A red dragon, completely covered in mud, burst out from the hallway, sprinting toward Wanda like a lunatic, wagging its tongue from side to side with the excitement of a puppy.
"Red, wait! If Mum sees you like that, she's going to get mad!" Harry shouted as he chased after him, panting, his face a portrait of despair.
But the moment he entered the living room and saw all the people gathered, he froze in place like a statue.
Red, catching sight of Wanda's serious expression, skidded to a halt, spun around on his muddy paws, and bolted in the opposite direction, seeking the safest place he could think of"behind Harry.
The boy, trying his best to act casual, hid the brushes he was holding behind his back, as if that could erase all evidence.
Wanda slowly shifted her gaze from the mud that now decorated the house like a modern piece of abstract art, then turned her eyes toward the muddy dragon and the embarrassed boy, both frozen under the gaze of their guests.
Sigh... She let out a weary breath and snapped her fingers.
In seconds, a swift and precise magic swept through the house with supernatural efficiency. The mud vanished from the floors, the walls returned to their natural color, and the air once again smelled of clean wood and dried flowers. Even Harry's clothes changed instantly into something far more presentable"his previous outfit had looked like it had been fished out of a swamp.
"So... what happened?" Wanda asked, crossing her arms.
"Well... when I got back, I wanted to put my clothes out to dry in the sun... but I left the door open. And Red ran off to play in a puddle..." Harry explained with a timid voice, lowering his head.
"You're not in trouble"yet. But we'll see later..." Wanda replied with a soft smile, while Daphne and Astoria covered their mouths with both hands, trying not to burst out laughing. Selene, standing beside them, gave them a firm look to remind them of their manners.
Ding dong
The doorbell rang suddenly, making the guests jump slightly. They weren't used to that kind of device.
"It's fine," said Wanda, gesturing calmly as she walked to the entrance.
When she opened the door, she found Susan and Hermione standing outside.
"Wanda, is it true what Hermione said? Are you going to teach her magic?" Susan asked as she walked in with the ease of someone who had crossed that threshold a thousand times"until her eyes landed on the imposing dark-haired woman standing beside two girls in the living room.
"And who's she?" Susan whispered to Wanda, clearly intrigued.
"Daphne's mother," Wanda answered calmly.
Susan narrowed her eyes, recalling having seen the girl once when picking up Hermione from the bookstore.
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Hermione's mother," Susan said politely, offering her hand to Selene.
"A pleasure," Selene replied with a noble curtsey that left Susan momentarily stunned.
There was a regal grace in her movements, a refinement in her posture and tone that made her seem almost... royal.
"She's gorgeous… and has the manners of nobility. Are you sure she's not a queen or a princess?" Susan whispered again to Wanda.
"Maybe," Wanda replied with an amused smile.
"Would you like some tea while the kids play?" Wanda offered, leading them toward the kitchen.
"Mine with lots of sugar. My husband's back on his cavity mode again," Susan said, laughing naturally.
Hermione shot her a deadly look. After all, she wasn't even allowed a single piece of candy. But Susan ignored the silent reproach and waved for her to go play with the others.
The children ran off after the red dragon"now clean and happy"while the women sat around the table.
"So... are you one of the magical world's nobles?" Susan asked with her usual candid curiosity, not bothering to hide her interest.
"Something like that," Selene answered with a calm smile and gentle voice. "Technically, my husband is the noble. I was the fifth daughter of a ruined and disgraced house. I was lucky enough to marry someone wealthy."
"Wow, that sounds interesting," Susan commented, already completely hooked by the story.
Wanda, well aware of her friend's nosy nature, couldn't help but shake her head while listening.
"There's not much to it, really. I had run away from home and ended up hiding in his carriage. I owed him a couple of knuts before I vanished. Then, he was drugged by a woman from the Lestrange family and ended up in the same room I was hiding in at the Leaky Cauldron. Me, being an idiot, ended up poisoned too. The next morning, I felt guilty thinking it was my fault, so I left him a dozen sickles," Selene recounted.
"Woaaah!" Susan exclaimed, already imagining the whole scene like a chaotic romantic novel.
Even Wanda, who rarely got involved in other people's stories, was intrigued.
"Then he did everything he could to win me over, so I just accepted," said Selene with a nostalgic smile.
"Hey! That sounds like you skipped over a whole chapter!" protested Susan with a teasing grin.
"Haha, maybe a little. But that part's a secret story just for the two of us," Selene replied, her gaze drifting lovingly toward a distant memory.
"Ugh, you're just like Wanda and her secret love life," Susan complained, pretending to be annoyed.
"Oh, really? Do you have a similar story with your husband?" asked Selene with sudden curiosity.
Susan froze. The air seemed to thicken for a moment. She realized she'd put her foot in her mouth " Wanda rarely talked about that subject. Although Susan knew a little " just barely " about it: her husband and two sons had died a few years ago.
Susan pressed her lips together, uncomfortable with her mistake.
"Oh, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked?" she apologized in a lowered voice.
"It's all right. I... don't have a husband," Wanda replied calmly. "Would you like some cookies?"
She stood with a gentle smile and walked toward the pantry.
Susan, grateful for the change in topic, got up to help her.
"Sure " did you make them?"
"Yes. Harry helped me," Wanda answered fondly as she served a plate of freshly baked cookies.
After a couple of hours, during which the children ran, laughed, and played until they burned through every last spark of energy, the sun began to dip, tinting the sky in warm hues. Selene, ever elegant, said goodbye with the same grace she had arrived. She kissed Daphne and Astoria softly on their foreheads, took their hands tenderly, and after offering Wanda a courteous look and a polite gesture to Susan, disappeared with her daughters through the fireplace in a swirl of green flames.
Silence slowly returned to the house, like a light blanket settling after a busy afternoon.
"You know... someday you'll have to talk about it. You don't have to carry it all by yourself," Susan said gently, looking at Wanda with sincere concern.
Wanda glanced at her from the corner of her eye for a few seconds, thoughtful. Susan wasn't wrong… She knew that.
The last time she kept everything bottled up, she ended up trapping an entire town in an illusion... and then her mind shattered like a broken mirror.
"When I'm ready, I'll tell you," Wanda replied calmly, her gaze still fixed on the spot where the girls had vanished.
"Mum… I'm sleepy," said Hermione, slowly rubbing her eyes.
Beside her, Harry was already completely asleep, sprawled out on the couch with one leg dangling off the edge, breathing with his mouth slightly open.
They had spent the entire afternoon chasing Red all around the house and garden. The dragon, needing no rest, was practically an endless source of energy " perfect for entertaining and exhausting any child.
"Alright, sweetheart. It's time to go," said Susan as she walked over and gently stroked her daughter's hair. She gave Wanda a quick goodbye and waved to Harry, though the boy, deep in sleep, didn't notice at all.
Shortly after, the two left through the door, leaving behind a faint scent of cookies and children's laughter.
Wanda remained silent for a few seconds, gazing at the dim living room. Then she walked softly over to the couch and, with a sweet smile, lifted Harry into her arms as if he weighed nothing. The boy instinctively snuggled against her chest, murmuring something unintelligible in his sleep.
With slow, careful steps, Wanda climbed the stairs and carried him to his room. There, with a simple wave of her hand, she cleaned him of the day's remnants and gently laid him in bed, covering him with a soft blanket.
She stood for a moment, watching him sleep, silently.
Then, without saying a word, she turned off the light with a gesture and walked out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.