Chapter Text
The sight that met Artemis when she entered the bathroom made her eyes widen in shock. Ace had gripped the taller wizard tightly by his tie and forced him down to his own eye height as he had done in the bedroom. However, the anger he had shown in the previous room was nothing compared to this. His eyes glowed burning red, and his top fangs were clearly on display in a threatening manner. Despite the shocking sight, Jack was not easily swayed from his own anger as his ocean blue eyes were dark from the storm appearing in them. The auburn-haired wizard was gripping the dark blond's arm tightly, trying to get him off, but it seemed the shorter wizard was holding him with a newfound strength.
“Let go, you fucking traitor!”
“Only when you listen!” There was no hesitation in Septimus’ voice as he shouted right back at Cyril’s face, who for a second, looked surprised. However, it was short-lived as he in turn, grabbed the dark blond around his own tie.
“Listen?! You want me to bloody listen?! For what?!” Artemis took a step toward the two wizards as Jack started to lift Ace off the ground slightly in anger.
“Cyril, please.” The anger and hurt that flowed in the auburn-haired wizard's eyes made a deep sorrow bloom in her chest as he looked at her.
“How long?! How bloody long have you two been fucking around behind our backs?! Years right?!”
“We had one night, Cyril, I promise you.” It was obvious in his eyes that Cyril had a hard time believing her as he studied her intensely.
“You fucking lie. What were you thinking would happen? Take the bloodsucker as a husband, then have me as a boy toy on the side?” Her own anger was starting to flow to the surface now, but before she could say something, Septimus suddenly pulled harshly on the auburn-haired wizard's tie, making him stumble.
“Do not blame her for this!” Cyril’s gaze shifted quickly from her to Septimus again as he steadied himself. He let the dark blond go and pushed him away from himself, forcing Ace to let go of him. The dark blond stumbled into the sinks behind him with a soft grunt, but his anger only seemed to be fuelled as his eyes burned brighter than before. His bottom fangs were showing above his bottom lip, and he was gripping the edge of the sink so hard that his knuckles were going white.
“You’re right, Zouch! It's you, isn’t it?! You made us bloody believe you were just an innocent newly awakened undead monster, totally new to your powers and all that shit! But it was all lies! Had I known this, I would never have let you feed on me!” The ring on her finger seemed to burn as she watched with shock as Septimus’ teeth grew even more, now making him unable to close his mouth properly. He visibly took a deep breath as he pushed away from the sink. Their eyes locked for a second, and the tingling sensation from his charm washed over her in harsh waves.
It didn’t burn as strongly as the Lords, but it was clear he was trying to prove that he couldn’t control her with all his might as he pushed all his powers towards her. He did grow beautiful in her eyes, but it didn’t have the same effect as before.
“Artemis, come.” His voice was smooth as the finest firewishkey, and a shiver went down her spine. However, she didn’t move a muscle. Instead, she looked at Cyril, whose eyes were wide in surprise. If he was seeing Septimus differently, she wasn’t sure, but she smiled at him nonetheless.
“He has no power over me, Cyril.” The anger in the ocean-blue eyes subsided for a moment before it came back tenfold.
“So the demon has twisted your fucking mind then?!” Artemis stared at him as hurt filled her before her anger could react. The words echoed in her mind like a cruel joke as the dark blond's charm retreated. Cyril walked up to her with an expression twisted in anger, the other wizard seemingly forgotten.
For reasons she didn’t really know, her anger didn’t erupt as it usually would, and instead, tears started to swell up in her eyes.
“Cy-”
“Shut up! If you had just kept your fucking legs closed, we wouldn’t be in this mess, but don't worry, Prince, I will hold my peace at the Royal wedding!”
