Chapter 149: Family

-Time later-

In the middle of the room, I left Elise playing with one of the Puffskeins on the shelf as I approached Newt and Tina to address a certain request I made earlier in the day.

"Thank you again for agreeing to have my friends over, but I need you not to mention certain things when they come," I spoke to the Scamander couple who were seated in the armchairs.

"You mean hiding your disturbing love life," Tina responded with a hint of sarcasm.

"... Yes, that and my magic," I hesitated, but decided not to dwell on it. They were doing me a favor, and we already had enough trust between us.

"I don't think what you're doing is right" (Tina)

"Let's not start that again" (Red)

"Are you planning to deceive two girls into getting involved in something they're not prepared for? Don't think I believe that manipulation is a good foundation for a relationship, especially one as... peculiar as the one you're seeking" (Tina)

"I'm not manipulating them, I intend to be honest with them in the future. I care about them, and that's why I don't want to tell them certain things. You were right about what you said, they're not prepared, and that's why I'm doing this, they're very young..." (Red)

"Not so young that you didn't make a move on one of them. It seems the older sister is old enough for you," she raised an eyebrow, judging me completely. She had done it several times in the past, but this time it felt particularly intense.

"..." (Red)

"Did the kneazle catch your tongue?" (Tina)

"How did you find out, and how much do you know?!" (Red)

"I know enough to be disappointed," she denied with a hint of sadness in her gaze. "I thought you were more considerate and decent."

"Before we continue with this, how did you find out?" (Red)

Upon my question, the sound of Elise's hooves hitting the floor could be heard as she moved slowly and silently out of the room. I didn't need to ask further as I could sense her nervousness. Even with everyone's gaze on her, she didn't stop and left as if she had nothing to do with it. Except she didn't realize that, after stepping out into the hallway and hiding behind the wall to keep listening, her horn protruded from the doorframe, revealing her location.

"Well, I'll ignore the eavesdropper for now," I said as I turned my gaze back to the couple, but now with more seriousness and a tinge of guilt—not for what I did, but because they found out.

"..."

"Don't stay silent!" I told the elderly woman who attempted to punish me with her silence. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know that I had lost part of my sense of guilt, and I find it difficult to feel high levels of guilt, and that only happened after spending a long time with Elise. "Just say what you have to say, you already know what I did, I see no reason to hide it."

"So, you did it?" she sought confirmation from my own lips, even though she already knew the truth.

"Yes, one night, I made sure her parents didn't wake up, and I was with her. The next morning, I told her to act like she was sick, and I stayed with her in her room for the rest of the day" (Red)

"At least you have that bit of decency," she said, but from her tone, it was clearly an insult. Newt, who stood beside her, only exchanged glances between his wife and me without adding anything.

"Yes, I did it, it was wrong. Maybe I could have waited, but I didn't. However, I was honest, I revealed to her what I had planned and how my love life is and what she was getting into. I didn't tell her about my magic, but I haven't revealed everything to you either. The only one here who might know if she wanted to would be Elise, but she's not interested. I also didn't reveal to her that Elise is a unicorn because it wasn't appropriate at that moment, but I will soon," I let out everything I deemed necessary.

"And do you think all children are like you, that they know what you're talking about or what love even is?" she questioned. "I believe you told her everything, but I also believe you could have manipulated her into accepting you that night," she said as she tapped the tip of her wand against her palm.

"No, I know very well that I'm peculiar and that Petunia may not fully understand what she's getting into. And yes, I'm selfish, and I feared she would distance herself from me afterward, so maybe I did pressure her a little," I crossed my arms to assert a certain sense of confidence.

"I've seen you manipulate or lie to others, but you never did it to us, which made me believe that you respect those close to you. It seems I was wrong because you don't apply the same to your friends, or maybe they're not really your friends to give them the same trust as us," Tina stood up from the couch, looking at me with anger.

"They are my friends," I reaffirmed, not breaking eye contact with her, even ignoring her wand being waved back and forth intentionally.

"Then why? If you knew it wasn't right, why did you still do it? I thought you were mature enough to think with the right head," Tina exclaimed.

"Because I had to," I replied.

"Why?!" she shouted again, this time in an intimidating manner.

"Because it was necessary! Because my magic required it!" I shouted back, though with less intensity.

"What kind of magic forces you to do something like that willingly? If you already fuck like a man, then be a real man and don't make excuses. Be honest and say if you really wanted to sleep with that little girl." Her impetus was growing, and the glow of her wand as well. "Did you want it?!"

"Yes!... I did, I wanted her to be mine, to mark her as my property... although I would have preferred it to be different," I replied, but still saw no reaction from Tina.

"Different how?" she asked.

"That she was older, that we knew each other more, not having to do everything myself, not having to be so careful..." I mentioned some things that came to mind. "I... miss Tonks," I blurted out involuntarily, thinking about how different it was with her and how much time had passed.

Tina remained silent, staring at me while I was lost in my thoughts. Then, she simply sat back on the couch, still somewhat serious.

"What's happening? Isn't this the moment when you hit me or cast some horrible curse on me? I was even prepared for Crucio... I'm curious about how it feels," I asked, confused. This was beyond my expectations for this conversation.

"Don't say something like that! No one should suffer that curse," she admonished me.

"Well, yes, but..." (Red)

"I think that's enough, Tina," Newt finally spoke up.

"I don't understand," I said.

