Even the flounder and the cod think we're rather odd, but we care not.

DAY ONE

Spoiler:

Jewel of Maui, so it was named. How Athena Goyle and Kendall Rookwood found themselves in Hawaii was simple, really. He, in a heady state of mind, independently decided that the recent reconciliation called for a holiday. There were no discussions made, and there were no questions asked. He had simply decided for the both of them, insisting that all of it was meant to be a surprise that she should allow herself to be indulged in and impressed by. The travel agent had, during the night before meeting her Rookwood client, retrieved and remapped various itineraries of exotic places that her Wizarding clients were typically interested in. Kendall could not have made her job any easier. The boy already had Hawaii in mind. No, he didn’t want to see dragons, for he had already seen them with his father. No, he didn’t want to visit the places of historical magical discoveries, yes even the dark ones; Augustus had guided him through a couple of those too. Who did she think he was? He was a Rookwood. He, of all people, was hardly short on Wizarding exposures. No. He wanted the sun, the white sandy beaches, polka dot bikinis babes the sea, and the volcanoes. He asked to see a still living one, but she shook her head firmly. No, he was to only go to dormant ones. She couldn’t bear the liability of hurt, missing, or dead clients. Kendall had given up after a series of eye-rolling and sarcastic remarks. In the end, she insisted that she plan no such thing for him, and that if he was to visit a live volcano, she was to have zero responsibility over the issue. There were papers that needed his signature, a cheque to be signed, and then she left. It was done.

By the time Kendall got to Elijah’s on the day the couple was to jet off apparate to Maui, there was already a foreign-looking man waiting for him. Kana’i was a short and stout man with extremely tanned skin. While the hair on his head was still thick, they had turned grey. Still, there was an order to them that did not hide the fact that Kana’i was bothered with that aspect of his appearance, even if he did let himself go in the weight department. In what could only be complementary to his figure, the man also had a big bushy beard that, somehow, failed to hide the cheeriness that seemed permanently plastered on his face thanks to the fixed smile on his lips. Kendall couldn’t help the amusement that was evoked as he shook hands with who was to be their guide for the holiday. Well, not really. Kendall had insisted on doing without one, and Kana’i had introduced himself as their “butler.” The boy wasn’t so sure about that, but chuckled anyway as he accepted whatever title the man wanted to call himself. Kendall was spared the need for small talk when Athena appeared, and soon enough, the threesome found themselves before an extravagant beachfront estate in Maui. The boy had been too keen about the place to pay heed to the details of the stay that Kana’i was rattling on about. Whatever it was, there were buttons available in the estate to summon their Hawaiian “butler”. The only conclusion Kendall got from that was that the option would merely be used in a case of boredom, which was rather unlikely. He wanted to be left alone with Athena.

After a couple of cursory nods, Kendall charged through the doors with a holler of excitement, threw off his shoes, shirt, shorts, and even the briefs he had taken care to choose earlier in the morning, dashed through the furniture of the large space of the house, out into the open space that had an infinity pool over-looking the sea, and dived into the pool with another yelp of boyish headiness. After a couple of happy and naked somersaults in the water, Kendall finally let his feet touch the floor of the pool and searched for Athena with his eyes. “If you don’t join me, I’ll go up to get you in here!”

Dawn had barely cracked across the skyline but already London was thrumming with energy and people. The crowds of people that flocked the capital had never been easy to navigate through, only natives could drift through, almost like ghosts, with practised ease. The movement of one individual in particular was ghost like, his contact with people a faint brush if he was careless enough to rub against them. He was a tall man, perhaps no more than twenty-five, with broad shoulders and skin of a somewhat sickly pallor. His hair was a shock of dark brown, stark against his skin and his eyes sparkled bright and blue. He was clad in a dark suit, his shirt crisp and white, freshly ironed, his tie bright for the gloomy day that loomed overhead. He was devoid of a coat despite the unnatural chill of the month; instead he had donned the white coats that were characteristic of Muggle doctors. He was a doctor, of course, but not for Muggles. No, he was a wizarding doctor; a healer. His destination should have been St. Mungo’s but he’d chosen instead to take a different route upon the request of an old friend. With the coordinates in his head, the moment he slipped into the relative safety of a dark alley between a closed off-licence and a butchery that was near to opening, he Apparated with a loud, clear crack.