For the first time in her life, she flinched as Cyril shouted in her face. But before she could react anymore, the angry wizard flew backwards and crashed into the opposite wall with a grunt of pain. He slid down the wall before ending up seated against it, clearly disoriented. The brunette looked over at Septimus with wide eyes. His glowing garnet eyes were fixed on the auburn-haired wizard like he was a prey he had been chasing for decades. His teeth were even longer than before and now resembled weapons of murder more so than tools for survival.
It was a sight she was never going to forget.
Her feet were rooted to the floor as she could only watch the dark blond walk slowly over to Cyril, radiating rage she had only seen once before. Septimus' voice was like a thousand needles stabbing into her skin when he finally spoke up.
“Shut up, Cyril, and listen closely.” The auburn-haired wizard tried to stand up but was quickly stopped as Septimus placed his foot on his chest, making him freeze and look at the shorter wizard in shock.
“I’ll put it in small words so you’ll understand.” Septimus slowly leaned even closer to Cyril's face, and by the look on the auburn-haired wizard's face, the brunette understood that the expression on the dark blond's face was scary enough to scare away the mightiest of dragons.
“This engagement is fake. We’re not getting married.” Cyril's expression turned from shock to confusion, then back to shock as Septimus continued.
“With everything happening in the office, Artemis felt no change in the bond from Orion at all.” The anger was back on Cyril’s face now as he tried to get up again, but once more, he was stopped by Ace, keeping him still.
“My Grandfather’s suggestion was perfectly timed for her to try and get a reaction out of him. But there was nothing, not even when we kissed.” The dark blond turned silent as he let the auburn-haired think over what he had said, and silence filled the room.
Artemis took a deep breath to calm her emotions as Cyril looked at her. The anger in the ocean-blue eyes had lessened and was slowly replaced by regret.
“We haven’t had a secret relationship behind your back, Cyril, because if we had, you would’ve never found out.” The brunette wasn’t sure if Cyril’s ocean blue eyes widened at the different way Septimus spoke or if it was the words themselves, but if Artemis hadn’t seen him say the words, she wouldn’t have believed it was the dark blond at all.
“But if you want to control Artemis, Jack, know that makes you no better than our redundant King.” Artemis swallowed thickly as silence spread around them, and she watched the auburn-haired wizard stare up at the dark blond, wide-eyed himself. His eyes were filled with anger but also regret. He had grabbed the dark blond's ankle in a chance to pry him off, but it seemed that Septimus only put more weight down on it as a result. He was radiating a rage that was more uncontrollable than hers at this point, and a shiver of fear ran down her spine. For a split second, she wondered if he would be able to fight her properly like this if he had to.
Suddenly, Cyril’s gaze shifted to her, uncertainty clear in his eyes underneath all the anger.
“What about the things you said? That you have nothing to fear if you marry him?” His voice had grown softer as if he feared the answer. Septimus raised his eyebrow as he shifted his gaze towards her as well, curiosity replacing the rage for a short moment. However, he showed no sign of letting the other wizard go. The brunette swallowed again before taking a deep breath through her nose.
“What about it? I already know that Septimus is above and beyond loyal to me, and the Lord would be the same if this were to happen for real, but it isn’t. This engagement is fake. I’m not marrying him.” Both of the wizards got a look of realisation on their faces. However, she doubted it was for the same reason.
Cyril stared at her for several seconds before he shifted his attention up at the dark blond who looked down at him in return. Suddenly, the auburn-haired wizard seemed to give up as he let go of Septimus, only to place his hands over his face and groan.
“Why didn’t I see it? I’m dumber than a Gryffindor.” Artemis didn’t dare move as she watched Ace glare down at Cyril before something seemed to click in his mind, and he snorted. He removed his foot from the other wizard’s chest and quickly retreated back to the sinks with his back to them. However, she could tell by the way he was holding himself that he was not over his rage.
Now that everything was quiet, she could almost taste the dark blond's magic in the room, and after taking a quick peek at Cyril, who hadn’t moved, she walked up to Septimus.
