, practically bouncing off the walls with Christmas spirit, until he finally settled down for a nap in the early afternoon after lunch.

On Magnus' first Christmas, Fenrir had sat down with Nancy and they'd decided that they would follow English traditions for Christmas but Fenrir still liked to add some Norwegian touches. As a family, they still celebrated Julaften but presents and the large lunch were saved for Christmas day itself. Magnus had his stocking on Christmas eve, and they had eaten traditional Norwegian food before Magnus went to bed to await Santa's arrival. He may no longer live in Norway, and potentially would never return, but he wanted his son to know the traditions of his heritage.

When Magnus went to sleep on the evening of Christmas day, Fenrir had bid Nancy goodnight and headed home. Entirely exhausted from two full days, Fenrir had sprawled out on his couch, an arm tossed lazily over his eyes. He had a brief power nap before the clock's chimes awoke him, and he had just a moment before Pandora arrived at their agreed time. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he wrapped his arms around the witch. "Merry Christmas, Dora," he returned her kiss, one of his hands coming up to cup her cheek. "Magnus has been an absolute force of nature for two full days...it's such a joy to see him so happy. How was your day?"

where: his cottage when: christmas night who: @battle-scvrs (Fenrir Greyback)

Pandora had spent the day with her family, trying to enjoy the time spent with them, but it was clear how she didn't fit in with them. She could appreciate that they seemed to focus on Octavius and how it was time for him to marry, and they spent time arguing over the idea of a potential arranged marriage. Most times she believed her parents would never bother with her, casting her off as a defect.

The day and dinner passed, finding herself making her way back home for her to pack for the night. Her night was planned. It was waiting for the time to come where she could be where she wanted to be.

When the clock struck eight, she moved from her desk, closing the notes she was working on. Her bag was at her side, reaching down to hold onto it, and that is when she apparated to his home, popping in the foyer.

It was the cracking of a fire that let her know where she could find him, making her way to the living room to find him sprawled on the couch. "Merry Christmas." Pandora sauntered over, instantly coming to lay her body on top of his, leaning down for a soft kiss. "I hope you had a good day."

There was a emotional war going on inside Kingsley's mind, and no amount of sitting and thinking about it privately would do him any good. It was almost selfish of him, but Kingsley figured if there was ever a time to be selfish was now. He'd heard whispers that Sade was angling for more missions within the Order and he'd be a liar if he said that didn't terrify him. He would never presume that he could control Sade or what she did, but that didn't mean he couldn't heavily warn against it. Kingsley apparated onto Sade's doorstep, knocking once as a courtesy before he pushed the door open and walked in. He'd timed it knowing Jasper would already be in bed, which meant that hopefully he could talk to his sister with minimal interruptions.

"Sade?" he called, his voice low so as to not wake his nephew. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced, but I need to talk to you. Urgently." @sadeshacklebolt

Reg had just been about to settle into sleep when the wards alerted him that someone was on his property. He was shirtless in bed, so he darted out of bed and grabbed the first shirt that he could see. It was haphazard between the shirt and his tartan pyjama bottoms, but if there was a threat outside, the last thing he wanted was to be shirtless. Rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes furiously, Reg slipped his feet into his slippers and quietly descended the stairs, wand outstretched.

Almost a minute had lapsed since the wards alerted him before there was a knock at the door. It almost soothed him - anyone with nefarious intentions wasn't likely to knock and announce their presence, but he was still on edge as he opened the door. The defensiveness running through his body quickly melted into worry as he opened the door a crack and took in the sight of Caradoc. "Merlin," he gasped out, opening the door fully. "Come in."

Stepping out into the cold, Reg wrapped his arm around Caradoc, helping him into the house. As they walked slowly through to the living room, Reg was waving his wand furiously, summoning all of the healing potions he had stored. "What happened?"

starter 002 for @battle-scvrs (regulus black)

location: regulus black’s manor

Honestly, Caradoc hadn’t even meant to apparate to his boyfriend’s house. When doing the spell, all that ran through his head was ‘warmth, comfort, home’ and he ended up here . . . Which he supposed was rather fitting. Even though he didn’t want Regulus to worry, he’d rather be here than his flat. Plus, along with the injuries he had incurred during the disastrous Order mission, he was pretty sure he had just splinched his leg a tiny bit. Glancing down, he saw a gash had ripped part of his pants. Well, damn.

Caradoc sighed, trying to erase the images of the mission from his head. They’d probably only show up in his nightmares later, which made him shudder. He slowly approached the manor, hoping that he wasn’t bothering Reg. A part of him thought that he should go home, but trying to apparate again didn’t sound like a good idea.

So, he knocked on the door, and also leaned against it while he waited for his boyfriend to answer. Even just seeing Reg would make him feel better, Caradoc knew. He’d only stay for a few minutes, he wouldn’t be a bother, he told himself.

"Oh, my kind have plenty of manners...that doesn't mean I do. We are not all one big werewolf with a hive mind, you are aware of that right? Merlin, what do they teach in that school?" Fenrir asked, closing the door behind Alecto. Every interaction he seemed to have with this woman was laced with bitterness and sarcasm, though he had to admit that he respected her taste for sadism.

Bristling at her judgment of his home, Fenrir rolled his shoulders before he sprawled across the couch - the picture of casualness. "Ah, we can't all have centuries of pureblooded wealth and handed down homes to live in. If it were just me, I'd be quite content in the caves...perhaps I should move back there, I'm less likely to have practically unannounced visits from witches," he said, eyes resting on Alecto.

"I know Angus. Our paths don't cross often, but I know him. What information are you looking for? And why?"