Ira Reynesford appeared with a loud snap on gravel path that wound from the reinforced gates at the front of the estate to the staircases that lead up to the front patio and entrance level. The expensive leather that he wore on his feet shined in early morning sunlight. A breeze rippled away from the trees and wrapped around him. It was warm and smelt of the flowers that were dotted around in the grass; fragrant, like home. He cleared his throat after a moment, reluctant even in his mind to admit that the massive structure before him was as impressive and imposing as it attempted to be. It succeeded in its endeavour, indeed. Ira found himself feeling bitter over the fact that the home was owned by someone far younger than his self. He washed those thoughts from his mind as quickly as they came and he straightened his suit a little, fiddling with the buttons on it before lifting his head and striding purposefully down the path. He had a job to do and he would fulfil it without question.

The Healer was shown into the house by a surprisingly well dressed House Elf that wore a royal blue coat with a gold trim that reached its knees. Ira observed the creature coolly before explaining that he was there to attend to Ms. Goyle. The Elf was on guard immediately and Ira drew his wand from his pocket, applying a charm that mirrored the effects of a Calming Draught on the Elf. It was as the Elf was slowly lowered to the floor that Ira explained his connection to her. It was through her grandmother that he’d gotten to know Athena. He was a relative, though he did not know how distantly, and he assured the Elf that it was Penelope who could vouch for him. The Elf did not attempt to struggle and for that he was grateful though it did spit out a warning to him: that if he was to go to the Ministry, he would not live to see the next warning. Ira did not doubt the Elf for a second that it would not make good on its threat so he nodded, feeling a certain amount of discomfort settle in his belly. After a moment, he lifted the spell and the Elf disappeared with an audible click; hopefully, to get Athena.

In the end it was Ira that went to Athena. As he walked through the house, flanked by two House Elves, one of them from earlier, it dawned on him that the Krums knew exactly how to live. He was shown not to a single room but to what the Elves referred to as an apartment. It was upon entering the first chamber that Ira realised what they meant and it dawned on him that the manor had been sanding for far longer than its outer facade suggested. He was stood in the chamber where guests were to be entertained though it appeared as if it was more for Athena’s entertainment than that of anyone else – especially if the books that were littered about were anything to go by. He waited standing, feeling far too uncomfortable to be seated, and reluctantly took the offer of warm cider from one of House Elves.

The dark double doors opened not five minutes later and Ira turned from the painting he was observing to bring his eyes to the young woman whom he’d come to see. A smile immediately broke out onto his face and he placed the cider down on one of the tables. He passed the chair he’d placed his jacket on with quick steps and he met Athena without ceremony to his introduction. He immediately wrapped her up in his arms and tugged her tight to his frame. Her arms came around his middle and he lowered his head to rest just on top of hers, his every breath allowing for the sweet scent of her hair to invade his senses. Ira pulled away after a few moments and held Athena at arm’s length, observing her with a gentle smile resting on his lips. She’d grown, he observed. She was far taller than he ever remembered her being, and, most noticeably of all, healthier than ever.

“Look at you,” he breathed, his deep thrumming tone music to Athena’s ears. She could not communicate to him how grateful she was for a familiar face, a familiar smile, a familiar scent. She had not expected Ira. No, far from it, but standing there she would not have preferred anyone else. “You’re beautiful.” He complimented, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “So much has changed. You have no idea how pleased I am to see you alive, like this. Your grandmother is overjoyed, Thena; professes she knew the whole time.” Ira could not for the life of him wipe the smile from his face and even if he could have done, he wouldn’t have wanted to. “Now tell me, what is it you called me for? You couldn’t have been anymore vague in your letter could you?”

Athena bit her lip and ducked her head a little. She lifted her gaze back to Ira after a moment but continued to nibble on her lower lip. “I think...” Athena sighed heavily and her hands found Ira’s lower arms. “I think I might be with child.” Ira blinked at her, the turn of phrase she used fitting for the time the house seemed to be consumed by but not for the modern man that stood before her. It took him only a few moments but when he finally grasped her meaning he lowered his eyes to her stomach which was concealed by a wrap dress – easy to get in and out of, a cut that was favourite of Athena’s.

“Oh.” He murmured; the single syllable all he could manage. Athena looked at him pointedly, a small smirk dancing across her lips. Ira backtracked. “Oh right! Right. I’ll check. I’ll confirm. Right. Yes. I mean. Have you done any tests ... like, on your own? One woman used this weird herb concoction was. Was convinced she was having twins as a result of it. We tried to assure her she wasn’t but come delivery day. Bam! Two. Twins. Girls. They were beautiful.” Athena continued to stand as Ira rambled, tearing through his bag as he spoke, clearly in search of something though what Athena was not sure. “I didn’t deliver them, mind you. Awful, isn’t it? I’m a Healer and I don’t bloody do anything. Oh well. Maternity. What can you do? So what have you used? Potions, spells?”