The glowing garnets were filled with a rage that sent a shiver down her spine, and the wizard’s teeth showed no sign of retreating. He was holding on to the sink with so much strength that his knuckles were white as the porcelain underneath them. However, he didn’t flinch when she carefully placed her hand on his back, nor did he move away from her.
“It’s alright, Septimus.” The dark blond's eyes flashed with rage as he stared at her in the mirror.
“He made you flinch.” The voice that entered her mind was filled with an eerie anger and almost unrecognisable from Ace's usual smooth voice. When their eyes met, she swore she felt the ring around her finger burn again. However, she managed to smile softly at him as she nodded.
“He would never hurt me, you know that.” Ace continued to stare at her before he took a deep breath through his nose. He gripped the sink even tighter, and she swore there were cracks in it now that weren’t there previously.
Softly, she caressed his back and felt his anger through her fingertips like sharp needles while his reflection showed glowing garnets and sharp teeth. Even if she knew the bond only would affect her, she hoped the little drop of blood he had taken from her would have a similar effect as she managed to squeeze herself in between him and the sink.
The dark blond froze in place as she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head against his silent chest in hopes it would help him ground himself. The bond hummed pleasantly in the back of her mind as she tightened her hold on him.
His breathing turned steady as he took several deep breaths before she felt him slowly embrace her in return. She didn’t dare move as he suddenly leaned down and buried his face in her neck before taking a deep breath through his nose. The brunette could feel his teeth scrape against her skin before they slowly disappeared without hurting her.
“Thank you.” Septimus’ voice was back to being soft, and it sounded like him once more as he pulled away from her. She breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes were back to being sky blue, and a soft smile was on his face.
“I’m sorry.” Artemis jumped slightly as she looked behind the dark blond to see Cyril now standing behind them with eyes filled with guilt. The dark blond surprisingly didn’t turn around as the auburn-haired wizard continued.
“I can’t believe I thought all that was real, and now that I think about it, I should have realised it when Zach just laughed at everything.” Cyril looked at her with eyes showing a regret that was as deep as the ocean itself.
“I’m sorry for everything I said to both of you. I hope you both can forgive me.” The brunette smiled softly at him as she nodded. She had no problem forgiving him, even though his words had hurt in the moment. It was nothing compared to what she had been through in the past weeks.
The auburn-haired wizard looked hopeful as he shifted his gaze slightly to the dark blond who still hadn’t turned around to face his friend. Instead, the sky blue eyes were focused on her as if he was processing everything that was happening through her.
“Septimus, you can fling me against the wall again if that makes you feel better.” Artemis watched, concerned, as Septimus closed his eyes tightly. His top fangs started to peek out from his lips suddenly, and he grabbed her shoulders tightly. However, when he spoke, his voice was calm.
“Make a promise to me, Cyril.”
“Anything.”
“If you hurt Artemisia again, I will hurt you tenfold in return.” The room filled with tension as Septimus abruptly turned around to look at Cyril with an expression that showed nothing but seriousness. Artemis stared at the dark blond’s back, wide-eyed, before she heard Cyril chuckle.
“I’ll let you use my own wand.” The brunette moved slightly so that she could stare at the two wizards before a small smile appeared on the dark blonde's face. His teeth retracted and returned to normal as he took a few deep breaths through his nose before his demeanour seemed to shift.
“Glad we came to an understanding, Jack.” Cyril smiled as he suddenly walked over to the shorter wizard and was quick to embrace him. He mumbled something into Ace’s ear that she didn’t catch before letting him go. Both of them smiled at each other like nothing had happened before the auburn-haired wizard looked at her. He embraced her in the same fashion, and she was quick to embrace him in return.
“I know the demon hasn’t taken over. I was an idiot for believing this was real, and I should have trusted you. I hope I still have a date to look forward to when all this is over?” She nodded against his chest and felt his grip tighten.
“Thank you.” They let go of each other, and all breathed in what had to be relief as the tension in the room lessened.
