The Light That Leads You Home – Eleven – DizzyDrea

~0~

It had taken far longer than Tony was strictly comfortable with to be looked over by Healer Trueheart. She’d tutted over him as the diagnostic spells ran and huffed and muttered as she prepared the treatment plan for him. Tony got the distinct impression that there’d be hell to pay if he didn’t follow it to the letter.

Finally, he’d been released from the Healing Halls with a promise to contact her if he didn’t improve. Freed from her clutches after what felt like hours—someday, he’d have to tell Brad that there was a doctor out there more fearsome and protective than he’d been—they made their way to the private floo in Sharptongue’s office. Given his bad luck with appearing in public in Diagon Alley, Tony was totally on board with leveraging any relationship he had to avoid being kidnapped again.

“Grandfather isn’t going to stand on ceremony,” Sirius told him as they walked to Sharptongue’s office. “Address him however you choose and don’t freak out if he decides to hug you. He practically knocked me over when I came home after a prolonged absence.”

“Prodigal son returns, eh?” Tony asked. “Seems like that runs in the family.”

“Having a Dark Lord run around the country causing havoc can ruin family relations in a way few things can,” Sirius said.

“So, that’s all true,” Tony said. “The thing with Voldemort and his reign of terror.”

“After a fashion,” Sirius said. “We were finally able to find him and send him off to his next adventure, though it took some time. I can tell you some of it while you’re visiting, if you’d like.”

“Consider me dead curious to see how the truth compares to the movies—or maybe in your case, the books,” Tony said.

Sirius groaned as he glanced at Ellie. “Tell me he’s not read those dreadful things.”

“He hasn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “But he did see the movies. He’s a movie quote machine, so be prepared.”

“Wait, have you actually seen a movie?” Tony asked.

“I have,” Sirius said. “Despite what you might think, there are many magicals who are comfortable in the Muggle world. Muggle-borns, of course, can move between the two worlds with ease. I learned to navigate it from a friend of mine. Movies are probably the best crash-course for the Muggle world, even if the moving pictures do freak out many magicals.”

“And living portraits and magical photographs don’t?” Tony asked. He shook his head. “You people make no sense.”

“I didn’t say it was logical,” Sirius said with a shrug.

They arrived at Sharptongue’s office and walked in to find the Dverger behind his desk, surrounded by parchments. He looked up and offered them a smile. “There you are. My wife said you were on your way, but I wondered if you’d gotten lost.”

“Your lovely wife sent an escort with us so we wouldn’t wander off and get eaten by a dragon,” Sirius said.

“Because of course dragons are real,” Tony said. “You know, one of these days I’m going to reach my limit. My head will literally combust, and you’ll all have to figure out how to explain that to my boss.”

All three of them laughed, but it was Ellie who answered. “Careful what you wish for, Tony.”

“Are you ready?” Sharptongue asked as he stood up and rounded his desk.

Tony took a deep breath. Was he ready? Probably not, but that had never stopped him before. “Let’s go before I change my mind and head back to my Uncle Clive’s house to hide under a blanket fort.”

Sharptongue beckoned them to his fireplace and indicated the bowl of floo powder with a wave of his hand. “I assume you’ve done this before. Please remember to hold still or else—”

“I’ll end up someplace I didn’t plan for,” Tony said. “Yeah, I got that memo. Thanks for all your help.”

“Should you need anything going forward, you only need ask,” Sharptongue said as he stepped back. “Give my regards to Lord Black.”

“I’ll go through first, and you can follow me,” Sirius said. When Tony nodded, Sirius grabbed a bit of floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace. “Blackwell Manor.”

He stepped inside and swirled away in a burst of green fire. Tony followed suit just a moment later. The floo spit him out into a large room with marble floors and wide windows that let in the sunlight. Sirius was standing to one side, waiting for him.

“Alright there, Tony?”

“Yeah,” he said. He dusted his pants off with a quick flick of his ring, proud of himself when the charm worked as intended.

“I may need to visit New Amsterdam myself,” Sirius said. “That ring looks handy.”

Tony held it up for Sirius to see. “I wasn’t sure about it at first, but using it became second nature very quickly. I’d imagine the same is true for you, considering how powerful you are.”

“Mage sight, eh?” Sirius asked as Ellie stepped out of the floo. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea,” she said as she dusted herself off.

“Come on,” Sirius said. “Grandfather should be waiting for us in the salon.”

They left the arrivals room and walked across a truly impressive foyer. More marble and rich wood as far as the eye could see. Uncle Clive’s home was starting to look like a weekend cottage by comparison, and up until today, that had been the most impressive home he’d ever been in.

A set of double doors stood open in front of them, so they walked through to find an older gentleman dressed as though he’d just stepped out of a Dickens novel, Gibbs in his usual slacks and sport coat, and a woman in a truly outrageously colorful outfit, her eyes sparkling with good humor and her aura swirling with power the likes of which he’d never seen.

His jaw dropped when he realized who he was looking at. “Mary Fucking Poppins!”

