You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

Bright light shone through the windows in the bedroom that Viktor Krum had chosen within his wing of the house. He watched lazily from the bed as his wife-to-be held up different robes to her body, her lips pursing and cocking to the left every time she deemed a set useless. Viktor couldn’t help but laugh at her. With her back to him, he had a delicious view of that perfectly rounded bottom she possessed and he stared at it openly with no regards to the modesty she claimed to possess. If she were modest then she wouldn’t have been stood stark naked in their bedroom would she? Actually, she probably would have been because her mother had yet to buy her some night garments. So far all she’d been sleeping in were shirts that belonged to Viktor. He didn’t mind either because they certainly looked better on her than they did on him. Watching his wife prance around in a shirt that was a good six sizes too big with the arms rolled up to her elbows was definitely worth her having nothing to wear to bed.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Viktor asked, playing idly with a loose piece of thread that had come away on the satin bed sheets. She turned and smiled at him before turning fully and holding the robes in her hands flush against her body. She quirked an eyebrow at him in silent questioning and Viktor waved his hand. “Beautiful.” He complimented. “Now come back to bed,” Of course, that had to be added onto the end. “Come on...you know you want to.”

Irina was going to give in, Viktor was sure of it; and he wasn’t disappointed. The woman threw the robes down and danced back over to the bed. Viktor pulled the covers up and she slipped underneath, immediately snuggling against him. He smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead before beginning to run his fingers through her hair. He knew when he planned on dropping in on Ms. Lupin. He was sick of seeing Eli mope around the house like a child that had had his toys taken away from him. Perhaps it was the wrong analogy to use but he had that same look on his face – the one that looked as if he’d seen someone kick his puppy.

“Do you really think your plan will work, Viktor?” Irina asked, her hand coming up to rest over her husband’s heart. Viktor shrugged and Irina bit her lip. “This woman...Khaat...she’s compassionate, yes?” Viktor nodded. “So she’s bound to help us! If she loves Elijah then surely-”

“It doesn’t work like that my pet,” Viktor soothed her, continuing to brush his fingers through her hair. “If Khaat is feeling charitable then perhaps she will be sympathetic to our family. I fear we may have to use Eli as leverage though.”

“How so?” Irina asked, propping herself up on her elbow. Viktor looked at her and smiled, instantly placating her. “I hope it does not come to that,” she murmured. “I wish for this to be resolved as you do. I just do not want them to get hurt?”

“Who? The children or that red-headed chit?” Viktor spat, his eyes narrowing. Irina reached up and placed a kiss on his lips.

“Stop it now, Viktor. She did what she thought was right. As it is, it was wrong. I doubt he told her what she was supposed to know about both him and those children. What about the one they have had together?”

“She will be swept underneath the proverbial carpet. As soon as we get the other two back and Mira Anderson in his bed the better. It will distract him from her.”

“He still thinks of her?” Irina queried.

“He is still in love with her, Rina.”


After finally getting dressed, Irina and Viktor Flooed to St. Mungo’s. They swept out of the fireplace the picture of Pureblood royalty. Viktor’s hand was placed on Irina’s back and she walked in time with him, her pearl earrings swinging gently from her lobes. She’d picked a set of burgundy robes – a testament to the Krum family – and Viktor had gone with a matching waistcoat. They were perfectly in tune with one another – as they should have been. Irina’s stomach held pure Krum gold. Pregnancy suited her though it wasn’t obvious to anyone but Viktor who claimed that there was a difference in her. She didn’t believe him of course but Viktor Krum saw much change in his wife-to-be. He admired how easily she’d slipped into the role of consort for him and he certainly admired her fertility – or at least he appreciated it.

Irina slipped away from Viktor as they neared the front desk. She placed her hands on the top and smiled at a woman with ginger ringlets who looked surprised to see Viktor again – and equally surprised to see he had a new wife. Viktor smiled humourlessly at Sadie and she returned it before looking over at Irina. Viktor could read this woman like a book. She was concerned for Irina, knowing the history of the Krum family. Viktor didn’t blame her. Irina seemed ignorant enough so Viktor didn’t fill her in on the animosity Sadie had towards him and his son; she didn’t need to know.