“I gotta say, Ace. I’m never pissing you off again.” Septimus raised his eyebrow at Jack as he leaned back on the sink again while crossing his arms.
“How so?” Jack grinned before he laughed a little.
“Did you see yourself? I would rather jump into the mouth of a hydra than make you angry again, mate. Worst is that I know I got off the hook cheap, too.” Ace clicked his tongue, clearly not amused, but the anger that was behind his eyes previously was nowhere to be seen. The brunette smirked at him as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
“You even spoke like a normal person for a second.” Cyril’s laughter filled the room as Ace looked at her, slightly confused for a second, before he snorted again. It was then she realised that for a moment the dark blond had let himself be overtaken by the anger, and he had forgotten who he truly was. Whatever had brought him back was a blessing in disguise for all of them.
“Amusing, however, now that you understand Jack, perhaps we shall discuss our path forward?” The auburn-haired wizard nodded with a slightly more serious expression.
“You said that King didn’t react at all?” Artemis shook his head as both wizards looked at her.
“No, there wasn’t even a ripple. It’s like he's closed the bond, but I know he hasn’t, because it feels different. The bond is wide open, but he just feels nothing.” Anger flared in the auburn-haired wizard’s eyes, but this time he managed to calm himself.
“When was the last time you felt something?” The brunette thought about it before she felt the blush spread on her cheeks. Ace looked at her knowingly before he smirked.
“Shower?” Artemis nodded as the embarrassment washed over her.
“But it wasn’t just that, it was confusion as well. But I don’t understand how he feels nothing now. Normally, he would have blown up like one of his cauldrons for less than this, but now it's nothing.” Septimus hummed before he gave her another knowing look, then turned to Cyril.
“Prince saw Orion and Burns in a hallway conversing, which reminded her of the moment when you discovered him in Burns' office.” A dark shadow appeared across the auburn-haired wizard's face as he cleared his throat.
“What did they say?” Artemis swallowed thickly before replying.
“It's easier if I just show you.” Cyril nodded as she felt him opening his Legilimency shield for her, making it easy for her to show him the moment she had seen between Orion and Burns.
The auburn-haired wizard's anger was back again as he balled his hands into fists.
“Fucker! How in Salazar's name can he do this?!” The brunette showed Ace the memory while Cyril ranted on.
“He has everything right in front of him, and he still chooses to be with her?! That's fucking insane!” Septimus frowned but remained quiet as Cyril started to pace back and forth.
“He has lost the last of his sanity, hasn’t he?! The potion fumes have finally entered all the way into his fucking brain!” The brunette wasn’t sure what to think about everything anymore as she remained quiet. However, after listening to Jack rant for a minute longer, her lips told them a secret she had not expected to say so soon.
“He said ‘I love you’ to me.” Silence fell over the room as both wizards looked at her wide-eyed.
“What?”
“Huh?” Sorrow filled her with such force that the tears were running down her cheeks before she managed to stop them as she looked at the two wizards.
“He said he loved me several times over the last few days. He’s never done that before, and I do-” The first one to react was Cyril as he wrapped his arms around her securely, giving her a tight squeeze. His voice was low and dangerous in her ears, making her shiver slightly.
“I’ll actually kill him this time. Enough is enough.” The brunette felt the familiar warmth of Septimus join the auburn-haired wizard’s touch as he spoke in a similar low tone.
“Queen took him to the Hospital Wing. For whatever reason, he could not shake Artemis’ power earlier, which on its own is peculiar.” Cyril’s fast heartbeat was soothing under her ear as she felt the wizard nod at what the dark blond said.
For a minute, they simply stood there in silence, letting the situation wrap around them. The bond was humming pleasantly in the back of her mind, reminding her that these two wizards meant more to her than she had first believed possible. If anyone had told her all those years ago that this would be her future, she would have laughed in their faces.