Athena lowered herself down on her favoured chaise long and observed Ira coolly. “The magic has changed.” She told him calmly. Ira continued to nod as he rifled through his bag, mumbling something about how it is normal and how magic and go a little bit...strange during pregnancy. “No, Ira. My magic is fine. There’s something else. A separate source. Something powerful.” Ira cursed and a great crash came within the bag. He turned, removing his hands from inside, and straightened up as he stared at her, his mouth agape. “What?” Athena’s eyes narrowed. Ira crossed the room and dropped himself down onto his knees. “Ira? What is it?”

“Witches don’t feel the magic of their children, Athena. They’re too goddamn selfish and worried about their own powers to even sense it. Some can feel a change, a small niggle of difference but they believe it is their own going a little bit screw-whiff. No one notices but by Merlin it’s there. The power of it, is ever present and growing. It was said that even Ravenclaw herself did not feel the thrum of magic from her daughter. Now that says a lot about a witch, Athena, to feel the magic of their child. If you are conscious of the change, of the company your magic now has, as you said...then there is no doubt. But you wish for me to check ever still?” Athena nodded and Ira rose once more, drawing his wand.

Ira directed for Athena to lay back and she did as she was told, lying back against the soft upholstery of the chaise long. Ira held the wand tip just above her stomach and he flicked it once, twice and then a third time. It was on the third time that the room began to glow a bright gold that was most certainly not from the sunshine. The gold touched the very corners of the room and seemed to bubble up and consume everything in its path. But soon enough it reached as far as it could go and it snapped back like elastic, bouncing back against Athena’s stomach, though it caused no pain or injury to her, and disappearing with a pop. For a moment there was complete silence. Not even a bird sang. But then slowly, waves of light began to flicker from Athena’s stomach in rings. Some were blue, some red, some gold, many others purple and green. Ira sank to the floor again and lifted his wand to touch one of the escaping rings. It shuddered a little and continued on as if its path had not been disturbed. Ira lowered his wand slowly and placed it down on the floor next to him.

“The colour is magic, yes?” Athena inquired softly, her eyes bright with a similar blue that left her body. Ira nodded, swallowing hard and Athena tipped her head to the side. “This spell has never worked for you before, has it?” Athena asked gently. Ira shook his head and cleared his throat importantly before lifting his fingers, drifting them through the air, allowing them to pass through the waves of magic.

“The colours represent your magic and the magic of the child. Another, once the spell is effective enough will tell us what the gender of the child is. Even Muggles possess that spark of magic. It’s where Muggleborns come from, after all. All that bollocks about Squibs being the cause is not accurate though a Squib will cause a Muggleborn birth if the magic is thrown far enough down the line. Magic predetermines a lot more than we perceive. It’s forgotten, much of the time as modern Healing focuses on the Muggle ideas of how things form. Cells and the like. Gametes, whatever. I understand it well enough but it is magic that brings it together. The magic you and your dear Mister Rookwood have shared has been the decider on everything about this child. From the sex,” Ira’s hand drifted through a sky blue ring. “To the physical features and magical capabilities. The latter of which is shown by the red lines. Look how deep they are. Like the colour of blood, aren’t they? Strong. Very strong indeed. Now, before you bite my head off,” Ira looked pointedly at Athena who was glaring at him and had been since he’d mentioned the Rookwoods. “Look,” He instructed.