“Hello, um, which for is Miss Lupin on? Khaat. Khaat Lupin.” Irina looked at Viktor and smiled brightly before looking back down at the woman.

Sadie pursed her lips and made a show of looking through the floor plan before looking up and giving the appropriate directions. Irina thanked her and shot off, dragging a more than willing Viktor with her. They got into the lift and Irina pressed a button. Soon enough the lift was shuddering upwards towards their destination. Irina was babbling again, Viktor only half listening to her as he mentally went through his last encounter with Sadie. That hadn’t gone too well either. Sighing, Viktor leant down and pressed a kiss to Irina’s neck. He nipped at the skin with his teeth and she giggled before pushing her hand against his chest.

“Later, love. We have a job to do don’t we?” She reminded him. Viktor nodded and when the lift doors shuddered open, he took her hand and led her down the familiar hallway to Khaat Lupin’s office.

The two entered without invitation. Viktor cast Irina into the room and closed the door behind them. He unclasped his travelling cloak and looked around the room, finding Khaat not to be there. Viktor draped it over the chair in front of Khaat’s desk and sat Irina down. Then, he waited. He could wait for this woman all day – he had plenty of time on his hands. There was business to get down to though so he hoped she’d hurry up.

Khaat had had the duty of delivering a baby. Quite difficult for her in her own position. It made her ache. Hannah found her and brought her some pain potion to relieve the pain from trying to sit hunched and uncomfortable to deliver the baby. Hannah ran ahead while Khaat showered and changed and put on her beautiful handpainted teal silk wrap style maternity dress, her low heels, flicked her wand to redo her hair and makeup into an updo to get it off her neck. She had sent Hannah up to fix her some tea.

When she got upstairs, Hannah stopped her. "Director," she said softly. "You have visitors."

"Visitors? Who?"

"VIktor Krum and a woman."

"What?" she frowned.

"Yes," Hannah nodded. "I have put out a formal tea for you."

"Thank you," Khaat said, confused. "See to it we are not disturbed."

"Yes, Director," Hannah said. Khaat went in and closed the door quietly. "Viktor. Welcome. What a surprise." She looked at the woman. "Welcome. I'm Khaat Lupin."

“I’m starving,” Irina complained lightly, leaning into the attention Viktor was giving to her hair. He smirked and leaned over her, kissing her neck once more. He mumbled the same, eliciting a giggle from Irina and once against she batted him away. Smiling, smugly to himself, Viktor straightened his back. It was soon after that that Khaat opened the door. Viktor turned and smiled broadly, his eyes falling instantly to the swollen midriff the woman possessed. He raised an eyebrow teasingly at her before nodding approvingly. Irina jumped to her feet and grinned toothily at Khaat. Viktor shook his head in amusement and watched idly as Irina scuttled over, instantly, yet awkwardly, embracing the woman.

“I’ve heard so much about you!” She gushed appraisingly. “I wanted to become a Healer at some point – heard all about you and your family in that time. Of course, I wanted to work with animals but that’s completely irrelevant. You’re pregnant! Snap! Well, obviously you’ve outdone me. How far along are you? We should go shopping together! I know this beautiful little boutique. It’s amazingly high quality although not at all expensive. It’s wonderful! We should make a weekend of it!”

Seemingly, Irina had already made herself a friend. He wasn’t here on a social call, though, unfortunately. It would have been better if they were though Viktor couldn’t imagine himself ever visiting Khaat Lupin for his own amusement. That was something Irina would be doing in the near future no doubt though. He could imagine finding his wife sitting in the parlour, inducting their children in with the Lupins. Surprisingly, that didn’t horrify Viktor as much as it should have done. They weren’t nearly as bad as he had originally though. Casting his mind back to the awakening of his son, he recalled that she’d been protecting him – unlike her father who had taken a different approach. For that Viktor was grateful though he wasn’t quite ready to show his forgiveness for that. Eli was a precarious creature that surrounded himself with people who would love him no matter what – whether it was done intentionally or otherwise. He thrived on that elusive emotion and he was actually more delicate now than ever. He was teetering on the edge of sanity and insanity – and Viktor knew which side he was leaning towards.

