Care of Magical Creatures Office

Armando shrugged his shoulders, he was just as confused as Calista was.

"Er... Hello." He said rather unsure.

The hooded witch turned around and took off her hood.

Armando went still and took a sharp intake of breath. "Elicia?"

"Armando," She said happily, she was on the verge of tears. "It is true! You are alive!" She immediately when to him and gave him a hug. "Oh my god, I'm so happy! Armando, I can't believe it! I thought... well that doesn't matter now cause you are alive!"

Calista smiled. "Hi Elicia. I'm Calista."

Of course, Armando had spoken to her about Elicia a lot...and she was glad that Elicia didn't seem prejudiced towards her...

"Oh!" Elicia said. "You must be...!" She went up and hugged Calista as well. She let her go.

"For the record, I never thought you were gulity... I thought what they did... if I had only known before hand... I would have done everything I could to make sure you wouldn't have been sent to Azkaban... course, not that my voice has any say whatsoever, just one of the many perks of being disowned."

"I just wished I knew about it instead of sitting in my Study twiddling my thumbs I could have done something! I only found out when... well I got an owl telling me that my twin brother had died. At least Mateo had the decency to inform me of the details."

Calista smiled. "Thanks. You're one of few who do...And I know the feeling. I've been disowned too."

"Oh Armando! Ella es muy bonita!" Elicia exclaimed. "So when am I going to meet my niece or nephew?"

Calista laughed. "Soon. About four and a half months from now."

She glanced slyly across at Armando, wondering if he'd told his twin about the engagment. She would've liked Elicia to attend the wedding...

Armando looked wonderingly at Calista's gaze. He could be a bit thick at times.

"Professors," Elicia sighed. "Honestly Armando, I never thought you'd settle for a teaching position."

"Well, we had to hide somewhere..." Calista grinned.

"Um...Has Armando spoken to you about um...a wedding?"

"A wedding?" Elicia said her eyes glowed. "Fraid not, my brother hasn't spoken to me at all, in nearly a couple of years now?"

Armando had the decency to look gulity. "I'm sorry Elicia I had no idea where you were... I tried to owl you but I never got a reply."

"It's okay brother, I didn't want to be found." Elicia said. "Soul searching, that sort of thing. Anyway, enough about me and my endevours, when is the wedding?"

Calista glanced at Armando, an idea twinkling in her eyes. "Not sure..."

She smiled brightly at Elicia. "But I'd be honoured if you'd attend...especially if you'd be one of my bridesmaids."

"Me a bridesmaid?" Elicia glanced at Armando before looking at Calista. "Don't takes this the wrong way but... I don't know... if that is such a good idea. I mean do you really want me to? You barely know me. Not to mention... I'm blacklisted, do you really want someone like me to be part of the wedding?"

"Elicia, don't be silly." Armando said beaming that Calista's taken a liking to his sister, and it seemed, Elicia liked Calista as well. "Calista, tell her she's being silly."

Calista laughed. "I think pretty much everyone there's going to be blacklisted...And I would have to agree with Armando. You're being silly."

"And yes, I would really like you to be my bridesmaid." Calista paused. "Unless you don't want to. It's up to you."

"No I'd love to!" Elicia said delightfully. "A baby and a wedding! Wonderful!"

But there was something bothering Armando. "Elicia, how did you know we were here?"

Suddenly Elicia's eyes widened, her joy of seeing her brother and his new fiancee, she'd forgotten she came as a warning to them. "Armando, that's what I've come here to tell you. Your father and Tio Ferderico know, and they're coming right here!"

Calista's eyes opened wide in shock. "Any chance they'll...get lost in the dungeons or something? ...How many of them are there? Does Kiara know?"

She was worried. Mostly that it would come to a fight. She didn't want any of them getting hurt...

Not her baby.
Not Armando...
Not Elicia...

And preferably not any passing students either...

"We have to get out of here..." Armando said alertedly. "Maybe we should go to..."