Athena lifted her gaze to the rings once more and glanced at Ira before focusing on what he was saying and the colours of the rings. “This is the House of Goyle.” His fingers passed through the emerald rings and for a moment they seemed to morph and though Athena was immediately convinced it was a trick of the eye, she was sure she saw the periscope head of a snake. “And this is the House of Rookwood.” Ira’s fingers found the bright violet shade. “Manly,” He commented with a small smirk. “It’s a much deeper purple usually, I believe, on the coat of arms. As is yours. Neither of them are quite this bright. The darker of the two rings, both the same colour, would allow me to explore your family trees if I could remember the spell to open that up... but as I said, old magic isn’t popular anymore. This one,” His fingers went through the sky blue shade again. “Is the gender of your child. A boy. Again, obnoxiously bright in colour but the brightness dictates the strength in everything bar the magic. The deeper the magic is in colour, the more powerful the child will be. Hence the blood red. Disturbing, I feel. Foreboding, almost. The white light is his health and I don’t think he could be healthier presently. He’s feeding off of your magic as his grows and he grows so it will get a little bit odd in the coming weeks. Here, this is your magic.” Ira gestured to the gold rings. “These rings here, the pale, creamy ones, dictate how old he is. They’re tiny. I missed them myself, almost. He’s not old at all. Coming up to four weeks, just. Which means his brain and such will start forming. He’ll start thinking for himself though at a very primitive level. However, the light is quite bright. He shall be interesting to contend with as the pregnancy progresses. I’ll give you some potions. When do you plan on telling the father?”
Elijah observed Athena with thinly veiled amusement as she directed the House Elves on what to do with her bags. They Apparated away with a crack and once they were gone, Athena turned around to face her friend. Elijah shook his head, a smile flitting across his lips before reaching forward to wrap Athena up in a hug. He stepped back after a moment and smiled brightly at her, an expression she mirrored. Elijah chuckled gently and rubbed her upper arms with his hands before leading her into the dining room where he insisted they eat before she left. Ira was already seated at the table when Elijah set Athena down. The Healer smirked at the younger woman over the top of the Daily Prophet. She glared at him openly and soon Elijah and his children joined them along with some of his family who had invited themselves to stay. Athena ate slowly and methodically, watching Ira carefully as he wound magic through the air much to the delight of Fauve and Thierry.

An hour or so later, the clocks chimed in a great symphony and Athena, with a crack, Apparated out of the foyer of Elijah’s home. She appeared with an audible snap beside Kendall. Immediately, Brew and Collie appeared beside her, mumbling something and nothing about her bags. Athena, lulled by Ira’s parting words that Apparation would be fine until her third month. She wanted to put it off for as long as possible though and Elijah promised to send a Portkey for her when it was time to come back – all she had to do was write to him. Athena’s patience was already beginning to wane and once the man left them, she watched as Kendall darted through the house, shedding his clothes as he went.

Athena slipped her shoes off and picked them up off of the floor, carrying them through the house, treading carefully around the clothes as she went. She set her shoes down at the foot of the stairs and moved to the sitting area, plonking herself down on the exquisitely soft sofa, watching Kendall with incredulity as he did bizarre tricks in the water. Athena shook her head and smoothed her dress out over her knees. She looked up when he spoke and her eyebrows shot to her hairline challengingly. Athena lifted her head and angled it defiantly before rising to her feet.

“I’m rather alright just here, thank you.” She replied curtly. “Do carry on with your childish antics.”

The tropical Aloha state had, as of late, become far more volatile than her advocates would have liked to admit to. The promise of sun, sand, and sea did not give way. No, that remained. The Hawaiian islands had, however, breathed a sort of new life that seemed to edge towards a return to the days of glory. It was the sort of glory that early explorers were confronted with. Yet, the sublimity of Hawaii's magnificence had terrorised the hearts of its inhabitants even as the same hearts remained in an enraptured straddle of fear and admiration. Volcanoes that were once dormant showed signs of brewing life. Enthusiasts had sprung out and up again when the previously dormant million years old Mauna Kea showed signs of life again. The discovery was made after the consecutive eruptions of others in reasonable proximity.

There was fear, and yet, there were those who believed it to signal a new kind of big adventure. Muggles who had some sort of knowledge of volcanoes refused to believe the revival of the mammoth mount. How could a decidedly dormant volcano come alive again? Was there some sort of Black Magic to it? The muggles had resorted to the sort of shallow conclusion that were being scoffed at. There were rumours of indigenous revival of Magic and rites that were rampant in the days of old, and that were cruelly snuffed out by the Europeans in their colonial efforts. The fear and distrust that had began to be murmured among the locals was only the beginning of the sort of attitudes that were common in the earlier days of Hawaii. The native Wizarding community had observed the occurrences like perfect by-standers. They knew better, but no one bothered to step forward with answers. The animosity between the natives and the immigrants bore the same extent of a gulf that had plagued the earlier inhabitants. In fact, the bad blood wad never gone. The former simply stayed out of harm's way, their descendants still unmistakeably bonded to a land that their forefathers had lived in for centuries.

