The family that Elijah Krum had for himself was as fractured as a broken pane of glass. The woman to whom he should have declared eternal, not ephemeral, vows was as far parted from his life as she could get. What linked them was their child who with every passing day was beginning to look more and more like her mother. Alike her mother, Alice had been gaining all of the attention in the world from the people that Elijah had around him. Athena’s boys were more than slightly enamoured with the littler girl who was trying her hardest to keep up with them. Theodore was, suffice to say, completely in love with her and Cael, there for her monthly check-up because the man seemed to do everything, talked more with her than he did to Elijah. Patient confidentiality from the word go. But it was her mother who hadn’t gotten that same time but now Elijah was going to change that – whether his conscience hated him for it or not.
There was generally a whirlpool of hatred that surrounded Elijah and Mira but this had been whipped up into something foul with the introduction of the Marriage Law. He hadn’t wanted to separate her out. What he hadn’t bargained on was it being done for him and what he certainly hadn’t expected was his inactivity in rectifying the situation. Thus, like an already blistering wound he’d allowed it to fester until he was actually genuinely terrified about going to see her. This was a woman who he had known since he was born and yet he didn’t want to face her. She had every right to throw a frying pan at him and half a dozen curses thereafter. Elijah decided as he was preparing to leave his home that morning that he’d keep hold of their daughter in the hope that she’d think twice about hurting him if Alice could be harmed in the process.
That morning was a drizzly, pre-Christmas, very-December affair and Elijah zipped up a standing Alice – one little fist curled around the hat stand – into her raincoat before donning his own jacket. Thus, picking up the satchel of all the gear she needed once more, he headed out into the world, checking on the house with a few spells before reassuring the hold of the wards on his home. Once he was sure of the security he jumped back inside and took the hands of the twins who, between themselves, had managed to get their hats, scarves and gloves on all in one peace. Fauve he’d already accounted for that morning when Theodore and Cael had turned up to take her to some ridiculous art lesson that they thought was a good idea. Elijah decided not to argue with them and knew they’d bring her back covered in paint and papier-mâché but as long as she had a good time he didn’t mind. When they had children he’d get them back. That he was sure of.
When everyone was ready, Elijah apparated with them and off they went, appearing once more with a crack on Mira’s doorstep. The children – and Elijah – were all equal parts dizzy but content enough. It was Avery’s house, technically, but it was Mira’s to live in. He opened the door with relative ease, the lady of the house no doubt aware that he was going to be there, and called out Mira’s name. The boys hurried off in search of something interesting to explore and set going a Newton’s Cradle before moving on to something else – the television remote being the first port of call.
“Mira?” Elijah called out again, moving into the kitchen. “Love, are you about?”
He did hope he had the right house. Being arrested for breaking and entering with three children wasn’t how he wanted to start the day.