“I am afraid this can’t be a tea party full of fun, ladies,” He spoke, ever the party-pooper. “We must talk business. You have a moment I’m hoping? This won’t take long, I promise. This is more or less about the welfare of a common love we share. My son?” Viktor raised an eyebrow. “His children – Fauve, Thierry and Kitty. He’s without them it seems. Ms. Moor claims she’s adopted them. You are her guardian also are you not?” Viktor exhaled, finding the words difficult for him. His anger wasn’t abated where Chase was concerned. He wanted her in a bug jar so she could forever be harassed. “Tell me this is something I can combat. I am sick of Bulgarian lawyers that titter uselessly. My own family members are next to useless which I what brings us here. You care greatly for Elijah, don’t you? He still cares for you in his own way, I assure you. His memory isn’t fantastic but he’s regaining more of it. Your father, regrettably, was some sort of help. We can do without Kitty if she wishes to keep her but Fauve and Thierry filled our home with the fun this family needed. Fauve and Thierry belong to Elijah – certainly not by birth but there is a lot of magic involved. I shudder to think what Vivienne and Giselle have laden him with but this is something I need to get them out of. They need to be back in my home, Khaat, in Elijah’s care. It is there that they were happiest, I assure you. Even if they were with you of all people I would be content because I know that they’re safe. I have some sort of connection to them. Currently there is a brick wall between myself and them and thousands more between them and Elijah. I have made use of one of the Angleovas to find out where she is but I have yet to hear of them.”

Viktor pinched the bridge of his nose and regained his breath, Irina’s hand came to rest on his arm and she looked at Khaat pleadingly.

“Can you help us, Miss Lupin? I see a great hole within my step-son, and one within my husband – as well as one in our home. We will do anything...help us. Please?”

Chase had adopted Fauve and Thierry? How the hell had that happened? And without Khaat's signature on it as her guardian, that was not legal whatsoever. She summoned Archangel from his perch where he had been sitting completely motionless, as if he'd been merely a taxadermy experiment. She scribbled a note hastily and rolled it up.

"The Ministry," she told the owl. "Go. Hurry." She looked back at Viktor. "I want to check on the adoption itself. I want to look at its filing. As for the children, I do trust that Chase would treat them well. I don't know what's going on with her, but she has a good heart. And she's excellent with children. As far as their safety, I am not concerned about that. However, I do understand your point. I can't see Eli without Fauve and Thierry. You say he is better, somewhat. That's good. I presume you have more than enough resources to help him care for them in whatever way he might not yet be able to be.

"If what you say is true, then she has somehow illegally adopted the children. As Eli's guardian, those children become my responsibility too, by default. Just like Kitty is my responsibility. There is no way any court would give full responsibility to anyone who legally it did not trust to be his or her own guardian. The responsibility of the children would be shared by the guardian. I have let Eli do what he wishes with his children because he is a wonderful father. And I believe Chase is a good mother. However, I will not let any child be used as a pawn for whatever is going on." She had suspicions it was part of some dispute between Eli and Chase and if that was the case, she would tear limb from limb whoever was responsible for using Fauve and Thierry as a weapon. Whoever it was had sorely underestimated Khaat's need to take care of children. To be a good mother. And she realized exactly what Viktor was doing. He was firing up her maternal instincts to wrath. For Chase, it was looking like that might not be a good thing.