All of these would have had nothing to do with Kendall. It was only when he had idled around his cousins, that the younger boy had found his curiosity piqued. There was no other reason than by the simple fact that James had announced to his younger audience that there was a sort of core being brewed in one of the volcanoes. The apparent illegality of the rumour was solid reason for Kendall to think of nothing but to take off to the Aloha state himself. Now, with Athena by his side, the trip could not look any better. He had failed to mention the true intent of decision. Yet, there could be no ranking of intents. He was glad to be away, with her, far more glad than he would have expected himself to be. And as he tumbled himself about with the fluidity of atoms in the pool of the Beachfront estate, Kendall paid no attention to the original intent of volcanoes. Not yet, at least.

In an embarrassingly boyish fashion, the unabashed Kendall continued to do handstands, even "walking" around with his hands on the floor of the pool, in the typical attempt to impress the girl. And then, realising that his invitation was genuinely rejected, he swam to the edge of the pool and lifted himself out of the water. It was hard to miss the mischief in the boy's grin as he strolled in his glorious natural form to where Athena had sat herself at, paying no mind to the trail of wetness he was leaving as he made a path for himself to her. "You're going to get soaked through, whether you come willingly or not." He smirked. Kendall reached for the wand that was left to idle on the floor when he had rid himself of his clothes. He twirled it with his fingers, contemplating the trick he had used on an excessively willing Hufflepuff girl. The boy smirked again. This time, he edged closer towards Athena and pointed the wand at her. "Come swim with me, Thena." He grinned. Not a second later, there was water directed from his wand to Athena. He laughed now, not entirely fearing the consequences.

The reluctance to move from her seat to join Kendall in the pool was not because of her current medical condition which Apolline would have referred to as an irreparable ailment that only her mother could replicate. Athena’s temper simmered a little at that thought, imagining the blonde woman lift her head upwards and angle her chin disdainfully at the prospect of Athena’s pregnancy. What Athena found, much to her dismay, that the thought of it made her protective over the child that was barely even a speck within her body. She hadn’t wanted to become affectionate towards it. She wasn’t sure what she wanted but what she found was that she wanted to keep it safe, desperately, from all kinds of harm. Now, the water certainly didn’t constitute as harm but she wanted to avoid anything to do with intense physical activity – not that swimming counted as such but she was going to pretend otherwise – for as long as possible. Really, it was just a massive excuse to be lazy and Athena was more than willing to move with that – or not.

When Kendall fired the jet of water, he should have died. The heavens should have opened and a bolt of lightning should have hit him straight on the head. Or at least, that was the way the system of events should have moved for Athena. Instead, she merely sat there, her face screwed up with dismay, her whole body decidedly damper than it had been before. Slowly, the woman rose from her seat and with a few fluid movements, sailed past Kendall towards the pool. Once she was a few metres away from it she reached behind herself and pulled down the zipper of her dress before allowing it to fall to the floor. She turned a little and peered at Kendall over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed in his direction. She then stepped out of the dress that had pooled by her feet and grazed her hands across her hips, bringing them up across her torso before lifting them into the air, the feel of the gentle heat of the sun against her skin utter paradise for her.

Athena then walked the last few steps towards the pool and dived smoothly into the warm waters. Athena ploughed through the water like a dart, rising up again with expert precision. She brought her hands up and smoothed back her hair before flicking her feat a little to keep herself afloat. Athena knew Kendall would follow, she had no doubt about that, but when he did he would receive very little in the way of a reaction from her. Instead, she decided, she’d merely ignore him – though in her heart of hearts she knew it wouldn’t be possible and despite being annoyed she couldn’t help but allow herself a private smile, a smirk of amusement. Athena cast another look at him over her shoulder and raised her eyebrow challengingly as if to say: “Come on then.”

In so many ways, perhaps, one would have expected more of Kendall. He was the oldest child of Augustus Rookwood, did well enough at school, and could even count himself as an adult now that he had graduated from Hogwarts Yet, of course, the stereotypes remain a fixated point of view that was usually erroneous. Only technically an adult, Kendall continued to chuckle in sheer childish amusement at his antics, before the look on Athena's face took the joy from whatever it was that he was proud about just a moment ago. Without a word, and just a face of disdain, she removed herself from his proximity, and Kendall watched the girl without allowing his eyes any kind of distraction. She was mesmerizing to watch, even in silence, even in coldness.

And then, of course, there was even more of a reason to keep his eyes on her. Kendall began to smirk in appreciative amusement. He could not help the few steps he took towards the pool. The drops of water continued to fall slowly from the tips and ends of his hair. The boy reached a hand up to clear some of the water that were too slow in their journey from the space between his eyebrows to the space between his chin and his lips. Swiftly, he ran a hand through his wet hair and took a few more steps towards the pool. Athena's movements possessed an ironic sort of grace. There was a smooth flow of limbs. Yet, there was nothing airy or merely floaty about them. No, it was a grace that was firm, as resolute as the girl who possessed it.