Everything had happened so fast over the last month, and new feelings had awakened in her that she would never have thought to be feeling again. The Vanisher’s voice appeared in her mind as if he were watching the scene before him, but this time she hoped she had hidden her reaction.
“You decide if your feelings are a blessing or a curse, Artemisia.”
He had told her this when she was a child, but she still didn’t understand what he had meant.
“So what’s the plan, Ace?” Jack broke the silence, making her look up at him. The ocean-blue eyes were dark with unspoken anger and determination as he looked down at her. However, he still gave her a soft smile while drying her tears from her cheeks with his hand. Ace rubbed her back soothingly as he replied. Both seemed oblivious to what she was thinking, which made her breathe a little easier.
“First and foremost, we need to keep up appearances in front of my Grandfather. It is of utmost importance that he assists us going forward, and if he is under the illusion that this marriage is happening going forward, then so be it. As I told Prince, there will be certain things that we will have to do to keep him under said illusion, which you will have to understand, Jack.” A few seconds went by before Cyril sighed as he let the brunette go, and he took a step back. He watched them with a very uncharacteristic gaze before he smirked.
“So what do I need to do? Continue to be angry? Because believe me, that is going to be the easiest mission I’ve ever done.” Artemis looked at him, surprised, but didn’t manage to reply before Septimus placed a hand on her shoulder securely.
“That would be perfect.” Confusion now spread on the auburn-haired wizard’s face.
“Seriously?” Ace chuckled slightly.
“It will keep up the idea that we have had a secret relationship from all of you. Talk to Queen as well and make him question this more than he did, as he clearly did not believe the ruse from the start.” The brunette nodded in agreement as she dried the last tears off her face and took a deep breath.
“I agree with Ace, Jack.” Cyril raised his eyebrow at her before he smirked again.
“Keep being angry and beat Queen up for not being angry. Got it. What about the kids?” Septimus chuckled again.
“If I know Mr Malfoy well enough, he is doubting this as well, as Mr Potter was not conscious at the time, he will have to be told at a later date. However, let us at least leave them guessing for the time being.” The auburn-haired wizard nodded before he bit his lip. His eyes travelled between the dark blond and the brunette for a couple of seconds before he laughed.
“I guess I have to pull out all the tricks I know for this mission, then. But seriously, Ace, are you sure your Grandfather bought it?” Septimus nodded without hesitation as a sinister smile spread across his lips, sending a shiver down her spine.
“He is relieved that I have had my awakening. Therefore, he is blind to most else at the moment. Artemis, as powerful as she has shown herself to be, is also helping to blind him. There is only a matter of keeping that illusion from cracking.” The auburn-haired wizard raised his eyebrow before he nodded with a smirk.
“Understood, Sir.” It was the dark blond's turn to raise his eyebrow at his friend, who continued to smirk at him.
“What? You are the boss here. Your Grandfather will probably get a kick out of that.” Artemis couldn’t stop herself from snorting, which earned her a raised eyebrow from Ace.
“He is right, Septimus, you are the boss after all, and you said it yourself, he is a stickler for titles.” The dark blond uncharacteristically rolled his eyes at them. However, he was quick to smirk again.
“If that is the way you want to play the game, Lead Infiltrator, then call me Head Observer from now on. Artemis, please, call me by my full name. That will get a proper reaction from him. In return, I shall be using yours.” The brunette looked intrigued at the dark blond, then nodded. Hearing her proper name again after so long was something she would have to get used to, but it was at least comforting that it was said by a friend.
“That leaves King. What do we do about him?” Cyril’s voice was strict, and it was obvious his anger was close to the surface still as he crossed his arms. He looked at her, waiting for an answer, knowing it was her decision to make the call.
“Go to the Hospital Wing and check to see if he’s alright and try to get some information out of him about this engagement. If he says nothing then…I-” Ace squeezed her shoulder again, stopping her from continuing.