“He understands his position now,” Viktor responded. “Though, he’s hollow without them – even if he doesn’t realise it. He’s moving like a creature lost and I don’t know how to invoke some kind of reaction out of him. He just seems to take things as they are, Khaat, and that bothers me. I rather prefer the passion. He’s just...I don’t know how to describe it. It is as if someone put Cecilia inside Elijah and vice versa. He’s accepting and dutiful while she’s the one kicking up the fuss. I don’t know whether that’s something to do with the memory loss but I can’t think of a better way to sooth him. His entire universe revolved around those children and that was the only reason why Marina didn’t get rid of them to begin with – Fauvie in particular. They are a part of this family. Their names reside on the tree. There is no other place for them, Khaat. Do you see?”

Viktor felt Irina’s hand slip into his and he sighed, bringing his other hand up to rake it through his hair. He watched Khaat as she spoke, her business head turning on. Viktor was grateful for it. He wanted a quick solution – it had been drawn out enough as it was. The longer they were away from them, the less likely they were to remember. Viktor didn’t know what would hurt Elijah more – looking in their eyes and finding that they didn’t remember him or never getting to see them again at all. Viktor saw the void they’d left. He’d lingered in the doorway of Fauve’s room as Stelladora sobbed into the bed sheets. That woman had lived for Elijah and then again for his children. She was still mourning. She’d never quite been the same without them – but then again, neither had anyone. Children always brought great joy to the Krum household – it was a reminder that not everything was about business. It was those times, when a child’s laughter filled the house that they were just themselves – there were no pretences.

“Their safety I do not question, Khaat, because I know Chase’s feelings regarding them. However, I do not believe for a second that they would be safer there than with us. Their home is with Elijah – with our family. We are there family. I don’t care whether I have to tear Heaven down from the skies to get them back again, Khaat. What can be done? I just want to see him smile again – genuinely. They are the only ones that made him smile – that made him happy. He said it to me himself, Khaat, that women were throwaways but his children would be his only constant in his life. With that taken away – what does he have left to live for? I don’t want to lose my son, Khaat, or my grandchildren. Just, please, tell me that we’ll get them back. Tell me that there won’t be a solemn Christmas filled with mourning and general angst. I am truly sick of the depression that seems to hang around my house. Elijah is a good father – better than I have been ten-fold. He owes everything to those children and in some respects vice versa. He saved them from fates no one wishes to imagine – especially Fauve. She is his daughter in everything but blood – just like Thierry. As it so happens, Kitty is his daughter in everything – including blood. They are no pawns. He will do right by them. He cares about them above everyone – even himself. Please tell me I can give them back to him.”

"I understand your feelings far more than you know," she said softly. She was waiting on her eagle to return from the ministry with the information she needed. "I do believe my eagle will return any moment. VIktor, I share your love for Eli and for those children. I love them as if they were my own. I fell in love with Fauve and Eli from the moment they moved into my little cottage. Well, thats where I was then. While we wait, let me tell you something about Eli that I bet you dont' know." She poured them tea and motioned one of the porcelain cups to each of them. As she floated the cups and saucers to them, she quietly told Viktor about her memories of her time with Barker, with Eli, and how she had been so close to death her spirit had separated from her body. She blinked back a tear as she explained to him how hard she tried to stay with Eli, trying to let him know she would never leave him, no matter what. How desperately she wanted him to know that life was still worth fighting for. How her deep love for Eli had kept her fighting for Eli until help arrived for them both.

Her voice just faded to nothing because of how poignant the memory was for her. It bound her to Eli, in some ways, forever. She felt, for a moment, at a loss. Like she didn't know what to say. She was relieved by the arrival of Archangel with a parchment in his talons. He perched on the back of her chair after dropping the parchment on her desk. "Good Boy, Archangel," she smiled, stroking the bird a couple times. She unrolled the scroll and read it. It was from her father. He had pulled the records himself and reviewed them and had responded promptly. There was a second and a third page to the documents. She read them.

"Chase's adoption of the children happened in a muggle court. It isn't worth the paper they're written on," she told Viktor. "The problem appears to be that Eli never officially took custody of them legally. However, the muggle adoption has been overturned. And, for now, the custody of Fauve and Thierry has been awarded to me because I am Eli's guardian. You and I can work out where they will stay and how they shall be provided for. I need to go get them from her. We will prepare custody papers and hold them so that when Eli no longer needs a guardian, he can file simultaneously, at the time of his release from guardianship, for his children. They will not pass from our hands again. Is that acceptable to you?"