“Anthony Dominic DiNozzo, Jr, your language,” she said, though there was still the hint of humor in her eyes. “That is no way to talk to a lady. I know I taught you better than that.”

“I—you—we’ve met before,” Tony said, still utterly gobsmacked. “I remember you.”

Mary crossed the room and cupped his cheek, smiling softly at him. “Well, of course, we’ve met before. I escorted you home from Hawaii and spent the remainder of the summer with you before you went off to the Rhode Island Military Academy.”

“But that’s just a movie,” he said weakly.

“There are many things in the Muggle world that originated in the wizarding world,” she said. “I am but one of them.”

“But how are you here?” he asked, still flailing about for something, anything that would make it all make sense.

“I met Sirius as a boy,” she said. She glanced over at the man in question and winked. “He was just as much trouble as you were, I must say. But I set him to rights, just as I did with you. Magic was kind enough to bring me back to him when he needed me most, and I decided to stay.”

“I think I need a drink,” Tony muttered. He somehow stumbled to the settee near the fireplace and sat down, raking his fingers through his hair. A tumbler of amber liquid appeared under his nose. He didn’t even think twice, just downed the whole thing in one gulp. “Thanks.”

When he looked up, he found Lord Black standing there, an amused grin on his face. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Anthony.”

“My apologies, Lord Black,” he said as he scrambled to his feet. “I didn’t mean to insult one of your guests.”

“Think nothing of it, my boy,” Lord Black said. “Now, would a handshake do, or do you feel up to a hug at this point?”

“I think maybe I need a hug,” Tony mumbled, uncomfortable with the idea of seeking comfort but knowing in his bones that he needed it at this very moment.

Lord Black stepped up and enfolded him in a tight hug. “You are such a wonderful surprise, Anthony. To have a piece of my sister back in the magical world is a gift beyond measure.”

Tony’s eyes stung with tears he absolutely wasn’t going to shed. “Thank you. I can’t say any of this was expected, and I’m still trying to figure out how to cope, but I want you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I don’t think my transition into the wizarding world would have been nearly as smooth if not for you.”

“Well, that’s what family does,” Lord Black said. “We take care of each other.”

“At some point, I’m sure I’ll get used to that,” Tony said wryly.

Gibbs stepped in and pulled Tony into another hug. He pulled back, leaving his hand hooked around the back of Tony’s neck. “You okay?”

“Eh,” Tony said, waggling his hand side to side. “I’m trying to roll with it, but I think I’ve officially reached my limit for surprises, at least for today.”

Everyone laughed.

“We were just about to sit down for dinner,” Lord Black said. “You are, of course, welcome to join us. There are several more members of the family here with us tonight, but if you’re not up to meeting them, I can have dinner brought to your rooms.”

Tony took a deep breath and held it for a moment, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He exhaled slowly and did it again, feeling a little better with each breath.

“No offense, but I think I’d just like to rest and recover tonight,” he said. “Perhaps if they’re still here in the morning, I can meet them then?”

“Of course,” Lord Black said. “I’ll have you shown to your rooms right away. Breakfast is served in the family dining room at eight. Someone will be along in the morning to show you where.”

“And by someone, you mean a house elf, right?” Tony asked. At Lord Black’s nod, he sighed. “Well, that should be fun.”

“I’ll show them upstairs, Grandfather,” Sirius said. He turned to Mary and pecked her on the cheek. “Be right back.”

Tony could only stare at them, unable to process what he’d just seen. Ellie slipped her hand into his; he looked at her, flashing a weak smile at her curious glance.

“Come on, you two,” Sirius said. “Let’s get you settled before Tony’s head explodes.”

Tony just nodded dumbly and followed his cousin out of the room.

~0~

Ellie rapped on Tony’s door and waited for an answer. They’d been placed in the family wing, just one floor up from the main and right across the hall from each other. She was grateful for the proximity, but given how shaky Tony looked after meeting Lord Black, she’d have preferred to stay in his room, or perhaps a two-room suite. She’d have to check with Sirius to see if that was even possible.

The door swung open as she was ruminating on how rude she’d sound if she asked for a different room. Tony looked… tired, but otherwise his head was still intact.

“Come in,” he said, swinging the door open.

She ducked inside before he could change his mind and let the door fall shut behind her. When she turned around, she found him leaning against the door, arms crossed. He was barefoot, wearing a similar set of pajamas in a stunning shade of red and a brocade robe in a similar color with gold edging.

“Looking good, Ellie,” he said. Her pajamas were blue, and the brocade robe over top had silver piping, but they otherwise looked identical.

“Thanks,” she said. “They were on the bed when I got to my room. I was so tired that I didn’t care where they’d come from.”

“Same,” he said. He waved a hand at the small sitting area, where a couch and chairs sat in front of a fireplace lit with a merry fire. “I have hot chocolate courtesy of a house elf I haven’t seen yet, but who keeps bringing me things whenever I mutter out loud about wanting something.”

