“Ah, Pet, how are you feeling?” Lloyd said worriedly, dabbing at Petunia’s forehead lightly —only to receive a swat from the woman in question.
“I’m fine, Lloyd, just tired,” she said sharply. “Now stop fretting. Lisa will be there in the morning and get him to stop.”
Lloyd gave Petunia a small smile, “Yes, yes, no reason to be worried about the woman who has tied her lifeforce to her wards. No reason at all.”
Petunia found it in herself to huff a laugh, “It’s working, is it not? Besides, it’s not so much as tied to my life force as bound. Magically. So long as I live, the wards will never run out of power. In the meantime, I’ll be squeezed of my magic. It’s more unpleasant than I was expecting but not painful.”
“You are a terrible liar, Pet,” Lloyd sighed.
Petunia eyed the door of the bedroom, debating the likelihood of her two preteens eavesdropping. She decided it was probably pretty high.
“Yes, well, forgive me for being a bit shaken, as the Supreme Mudpug of the International Whatsit and Whosit has taken to personally attacking my home.”
Lloyd covered his laugh with a cough and said, “You know that’s not what he’s called.”
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Petunia crossed her arms and sat up in the bed, “Who cares about his title? He’s illegally attacking me —and I can’t even call the aurors lest I cause issues for Lisa!”
“Let her be inconvenienced! She’d never make a mother give away her child, not after what that idiot tried to pull on her with the twins.”
Ah, Petunia thought, he brought it up.
Lloyd had not been close to his sister, Lisa, for a multitude of reasons. Not the least of which was the man she had chosen to wed, the father of her children. The fiend, upon a not-so-amicable split, had attempted to claim the children. They’ve only been divorced fully less than a year. Lisa was no pushover, though. One does not become the President of MACUSA without a backbone. Not to mention Farnsworth’s prestige as a direct descendant of Helmut Weiss after his daughter married one of the Farnsworth ancestors. Something about being one of the very first Aurors in the States. Petunia had only been peripherally paying attention to the story when Lloyd told it at their very first Christmas together.
Petunia lowered her voice. “Oh, nonsense. You know it’d stress out the boys, too. Besides, it’s best this is handled quietly. I don’t need all of wizarding Britain coming to my door for their hero—who is just a boy if I must remind you.”
Lloyd sighed, “Yes, of course, you’re right.”
Petunia smiled at the man, “Good. Now, I’m feeling much better. Should we take a tour of Boston today, visit some shops, and generally forget the circumstances that have brought us here?”
“Let’s.”
Petunia swung her legs out of the beg and slid back into her heels. She clapped her hand and called out to the door, “All right, boys. We’re headed back out.”
“Yes, mom,” came their muffled confirmation.