Suddenly the door burst opened.

Calsta took a step away from the door, and cast a protective charm over her baby/abdomen.

No one was going to hurt her baby.

No one.

Darien, wand clutched in a hand, an eagle on his shoulder and his sister by his side, fell over.

"Get up!" Ana ordered, not stopping.
"That suit of armour's foot moved!"
"No it didn't...Get up!" Ana shouted, glaring at her brother.

Swearing, Darien scrambled to his feet and continued running down the corridor.
He overtook Ana and shoved open the door, tried to stop and fell onto his back. He slid along the ground for about a metre and crashed into the desk.
Ana stopped in the doorway, and snorted with laughter.

Calista removed the protective charm and raised an eyebrow. "What are-"

"Ferderico and some tall guy are here!" Darien blurted out.
"And he gave them directions." Ana added.
"I didn't know it was them!" Darien flushed.
Ana rolled her eyes. "Well maybe you should pay more attention..."

Armando cursed.

And suddenly the door burst open again.

Elicia held her breath as...

Diana walked in?

"Tio! The Headmistress is coming!" She stated and it was only then she noticed the small gathering of people....

Calista sighed. "That door is starting to annoy me."

Darien turned round and stood up. "Huh? I don't think there's enough room in here for many more...Hi Diana!" He beamed.

Ana rolled her eyes. "What is this? Sardines?"

Diana looked around rather confused. "Tia Elicia?"

"Diana!" Elicia went and hugged her niece.

"What's going on?" Diana asked.

"Sardines." Ana repeated, dryly.

Calista watched the door carefully. "Well, we're waiting for Ferderico and Armando's father to burst in and discover us actually."

"And then me and Ana burst in-"
"Because he gave them directions!"
"Shut up Ana."

"And then you burst in...and the tension is really mounting now because of these anticlimaxes." Darien concluded.

"Famous last words..." Ana muttered as she heard approaching footsteps.
The door was flung open for a third time.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!!!" Darien yelled. "Who is it now? At this rate we'll be packed in here like sardines!"

Like a storm, Ferderico and Roberto entered the office.

Darien shut his mouth. Literally.

Ana edged backwards slightly, her hand in her pocket, holding her wand ready.

Calista froze, unsure what to do. She didn't want to cast any protective charms in case they took that as an excuse to attack with magic. Her eyes darted across to Armando, and she shifted towards him slightly.

Graham made a cawking noise and took off from Darien's arm, which returned to his side. He spread his wings and soared around above the human heads, silent apart from the swish of air over his wings. His black eyes gazed intently at the newcomers, who his master seemed to fear so...

...Humans were freakishly tall creatures.

((Yeah too lazy to actually speak in Spanish so, any Spanish is in italics))

"Impossible!" Roberto said looking at Armando with a mixture of wonder and delight.

Armando held his breath as his father edge closer to him. "You are alive..." Roberto touched Armando's shoulder just to see if he was really there.

Darien had a slightly relieved expresssion as Roberto didn't attack.

Ana watched the exchange, then turned wary eyes to Ferderico.

Calista glanced at Elicia, hoping for a sign that it was all okay.

Graham landed on the desk and looked regal and dignified. One eye was fixed on his master, in case he tried to give him a message. The other eye flicked between the other adults in the room...

...Humans were really odd. And tall. And featherless... Graham was intrigued. He'd thought only Darien had been featherless, but now he knew they were all bald.

Odd...

it was enough to make you wonder how they'd survived the ice age...

Elicia signaled to Calista to remain quiet. She herself made as little movement as possible while backing up to the wall. If either her father or Ferderico noticed her there... well it wasn't as if they banished her for no reason.

"Father," Armando said softly.

Ferderico approached Armando as well and touched him lightly on the arm. "Impossible."

Roberto stopped and started laughing. He thought he had lost his heir, his son, his only son, just as he lost his mother, and threw his sister away...