— Well, where are they? What is taking so long?! — Nicolas grumbled, pacing impatiently around the living room in his traveling cloak.
— They'll be down soon; they need to pack their things, — Perenelle replied calmly.
— Why couldn't they pack in advance? Everything is always at the last minute!
— Calm down, Nick. There's plenty of time; your workshop isn't going anywhere. Nothing terrible will happen if you spend one day outside its walls.
Flamel only gave a tired sigh. He knew that arguing with his wife when she was in this mood was a losing battle.
— Alright, we're ready! We can head out, — Victor's voice rang out.
He was leisurely descending the stairs, followed by Adele, who was dragging her small suitcase.
— Finally! — Nicolas threw up his hands. — What took so long?
— Adele was fussing around, — Victor answered. — Girls, what can you say?
Adele shot him a dark look. She had very few belongings, and she had packed her suitcase the night before. In reality, it was Victor who had kept everyone waiting, cramming his spatial trunk until the last second with rare books from the Flamels' library, as well as tools and ingredients he had scavenged from Nicolas's workshop.
Perenelle rose from the sofa, smoothed the folds of her dress, and clapped her hands energetically.
— Well, since everyone is ready and the bags are packed... Misi, dear, transport us, please.
Adele's face instantly turned deathly pale.
— Maybe... maybe it would be better by plane? Or a regular train? — she asked with hope in her voice, looking at Victor.
— That takes too long, honey, — Victor gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders to soothe her. — Misi, take us to my house.
The house-elf nodded respectfully and gave a sharp snap of her thin fingers. With a loud crack, the world around them collapsed into a narrow point, the space squeezing their chests for a moment before spitting them out in another part of the world. As soon as their feet touched the solid floor, Adele, trembling slightly, grabbed onto Victor with a death grip.
— How I... hate that, — she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to fight back the nausea.
— There, there, quiet now, it's already over, — Victor stroked her back gently, waiting for her to regain her balance. — You'll get used to it in time.
— So this is where you reside now? — Nicolas was already strolling around the room, inspecting the interior with curiosity. — Quite decent, quite decent indeed.
— Yes, of course, it's not a castle like yours, but I like it here, — Victor smiled with pride.
— It's a good place, very cozy, — Perenelle nodded approvingly, surveying the setting with a homemaker's eye. — Now, which way to the kitchen? I'll brew us some tea. There's still plenty of time before the Hogwarts Express.
— I still don't understand, — Flamel grumbled again, settling into an armchair. — We could have gone straight to Hogsmeade; why this waste of time?
— We could have, but I don't want to, — Victor cut him off. — This is very important for Adele. She must go through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, find a seat in a carriage, meet someone. Repeat the path of the founders, cross the lake in the boats. It is something every Hogwarts first-year must go through.
Victor nodded thoughtfully.
— Yes, only that way. Anyway, make yourselves comfortable; feel at home. The kitchen is over there. In the meantime, I'll go find my first-year textbooks. Dumbledore already took care of my things, but Adele can't go to classes with French manuals.
Victor was about to head up to the second floor but suddenly paused, glanced at the front door, and smiled. His heightened hearing caught familiar footsteps before the guest even touched the porch. A few seconds later, a key fumbled in the lock, and the door slowly creaked open.
Hermione entered the house; she had stopped by to pick up a few things she had left there over the summer. The girl froze on the threshold, staring in bewilderment at the strangers in the living room. Her gaze darted from the striking young woman to the stately man until she noticed Victor among them.
Hermione's face lit up instantly. Casting all caution aside, she rushed toward him.
— Victor! You're back! — she exclaimed and hugged him tightly, not hiding her genuine joy.
Victor hugged her back, smirking:
— Yes, I'm home. And I missed you too. Но but, Hermione, you might want to step back a couple of paces right now... Ah, never mind, it's too late.
— STUPEFY! — a shrill girlish voice sliced through the air.
A scarlet jet of the spell flew toward Hermione's back at high speed, which Victor carelessly, almost lazily, dispelled with a flick of his palm. Hermione immediately broke out of the embrace and turned around. Standing before her was a little girl, literally burning her with an icy stare, pointing a wand directly at her face.
— Hermione, meet Adele Moss, my younger sister. She's a Hogwarts first-year this year, — Victor stepped up to Adele and gently lowered her hand with the wand. — Adele, this is Hermione Granger, a close friend of mine. I would be extremely grateful if you would stop attacking her.
Adele shot him a pitiful, hurt look and lowered her head guiltily.
— Sister? — Hermione asked, stunned, catching her breath.
— Yes, it's a long story. And also, meet... — Victor turned to the sofa and paused.