The nuances of Athena's actions gave him no clue until, at last, Kendall felt the stirring of feelings at the invitation to join her. The lack of submissive air, the boldness of always challenging him, and just the girl herself conglomerated the effects Athena had on him, and he relished all of them. The smirk turned into a grin, and he completed the remaining steps to the edge of the pool. Then, stopping at a sudden thought, Kendall began to walk backwards quickly, a playful glint in his eyes, the ones that still refuse to take themselves off Athena. A quick run followed, before he pushed his body up into the air, did a half spin that worked out a lot less successfully than intended, and found himself in the water again after a massive splash, thanks to the smack of water against the large area of his back. Kendall winced, but was quick to mask the response to the pain.

Securing two feet against the flat of the pool's floor, the boy moved his hands teasingly over the surface of the water and looked at Athena. He cocked his head to a side. "Why, hello lover." He grinned, and without hesitation, used his arms and hands and pushed the water up and towards the girl's direction. Laughing now, he ran against the resistance of the water, and with good effort, reached Athena soon enough. Kendall made a grab for her feet, held them, and pushed himself forward closer towards the girl. The hands that held her feet began to take a trip up towards her thighs. With a lick of his lips, the boy watched Athena as he tested the limits between both of them again. Well, if you never try, you never know, right?

"Welcome to paradise with Kendall Rookwood, a one in a trillion trip of a lifetime with a one in a gazillion boy of your dreams. We hope you enjoy your time with us. We are confident of our services, and good feedback is always welcomed." A side of his lips edged up again in harmony with words that he spouted.

The breeze was sweet, carrying the soft scent of fruit and the saltiness of the sea on its back. The water of the pool moved delicately around the body of the young woman that, much to the delight of those closest to her, looked far healthier than she had ever done. Her movements in the water were dulled by the resistance against her limbs but upon hearing the patter of wet feet against the tiles of the patio. Athena turned just as Kendall jumped up into the air and she let out a shriek as a wave of water was thrown over her. She ducked beneath the water in order to protect herself and only succeeded marginally, poking her head out of the water once that she was sure Kendall wasn’t going to disturb the equilibrium of the pool anymore.

Athena glared playfully at Kendall. “What do you want?” She grumbled at him, unable to keep her smirk at bay. Athena gave a little squeak when Kendall’s hands closed around her feet and her glare deepened as he tugged his self towards her. Her hands found his shoulders and she slapped him lightly, her eyebrows arching with dismay at his words, at his arrogance. Athena scoffed. “Please,” She rolled her eyes. “Paradise it is not. Paradise without Kendall Rookwood, paradise indeed.” Athena smirked at him. “You’ll receive no such thing!” She declared shrilly before pushing herself away from him, taking long strokes to the pool ladder. “I’m hungry.” She told him, by way of explanation as she lifted herself from the pool.

Treading carefully across the tiles, Athena took some strategically placed towels off of one of the sun beds, wrapping one around her body before proceeding over to the table and chairs where she took her seat and crossed her legs, careful to retain some modesty. She fiddled idly with her hair and cast her gaze across the scenery before her. It was rather beautiful, she allowed herself to think. Her holidays had never been as impressive when it came to going abroad with her father. Not a moment later, the table extended and food appeared in abundance across its surface. Athena lifted her hand from her lap and began first with the fruit, tasting a little of the gorgeous array before moving on.

DAY TWO

"There's one! Look, look! Thena!" The boy who, despite an almost iron conviction of his manhood, was reduced to a wide-eyed, jumping, little creature. Well, little from afar; from the shore. Kahekili was so fast, it looked as if it almost just touched the surface of the water as it glided, almost flew, against the tide, heading to deeper and deeper waters. It was excited to be heading towards the bigger sea. Well, ocean, really. The Pacific Ocean called to it. Kendall, however, was precariously perched at the edged of the boat as it roared and soared, aiding him on his mission to see the whales.

