Burned Into Glory

Family

"Thank you for making dinner," said Grindelwald as he and Queenie sat on a table on the expansive balcony. She grinned broadly at him and told him,

"You know I love to cook for you. Eat up, honey."

She realised it was the third or fourth time today she'd called him that, but he didn't seem to mind. She'd always used the term of endearment with just about everyone, but for some reason she'd never felt comfortable enough with Grindelwald to use it. He seemed above the phrase - until now. Now he was her husband, and she'd cooked him dinner, and so he was honey. Grindelwald cut into his roast pork loin with balsamic glaze and took a bite, and he made an orgasmic sort of sound as he tipped his head back.

"How do you do this?" he demanded in a groan. "How do you cook food that tastes this good, Queenie? Mmph."

He cut another bite and ate it, and Queenie grinned widely again. She clapped her hands together and squealed a little with delight at how much he liked her food. It made her happy to cook for people. It really did. That made her pause and think of the other things that made her happy, and she said to him,

"This place is really starting to feel like home. Nurmengard."

"Good." He sipped his red wine and stabbed his rosemary roasted potatoes and carrots with his fork. He nodded. "I want it to feel like home. It's important to me that you are comfortable and happy here. Anything I can change or add to make you happy, Queenie, you just tell me, hmm?"

She stared into his uneven eyes, and she felt her own water heavily. She blinked a few times, stared down at her plate, and said softly,

"I suppose it's something we should have discussed before the wedding. It's something people talk about before they get married. But I was kind of afraid to bring up the subject at all, so -"

"Children," he said calmly, and Queenie raised her eyes to him to read his face. He nodded and sipped his wine again. "You want children."

"A family," she shrugged. "You know, just... someday. In the distant future, maybe. I was thinking maybe someday a long time from now you might like to have a family. I don't know... how you feel about that."

"We would hardly be a conventional family," Grindelwald noted. He cut into his meat and took another bite, seeming to savour it a little less this time. He chewed, swallowed, took another sip of wine, and said, "Half of the wizarding world kisses my boots, and the other half of the wizarding world wants me dead. My primary concern would be the safety of any child you and I had together."

"Oh. Okay. I understand." Queenie felt disappointment go through her, and she reached for her own wine. She sipped it and set it down with a shaking hand. First Jacob had turned down her idea of having a family, and now Gellert Grindelwald. Would she ever be a mother?

"That wasn't a no," Grindelwald said smoothly, and Queenie snapped to attention. She parted her lips as she stared into his eyes again, and he quirked up half his mouth briefly. He shrugged. "There are workarounds. Protective enchantments. Safe houses. Amulets and Unbreakable Vows. All manner of means to shield a child from harm. We would have to be very vigilant. I wouldn't want a swarm of children; it wouldn't be safe. It's feasible to protect one, maybe two. Any more than that becomes a massive hazard with my notoriety. I would feel most comfortable having an only child, just one precious child to protect. Hmm?"

Queenie began to cry instantly. She couldn't help herself. She nodded vigorously and swiped at her tears.

"Yes. One child," she whispered, and she was suddenly overwhelmed. Was he saying yes to the idea of having a family with her? Was he really doing that? Queenie swigged at her red wine and asked in a trembling voice, "When?"