"Here I thought your kind had manners, but I suppose that was a mishap on my part. Do forgive me." A tight smile pulled on her features and she made her way up the stairs into the open door. "I am a witch, very observant of you." Alecto respected what Fenrir could do in a battle, and followed what the dark Lord wished, but otherwise, she found him useless.

Alecto wandered down the hall, turning when she found what was the living area. "How...quaint." With the flick of her hand, wand out, a fire started in the fireplace and she sat in the chair closest to it. "A lot of people seemed to miss their invitation. From what I remember it was our day, not anyone else's."

The witch waited until he came in. "I need to know what you may knw of Angus MacMickey. The Scottish leader."

The streets of Hogsmeade would always make Cassandra feel warm and nostalgic, no matter how many years passed since she had left Hogwarts. She'd spent a small fortune in Honeydukes before heading into the Three Broomsticks where she'd settled herself in a corner near the fire with a butterbeer. Her nose was buried into a book detailing the latest in runic magic when she spotted someone approaching her from the corner of her eye. "I'm not working at the moment. If you need healing, could you speak to someone else please?" she asked without looking up.

Fenrir had finally escaped the heat of the kitchen after final orders for food had been called and had headed to the bar to pour himself a drink to cool down. Festive crowds were relentless and he'd barely had a moment to himself all day, never mind time to eat or drink something. He'd been in the middle of downing a pint of water when Thorfinn entered and made his way over to Fenrir with purpose.

Fen took the parchment and read it, committing the contents to memory before he tapped his wand against it to set the parchment alight. "Twenty minutes for me to change and eat something," he said, reaching for a bottle of vodka. He poured two shot glasses, handing one across the bar to Thorfinn. "Cheers," he said, throwing the shot back before he disappeared into the back of the pub to prepare for the mission.

where: the white wyvern who: @battle-scvrs (Fenrir Greyback) when: 19th of december, 2024

It appeared that Thorfinn was not going to be able to enjoy the rest of the night, a parchment sent that he and Fenrir had a task to handle for the Dark Lord. He knew how much of a savage the other could be, and between the two, he was certain there would be a trial of blood in their wake.

The blonde sauntered into the shop, making his way up to the bar where he sat down with Fenrir on the other side. "How much longer do you have?" He held out the parchment for him to read discretely.

Frowning at the woman, Regulus stood straight though his body was still angled in a way that he was blocking the shelf. "What about I'm browsing this shelf currently did you not understand?" he muttered grumpily. "There's no common courtesy these days for the British tradition of queueing and waiting your turn. Go ahead," he said, staring at the man behind Greta who was also eyeing up the shelf that Reg had been browsing. "But make it snappy, I want to take my time choosing the best ingredients."

Greta had had a bit of a cold recently and she decided to slip into the apothecary and get herself some medicine so that she would feel better quicker. As there was someone at the shelf she needed to get to, taking quite a while she cleared her throat, apologetic smile on her face when Regulus turned around. "I just need some cold medicine and then I'll be out of your way."

Regulus nodded approvingly as Frank finally saw his logic. "It's just...basic courtesy to other shoppers, I feel. Do you think we'll regularly see each other at the apothecary? I'd appreciate that though, given the owner has a vendetta against me," Reg said, offering Frank a small smile. "Maybe I need to try harder at being a miserable bastard then...it's what my family would want."

"I'm not sure I look much like a Bill either. Something regal...Henry definitely. Albert, or George maybe. Something to match my strong jawline."

"Okay, I can see the logic behind that." Frank said. "Next time I'm first to the shelf, I'll make sure to grab you a few." That seemed only fair, and if it was his right as first to the shelf then Regulus could hardly argue. "Trust me, I've met miserable bastards. You're definitely not one of them.:

Frank pursed his lips in thought, ruminating on possible code names. "The best ones are often the most simple. Go with something more common, like... Bill or Philip. Though honestly you don't look much like a Philip. Henry, maybe?"

Alecto's shuffling betrayed her discomfort, regardless of the lack of expression on her face. Fenrir was no fan of the woman in front of him, but he wasn't entirely heartless and he didn't want to see a heavily pregnant woman sit in discomfort in his home. "The couch is softer if you want to swap. Or I have some duck feather cushions that I can offer you," he said, offering them as a truce between them. "You won't find it to be necessary, Carrow. Yes, we can be done with that topic."

Fenrir tried not to get involved with the Scottish werewolves where possible. Managing his own pack was enough work without being dragged into the internal politics of another pack - never mind that when two werewolf alphas in the same room usually led to vicious fights. But to hear that Angus had wandering hands...Fenrir wanted to apparate to Scotland and rip those hands off. It was unthinkable to him that the leader of a pack should behave in such a way. "If you were to want to depose Angus in the future, or if you wanted to teach him a lesson...I would offer my assistance," Fenrir said carefully. "I will save that favour for the future."

"I don't have cheese fondue nearly as often as I want to. Unfortunately I haven't convinced my five year old son that cheese fondue is delicious yet, so my recipes at home have shrunk down to kid friendly meals...which mostly means chicken nuggets," Fenrir said with a snort. "Grilled peaches and goats cheese sounds incredible. I feel like that would be good with some spice to cut through the sweetness of the peaches, some fresh chili on top perhaps. Yes, I'll owl it across to you later once my shift finishes. No point you trying to make an imitation, I don't mind sharing my recipe."

"It is one of my favorite cheeses. I always use it when I make fondue. Oh, goat's cheese is lovely, I prefer it paired with fruits or vegetables in a cold dish, rather than a main, if I'm honest. It is more of a summer cheese for me, I made a good salad with grilled peaches and goats cheese in my book that I've heard good reviews about from people that have tried it." Balsamic vinegar, leeks and goats cheese worked well together, she could see the recipe it come together in her head when he described it. "Really? Oh please, that would be lovely."