A Push in the Right Direction – Chapter 13 – emersli1!

Reading Time:
12 Minutes

Both boys were excited the next morning to see what changes Lady Magic and the Family Magick might have wrought in them.  Corvus woke to two little voices exclaiming over each other.

Looking his sons over for himself, he catalogued the differences as he helped them through their morning routine.

Thad’s remaining hair, damaged by months of starvation, had fallen out onto his pillow in the night to be replaced with hair that, while not the brilliant red of his mother’s, was indeed a dark auburn color.  His eyes had only changed a little, flecks of gold surfacing in the bright green.  His nose was a bit longer and his lips a bit thinner as well.

Matty’s eyes had changed shape and color, going from small eyes of a washed out blue to larger eyes of a golden-brown hue to match his father and grandfather.  They were further apart as well, and the nose between them was longer and thinner, without the slight uptilt at the end.  His hair had deepened to a dark brown, but sprinkled throughout were bits of golden blonde in a combination some women would pay a hairdresser huge sums to achieve.

It was hard to tell, of course, with children so young, what the ultimate outcome would be.  But on the whole the changes made them very unlikely to be recognized based on their looks.  That was good enough for Corvus.

And both boys had the gently pointed ears of what Quinn suspected was the Prince family.

The small family had a bit of a riotous time at the breakfast table, and Corvus wasn’t sure exactly how much food actually went into little mouths, but he figured if they needed to stop and eat while they were out, they could.  After feeding the humans, they all went to feed the animals.  Mirabelle moo’ed a welcome as they filled her feed trough, and the chickens completely ignored them in favor of the chicken feed they scattered.

With two adults in the party, the boys didn’t have to be confined to the stroller.  They were still recovering from at best months of inactivity, so they only made it to the end of the lane on their own feet, but each of the men took a toddler on his back and set off for town in quiet companionship, only broken up by occasional exclamations of wonder from the two little boys.

Hearing his sons expressing surprise and delight in things like snow and trees and the horn of a train as it rambled through the valley below just underscored for Quinn how limited these two boys had been.  He swore he was going to devote himself to providing experiences for the both of them.  Corvus knew Toulouse had a zoo, and it wasn’t far.  Once he had a wand again there were many places the boys would love, even during winter.

Catching the bus into Ordino, the party passed the twenty minutes in a game of I Spy, much to the delight of the other six passengers, who eventually joined in themselves.  The little boys’ giggles were infectious, and everyone disembarked with a smile, the driver even helping them navigate the stairs down before trundling off towards his next stop.

A quick duck under a partially collapsed arch and the men found themselves on the Cami Magia … the Magic Path … which was the main business district of the wizarding side of Ordino.  People were bustling around, enjoying the sunshine, even in the cool temperature.  Thaddeus and Matthias looked around them with wide eyes.  The colors, sounds, even the smells were all new to them.  It truly appeared, well, magical.

“Papa, ho’sey!”  Matthias pointed out the horse pulling a market wagon on one side of the street.  The horse looked towards the little boy, and immediately pulled towards him neighing excitedly.  The poor merchant could only hold on as the horse trotted right up to where the little boy was riding on Quinn’s shoulders.

The horse nuzzled Matthias as the boy laughed in delight.  Reaching out, the toddler lay a kiss right between the horse’s ears.  “Goo’ ho’sey!”

The horse behaved as though it had been crowned, prancing on about its business with its head held high as the merchant waved apologetically to Corvus.  Corvus for his part just waved it off with a smile.  His boy was a son of Epona.  These things were going to happen occasionally.  No need to get fussed about it.

Moving down the street, their first stop was going to be the Bank.  The fade ran the banks in the Pyrenees, as well as northern Spain and Portugal and southern France.  Their main branch was in Andorra la Vella, but the branch in Ordino was a full-service site.

Walking up to a teller, Corvus waited patiently in line.  When he got to the head of the line, the teller looked at him in a businesslike fashion.  “Business?”

“I need to open two trust accounts, a personal account, and get an inheritance test.”  Matthias pulled Corvus’ hair up to hide his face in a sudden attack of shyness.  

The sight of his slightly pointed ears caused the teller to give him a friendly smile.  “Of course Cousin.  D’Aler can help you with all of those things.  If you could wait over there for just a moment, I’ll let him know he has a customer waiting.”

“Thank you.”  He wasn’t quite comfortable offering a familial title.  Quinn figured he’d wait and see what the inheritance test showed up first.

The men had barely reached the small seating area when an older fada came out of a hallway and beckoned them over.  “Greetings.  I’m D’Aler.  S’Teck tells me you need to open some accounts and get inheritance tests?”