Nicolas and Perenelle were comfortably settled on the soft cushions, watching the scene with as much interest as if they were watching a gripping movie at the cinema. The only thing missing from Nicolas's hands was the popcorn.
— ...Seriously? — Victor sighed. — Hermione, meet Mr. and Mrs. Flamel. I spent the second half of the summer with them.
As soon as the names left his lips, Hermione's eyes widened.
— Mr. Flamel?.. — she stammered. — The great alchemist Nicolas Flamel? I... I've read about you in my History of Magic and Alchemy textbooks! Please, allow me to introduce myself. Hermione Granger. It is a great honor to meet you!
— Alright, you all chat, — Victor interrupted her enthusiasm. — I need to prepare a few things. Adele, come with me; help me upstairs.
Adele, still keeping her head low, slowly followed him to the second floor. Entering the study, Victor went straight to the shelves. He quickly picked out the appropriate books and stacked them on the desk.
— Here, these are your textbooks. It's not a full set, of course — it's missing Lockhart's collected works — but honestly, you don't need them anyway. A waste of time and paper.
While he spoke, Adele quietly approached from behind and gently took his hand.
— I'm sorry... — she whispered. — I don't know what came over me.
Victor turned around. He gently lifted her face by the chin and looked into her eyes with a warm smile.
— It's okay, I'm not angry. I understand: you were scared that I'd shift all my attention to Hermione and leave you alone.
The girl gave a meek nod, tears shimmering in her eyes. Victor pulled her close and hugged her tightly.
— Listen to me carefully. I can have many friends, but I only have one sister. And I will never leave you. I promise.
Adele went still in his arms, finally relaxing.
— But I ask one thing of you, — he added more quietly. — Jealousy is normal. But try to restrain yourself. I know it's hard... I can't even manage it myself sometimes. Ha-ha, what am I saying? I'm the worst example in that regard, since I always do what I want, regardless of the consequences.
— Yes... sometimes you act like a fool, — Adele replied.
Victor smiled. She didn't understand exactly what he meant by his lack of restraint — she didn't know about the coldness and cruelty he was capable of. And that was for the best. The last thing he wanted was for her to see the monster he truly was.
Suddenly, the study door swung open without a knock. Hermione walked in and, seeing them hugging, involuntarily frowned.
— Victor, my parents are here. They really want to see you.
He nodded and, gently letting go of Adele, headed for the exit. The girl walked to the desk and silently picked up the heavy stack of books.
— Do you need help? — Hermione offered politely.
Adele only shook her head. On the threshold, she stopped directly in front of Hermione and looked her in the eyes — cold and defiant.
— Friends shouldn't hug like that, — she said. — Try to restrain yourself next time.
With those words, she walked out, leaving Hermione in a state of total stupor.
— What is wrong with that girl?.. — she muttered, staring at the empty doorway.
The next few hours passed in a warm, domestic atmosphere. They drank tea and chatted. Victor introduced the Flamels as his distant relatives and official guardians. Hermione's parents were charmed by them, never suspecting that their companions were older than the history of their own country.
When it was time to leave, the Grangers began to pack up, promising to meet at the station. After they left, a cozy silence settled over the house. Victor and Perenelle went to the kitchen to handle the dishes. Adele brought the last of the cups and neatly stacked them in the sink.
— Thank you, dear. Now go and pack your books; we're leaving soon, — Victor said, patting her head affectionately.
Perenelle, methodically drying the plates, watched the girl leave with a long gaze. Once Adele's footsteps faded on the stairs, she asked quietly:
— And when did you realize?
Victor looked at her without stopping his work.
— The very first time we met. I caught it in her eyes. Who better than I to recognize the look of a person slowly sinking into madness out of despair?
— And what do you intend to do?
— Nothing. Only she can handle that herself. Perhaps in school it will get easier for her: she'll make friends and become... normal. And if not — well, I don't see anything wrong with her excessive attachment to me.
— That's while she's a child, Victor, — Perenelle shook her head. — But what will you do when she grows up? When a simple attachment turns into something more? You know, girls in love are already a bit crazy; what will become of her?
Victor paused for a moment, and a strange, frightening smile bloomed on his face.
— We'll see then. But I'm still not against it. We'll be like Joker and Harley Quinn.
Perenelle sighed, looking at him with sad understanding.
— Perhaps that's how it's meant to be. A mad guy like you needs an equally mad better half.
Victor nodded. From all this discussion, he suddenly became acutely aware of how fast his body was growing. Before heading to the station, he definitely needed to buy some hand cream and tissues. He glanced at his right hand and, smiling almost imperceptibly, whispered:
— Sorry, my old friend... It seems I'll have to burden you again.