I swallowed thickly, my heartbeat immediately accelerating, heat rushing to my face and other decidedly less honorable parts of my body as my brain struggled to process the alluring sight.
God above, what a view to wake up to...
"OW!" Yeah, that was my fault for thinking of his name.
Eh, worth it...
My cheeks burned as I tilted my head upward slightly, my gaze finally meeting Lilja's. She stared down at me, her cheeks flushed nearly as red as her panties, her green eyes wide and shyly embarrassed-but beneath that embarrassment, I glimpsed a quiet tenderness and nervous affection shining through.
"Um... Hi, Harry," she murmured softly, offering a hesitant, hopeful smile. Her fingers gently brushed through my hair again, the gesture affectionate and soothing. She bit her plush lower lip anxiously. "Welcome back...?"
Reality finally crashed into me fully as I remembered exactly why I'd fainted. Lily Evans-my mother in a past life-was now Lilja, the Valkyrie queen who had agreed to stand by my side. My mind spun momentarily as I sat up carefully, a thousand confusing emotions rushing through me at once.
I glanced sheepishly to the side, only to find both my grandmother and Serafall comfortably sprawled on the opposite end of the wide couch, holding elegant glasses filled with rich, dark wine. Both women watched us with amused, slightly tipsy expressions, their cheeks flushed lightly from alcohol as though they'd been enjoying a very entertaining performance.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, darling," Grandmother Selene remarked dryly, elegantly sipping her wine, dark eyes twinkling mischievously.
Beside her, Serafall grinned widely with delight as she giggled into her wineglass. "You looked very comfy down there, baby~!"
I sighed heavily, rubbing my hand over my face to hide the renewed blush. "Thanks for the support, you two," I muttered sarcastically, though there was no real heat behind my words. My family always found ways to embarrass me, and I should've been used to it by now.
Turning back toward Lilja, my expression softened immediately. I reached out slowly, gently taking her soft, delicate hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Lilja," I began softly, my voice filled with genuine regret and sincerity, "I'm truly sorry for that reaction. Passing out on you wasn't exactly my most dignified moment..."
Lilja laughed gently, the musical sound instantly calming my frayed nerves. "It's alright, Harry. If our positions had been reversed, I might have fainted as well," she admitted, offering a shy, reassuring smile. But behind that light-hearted humor, anxiety lingered in her lovely eyes. "But...after learning about who I used to be, do you still want me? Do you still desire me as your Queen?" Her voice shook slightly with barely-concealed vulnerability.
I stared at her incredulously, warmth filling my chest as I reached up to brush a stray lock of fiery red hair tenderly behind her ear. "Lilja," I whispered earnestly, my voice thick with raw emotion, "of course I still want you. Knowing who you once were doesn't change how I feel about who you are now-my beautiful, fierce, devoted Valkyrie. I've never been more certain."
Lilja's eyes shimmered with relieved tears, her breath catching softly. She leaned closer instinctively, pressing her forehead gently against mine in a tender gesture of affection and trust. "Thank you, Harry," she breathed softly, lips curving upward into a radiant, grateful smile. "I was so worried..."
"Aww, see?" Serafall chirped delightedly from beside me, grinning triumphantly. "I knew we'd have a happy ending!"
In her enthusiastic excitement, she waved her wineglass dramatically, sloshing deep crimson liquid directly down the front of the vibrant pink magical-girl costume she'd spontaneously changed into. The wine splashed liberally over her generous breasts, droplets trailing enticingly down into her cleavage.
"Oh nooo," Serafall whined theatrically, her voice dripping with exaggerated innocence. She looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes, holding her chest forward enticingly, drawing my gaze to the lush swell of her breasts. "Harry, look-I made such a mess! Won't you help me clean up?"
I stared at her for one long second. Then I turned completely away from her like a man clinging to sanity by a single fraying thread and looked at Selene instead.
"Grandmother," I said loudly-deliberately loudly-ignoring Serafall's theatrical whining inches from my ear. "Does Lilja have our clan's approval to be my Queen?"
Selene arched an eyebrow, clearly amused at my blatant desperation to avoid getting sucked into Serafall's antics. She set her wine aside and folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Of course she does, Harry," she said warmly. "She had my approval before today-but now, knowing exactly who she was... and what she sacrificed for you... I offer my blessing fully."
Lilja inhaled sharply beside me, eyes glistening.
I reached for her hand again-this time without hesitation-and laced my fingers with hers.