“Avi … Avi… Ears!”  Thaddeus spoke excitedly as he saw D’Aler’s sharply pointed ears.  The fada turned to smile at the little boy with a mouth that seemed to have a few too many teeth.  

“Yes, little Cousin.  You see how we are the same, yes?”  The little boy nodded rapidly.  “Well, today we shall find out why that is.  It’s all very exciting!”

Corvus was relieved the fada was putting everything in a simple and positive way.  Following him through the doorway into his office everyone found a seat.  Corvus brought out a couple of toys he’d bought in FAO Schwartz London for the boys and settled them on the soft carpet between his and his father’s chairs.

“Now, what shall we do first?”  D’Aler opened a huge ledger and picked up a quill.

“Trust accounts first.  One each in the names of Thaddeus Ambrose Quinn Balfour and Matthias Madoc Quinn Balfour.  If you could move the money from Barclay’s?  This account number.  And divide it evenly between the boys, please.”  Quinn handed over the paperwork for the account in London he’d used to deposit the money from the sale of the Dursley’s house and furnishings.

D’Aler took the account number and paperwork, snapping his fingers to duplicate it and then handing Quinn back his copy.  Touching the quill to the paperwork and then to the ledger, the paperwork disappeared as though it had been sucked in.  To two little boys peering over the edge of the desk, it looked incredibly funny and both collapsed in giggles.

The he-elf smiled at the two little boys.  “Now, which of you is which?  Hmmmm.  I need a drop of blood from each of you to seal your accounts.  Who wants to go first?”

“Me do!”  Thaddeus piped up, and stuck his tiny hand as far over the desk as he could manage.  It wasn’t very far, but D’Aler didn’t seem to mind, reaching to close the distance with his quill.  As he touched the end of the quill to the little boy’s hand the ledger in front of him chimed.

“Ah, I see that you are Thaddeus.  Well met, little cousin.  That gets your account set up and sealed.  You will have access, sir, as the parent.  Do you want anyone else to have access?”  D’Aler smiled gently at the curious little boy, now trying to get a better look at his quill.

“Yes.  Ambrose ap Gaiar is my father and the boys’ grandfather.  I would like him to be able to access their accounts in the event that I am indisposed.”  Corvus gestured to the man beside him, and the he-elf held out his quill.

Gaiar touched his finger to the end of the quill, smiling at his grandsons.  “Magic is amazing, isn’t it boyos?”

After adding the older man to the trust account, D’Aler looked at the other little boy.  “Your turn now.  Can you reach out your hand for me?”

Matthias looked at his brother and got an encouraging nod.  Reaching out, he let the banker touch the quill to his fingertip.

“And well met to you as well, Cousin Matthias.”  Touching the quill to Gaiar’s hand, the account chimed its finalization.  “That gets both boys sorted.  Would you prefer cuffs for them or rings?”

“Cuffs, I think.”  Corvus knew the fade used personal items placed by the bank rather than keys which could be lost or stolen.  Anyone else seeking to access the boys’ accounts would have to provide a drop of blood.

D’Aler made a note in his ledger, and two circlets of shimmering metal appeared on its surface.  Picking up the first one, the he-elf gestured towards Thaddeus.  The little boy extended his arm happily, and watched as the cuff was placed.  As soon as it touched the boy’s skin it shrank down to fit.  Seeing that, Matthias eagerly held his arm out for his own cuff to be placed.

Corvus looked at the cuffs, seeing they were made of a highly flexible material that seemed to bond to the skin without sticking to it.  On one side was the symbol of the bank and on the other was a stylized flower.  The boys’ cuffs were identical, and both boys were quite pleased with them.

“Papa’s turn!” Thaddeus clapped his hands eagerly.  D’Aler smiled at the little boy and drew a blank sheet of paper from a stack in a locked drawer.  

“Let’s do the inheritance test first.  That should settle both boys’ cuffs down completely and get us some idea of what we’re working with for you.”  Corvus nodded and held out his hand to the quill.

The he-elf touched the quill to the paper and ink began to spread over the surface.  Corvus watched as the banker’s eyebrows climbed higher and higher as he watched the writing take shape   “Well, this is very interesting indeed.”

Looking up at the man on the other side of his desk, D’Aler said, “Well, it shows the Balfour Magick, of course.  And the Tysysog Magick.  From the Glendower line, I believe.  And then two Magicks that are much older.  One I have never seen claimed, but a universal vault is connected to it.  The other…”

The he-elf looked at both men intently.  “I can only say, sir, that your grandmother must have been very skilled.  And probably very scared.”

