Beautiful Misbehaviour | George Weasley

Epilogue

August 1998

Artemis fingered her new wand agitatedly, her only tell. She refused to let her nervousness show in the face of whatever they were about to face.

Beside her stood Ginny and Caspian, equally determined expressions on their faces. The three of them stood before the ornately carved dark oak double doors of the manor house that was more of a castle than anything else. They were deep in the forested region of Transylvania, where most of the residences of the Magical Folk of the land had settled, only a few kilometres away from a small, almost medieval town that was home to an entirely magical populace.

The residents had watched them with interested eyes from the moment they'd Apparated into the city square until they'd disappeared into the woods to hike into the property through the Apparition line.

"If I have to knock again, I'm blowing a hole in his door," Caspian grunted, banging his fist against the wood even louder than the first two times.

Ginny snorted in agreement, kicking absently at the shale that lined the walkway.

"If he makes us wait any longer, I'm separating his head from his body," Artemis muttered, tightening her grip on her wand. She was entirely serious. After weeks of attempted contact with first Emma's mother, who'd fled to Paris, then Romilda, then Florin Aldea himself, Artemis was tired. Very tired. Not to mention, this had been happening all whilst she personally petitioned the Magical Duma of the Russian Federation for permission to cross the border to search for her mother, which proved to be nothing short of impossible due to their restrictions on Muggle-Magical Relations.

So Artemis was tired. And angry.

"With that beautiful new wand of yours that could prove to be too easy, " Ginny winked, "I still can't believe you managed to coerce Ollivander into making that special for you."

And it was special. Artemis coveted her new wand. With its Dittany stalk core and hawthorn wood, it was one of a kind and obeyed her every command with the barest thought. She'd given the old wizard an energetic kiss on the cheek when he'd pulled it out from under his bed, much to his horror.

"After I visited his private residence thrice a week for two months to see to him because he refused to visit St. Mungo's, he relented."

"Probably something to do with the wand you stole from that Snatcher nearly blowing off your eyebrows three times."

"Two times — "

As Caspian raised his wand to blow the door in, it swung open to reveal a greasy man in a tailored suit with a pencil-thin moustache. He sniffed delicately, grimacing at Caspian's duelling stance, "I must ask you to remove yourself from the premises, Mr. Vane. Such barbarism is unwelcome here."

Caspian went purple with fury, "I don't give a damn if I'm welcome here — "

Ginny and Artemis stepped forward, wands level with the butler's nose. To his credit, the man didn't so much as blink at them. He simply pasted a false smile on his face that looked more like a Kneazle with a hairball, "I'll ask you again to vacate the property. You and your ... friends have no right to threaten — "

"I think you might find that we do, Jeeves," Artemis flicked her wand and summoned the scroll signed by the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Babajide Akingbade.

"I suggest you obey this Asset Requisition," Ginny tilted her head to the side, "But I suppose you could always ignore it like you have our numerous owls and face both your Ministry, our Ministry, and the International Confederation of Wizards."