“Follow him, if he is in contact with Burns, inform me.” The auburn-haired wizard nodded slowly. Anger was swirling like a whirlpool in his eyes.
“I don’t understand how he can act like this now. You sure he wants to be Master?” Artemis was unsure what to answer after everything that had happened.
“I’m not sure anymore. He keeps saying that I’m his no matter what, but he is making no effort to change things.” Cyril huffed angrily.
“You already know that I want it to be a chameleon instead of a raven, and at this point, I’m on the verge of just doing it without his permission.” Ace hummed, suddenly making them look at him. He had a curious look on his face as he looked between them.
“Mr Malfoy and Mr Potter did come up with an interesting theory that King found especially intimidating the other day. They proposed that we all share the bond, making us all in control and sharing the responsibility.” The brunette looked at him wide-eyed as the thought swirled around in her mind. If they all became part of her, then it would lessen the pressure on Orion and perhaps give them all room to breathe under the weight of the bond. However, the question still remained how it could be done in the first place.
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, actually. I would be willing to do it.” Artemis turned to Cyril again, who grinned at her before he continued.
“Could be difficult to persuade Queen, though.” Septimus nodded as the brunette only stared between the two wizards.
“He was against the whole thing to begin with, if I recall correctly. However, he might not be needed. I shal-”
“Wait a minute!” The brunette felt nausea go through her system at what she heard as the dark blond looked at her with slight shock.
“What do you mean Queen was against it?” Surprisingly, Septimus smiled warmly at her, and he spoke in an equally warm tone.
“When King first told us about the ritual Professor Snape had planned out, Zacharias was against the idea, as it meant Orion would give up his freedom. However, Jack and I were for the idea, if it meant him helping you. As he was most likely the only person who could, at least at the time.” Artemis felt something shift in her as she thought about all the times Queen had helped her over the years. She couldn’t even imagine him refusing to help her back then, and somehow felt betrayed by the idea itself. Jack suddenly stood in front of her with a grin on his face.
“That was seventeen-year-old Zack, though. He was a bloody moron and only thought about being a bachelor for the rest of his life. Settling down wasn’t really his thing, you know?” She jumped as he suddenly flicked her on the forehead like she was a child, and he started to laugh.
“He’s still a bloody moron, but at least now he should be easily convinced. Don’t worry about it, Prince.” The brunette nodded slowly as Cyril grinned again before he shifted his attention to Septimus.
“So you're going to ask your Grandfather about that then?” Ace nodded, still smiling softly at Artemis.
“He will have the answers, I am sure.” The auburn-haired wizard took a deep breath as he straightened up with a serious expression.
“So the plan is I stay angry, get Queen to be angry and follow King moron around and report to you if he is near Burns?” Septimus nodded again.
“Correct. It would be wise to let Curse Breaker Sunday in on the scheme as well, if only to make it easier for Queen to follow orders.” It was Artemis' turn to raise her eyebrow at the dark blond as he suddenly used Sunday’s actual title instead of calling him a wolf without him being present. However, she didn’t comment on it.
“Mission received and accepted, Head Observer.” As if a switch was turned on, the auburn-haired wizard's eyes turned cold with anger while he flicked his wrist, which made his uniform straighten out, making him look presentable as if nothing had happened. Septimus nodded at him courtly, and they both watched as Cyril marched angrily out of the bathroom door, most likely scaring the others on the other side, before hearing him continue out into the office.
Ace took a deep breath before placing his hand securely on her shoulder.
“Ready to put on a performance, my Prince?” She nodded as she took a deep breath of her own as she watched the dark blond enter the bedroom and walk immediately to the left.
“The best performances are always based on tragedy, Artemisia.” A shiver went up her spine as The Vanisher’s voice entered her mind once more. Her hope of his memory not bothering her was slowly disappearing, but luckily, she found something to distract herself with as she entered the bedroom.
“Mr Potter, you’re awake.”