gorgonfondness | Vane: Family Visit

Vane: Family Visit

Considering how busy being a new mother has made her, she's still managed to find the time to arrange a guest room and a door from Milliways for Scorpius. Some of it had been the maids' doing, but Mia had done a lot to help.

She waits in the nursery, Cepheus fortunately settling down after his latest change and feeding. Once Scorpius arrives, the guard just outside of her quarters will greet him and notify her.

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"That's a good question," Mia muses. "I'd estimate at least half of the population of Vane, if not more. The city was founded for the students and teachers of the school."

Mia would actually let him roam around if he liked.

She leads them into the guest lounge and opens the door, revealing a garden and a stone pool.

"This is probably my favorite part of the Magic Guild. I come out here sometimes to play the lute or converse with the fairies."

"It's nice," Scorpius comments lightly, looking around the garden. "If I could find place like this at Hogwarts, I'd claim it for my own."

He takes a step around to the stone pool, looking in.

"I didn't know you had so many students."

"Well, of course. Vane is the magic capital of the world. Anyone on Lunar who learns how to use magic from a school learned it at the Magic Guild."

She carefully picks Cepheus up out of the pram to walk in the garden.

"Ghaleon liked to sit out here and think. I didn't really know about what until I was older. He would play the lute out here, the same I take out here now."

"Ghaleon?"

She nods, though her back is to Scorpius right now.

"My stepfather. For lack of a better term for him. He was another of my mother's comrades in arms in the Heresy War and the Premier of Vane before I appointed Draco and Nash in the position."

Mia strokes Cepheus's hair, thoughtful.

"Most people will remember him, however, as Magic Emperor Ghaleon, the man who tried to enslave the world in his mad quest to attain godhood."

She points to a tall, black structure that looks almost like a chess rook in the distance.

"That is what remains of the Grindery, his horrid moving castle."

Scorpius squints off into the distance, trying to make out the structure points out, and frowns.

"Oh," he says, almost sorry to have brought up what might be bad memories for Mia. Enslave the world? This Ghaleon man sounds like another Grindelwald. Another Voldemort.

He hesitates on saying anything more on the matter, twisting his weight from one foot to the other.

Squinting isn't really necessary, as we neglected to mention that the distance isn't that great and the structure fairly large.

"The battle became my defining moment," she says, turning to face him now. "Vane had a second purpose: to protect the Goddess Tower. When the Grindery threatened it, I evacuated the city and used the stored magic to stop the Grindery, causing Vane to fall in the process."

"So you saved Vane?"

To put it simply.

Mia opens her mouth to speak, but another voice cuts in with, "Not just Vane, but the entire world."

"Oh, Nash," she says, turning now to see him. "You're being far too generous."

"Nonsense," Nash says. "You were brave in battle and did what needed to be done. If anyone deserves to be one of the Five Heroes, it's you."

And now that he's gotten that out of the way, he takes a look at Mia's company.

And doubletakes.

"Scorpius?! Mia had said you were coming to visit, but you've really grown up."

Nash. He remembers a Nash. Vaguely.

He grins nonetheless, offering a hand.

"It's been awhile definitely." Then he glances back at Mia, "The entire world. Really?"

"Good to see you're doing well," Nash replies, shaking his hand. "And yes, Mia, you did help save the entire world, and don't be so modest about it."

Mia's currently turning a brilliant shade of pink.

"Is that my nephew?" Nash adds, jumping to a new subject for Mia's sake and reaching to play with Cepheus. "Here, I want a turn with him before his father notices I've left in the middle of the paperwork."

In fact it was only ten minutes later before there was a loud yell of "NASH! Merlin take it! Where are you? You know self signing charms are line of sight!" This was shortly followed by loud footfalls as Draco swept out from another room, his Premier robes skimming the floor.

"Honestly, how are any of these treaties supposed to be finished? Do you... oh, Mia, and Scorpius, you made it." His earlier scowl disappeared into a smile for his (not)son and his wife and son. He stepped towards them, and tried to shove the paperwork in Nash's face so he could hold Cepheus.

"Hey now!" Nash says, catching the paperwork. "Me taking a little break isn't going to hurt anything."

"He does have a point, Beloved," Mia says to Draco, but she doesn't stop him from taking the mostly-asleep baby.

"It can be if you've got deadlines. I mean, a little breaks turns into a big one then it's breakfast of the next day and you've nothing done so you're scrambling to finish the last ten inches..."

And Scorpius trails off there, clearing his throat. Because he speaks not from experience or anything.

"Hi."

"A brief break perhaps. After this last bit of work is done." He wants to get it all finished so he had more family time to spend. Like right now, while gently rocking Cepheus in his arms. The baby sleepily blinked open, and started to fuss.

"..."

"Oh dear, and he was just getting some sleep," Mia says.

"Maybe he wants us to take a break now," Nash suggests, having organized the paperwork dumped on him.

"I fed him not long before Scorpius arrived. Maybe he needs a change? I could take him to check so you can have some time to talk with him."

Scorpius, who has been tugging at the stiff collar of his robes, pauses to oh-so-helpfully shrug his indecision. "I'm alright with just waiting here..."

"I think he's fine here," Draco started to say only to have Cepheus start to wailing and flail his little fists. He checked him.

"Seems all right. I don't know what's upsetting him," He finally sighed, and brought him over to Mia to hold. "Here."

He added to Scorpius, "It's up to you, so... Scorpius." He cleared his throat to catch the slip, "Might be a few moments."

Fortunately, the only other person around to hear the slip is Nash, but he's in on the secret anyway.

Mia carefully takes Cepheus, who begins to calm down in her hold.

"Oh, now what's upsetting you, little darling?" she asks, tugging over a little fist for a soft kiss. "Papa said you were fine. Silly dear, making a fuss for no reason."

"I'm not the one making the decisions," Scorpius, who is trying not to grin too widely at the slip, says as much in a stage whisper to Draco with a finger pointed at Cepheus. "He's clearly the one in charge here."

But while he has his father's ear, Mia seemingly handling the baby for now, he lowers his voice to add,

"Er, could I talk to you about something though? Later, I mean, when you've got the time."

Draco glanced toward Scorpius with a quizzical expression.

"Of course, you can always talk to me. And whenever you like," he commented back in a soft voice.

In a louder tone, "I suppose I'm not Cepheus's favorite this week." A small sigh at that.

"You mean it's possible for a man to prefer someone over Mia?" Nash jokes.

Mia gives Nash a playful "punch" on the shoulder when she has Cepheus on her shoulder once again.

"Oh don't be ridiculous, Beloved," she says when her attention is turned to Draco again. "Everyone knows boys idolize their fathers. Before long he'll be begging you to teach him how to fly on his toy broom. Why, Scorpius has already said Cepheus is behind on his Quidditch practice."

"She's right. About the Quidditch."

And the other thing too, Scorpius supposes, but he's not about blurt that.

"He should be in training right now. Maybe that's why he was fussing, he already knows the importance of missing practice."

"I was thinking of waiting another month, but maybe take him out, let him get used to the idea of being on a broom," Draco considered it thoughtfully as he reached out to briefly touch his baby son's head.

"Do all wizard babies fly before they walk?" Mia asks.

"Hope he doesn't fly like Jessica," Nash remarks.

"Don't even joke about that!" she starts, the sudden jolt causing a bit of renewed fussing from Cepheus.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling," Mia softly coos to him, hopefully lulling him back to calmness.

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