Irina felt very much like the spare part though that didn’t bother her as much as it should have done perhaps. She sat there, absorbing the information that was being passed between Khaat and Viktor. It baffled Irina that Elijah could have gone through so much. She knew very little of him and Cecilia so she didn’t connect much of what Khaat was saying to Elijah’s personality. She knew he was secretive, often harsh and cold to those he did not know or trust but she did not understand why he was that way. She did not understand why he had seemed so hurt that day his cousin had asked for permission to marry. She didn’t understand the very person the entire family revolved around – the very person they all fought to keep happy to ensure the family’s survival. She understood now the bitterness that seemed to well up and explode from inside Stefan. He wanted his children to be noticed in the family, naturally; and more importantly he wanted his children to have rights to the family. Didn’t everyone though? Irina now understood why it Canis Canem Edit was a phrase they used often – because even in family it was dog eat dog.

“Harry mentioned that something had seemed off about him,” Viktor murmured, sitting down. “Though I didn’t think it would be as extreme as that. That was...that was that weekend he was here wasn’t it? When I was called?” Viktor shook his head and Irina reached forward, taking her hand with both of hers. “This Barker gentleman ... he’s well contained?” Viktor asked gently. “Is there any way to slap him with a death sentence? Surely that’s less than what he deserves? Or give him his own personal Dementor as a cellmate?”

Irina was about to scold her husband for his callousness but was distracted by the bird that came in through the window. She observed the animal, taking in its beauty before turning her head to look at Viktor, gauging his reaction to Khaat’s words. So far he was only shaking his head. Irina smoothed her fingers across the back of his hands and he looked at her before whispering a few words of comfort in Bulgarian. Irina smiled but it did not placate her the way Viktor had hoped. She still looked anxious and genuinely worried for his welfare and what was going on his mind.

As it was, Viktor was laughing to himself. He knew that Elijah had something somewhere that tied Fauve to him – at the very least. Thierry was a walk in, pick up and walk out job. Fauve had always been a bit more complicated. He could remember the letter he’d gotten from Pavlo, detailing the man’s upset at the fact that Elijah had supposedly been leading his son astray. He gave details about a bind of magic that supposedly Mikhail witnessed. Viktor didn’t know whether it was true but he had something better than adoption on his side – he had magic and Vivienne Mercier. She would not take any of this well. She’d eat everyone alive – not just Chase. She’d have Eli strung up by his balls as well as Viktor. That was something he was worried about but it was a prospect that he liked the sound of.

“His claim to Fauve has always been specific though I think it’ll be a challenge to get Vivienne Mercier to give me, or you for that matter, the other half of the document she wrote up. It probably means nothing to courts but to old magic it means the world. A deal was struck though my knowledge of it has always been limited. When Elijah took Fauve from the models, it took eight days for Vivienne to track her back down again. From what I understand, a series of explosive rows followed before something was settled. This is definitely the wrong wording but Vivienne made Elijah promise to look after her - to be her father. There are a lot of runic sayings and such as well as, no doubt, an Unbreakable Vow. She is a horrid woman but she knew how to do right by her daughter. It’s all very complicated. The best person to talk about that to is either Vivienne herself or Elijah.”

Viktor knew this was going to be a compromise and a half. He sat back in his chair and nodded. “For now.” He allowed, before looking over at Irina and squeezing her hand. She returned his smile before turning to Khaat and asking,

“Would it be like before? What would your guardianship of them exactly entail? Would Elijah still be able to father them as he has done?”

"Felix Barker is in Azkaban. We have done much to restore the prison to being able to encourage a change of attitude amongst its inmates," she said. "Felix has already seen enough that he is thinking twice. I dont' see him getting out until the Ministry is very, very sure there is not the slightest shadow of his former self. And that will take more that a small bit of convincing. He has seen, and continues to be...befriended...by many dementors.