The boy had argued with the native earlier, who insisted that it was impossible to allow customers without boat licenses to man a boat independently, especially when the intention was for the whales. It was supposed to be dangerous. Accidents could happen. It almost always happened with inexperienced drivers. Still, Kendall had persisted. A little bribery certainly helped, with a signature (again), absolving the boat company of any liabilities to any accidents. Any at all. And so the man was satisfied, and the boy walked smugly to the almost pristine condition of a boat. Of course nothing would go wrong. He had his wand. Athena had hers. pffft

Dressed in nothing more than a tank and swim shorts, Kendall had his extremely fair-skinned arms bared to the Hawaiian sun. Fortunately for him, he had a decent bit of muscle development over the years of puberty, even if the other parts of his body might cast any sort of doubt for dissenters. The white flesh was, then, not as unpleasant as it should have been in the face of a myriad of sun-kissed bodies. The boy was unfazed. In fact, he hardly noticed. His arms flailed about as he gestured for Athena's attention.

"Look!" He shouted again, pointing eagerly at a hint of body just beneath the surface of blue. A whale's body, of course. The place was famous for sightings of Humpback Whales. In a good season, the sea creatures would put on a show of unity in song and swim, migrating between Hawaii and Alaska. "Shall we ride one?" In his typical show of bravado and dauntless penchant for thrill, Kendall glanced at Athena to ascertain the attention of his audience. "There must be a way," he muttered, regardless.

The sunshine rose higher on the horizon, dawning on a new day that Athena welcomed. She pealed herself from the bed and left Kendall to his own devices to have a few moments to herself as she cleansed her body. She let herself languish under the jets of warm water until her skin was puckered and wrinkled. Only then did she step out onto a towel and wrap herself in a second, even fluffier one. She then left the bathroom to the bedroom where she set about choosing the clothing to wear for the day. Kendall hadn’t been specific about where he was taking them but Athena decided to prepare for everything. She donned a pale pink bikini to begin with that was decorated with white dots and then over the top slipped a light blue dress that was lacy but not over-powering in terms of appearance. She then slipped her feet into a pair of cream shoes, laced them and left the bedroom in search of some breakfast which she found waiting for her in the kitchen beside one of her Elves. It was there that she ate, waiting for her not-really-but-sort-of-fiancé to heave himself out of bed and set out for the day with her in tow.

Eventually Mr. Rookwood did remove himself from his pit and he was insufferable thereafter. Athena indulged him as much as she could as long as it was within his patience. He was far too over-excited for her liking and she felt it was all too similar to the temperament of a child; and that made Athena wonder. She found herself drifting away into a daydream, allowing Kendall to drag her along as her mind wandered. It was an unconscious show of trust, really; allowing him to lead her as he did, she intrusting him with the task of not allowing her to trip and fall. Now, mind you she did a few times but she soon righted herself again after glaring him and pinching the back of his upper-arm in reproach. Athena was content to dream, her mind imagining a little house on the coast where she’d indulge a younger, far sweeter version of Kendall as he explored the world he’d been born into. She didn’t quite know how Kendall fit into her daydream. She just assumed he was behind her, to steady her, to prevent her from tripping, a warm reassuring hand closed tight around hers.

They arrived at the port fairly early but the sun was already up and though Athena’s belly was full with the food, she was beginning to feel peckish – a side effect of being pregnant, she supposed. They boarded the boat after a long, drawn-out process of Kendall attempting – and, oddly enough, succeeding – to bribe the man at the docks. They removed the boat from the docks and soon enough they were on open water.

That was when Kendall became really excited. Athena meanwhile, took her seat on the deck, her sea legs not particularly strong at all. Her hands came around her stomach and left one hand resting over it while she bent down to untie her shoelaces and free her feet from the shoes which she lifted up to place next to her on the bench to ensure they wouldn’t slide off of the boat in the event it jerked suddenly. Athena sat back against the back of the bench and observed Kendall coolly as he leaned precariously over the rail.

Athena rose, treading lightly across the deck to where he was stood. One hand found his shoulder, the other his upper arm and she smiled a little, easing him back onto the boat.

“Steady.” She murmured quietly. “Don’t fall in. You’ll come back dripping and make a mess of the boat.” Athena smirked a little and peered over the side. Sure enough, whales were swimming beneath the surface. Her hands found the rail and she leaned over, her curiosity getting the better of her as it had done Kendall. “They are rather beautiful,” she allowed, before looking at him. “I’m sure the Imperius wouldn’t hurt them, right?” She inquired gently. “If we drop anchor, maybe we could go and see them.”

The waves became more choppy. It was either because of the distance from shore and the consequential depth of the water, or really that the tide had changed in its velocity. Kendall, however, did not seem to have noticed the change. At Athena's seeming suggestion, the boy's eyes lit up again, matching the brightness of when he had first sighted a whale. Really, excited about a whale. It was proof of a boy who never got much of the sea, even if he claimed to have been well-travelled. Well, part of the delight was in having Athena show signs of sharing it, even if it was just by a slight. Kendall nodded eagerly, reached for the wand that he had been using ever since the girl stole his, and directed it at the engines of the speeding boat.