Serafall flopped dramatically into the cushions beside me, pouting with a crocodile tear shimmering in one eye. "No one appreciates my suffering," she mumbled, poking at the red stain on her soaked cleavage.
Once Serafall finally gave up on trying to weaponize her wine-soaked cleavage for attention and flopped back into the cushions with a pout, the room settled into something almost like normal.
Almost.
It felt like as good a moment as any to change the subject before my mother found a new excuse to climb into someone's lap.
"So," I said, clearing my throat and leaning back into the couch, "how's running a bank going so far, Grandmother?"
Selene's expression shifted instantly from amused matriarch to exhausted CEO. She let out a long, elegant sigh and set her glass down with a quiet click. "Ah," she said dryly. "You really want to open that mess?"
Serafall snorted. "Oh, do it, Mama. Rant. I love when you rant."
Selene gave her a look that said she absolutely knew exactly what Serafall loved and wasn't impressed, then turned back to me. "In a word?" she said. "Infuriating."
"Goblins left a mess?"
At that, something sharp flashed behind her eyes. She didn't just look annoyed anymore, she looked offended on a professional level. "'Mess' is far too polite," she said, voice cooling. "Goblins are greedy, Harry. That we all knew. But they are also incredibly short-sighted and, frankly, stupid about long-term stability."
"Fuck the goblins," Serafall cut in cheerfully from my side.
Selene actually nodded. "For once, your mother and I are in perfect agreement."
Lilja huffed a surprised little laugh next to me.
"What did they do?" I asked.
Selene pushed off the edge of her seat and paced a few steps, the slit of her dress flashing a smooth line of thigh as she moved. Her heels clicked softly on the polished stone, the sound ticking off her irritation.
"Do you know what's actually in a Galleon, Harry?" she asked without looking at me.
"Gold?" I said. "Or at least it's supposed to be."
She gave a sharp little humorless laugh. "Supposed to be, yes. In reality?" She turned. "Most of what wizarding Britain has been using for the past few decades is fool's gold. A base alloy with a laughably thin layer of real gold and a charm to fake the density. On a metallurgical level, your national currency is garbage."
I blinked. "You're kidding."
"Unfortunately, no." Selene's lips thinned. "When we seized Gringotts, I ordered a full audit. So we have secretly been replacing all the currency that enters our bank with newly minted gold coins...."
"Can you afford to do that?" Lilja asked, with genuine curiosity in her voice. "Replacing an entire nation's coinage with actual gold sounds...astronomically expensive."
That got a different kind of smile out of both Sitri women.
"My dear Lilja," Selene said, warmth back in her tone, "we are the Sitri Clan."
"We have mountains of gold," Serafall added, spreading her arms wide as if embracing an invisible hoard. "Literal mountains. Back home, gold is just...a building material. We use it for trim. For bathtubs. For stupidly extravagant sex dungeons."
"Mother," I groaned.
"What?" she said innocently. "You'll see them all eventually."
Of course there was more than one golden sex dungeon...
Selene chuckled softly. "Point being," she continued, "We can afford it..." Selene let the amusement fade and studied me with that sharper, assessing gaze again. "Was there anything else you needed from me today, Harry?" she asked. "Beyond reassurance that your grandchildren's grandchildren won't live through a currency collapse. And keep in mind that we are devils so it could be 10,000 years before you meet them with our terrible fertility rates...."
"Yeah," I sat up a bit straighter. "Actually, there is something else I need help with while I'm here. I took on a contract, a personal one. From my contracted witch-Ginny Weasley. Her father's missing," I continued. "Arthur Weasley. He hasn't been home, hasn't written, and hasn't answered any owls. According to Ginny, that's...not normal for him. He might not be the most organized guy in the world, but he doesn't ghost his own family. Her brothers think he just ran off for a breather," I added with a snort. "Maybe he's taking a temporary escape from a nagging wife, but she doesn't think that's the case."
"Now that," Selene said, nodding once, "is something Sitri Bank can assist with."
Serafall hopped up at once, all pouting forgotten. "Ooh, investigation time!" she chirped. "I love investigations. They're like puzzles you can punch! My show's next season should be a big mystery arc!"
Selene crossed to her desk. A section of the inlaid stone flared with blue light, a circular pane rising from the surface-half mirror, half glass screen, runes crawling lazily along its edges. "Every vault holder in old Gringotts is now a Sitri client, whether they realize it or not," she said. "Their account histories came with the acquisition. If Arthur Weasley is alive and acting under his own will, the odds are high he's used his accounts in the last few days. Otherwise he'd have a very poor little vacation...."
....
Lilja and I stepped out of Sitri Bank into Diagon Alley.
"A man doesn't leave his family without taking any money with him, Harry," Lilja murmured softly, her fingers tightening gently around mine. "Especially not for over a week. I knew him-back in the Order of the Phoenix during the war. He wasn't that kind of man."
She pressed closer as we walked, leaning her head lightly against my shoulder.
I squeezed her hand gently in silent agreement, exhaling slowly. "Yeah," I said quietly. "I know. Arthur wouldn't abandon his family willingly-he loves them."
Lilja sighed, lifting her head slightly, eyes searching my face with quiet worry. I glanced down, caught briefly by the delicate beauty of her emerald eyes reflecting the evening's golden glow.
"Harry," she said softly, "this isn't going to be easy for Ginny, is it?"
I shook my head slowly. "Not even a little," I admitted quietly. "I made her a promise that I'd find her father. Now I'll have to tell her...I think something terrible might've happened. Telling her that is going to hurt."
Lilja's expression softened. "It will," she agreed gently, "but Ginny deserves your honesty. She trusts you. Be there for her, comfort her. She'll understand."
I smiled faintly, grateful for Lilja's gentle wisdom. She understood me perfectly, even my worries. I turned slightly, pressing a lingering, tender kiss to her forehead. "I will," I promised softly. "Thank you."
Lilja smiled softly, a faint blush coloring her pale cheeks as she squeezed my hand. Then she looked down the street, a curious sparkle suddenly lighting her gaze.
"Wait...Harry, is that-Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour?" she asked suddenly, a nostalgic warmth creeping into her voice.
I followed her gaze. A cheerful little shop stood a few storefronts down, warm lantern-light glowing invitingly through wide, crystal-clear windows. Bright umbrellas shaded the outdoor seating, the cheerful chatter of witches and wizards enjoying ice cream carried easily through the crisp autumn air.
"Yeah," I answered, slightly amused by her sudden excitement. "Why?"
Lilja's smile widened, eyes shining with unexpected excitement. "I haven't been there in... twenty years," she admitted quietly, shyly tucking a strand of crimson hair behind one ear. "The last time was..." she paused, eyes briefly distant, "well, the summer before my...before I died."
Understanding dawned gently between us, and I squeezed her fingers again softly. "Then I suppose," I said gently, smiling down at her, "that we definitely need to get you some ice cream."
Lilja smiled gratefully, cheeks pink as we headed down the alley toward the shop.
A few moments later, we sat at one of the outdoor tables beneath a vibrant blue umbrella, savoring our ice creams. Lilja had ordered something absurdly sweet and overloaded with strawberries and whipped cream. I'd stuck with a classic chocolate. She practically purred as she took her first bite, eyes sliding shut in pure, nostalgic bliss.
"Oh gods, Harry," she moaned softly, licking whipped cream delicately from her spoon. "I'd forgotten how incredible this tasted."
I chuckled softly at her enthusiasm, leaning back slightly, spoon lingering at my lips. "Glad you're enjoying yourself," I teased affectionately.
Her eyes flicked open, sparkling with playful accusation. "Don't mock me, Harry Sitri," she scolded mildly, pointing her spoon threateningly. "Or I'll eat yours too!"
I laughed quietly again, but the momentary smile slipped a bit...
"Lilja," I began carefully, voice lowering slightly, "about Arthur... I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, even without definitive proof. I'm convinced something terrible has already happened."
Lilja's playful expression immediately faded, her smile faltering softly as concern replaced it. "You're certain?" she asked quietly.
I nodded grimly. "Arthur loved his family dearly. If he hasn't reached out-if he's disappeared completely-it's likely he's already..." I hesitated, swallowing past the tightness in my throat, "...dead."
"Yes," a deep, authoritative voice suddenly interrupted from my left. "He is!"
Startled, I snapped my gaze sideways. An older man sat calmly in the previously empty chair beside us, his long white hair and beard framing a strikingly weathered face. A black eye patch covered one eye, but the remaining brilliant blue eye regarded me calmly, gleaming with intelligence and cunning.
Lilja froze stiffly across from me, her spoon halfway to her mouth, eyes wide in stunned apprehension. Her entire posture had shifted from relaxed enjoyment to rigid formality.