Corvus looked at the elf in alarm.  “What do you mean?”

D’Aler looked grim.  “The daughters of Lir were often called the water women in your homeland.  One of them, the one they called Alaw, fell in love with a mortal man.  Instead of drowning him, she left her water to be with him.  For many years they were happy.  But then the place where they lived was becoming full of cold iron, and so she could not stay.  She did not wish to leave her husband and she must have had an infant son to consider as well.  Lir might accept her back, but only if she killed her mortal husband.  And He would never have accepted a half-mortal child.”

The he-elf continued, “Then her husband was killed in one of the many skirmishes going on in the land at the time.  Feeling herself fading, she must have wrapped her son in all the magic she had left, creating the illusion of a fully mortal child.  An illusion that became nearly fact when he was blood adopted by a wizard.”

“She left her child hidden in the water lilies.”  Tears were slowly streaking down Ambrose ap Gaiar’s face.  “I have never known my mother’s name.  Alaw.  Water Lily.”

“Aye, she may have hidden you in the water lilies, but she buried you in Green Magic to hide you from your grandfather.  Her enchantment was powered by her fear for you and her love for you.  It has no doubt become a permanent transformation at this point, but your son and grandsons are not so bound.  There is a vault attached to this line as well.  It is currently with the Coblynau of Britain, but I will submit the paperwork to get it moved.”

Corvus reached to take his father’s hand, but little Matthias got there first … trying to climb his avi’s legs to get into his lap.  When the man picked him up, Matty turned and hugged him hard.  “Don’ cry Avi.  We loves you.”

Ambrose closed his arms around his older grandson as the younger one clung determinedly to his knees and his son wrapped an arm around his shoulders.  Burying his tears in Matty’s dark hair, the old man got control of himself.  “So do I need to sign something, or can you secure the vault for Corvus on his own blood?”

D’Aler smiled at the man.  “Cousin, your mother’s skill was so great she has even hidden you from us.  Maybe had you not been blood adopted … but who knows?”

Corvus cleared his throat.  “Can we go ahead and get that started, and get my accounts set up please?  This has turned into a very emotional day, and we have more we have to get done today.”

“Of course, Cousin.  I will submit the request on the basis of the inheritance test.  And your account, what name do you wish to use?”  The banker was all business, giving the small family time to get themselves together.

“Corvus Myrrdin Quinn ap Gaiar Balfour.  And transfer the funds from this account, please.”  Corvus had always moved his money from Gringotts to Barclays immediately after payday.  He had wanted as few ties as possible to the British wizarding world, so he had a standing order for the funds to be transferred and had paid extra for privacy seals.

D’Aler made the notation in his ledger and then reached his quill towards the man opposite him.  As the ledger chimed, he saw that the numbers on the banking statement in his hand did not match those in the account.  Querying and getting a quick response, he had to chuckle.  “Well done, Cousin.  You stripped the old bugger practically bare.”

Corvus looked pleased with himself.  “Oh, has it gone through then?  He must have accepted the Judas Purse.”

“Yes, the notation here says he even kept the rope.  The Coblynau have refused to deal with him and the liquid assets in his vault were transferred to your estate, and thereby to you.  Clever of you to have your will under a privacy seal.  Cuff for you too, I assume?”  The he-elf looked up at him questioningly.

“Yes, please.  I’m a Potions Master, so I like to keep my hands free of anything magical.”  Corvus realized that this was the first time he’d been able to publicly acknowledge his rank within his profession.  Severus Snape was only a Potions Brewer, but Corvus Quinn was a Level 2 Potions Master.

Another bit of magic and Corvus was fitted with his own cuff.  It had the bank’s emblem on one side, but on the other were four symbols in a neat little line.  A stylized flower rested beside a crown tilted sideways.  A large, stylized head with horns came next, followed by a water droplet.

Both boys exclaimed, and the men looked at their cuffs.  Matthias’s flower had grown larger, and there was a small crown beside it.  Thaddeus’s symbols were the reverse, with a large crown next to a small flower.

“Interesting.  So, the Balfour and Tywysog Magicks have already chosen their Heirs.”  D’Aler smiled at the little family across from him.  “A good day all around, then.”

“A very good day indeed.  Thank you for your service, Cousin.”  The family name felt a little odd on his lips, but Corvus couldn’t deny he liked the feeling for all that.

“Good day to you, Family Balfour.  I hope the rest of your day is peaceful and profitable.”  The he-elf showed the little family back to the lobby, and they made their way out into the Cami Magia again.

Next on the list:  a new wand for a new man.