A Kind of Magic

Sixty-Four

Aunt Rosie, who disappeared while the dinner was served and returned dressed more appropriately mere moments later, banished her husband to do the same before she allowed him to partake of the unexpected second dinner with their guests. 

Gilderoy was grateful for their friendly manner and calm tactfulness. Despite being simple, unaffected people lacking the polish bestowed upon those who spent years at court or descended from noble families, they never uttered a wrong remark or asked an exceedingly interfering question of any of his friends, but rather let their guests tell them as much or as little as they felt comfortable with sharing.

Aunt Rosie led them to the rooms where their luggage had already been taken once they had finished eating and were ready for bed. They followed her out of the warm and well lit kitchen, along several winding, low, and gloomy corridors into the most remote wing of the sprawling building used as sleeping quarters. She pointed to a barely visible door at the bottom of another corridor, explaining that they would find a bathroom there and a servant's room nearby, should they need help with anything. 

"As Sam told you, you might feel a little cramped, Gilderoy. Here's the bedroom my four sons used, and I think it will serve best for you, your two friends and the boy," she said, looking between the men of the group as she opened the door of a large room with four beds, a small shuttered window and a table with a candelabra full of burning candles placed underneath, four wooden chests set along the stone walls and a fireplace, filled with logs and branches, ready to be lit should they want to use it.

"That's wonderful, thank you, Rosie," Leodhais said, talking over Peregrine, who wanted to thank Gilderoy's aunt too. 

She only smiled contentedly at them before she turned to the women and preceded them to another door. "And for the ladies, here's my daughter's room," she said, opening the adjacent bedroom. "It's a little smaller, but I had two beds brought in, and they fit comfortably. And you, Lady Fiona, will get a room alone. It used to belong to the nurse... I know it's hardly worth a..."

"Please, Rosie, don't you think of me differently than of the others. Thank you so much for everything," Fiona muttered, pulling the old woman a little shorter than herself into an embrace, surprising her, Gilderoy grabing the candelabra from his aunt's hand at the last moment before it could set Fiona's loose hair, now dry again but tripled it volume by the rain it had soaked up, aflame.

Gilderoy fought to suppress a smile when he noticed the couples of their group exchanging looks of promise to see each other again if only to share a kiss before retiring for bed as they scattered into the assigned rooms, before Aryana surprised him by wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, and tilting her face towards his, eyes closed, offering her lips for a goodnight kiss. His breath caught-- this was bound to make them look like a couple to anyone who would notice, and they hadn't spoken about their feelings, and expectations since they had left Aryana's village-- but he did not hesitate to oblige. 

He bestowed a chaste kiss upon the werewolf girl's rosy lips, making old Aunt Rosie sigh happily as she wished them a restful night, then another on her forehead, caressing her platinum hair reverently before they finally pulled apart, and followed their friends into the bedrooms.

"Good night, Freddie," Fiona called from the door of her room when she noticed the boy peeking at the couple from the doorway of the men's room, a huge smile making his face glow. "Send Gollum over to me; there's more room for him here. And don't forget to brush your teeth before you go to sleep!"

The eye roll he sent in her direction made her smile. He was changing, he seemed... almost happier here, more content than she had seen him lately at home. 

"Sleep well, Mum," he called, already vanishing from her sight, only his voice reaching her again as it trailed the grey dog rushing towards her like a bundle of shadows moved by a gust of wind, "Gollum, Mum!"