Ellie laughed. “House elves are pleased to serve, for the most part. They’re not trying to be intrusive or spy on you. They’re just used to anticipating the needs of those they serve.”

“I’m not complaining,” he said. “It’s just… still a little weird for things to appear out of thin air.”

He settled into the cushions of the couch and reached for the mug he’d already poured himself. Ellie poured some of the steaming drink into the other mug and took the other end of the couch.

“Are you doing okay?” she asked. “Your head is still intact, so I’m guessing you’re coping with the crazy well enough.”

“Eh, I’m getting used to it all,” he said. “Magic is starting to feel normal. I worry that I’m never going to be completely comfortable in this world. I mean, every day I’m confronted with knowledge I don’t have. It’s not even about being a Muggle-born; the wizarding world feels like a foreign country, and I don’t know the language or the customs.”

“I can understand that,” she said. “I was in a similar situation. The difference is, I was eleven, so I’ve had time to grow into this world, where you’ve been thrown into the deep end as an adult. Just give it time. I’m guessing you weren’t fluent in Italian the minute you landed in Italy. This is no different.”

“Fair point,” he said.

“How are you doing with the rest of it?” she asked. “With acquiring new relatives and reconciling with your mother’s family?”

“Honestly, I’m relieved to have things set to rights with Uncle Clive,” he said. “It never felt right to have that relationship severed, but my father couldn’t stand Uncle Clive. I can imagine why: he saw Clive as the barrier to my mother’s trust fund. Given what Clive suspects about my mother, I’m shocked he didn’t try to have Clive offed.”

“Who says he didn’t?” she asked. Tony just stared at her, eyes wide. “I mean, he obviously knew people who could arrange accidents, so it stands to reason that he tried at least. Unsuccessfully, as it turned out, but that’s for the best. I assume the money was meant for you after your mother passed.”

“Yeah, her trust and mine were merged after she passed,” he said. “I barely remember that I even have it most days. The biggest pain in the ass about it is that I’ve had to disclose it to every employer I’ve worked for. They always stare at me like they can’t figure out why I’m even applying for a job.”

“Most men with the amount of money you have don’t actually work,” she pointed out. “I’m not saying that as a criticism, because clearly you’re not meant for a life of leisure.”

“I’d go crazy inside a week if I didn’t have something to keep my mind busy,” he said. “Speaking of which, what are we going to do about our jobs? I’m assuming you’re going to have to go back to work at some point.”

“Probably,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to be at the ICW. If you’d rather stay at NCIS with Gibbs, I can go into the reserves and stay with you on the MCRT. As long as Gibbs approves.”

“You seem like you know each other,” he said. “Care to share?”

“Most of it is still considered secret, but we met in the field,” she said. “He worked for the ICW too, so our paths crossed from time to time.”

“Jesus, just when you think you know a guy,” he said, shaking his head. He set aside his mug and ran a hand through his hair. “He and I probably need to talk, so I’ll see what he has in mind for the team.”

“If you decide you’d rather leave NCIS, we can look at other options,” she said. “Getting a mastery or two and joining me at the ICW would probably be the easiest path.”

“Maybe,” he said. “I like the work I do at NCIS, but shouldn’t I be doing something for the wizarding world, now that I’m officially a wizard?”

“There’s always a need for wizards in the No-Maj world,” she said. “Liaisons and investigators who can move between the two worlds, because no matter how much we want to keep them separate, they bleed into each other more and more with every passing day.”

Tony cocked his head to the side. “Now that you mention it, there have been a few cases where things were a little off. Gibbs would get weird, and then suddenly, we’d solve the case and be moving on. Those cases always seemed too easy, but maybe that was just magic at work.”

“You’re probably not wrong,” Ellie said. “But that’s why there are wizards in every law enforcement agency in the world. We get the “weird” cases because weird sometimes equals magic.”

“Makes sense,” he said. He yawned. “Sorry. I must be more tired than I thought.”

Ellie stood up and set her mug on the tray. “That’s okay. I should get some sleep, too. Breakfast is going to be an adventure, and I want to be well rested so I’m awake for it.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Tony said, shivering slightly. “More people I thought only existed in books and movies. Here’s hoping my head doesn’t explode at the breakfast table.”

“You’ll do fine,” she said, smiling and shaking her head. “Goodnight, Tony.”

He got up and walked her to the door. When she reached for the doorknob, he placed his hand over hers and turned her gently, placing a mostly chaste kiss on her lips. She let out an involuntary sigh as the rightness of the kiss settled into her bones.

“I was wondering when you’d get around to that,” she said, smiling at him.

“Well, I didn’t want to presume,” he said. He cupped her cheek. “I’m glad I’m not doing this alone. I’m glad it’s you with me, Ellie May.”

“Me, too, Tony,” she said. She pushed up on her toes and pecked his lips. “Me, too.”

She turned and slipped out the door before he could respond.

~0~

Cast (from top left):
Patrick Stewart, Aiden Turner, Michael Weatherly, Colin Firth, Callum Blue, Emily Wickersham, Rege-Jean Page, Mark Harmon