The engine rumbled to a stop, giving a clue of the boat's actual age despite the deceptive youthful looks of its appearance. The boy took no notice. He took his attention briefly away from the excitement bubbling for him under the surface of deceptively mildly calm waters. Well, it was bubbling, or rather, calling for him. The song of the whales, or the soft murmur of what could be a song of theirs, pricked his ears. He smiled in anticipation. Still, he turned and took a couple of steps to position himself too close to Athena. Then, with his right hand, he reached for her arm and caressed it with his fingers. Kendall leaned close to her face, went for her ear, and executed a light nibble on it, teasingly. He smirked at the audacity of his actions. Well, they were audacious when it came to her. She was a live volcano, after all.

He watched her, waiting. And then, with a slight gesture with his eyes, he started. "Let's see you work your magic." It was hardly a suggestive tone with a penchant for any innuendo. Kendall merely wanted her to carry out the Imperius. After all, for all of his seeming dauntlessness, he was afraid of one thing. He was very afraid of Azkaban. He continued to look at her, almost impatient, yet attempting to keep himself in check.

Athena’s eyes became streaked with a minute amount of fear as the waves grew rough and the boat seemed to rock in a far more uncontrolled fashion. She released Kendall almost immediately, lowering herself hastily down onto one of the benches, her hands finding her stomaching, knowing that even though she could do little to protect the boy using just her grasp on her flesh. She had magic though – that was what could and would protect him. Athena glanced up at Kendall, her eyebrows rising in slight confusion as to what he wanted. She then rose once more, her hands curling around the railing in an iron clad grasp, and peered over the side.

Her eyes flicked from the water to his when she felt his touch against her skin. Gooseflesh immediately appeared in the area and although she tried her best to wish it away, it remained there, stubborn. She bit her lip as his breath ghosted across her ear, his teeth nibbling at the soft flesh there. She stifled the grumbles that wanted to escape from between her lips and instead replaced her slight dismay with a smile. She brought her space hand to his face and stroked her thumb across his cheekbone before dropping it and reaching for the top of her dress where, slipped in the strap of her bikini, her wand was stashed. She glanced at Kendall once she’d removed it, vaguely amused, the smirk on her face an example of such an emotion, and then leaned over the side again.

Now, Athena hadn’t exactly been informed of the way her pregnancy would affect her magic in terms of her pregnancy. What Ira had quoted were examples of other, more normal pregnancies – the mothers, of course, being too preoccupied with their own magic to wonder about their child’s. Ira had been caught up with the idea that Athena wasn’t worried about her own magic when in fact she was mildly concerned about it considering how acutely aware she was of her son’s magic and just how draining he was on hers to encourage the growth of his own, rapidly blossoming, magical core. Ira had romanticized it all somewhat. A woman’s magic was affected much more in the early stages of her pregnancy – just like her gag reflexes. In Athena’s case, her magic was influenced much by what her son thought about the whole affair and, typical of his father, he was amused.

Athena was not going to pretend she understood how the boy was aware of what was going on but she knew that the magical feelers, as she called them, were creeping out from around her son, exploring the scenery that surrounded his parents. He was assessing the scene, it seemed, just as she had when she’d first stepped onto the boat, her magic stretching out and winding its way through the miniature ship in search of danger and a reassurance that it was safe, also, for her to be present on. Her son had done the same, she had noticed, but now, as if he’d sensed his father’s excitement, he was interested in the whales.

Flicking her wand, or rather, Kendall’s wand, through the air, Athena cast the spell but instead of the creature surrendering its control to her, it turned a ghastly shade of purple. The whale gave a mighty groan from beneath the water and Athena watched, dismayed, her cheeks flushing red, as the whale also gained a large top hat, the top of which poked out of the water and, though she could not see it, the whale also gained a rather large monocle; and a moustache.

Athena’s eyes widened and she looked down at the wand accusingly. It was not a moment later that a little spark of magic wriggled inside of her. It was only then did she realise that it was not to do with Kendall’s faulty wand – but instead his faulty offspring. Athena had no choice but to regain her countenance and swivel around to face him.

“I think it looks better like that,” she told him, before poking her wand behind her ear and turning around, striding towards the steps that would take her down into the stomach of the boat, away from Kendall so she could grumble in peace; and hopefully get some food, too.