"..." Tina paused before looking at me. "It's not that I haven't considered doing something to you when I found out, but talking to Newt and hearing what you just said, you have a partial justification. You've shown that your magic is very different from ours, quite peculiar. Everything my husband has told us or you've shown us has proven that. That's why we're not ruling out that you did it for that reason. I was pressing you just now to see if you slipped, but that last part felt genuine enough."

"Oh..." I let out a sound of understanding and some relief. I was glad that things between us weren't as bad. While I didn't care about separating myself from people, I owed these elders a lot, for myself and for Elise. "So, I'm in the clear?"

"Let's talk about that later," Tina said, narrowing her eyes. "I just have one question, about the other sister."

"..." (Red)

"Why are you silent?" she narrowed her eyes even more, while Newt also looked at me.

"Well, since we're here... I had decided to do it the following weekend," I confessed. I wanted to avoid a second conversation like this in the future.

"And you can't change that?" she asked, almost demanding.

"It's not convenient for her. My magic is special and has rules... since her age now isn't much different from when I did it with Petunia... well, it's the best timing," I spoke the truth, without specifying what the problem was.

"But if it doesn't happen...?" (Tina)

"I can postpone it, but that will hinder her future development and possibly complicate her relationship with her sister, and that's something I've been trying to fix since I met them."(Red)

"...your magic is very twisted," she said, realizing there was no other way. She believed me about 80-90%, so she didn't push further on that.

"Well, it's my magic, and yes, it is," I said, extending my hands to the sides.

From my hands, blood could be seen flowing, in an intermediate state between liquid and gas, but charged with magic. The room's atmosphere became uncomfortable due to the released power, but that was resolved when Elise approached behind me and rested her horn on my back, whispering for me to calm down.

The magic emanating seemed to change into a more neutral energy, and my thoughts became somewhat clearer. Feeling the change, I smiled and stroked Elise, thanking her for her help.

I had discovered some things about my powers and how they interacted with each other. My alignment could contaminate my blood magic to a certain extent, depending on how I used it. I had been experimenting a lot with Andra and had done things that fueled the darkness within me. Without a way to counteract it, it had seeped into some of my other abilities. I knew what was happening, but I was testing the limits of that contamination, and it also helped me achieve different results in the experiments. I had let it happen to the point of not realizing the aura I had released a moment ago.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away. So, can I count on you?" I asked about the matter that started it all.

"I'll keep your secret for now... but don't ask me to lie," Tina reluctantly agreed.

"Me too, but we must start learning about your magic. What you just showed... it wasn't something good," Newt said, recalling the sensation it had provoked. His instincts told him that something was off.

"Thank you... really... I don't know if it will make a difference or if it bothers you, but I'll say something I don't usually say. I love both of you. Here, besides Elise, you are my family," I said with effort.

I felt a heavy weight in my heart that prevented me from revealing things like that so directly and sincerely. My past made it difficult for me to accept a new family after rejecting my own, my mind told me that all of this was just a temporary campaign, and my alignment told me not to trust anyone; it was really hard to do.

Both elders looked at me in silence as I bowed my head and didn't lift my gaze from the floor, confirming the truth of my words, as I usually lie while maintaining eye contact.

Newt smiled with affection as he saw this part of me that I used to disguise, wondering if it was time to reveal that I had started the process to legally use the Scamander surname and that we could become a family.

Tina didn't hesitate and stood up to hug me directly. It was only for a few seconds, but that hug was warm, and I felt a familiar warmth that I had almost forgotten. It was an expression of familial love, very different from the romantic/sexual love that usually replaced most forms of love I knew and sought.

It's curious that I had to come to this campaign far from everything I know to regain these emotions I had before dying, a friend like Snape, and a family like the Scamanders... 'There's a lot to do when I return.'

"Well, let's stop with the sentimentality. Thank you for forgiving me and accepting what I'm going to do. Now I can have more confidence..." (Red)

"Wait a moment," Tina interrupted, extending her hand in front of me. "Did you say it would be next weekend?"

"Huh? Yes." (Red)

"Alright, it's a short time, but we can do something," she said with an almost mischievous tone. "Love, Red won't be able to work with you during this time, he'll take a vacation."

"Yes..." Newt responded weakly, feeling a bad premonition about this week, though not about him.

"???" (Red)

"Now, you and I have a lot to do. Just because it was inevitable doesn't mean you can go around deflowering girls as you please... Maybe I couldn't help you much with Elise, but when it comes to human girls... you have a lot to learn about how to treat a woman, and I'll make sure you do." (Tina)

"?!?" (Red)

With a completely bewildered expression, I was dragged away by Tina to start my "education."

...

And so it went. For an entire week, Tina instructed me tirelessly, from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep, on matters of chivalrous and sexuality.

It's not a joke. We had talked about sex in the past, but this was completely different. That time, we even spoke as equals, but this time she didn't allow it at all. She only let me receive her words and engrave them in my mind.

She was very specific about what I should and shouldn't do, about not pressuring or manipulating, and she even taught me how to make a girl's first time pleasant for her. It left me dumbfounded. She didn't even use metaphors. Some things were said so bluntly and vulgarly that I couldn't associate them with the elderly woman in front of me.

For an entire week, I talked more about sex than in my entire life, and it was so detailed that I even found myself getting aroused with Tina at one point, that's how shocking it was. I was so stunned that Elise had to help me get over it at night, which we had to do outside the Scamander house for fear of being caught by Tina. We almost got caught once, which gave me a memorable scare.