"As for Eli, I would prefer he parent his own children--and as soon as humanly possible. But as his guardian and theirs, I need to know that they will be well provided for." She had no doubt that Viktor wanted the same thing for his grandchildren. "I don't know what posessed Chase to do what she did, but I am concerned that they have been exposed to massive opportunity for them to be confused, and not in a small way. They need a tight, consistent sense of family. Something that will provide them stability, love, nurturing, education, discipline and guidance, a sense of security, all of those things. And they need to have that in a way that won't be uprooted again, to the best of our abilities. I do understand that your family does believe in the importance of family. However, they do not need to see their father still ill, either.

Vivienne Mercer. Mentally, she made a note. If this Vivienne decided to play any card that would even attempt to trump Eli's parental rights to Fauve, Khaat had qualm whatsoever in dispatching Ms. Mercer to the other side of the veil, and that would be that. She said nothing on that part of it, though.

"Give me a suggestion, Viktor. Tell me what you believe will fill all of those things for Fauve and Thierry," she said.

Viktor was noticeably relieved to hear that Barker was in Azkaban. Although he would have been happier knowing that the bastard was dead, knowing he was contained was just that little bit better. Still, it did worry him that perhaps Azkaban and the Ministry were going soft. Had it been another Wizarding Prison then they probably would have just slapped Barker with a Death Sentence and let the Dementors have him. He knew very little of the goings on in the temporary prison that the Bulgarians had but he’d heard wonderful stories about terror and madness – probably the only true punishment worth dolling out. Of course they were only relieved of their own minds by the time it was too late and they were then executed in the cruellest way the Government could create. Of course, those were old war stories. The prison was more or less abandoned now.

Viktor nearly laughed out loud at Khaat’s concerns. He knew that the first thing Elijah would do once he had those babies in his arms would be to smother them with affection to the point where they shouted at him to give them some space. He’d use the hours he spent doing nothing at Hogwarts and instead of lounging in the grounds, he’d come home and spend the rest of the day with them. It was doubtful that he’d even return to school if he could help it. He’d been threatening for months before Kitty’s birth that he’d not go after she was born – that he’d become a full-time artist and spend more time flogging paintings with Arnold or, if crunch came to crunch, join a Quidditch team. He had wanted nothing more than to just give up his future for his children. Both Viktor, Marina and Khaat had been against that but if Elijah got those children back then there would be no way to stop him this time. Viktor was adamant though that he’d insist on Eli getting tutored by Micah. Whether the boy would agree or not was another kettle of fish.

This time Viktor laughed out loud, gaining a sigh of irritation from his wife. He leaned forward and smiled widely at Khaat. There was only one thing in the world that could fulfil all of those stipulations – and more – and that was,

“Elijah Nathaniel Krum.”

"Not until Eli is willing to meet my conditions," Khaat said firmly. "And I am sure they are much the same as yours might be. Are you able to get him to do what you want? Or do we both have to still deal with the fact that Eli will be Eli and will not be told what to do at times? If we can't be utterly sure that Eli will be on the right page with this, then perhaps he needs to come be part of this arrangement making." Khaat did not, under any circumstances, want to rip the children away from their family if Eli didn't follow through with what he needed to do. But if he did not, it would be her obligation to remove them from him and place them with someone else, whether that was another Krum or someone else.

And then she looked at Viktor, almost as an afternote. She had seen his bristling to the fact that Barker was still alive, "Oh, by the way, the Wizengamot wanted Barker executed. I was the one who encouraged them to consider life at the hands of the dementors, and some of our other 'encouragements.' " She felt sure that Viktor knew that "encouragement" meant a life of torture--in much the same way that he had tortured Eli and herself.

"I apologize," she said softly, looking now down at her stomach and almost automatically laying her hand there. "After what he did to Eli, I didn't want him escaping and just being able to opt out without some pain of his own. I don't want anyone--not anyone--to ever, ever touch Eli again. If it ever happens again, I'll kill them myself--with my bare hands--whether Eli ever speaks to me again or not. I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense."