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Rosemary Graves drummed her fingers on the table as she watched impatiently as the hand kept ticking on the clock. Where was he? Her husband was usually home by now. The dark clouds outside reflected her mood. There was too much talk about war brewing with the no-majs over the mysterious events in the city. It was making her nervous. She stood up from the table and walked over to the window overlooking the street below. She tucked her short auburn hair behind her ears as she watched the no-majs quickly scurry by, their own anxiety showing through their fast pace.
A loud *pop* from behind her signaled the arrival of her husband. “Finally,” she breathed out. She didn’t turn around, but instead waited for strong arms to wrap around her waist from behind.
“Not waiting by the window for me again, are you Rosie?” a smooth voice asked in her ear.
She smiled and allowed him to nuzzle against her neck. Sometimes he apparated in, and other times he walked in through the secure entrance with the no-maj doorman. Their upscale apartment downtown was safe enough from no-majs, but there was no telling if the protective charms would always keep them safe from the wizarding community.
“I wouldn’t have to keep watch if my auror husband came home on time,” the witch replied with faint annoyance in her voice. They had been married for only a few short months, but she still worried about him. It was hard not to. Percival Graves was the Director of Magical Security with the Magical Congress of the United States of America. He was an important man, and with that came a lot of enemies. She realized that fairly quickly when she met him months ago in the MACUSA lobby. She went to the MACUSA office to get a new wand permit---a pretty boring matter. Instead, she found herself knocked down by a wayward wizard being chased by a group of aurors. Percival Graves, the dashing wizard that he was, offered her his arm and a cup of coffee to make up for her assault.
Percival turned her around so Rosemary faced him. He gently grabbed her chin to place a chaste kiss on her lips. “We’ve talked about this, Rosie. Things are busy right now. I had to go investigate another no-maj’s house that was blown apart. Something is loose in the city. It’s my job to find out what is happening.”
She pursed her lips and ran a hand through his cropped salt and pepper hair. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Perce. You don’t need more grief from me.” She broke their embrace and waved her wand at their drink counter so a glass of his favorite spirit was poured. She handed him the cocktail as soon as he took off his scarf and long coat. He immediately took a long gulp.
She cleared her throat. “You know, on my walk yesterday I saw that boy again. Credence. His mother was at the steps of the bank again and going off on witches. He doesn’t look like he has been eating much lately,” Mrs. Graves said in a conversational tone as she waved her wand so the kitchen table was set with their supper. She held her breath when Percival didn’t immediately reply to her.
“Rosemary…” She cringed at his use of her full name. “What were you doing near those people again?”
When she turned around she felt the full force of his stone eyes bear into hers. He was definitely not happy. Time to be honest. “Percival, the kids are obviously abused! Credence especially. I figured that out when his mother and I got in that awful fight when I first encountered her soap-boxing on a corner. Every conversation I have had with the poor boy since has been with bruises on his body and his eyes glossed over. I know you said you would take care of it, but he’s still with that shrew of a woman and it is very difficult for me to ignore that!”
She crossed her arms to stand her ground, but Percival was having none of that. “Rosie, I know you are coming from a place of care. But you are interfering with my investigation if you continue contacting them. We already had to fire one of our aurors for the same reason. There is clearly a dark force involved with their preaching. I don’t need you meddling. Now if I told you I will take care of it, then it means I will take care of it. End of discussion.”
The redheaded woman frowned, clearly not at the end of her discussion. But her husband did say he would handle it, and he was a man of his word. Percival was sitting at the dinner table now, gesturing for her to sit down across from him. She followed him and began nibbling her potatoes as he cut into his steak.
“She has a point you know,” Percival said casually after a few moments of eating.
“Who?”
“That woman who pretends to be a mother. Mary Lou Barebone. Maybe wizards and no-majs aren’t meant to live together. Why should we live in the shadows and censor our world while they live blissfully?” Graves said pointedly as he chewed his meat.
His wife stared at him. “Perce, don’t let her tarnish your view of all no-majs. Most are very nice. They are just frightened of what they don’t understand. You know, in Britain they actually get along well with no-majs. Some even marry them.”
Percival snorted at this and took another sip of his drink. “Thinning the magical blood line and exposing themselves to no-majs. Ridiculous. We will never allow that here so long as I am around.”
Rosemary realized his conversation and mood was not going in a direction she was comfortable with. “Now, Perce. You know you don’t mean that. That’s something Grindelwald preaches to his followers. You’re a good man who protects the wizarding community.” She cleared her throat as she waved her wand to clean up the dishes. “Now, Mr. Graves,” she began firmly to lighten the mood. “I can tell you’ve had a long day. I propose we take a long shower and head to bed early.”
“We?” he questioned with a tilt of his head and a dark smolder in his eyes.
“We,” she confirmed nonchalantly but with a small smile on her face.
Once again she found his arms wrapped around her. “Lead the way, Mrs. Graves,” he whispered in her ear.
***
The next day, Rosemary adjusted her gloves and balanced the picnic basket on her elbow as she walked with a brisk pace toward the downtown area. She couldn’t help but glance around nervously, already feeling guilty for the mission she was on. Her thoughts drifted to last night after Percival had fallen asleep. She was laying on his bare chest listening to the quiet hum of her husband’s snores. They had decided a month ago, despite the unrest of the mysterious magic at work in the city, that they were ready to have a child. Rosemary pictured again the gloomy faces and skeletal bodies of the Barebone children. She was already feeling her maternal instincts roaring to life. She would not stand by and let those children suffer.
That brought her to her current mission where each click of her heels took her closer to the very thing that Percival warned her to stay away from. Soon she spotted the slumped stance of a very tall, lanky brunette boy. His severe haircut made the dejected expression on his face stand out even more. Rosemary pushed her way through the crowd and stopped in front of him. Credence wasn’t even looking up—just extending his hand to give her a flyer.
“Credence?” the woman asked in a soft tone. “Do you remember me?”
The boy glanced up to find kind, green eyes. Her red hair was barely visible from its short haircut underneath her hat, but he recognized the small smile on the woman’s face.
“Hello, Mrs. Graves,” Credence greeted softly.
“Hello, Credence,” Rosemary replied with a nod. She looked around. “May I speak to you over in the alley? I wouldn’t want you to get in any trouble.” Or get in trouble herself, she thought secretly.
The boy nodded and led them over to a side alleyway. They stood awkwardly facing each other for a moment. “I brought you this,” Rosemary said clumsily as she lifted the lid to the picnic basket. “I’m not sure if you can take the entire basket without getting in trouble, but I’m hoping you can eat some of it and save some for later or share with the other children.”
Credence didn’t respond. He barely made eye-contact with her and seemed speechless as he surveyed the contents in the basket. There was a loud *clap* behind her. Rosemary’s heart sank. Credence took two steps back and bowed his head in submissiveness.
“Mr. Graves,” the boy mumbled with a dip of his head.
“Hello Credence.” He peered around Rosemary’s shoulder to see the food in the picnic basket. “I know Mrs. Graves has been quite worried about you and your siblings. It was sweet of her to come down here to bring you food. But we have many important things to discuss.”
Percival took the basket from his wife’s arm and set it down on the ground. “Sweetheart, I need you to go home now.”
“But---“ Rosemary began to argue.
One look from her husband silenced her. She cleared her throat and nodded. She placed a hand on Credence’s shoulder. “Credence, please make sure you eat something. Share it with whoever you can. Mr. Graves and I are here for you if you need anything.”
A nod from the boy tugged on her heart. She turned to walk away, but a firm hand griped her upper arm. “Take 32nd street and walk straight home,” her husband whispered in her ear as he gave her a hug goodbye.
She didn’t meet his eyes when she nodded and walked away.
**
Rosemary had only made it a few blocks when she felt a person behind her. At first she tried to tear her hand away only to see her husband look at her with mild surprise. “Something wrong, Rosie?” he asked nonchalantly as if he was walking by her side the entire time.
She plastered a smile on her face and shook her head as they approached the no-maj doorman at their building. Percival gave a short greeting to the doorman as they boarded the elevator. “Don’t you need to get back to work?” she braved asking after a moment of silence.
Percival gave her a long appraising look before facing the elevator doors again. “Not immediately, Rosie. We need to spend some time together first.”
She didn’t have a chance to ask what that meant since they arrived at their floor. He grabbed her hand and quickly whisked them away into their spacious apartment.
Percival shut the door behind them and locked it with a wave of his arm. He first took off his scarf and coat before he began speaking. “Do you know why I chose to live my life with my new bride here? Instead of a nice little house with a porch downtown?” her husband asked.
Rosemary shrugged as she took off her own coat. What did this have to do with anything? “I assumed living here was more cost effective. I’m not working anymore so I know we have to be careful with our spending.”
Whatever answer he had been expecting, Mr. Graves was definitely not expecting that. He stopped mid-pour on his drink and looked at her as though she was speaking gibberish. “Watch---watch our spending? Rosie! Do you know the salary I make? I’m the Director of Magical Security. My position affords us a comfortable lifestyle. You will never want for anything!” Percival scoffed and downed his drink. “No, Rosemary,” he began thickly after wiping his mouth. “I didn’t choose this home for cost.”
“Then why did you choose it?” Rosemary asked as she sat on the couch. She never really questioned the location of their new house, and she was secretly grateful the topic wasn’t on her disobedience.
Her husband sat down on the couch next to her and grabbed her left hand in his. “I chose this apartment because it has security every moment of the day. It has a doorman to keep riff-raff no-majs out, and powerful no-majs as our neighbors who report anything suspicious. It is an easy location for protective barriers and spells, and far enough from my work in case things go bad…but also close enough where I can reach you when needed. “ He caressed a hand on her cheek. “Rosie, everything I do----down to the very place we live---is to keep you safe. So tell me, why do you insist on dishonoring me by putting yourself in danger?”
Ah, so now they came back to the topic at hand. She was expecting yelling, a scolding, or even the silent treatment. Instead her normally stern husband was being heartfelt and vulnerable. Boy, she felt like a jerk now! “Oh Perce,” she whispered as she fought the tears. “I’m sorry. I just kept thinking about that poor boy and----well---I may be a mother soon and I can’t help but feel protective for those children. I know their mother is dangerous to our kind, but there’s something about him that I can’t ignore. No child deserves to be treated like that!”
Her husband pulled her against him and ‘shhhed’ her cries. He wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. “A mother soon, you say, Rosie? Do you have something to tell me?” Percival asked with a rare smile on his face.
Rosemary shook her head wistfully. “Nothing yet…though I haven’t exactly checked.”
Mr. Graves nodded. “Soon. It will happen soon. My poor sweet Rosie already feeling like a mother. But this is not the right boy for you to coddle.”
“What do you mean?” his wife asked.
Percival ran a hand through his hair. “Credence is definitely a squib. He has magical lineage, but as far as I can tell he has no power. But there is something around him, perhaps even in his own family, that has immense power. Power which we have not seen for some time. I must find that person, Rosie. I don’t want you anywhere near Credence or his family so long as that dark force is around them. They are too dangerous.”
His wife was quick to connect the dots. “All the attacks in the city! Do you think that this dark force is doing it?”
Her husband nodded gravely. “I have my suspicions that it is an Obscurus.”
“An Obscurus?” she gasped, a sudden chill running down her spine.
“Yes,” Percival answered simply. “It is most likely a child. They cannot control themselves. Credence will help me find them. I will keep him safe. But I cannot do my job if I am worried about your safety.”
It took a moment for his wife to digest his words. “You are right, Perce. I don’t know enough about this magic to help. But there must be someone else at the congress who can help you. This is too much for you to take on alone!”
Mr. Graves brought his wife’s knuckles to his lips to place a kiss on her hand. “I’m one of the most powerful wizards in the United States, Rosie. I’ll be just fine. It is you I’m worried about.” He glanced up at the wizard clock on the wall. His hand pointed at, ‘Needed at Work’. He gave his wife an apologetic smile. “Looks like it is back to work for me. You’ll be okay here?”
Rosemary nodded. “Yes, I’ll be okay.”
Her husband stood up to pull on his coat again. “You’ll stay here?” he asked pointedly.
She resisted rolling her eyes when she nodded again. “Yes, Percival. I will stay here.”
Her husband leaned over to kiss her goodbye. He paused at the door handle. “Maybe check again with the spell the healers gave you, Rosie. All these maternal instincts…maybe you are already a mother after all,” he offered with a small smile before ducking out the door.
His wife touched her stomach nervously. Yes, maybe she would check...just in case.
***
When there was a knock on the door a few hours later, Rosemary assumed it was the no-maj from down the hall who sometimes delivered extra flowers from his shop. He was a kind old man who perked up whenever she offered a friendly greeting. Thinking of his gentle face, she opened the door with a wide smile to greet her neighbor, but instead found three strangers staring back at her.
“Er…hello…can I help you?” she asked hesitantly as her posture became more guarded.
The brunette woman in the group quickly stepped forward. “Hello, Mrs. Graves. So sorry for barging in. I’m Tina Goldstein. I work with your husband. We are here on, er, official MACUSA Business. This is Mr. Scamander and Mr. Kowalski,” the woman spoke very quickly and gestured to her left and right after showing her MACUSA badge. “We need your help.”
“Oh right, I think I’ve heard your name before. Tina, right? Please come in. Is Percival okay? He won’t be home for a few hours.” Rosemary asked as she waved the trio in to sit down.
“He’s fine,” Mr. Kowalski snorted sarcastically with his arms crossed. His companion hit his arm.
The fair-haired man gave her a kind smile. “Everything is okay. Just a series of misunderstandings. Actually, we are here to talk to you. Ms. Goldstein mentioned that you have helped a boy before named Credence Barebone.”
“Yes, I know Credence,” Mrs. Graves acknowledged with a sigh.
“Do you know….everything…about credence?” Tina asked carefully.
Rosemary regarded the trio with shrewd eyes. “I think so….do you?”
“If you are referring to the dark entity inhabiting his body and terrorizing the town, then yes, we know too,” Tina replied.
The redheaded woman gasped. “Credence is the Obscurial??”
“Bingo,” Ms. Goldstein said gravely.
It took Mrs. Graves a moment to process that. “My husband has forbidden me to continue speaking with Credence. He said something dangerous is around the boy and I need to stay away to keep him safe. Does Percival know that Credence is the Obscurial??””
The trio exchanged dark looks. “No, we don’t believe so…,” Tina began, “We need your help to keep Credence and your husband safe. Credence’s emotions are extremely volatile. The only reason I would even consider bringing you into such a dangerous situation is because Credence one time mentioned your name to me as someone who showed kindness. He has so little good in his life that he must have clung to every encounter he had with you. Mr. Scamander knows a way to help Credence, but we will need you to be someone there he can trust.”
The group waited as the redheaded witch considered their words. She took a deep breath. “I know nothing of this magic. We need to contact Percival and he can help you with your plan.”
The mustached man gave another snort. “Lady, your husband hasn’t exactly been the best representative of your kind today!”
“It has been difficult for Mr. Graves to see our point-of-view,” Mr. Scamander offered more diplomatically without revealing any details about their day.
Rosemary winced. Her husband had been very hard headed when it came to Credence. He wasn’t listening to her, so he sure as heck wouldn’t be listening to anyone else. “Percival can be rather stubborn about things…Merlin’s beard, he will be furious if he knew you came over like this and spoke to me without him here!” she wrung her hands on her dress as she tried to imagine an excuse to offer him.
“Does he hurt you?” Tina questioned sharply.
“Of course not,” Mrs. Graves replied immediately. “But I haven’t been in his good graces. I went to give Credence food early today after Percival asked me not to and he caught me in the act. He implored me to stay away for my own safety and seemed rather serous about it. I don’t want to deceive him anymore….” Her voice trailed off. “But, at the same time, I don’t agree with his judgement. I think that boy needs help, and staying away from him feels so wrong. Something must be done.”
“So will you help us?” Mr. Scamander asked quietly.
The young witch was silent for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I will help. Lead the way then.”
***
Their hunt for Credence began downtown when the rumble and roar of a black cloud flew over them. The Obscurus led them underground to the subway train tracks. Bricks from the subway tunnel were collapsing all around as the group ran closer to the dark cloud ahead.
“Credence! Stop! We won’t hurt you!” Rosemary shouted as they got closer to the swirling cloud.
For a moment, the mass stopped moving and seemed to listen. Mrs. Graves swallowed hard to catch her breath. “Credence, this is Mr. Scamander. He can help you. But we need you to stop. Learn to control it. Don’t let the energy control you.”
“Credence, I need you to listen to Mrs. Graves and calm down,” a voice called from behind her. “I can teach you everything you need to know!”
Rosemary felt so relieved to hear her husband’s voice. It was her pillar of strength in the chaos around her. “Don’t be mad, Perce. I knew you wouldn’t agree with this plan, but Credence needs our help!” she cried as the entity swirled above her.
Percival pushed her behind him so only her head could barely pop around his arm. “Stay behind me,” he ordered.
A group of aurors rushed into the room from the tunnel behind them.
“No,” Tina yelled. “Leave him alone!”
“Anyone who touches him will answer to me!” Percival shouted in return.
There were multiple flashes of lights and the large black entity was dissolved into pieces.
“NO!” Mr. Graves shouted as he rushed forward breathing heavily. He turned around looking murderous. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”
He took a few slow steps toward the group. “That child could have been our weapon. It is time for war to expose wizardkind. Are you not tired of hiding in the shadows? These laws…who do you think they protect? Us? Or the humans. I’m tired of bowing down to their weakness.” He shouted this last part so loudly that it echoed in the halls.
Rosemary let out a small sob as the tears for Credence continued to run down her face. She gripped her husband’s arm. “Percival, let’s go home. It has been a rough day. Think about what you are saying!”
“Aurors,” a strong feminine voice ordered. “I would like you to relieve Mr. Graves of his wand and escort him back.” A woman stepped forth from the shadow to reveal Madame President of MACUSA.
His wife cried out in horror as her husband sent a spell toward the President that a large purplish creature deflected. “Percival!” Rosemary screamed. “What are you doing?”
Her husband finally took notice of her presence. He caressed a hand along her cheek as he raised his other hand to send rail tracks and bricks flying in the direction of the MACUSA group. “I’m doing what needs to be done, Rosie! The magical world and non-magical world shall no longer be separated to benefit humans.”
“It appears as though your husband is acting for the greater good. After all, there must be mass slaughter for the greater good,” a deep voice growled from the shadow of the tunnel entrance in front of them, “And our war has only begun.”
Rosemary ripped her hand from the grasp of her husband as her tear-filled eyes stared at the newcomer in horror as he stepped into the light. “Grindelwald,” she whispered. She turned to her husband. “This is who you joined? Let me tell you, Percival, I found out today that I am going to be a mother and I will not raise my child in the world you described. I love you, but I will not follow you!”
Mr. Graves looked stunned by her revelation for only a moment before the spells began flying throughout the room.
“Seize him!” Madame President cried. Grindelwald grabbed Percival’s shoulder and gave Rosemary a wink before both disapparated, leaving only a trace of smoke behind them.
The room was silent for a moment before the tears fell from Rosemary like an avalanche. Her husband was gone. He had turned to dark magic. What was happening in the world? Time seemed to stand still. Her body felt numb. Her right hand was over her stomach as though protecting her unborn child from this strange new world she found herself in. It was only this afternoon after Percival left her that she performed the test the healer taught her to reveal her pregnancy. That seemed like a lifetime ago now.
She vaguely registered Mr. Scamander and Ms. Goldstein sitting her down on a bench. Their no-maj friend was gone already. Rosemary held Mr. Scamander’s hand as silent tears continued to pour down her face. “Thank you for being here, Mr. Scamander. You too, Ms. Goldstein. I am the wife of a traitor. It is kind of you to not cast me away,” she whispered quietly.
“You may call me Newt, Mrs. Graves. We do not cast away our friends or allies,” the blond man answered with a small smile.
“Newt is right, Mrs. Graves. We will watch after you. We need to find a place for you to go into hiding. Mr. Graves will not willingly give you up,” Tina replied gently.
Rosemary nodded and wiped the moisture from her face. “He wanted a child so badly. We talked about it for so long. He won’t let us go. I love him, but I can’t follow him on this path. Not with Grindelwald by his side. Where can I go where Grindelwald has no grasp?”
Newt chuckled to himself and seemed to look off into the distance. “Actually, Mrs. Graves, I just may know a place for you to go….”
**
1 Week Later
Rosemary balanced the heavy suitcase in her hand as she walked down the streets of Hogsmeade looking for the pub called, ‘The Three Broomsticks’. She had packed up her life with a wave of her wand and erased any memory of her and Percival from their apartment home. The redhead ignored the fresh wave of sadness that hit her and lumped in her chest.
She pushed open the heavy wooden door and stood in the pub doorway awkwardly as she surveyed the room to find her contact.
“Mrs. Graves?” a soft, kind voice asked.
Rosemary turned around to find a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair gently smiling through his bushy beard. “Yes, that’s me,” she answered as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you---?”
The man nodded as he pulled out a chair for her to sit down on. “Yes, I received Newt Scamander’s owl. He explained everything. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am happy to offer you my services. I do not believe that Gellert Grindelwald will look for you here.”
“I appreciate that Mr. Dumbledore. I seem to find myself in quite a difficult situation,” Mrs. Graves said with a meek shrug.
The older man across from her patted her hand affectionately. “Nonsense. A baby is a great blessing, no matter the circumstances. The love you and your husband have for each other is real. Love will be the very thing that redeems him in the end. You’ll see.” He pulled out a long watch from his pocket and stood up. “Oh, look at the time. We must get going.”
“Where will we be going to, Mr. Dumbledore?” Rosemary asked as the aging professor offered her his arm.
“Why, to Hogwarts of course! Your new home for the time being, and what I consider to be a most magical place….” Dumbledore replied as they walked into the street and followed the road toward an impressive castle shimmering on the hillside.
The End.