Managing Mischief

Chapter 4: Willow Wisp

        Walking down the halls of the Ministry, the only noise that was heard was their footsteps. Everyone else was long gone, having left hours before. Fabian looked at the time on his watch frowning, it was well after nine pm.

"She's doing it again." Gideon observed to his twin.

Fabian nodded in agreement but didn't say anything else as they reached the office they were looking for. Not surprisingly it was also the only office with a light still on on this floor.

The door was open as they stepped to the threshold of the office, but peering in they wondered if office was the right word. Disaster zone or even war zone seemed to better describe the scene in front of them. There were open books and papers scattered across the floor, chairs, and coffee table that occupied the room; and where the twins' little sister should have been sitting behind a desk stood a wall of books and files.

Fabian knocked on the door, and took the first brave step into the disheveled office, kicking an empty ink jar he hadn't seen. "Uh..Nik are you here?"

There was a sudden flash of red above the books on the desk; Fabian and Gideon released breaths they hadn't realized they were holding. Nikki had a terrible habit of overworking herself with endless hours and forgetting to eat. She could be too ambitious for her own good sometimes. They admired the work she did and just how much she had managed to accomplish but there had to be a way for her to do all that without sacrificing her health.

Nikki finally stepped out from behind the book wall and stood in front of her brothers. The twins were now convinced she hadn't left this room for days; the bags under her eyes were dark and deep, her skin looked sallow, she had visibly lost weight, and her hair, though in a twisted knot on top of her head, was held up with her wand and sticking out all over. Frazzled was putting it lightly.

"Hey! You guys are early."

"Nik, it's almost ten." Gideon responded, checking his own watch.

"Bugger! Molly is going to kill me! I promised I'd be there hours ago!" She began to look around erratically, she was clearly searching for something but neither of her brothers knew exactly what she was so desperately looking for. Nikki let out an exasperated breath as she turned to look at her brothers, who seemed to be having a quiet conversation with each other. Throwing a hand on her hip, and her head into her other hand, closing her eyes she asked, "Can one of you accio my wand?"

She was clearly exhausted, any other time her brothers would have taken the mickey out of her, but they couldn't bring themselves to right now. Gideon crossed the room and stood in front of his little sister, and gently pulled her wand out of her hair and handed her her wand. "Nik", he gently whispered, "Maybe it's time to take a few days off. I know you want to finish this bill before Christmas but if you kill yourself in the process, it will never be done. We know that, but you're doing it again. Overworking isn't going to change the past. You can't keep burying yourself in work trying to forget it either. Come stay with us, just for a few days. You can recharge and come back with fresh eyes."

She could feel the tears sting behind her eyes, but she didn't stop them. She knew she was hiding behind work, trying to drown the memories of her mates. She had chosen this path and was so close to giving werewolves the rights they deserve. But as her brother so kindly pointed out, her work couldn't be finished if she killed herself in the process. She was on track for finishing the bill before Christmas so it would only take a few weeks for the new bill to take effect. She could afford a long weekend to recharge.

She embraced her big brother and nodded her silent agreement against his chest. She felt Fabian place his hand on her shoulder as he said, "Good! First we'll stop by Molly's for dinner and then we'll head home for a quiet weekend."

She couldn't help but chuckle as she said, "Do you two even know how to be quiet?"

                                                                                  ✧✧✦✧✧

Green flames erupted in the fireplace of the Burrow, announcing the arrival of the twins and Nikki as they stepped out into the living room. Nikki felt slightly guilty that it had taken her so long to come visit her sister. It had been almost a month since she had been there, due to all the hours she was putting in at the Ministry.

Nikki had a strange idea that passing this last law might help make amends for leaving her mates the way she did. She knew how crazy it sounded, but she hoped it would help fix the guilt she felt about that.

She took a moment to reflect on that. It seemed she felt guilty alot lately and she couldn't pinpoint just why it seemed to really spring up all of a sudden. She thought she had made peace with all of her decisions, but it would seem she had merely repressed them. She sighed again, and thought to herself, it must be from the lack of sleep.

Nikki was saved from her darker thoughts as Molly came out of the kitchen and wrapped her in her arms. "I've made your favorite roast and potatoes! Come sit down and eat! You're too thin!" Molly chastised as she herded Nikki to the table, where a plate of food was waiting for her.

Nikki paused a moment before turning to Molly, crossing her arms and asking, "What happened? You only make my favorite food when you have bad news, so out with it."

Molly looked at her brothers before turning back to Nikki. "Eat first, then we'll talk." She stated solemnly. 

"Molly I won't be able to eat till you tell me what's happened. Are the twins alright?!"

Nikki was growing frantic and more nervous by the moment, and Molly knew there was no use trying to calm her down. She was going to have to rip this off like a band-aid.

Molly took a breath before she began, "The boys didn't come meet us here like they normally do, they went to the platform ahead of us by themselves. And when I got there they were talking with their fathers."

Nikki crumpled into the chair behind her. She knew it would only be a matter of time till they had a run in with them. How long did she really think she could keep her boys hidden?

"Neither the boys or their fathers have any idea they're connected." Molly continued.

This small bit seemed to help keep Nikki from hyperventilating. Molly, now however, could see the anger starting to catch fire in her sister's eyes.

"Molly, I'm going to need your help writing a howler to those two tomorrow. I'm so angry right now! Those two are going to be the death of me!" Nikki jumped off her chair and began pacing. She was having a hard time keeping her thoughts coherent. "Sure it was their fathers, who have no idea they even exist, but it could have been someone who wanted to hurt them for the work I do!"

Nikki wasn't a stranger to receiving threats, or cursed mail, but every now and again she would get one threatening her sons. As a result Nikki had wanted to send her boys to Drumstrang, but the twins desperately wanted to go to Hogwarts. Hogwarts held some of Nikki's greatest memories, and she couldn't bring herself to tell them no. So she made a deal with them, if they went to the platform with their Aunt and stayed with her till they were on the train they could go to Hogwarts.

Nikki couldn't take them out of school now. They were almost finished with their schooling, so she would just have to start going with Molly to deliver the children. With some mercy from the gods, she might even be able to get in and out without anyone spotting her. She had remained hidden herself for 15 years but if it would keep her children safe she would face whatever consequences came from all her choices.

A meddlesome voice in the back of her head also added it's also their only real connection to their fathers. And even that small connection she couldn't bring herself to take away from them. 

"I need a drink!" Nikki declared as she went to the kitchen in hunt of some firewhiskey.