The Years of Riddle

Chapter Forty-One | Ottery St. Catchpole, May 1970

Chapter Forty-One

Ottery St. Catchpole, May 1970

It had been a long day for Silas. He had arrived that morning to find a very flustered office, the Minister of Magic in a state of panic, and a Muggle minister shouting over the only phone in the entire ministry.

Several Muggles had been found beaten, bloodied and jinxed, along the south bank. The head of Silas' department had sent Silas to keep the Muggle minister calm, while Maximilan Crowdy, the magic minister, had tea in his office and tried to keep everyone calm. He had only been minister for a few months.

"Just make sure he's calm." Crowdy had growled. "I don't want him thinking we're all out to kill them all."

"Er, yes sir." Silas had then spent several hours assuring the minister that the man with the pig's tail would have it removed, the woman with flowers growing from her nostrils would be fine once they got her to a healer – and no, none of them would remember anything. He was supposed to downplay the danger, the fear – however, with the self proclaimed Death Eaters running about toying with Muggles, and there was much to be feared.

When Silas finally got home, hours later than he should have, he just wanted to go to sleep. He had expected Inesa to be in bed, but instead found her sitting at the kitchen table, a mug of tea cooling in front of her, untouched.

"Hey," he closed the door, hung his cloak. "Sorry I'm late."

She nodded, smiled. "It's fine. Stressful day?"

"Long, stressful day." He dropped into the closest chair. "Two of the victims didn't make it," he added, sighing. "The world's going to shit, Nes." He shook of the gloom, looked over at his wife, tried to smile. "How was your day?" Inesa worked at a potioneers, creating and testing potions.

"I didn't go." She said, hesitant. "Well, I did – I left early."

Silas leaned forward, concerned. Inesa rarely missed work. "Why?"

"I – well." She blew a strand of hair from her eyes, smiled tensely. "Remember when you said the world was going to shit?"

"Ye-eah." He studied her face, confused. "There's a group of blood purists on the rise, my boss is insane – people are dying."

"And people are being born," said Inesa softly. "You're going to be a dad."

It took exactly five seconds for Silas to understand what she had said. He sat in his chair, found in his father's attic, across the table he'd taken from an his grandparents house, to Inesa – his shining, beautiful wife, his best friend. "I'm going to be a dad?"

"Yeah." Inesa had tears running down her face, pale he suddenly realized. "We're going to be parents and the world is going to shit, to utter and complete shit."

Silas sat still for another second, and then moved to kneel before her, taking her hands just as he had almost three years ago, when he asked her to marry him. "Nothing, not a single thing," he said slowly, "Could make the world better than this."

"You're not scared?" Inesa let out a small sob.

"Of course I'm scared!" he hugged her then, tightly, held her to his chest. "But I'm also overjoyed."

Inesa laughed then, kissing him, their tears colliding. "What are we thinking, bringing a baby into all this mess? I don't think we even own a single piece of new furniture."

"We don't, but that's fine. We can buy a new mug or something." Something occurred to him, and he pulled back a bit. "Does anyone else know?"

"Molly," admitted Inesa. "She came over after the healer's, when I was in hysterics. Our babies will be one months apart."

"You're one month along?" Silas couldn't picture what that even meant, but it was still wondrous to imagine.

"Yeah, the nausea is kicking in. Late, too," she added, "Molly was sick from so early on. Makes sense why I've been so tired and achy, huh?"

"I guess so." He was still so blown away. As they lay side by side that night, in their own bed, Silas couldn't sleep. Today, he had dealt with two ministers, several hysterical Muggles, and seen two dead bodies. His day had ended with the news that he would be a father in seven months.

Somehow, life was balancing itself – horrible news, then some of the best news of his life.

"What are you thinking?" mumbled Inesa, shifting closer.

"That I'm the luckiest guy around."

She sighed into his collarbones. "I know we wanted to wait a few years, but I'm not upset that it's happened now."

"Neither am I." Silas could feel his eyelids drooping, feel Inesa's breath slowing – when someone knocked on the door. The couple sat up in bed, giving each other uneasy looks. "I'll get it." He said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, feet touching the cold wood floors.

"I'm coming too," she grabbed her housecoat and followed him down the stairs.

Pulling open the door, Silas was surprised to see the Minister of Magic on his doorstep. "Minister Crowdy? What – it's the middle of the night."

"And I'm very sorry to interrupt your sleep, Laroix, but we've got a problem." Crowdy's face was grim. "Get dressed, we've got work to do."

"What's happened?" Silas felt Inesa take his hand, and fear swarmed his heart.

"People have been murdered," the Minister looked like he'd aged ten years since Silas had left work only hours before. "Not Muggles. Muggleborns."

"Oh my." Inesa was gripping his hand. "Sy, we..."

"Just a few moments Minister, I'll just – I'll get dressed. Come in."

Crowdy stepped into their home, a compact and grizzled man. He nodded to Inesa, attempted a smile as she hurried to get him a cup of tea. "There's no need Mrs. Lacroix, but that you."

"It's no trouble, Minister." She spared him a tired smile.

"I'm sorry we had to meet under such sorrowful terms."

"Me too." She handed him the tea as Silas came down the stairs, kissing her quickly.

"Try and sleep," he whispered. "You need it, right?"

"Right." Inesa hugged him tightly. "Be safe."

"I'll owl in the morning." He gave her one last kiss, and was out the door.

Crowdy cleared his throat as they walked down the lane. "You have a lovely wife."

"Thank you sir." Silas found it difficult to think about Inesa in that moment, home in their kitchen, while he was on his way to process a murder.

"Any children?" Crowdy realized he didn't know much about his young assistant.

"Not yet." His face fell. "A bit before Christmas though, we'll be having a baby."

"Congratulations." It did not sound congratulatory.

"Thank you, sir." Silas put Inesa and the baby out of his mind. He did not want to associate murder with his little family.

"This is the start of dark times, Lacroix." Said Crowdy heavily. "Take joy in this."

Something in Silas knew it was only the beginning, of balancing horror and happiness. He thought of Inesa, in their bed, probably still awake with worry. Even as they plummeted into what he knew was dark times, there was still a light waiting at home, and he would work towards it, fight for it, as long as it took, no matter what.

A/N: What a chapter. Babies and murder. 

Question: My fav question ever, always, boy or girl, thoughts on names...?

Happy October!