Homecoming

[Tristan Drage]

Tristan felt as if he were racing the sun as he charged through winter's bite. Despite his best efforts, it was late night before he made it to his birthplace. Stars were littered against black pitch, their light polishing the chiseled white below. The warm clothes that had nearly brought him to collapse in Australia were not enough for the assault of the far north. Shivers wracked his body as he apparated into the library.

The dark haired man absorbed his surroundings. This was a place that he had not devoted much time to as a child, and during the summer and winter breaks he did not even want to hear the word 'book.' Running his hands over a polished shelf, his fingers soon trailed along the spines of countless titles. Some shuddered, others squealed in protest and some even called to him in languages that had been long forgotten. Magical books could be a downright annoyance, but they were much more thrilling compared to the dull volumes that muggles had.

He was home. Julie and the kids were here. The Herrogard held many sour memories, but his family coated this with a sweetness he held rare. Although his other son had been rampant in his thoughts, Christian was beginning to fade with every passing moment.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan was up for another late night in the library. Insomnia left him irritable at work. He never heard complaints, though, and did not expect to; he always lived up to his responsibilities, whether or not he wanted to curse the daylights out of his assistant for merely bringing him his afternoon tea. The potion that Shane concocted for him usually calmed his nerves, but he had run out and had not had time to contact his great nephew as of late. He saw a good deal of promise in the young man.

Glancing up as some commotion invaded his ears, he set his reading glasses down and banished the massive volume he had been reading back to its respective bookshelf. The books in the library whispered and called out from time to time, but they were never so loud on their own. The large man rose, keeping his composure in check and his wand in his pocket as he sought out the intruder.

"I would say that it is good to see you home, but alas, I cannot."

 

[Tristan Drage]

Ceasing to pound for just a moment, Tristan's heart fell into an unsteady rhythm in his chest. The breath that flirted past his lips was slow and uneven. Thorine had robbed him of his wand; he turned to face the man who had robbed him of his eye.

Tristan nearly had to conjure the ability to speak. His voice heralding to no particular level, he growled, "No tricks, Far. I know my family is here, and I would like to see them."

 

[Valcan Drage]

The smirk that graced Valcan's mouth was frigid. Fondness- or tolerance, rather- for his oldest child had dwindled away over the many decades. "Let us be honest, Tristan. It has taken you forty-four years to grasp the concept of family. I would be surprised if that is even truth." His lips melted downward. The blonde wizard's stance was nearly defensive, though he was not worried about his own hide. Ice blue eyes boring into his son, he hissed softly, "How long before you run off and abandon all responsibility this time?"

 

[Tristan Drage]

Anger began its steady assault on Tristan. All of his muscles tensed as he sized up his father-instinct demanded it. His old self was already raring for a fight. Both wizards were of the same height and body composition, and would easily be matched if it were to come to physical blows. Unfortunately for Tristan, wizards were opt to duel. He knew that he didn't have an icicle's chance in Hell without a wand.

"I apologize for disappointing you, then. Far, I have been under a crazy woman's potion for months, I am tired, and I do not have a wand in my possession. I just want to make sure my wife and children are safe- I do not want to stand here and debate my loyalties."

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan's laugh was malicious as he took a step toward his son. "I am tired," he mocked. "Do not complain to me. Your words are poison in my ears." The urge to take out Tristan's good eye was strong but the sixty six year old managed to keep his composure. "You deserve all of the suffering that you have brought down upon your shoulders. Those you have left in your wake do not." Valcan observed his son with contempt. As he had expressed many times, he rued the day that the philandering man had been born.

"For the past two decades, you have scattered seeds to the four winds but have never had the incentive to cultivate what grows." His expression grew fearsome as his rage began to swell, causing him to pace the floor. His fingers curled tightly around the Olivewood core of Runespoor Fang.

"This will not continue to happen. Before you return to Julie and the children, I must make something crystal clear." Valcan twirled his wand with his thick fingers, deliberately bringing it to a stop and jabbing it towards his son. "If you feel the need to abandon any more of your responsibilities," a light smirk returned, "Rest assured, I will make certain that you will never have them again."

 

[Tristan Drage]

Tristan very much wished to wrap his hands around his father's meaty neck. However, he kept them at his sides, almost as if to show his father that he could be tame. The man had always griped at him about self restraint. Nothing would please Tristan more than to make his father taste his own words. Tristan returned the identical, mocking smirk, and took his chance to laugh.

"The usual threat. If you ever actually carried it out, I would be dead a thousand times over."

 

[Valcan Drage]

A scowl lit Valcan's features. He should have expected nothing less than asinine blabber from Tristan. Valcan's words, which should have struck some kind of nerve, necessitated only a wise-ass remark. A soft chuckle bubbled in the older man's throat as he shook his head. He started to turn his body, giving his son the impression that he were to walk off. Instead of removing himself from the situation, he pivoted on his left foot. With a deliberate swish-and-flick he hurled a rather forceful Banishing Charm at the dolt of a man.

 

[Tristan Drage]

Tristan's self-satisfied smirk did not flourish for long. He was blasted backward, his large form vaulting into the bookcase behind with terrific force. He did not have time to react as he slammed into the floor with a thud, a good number of books following suit and burying him in a pile. Fortunately for the forty-four year old man, the piece of furniture had been bolted down long ago.

Scrambling slowly to all fours, Tristan groaned loudly, rubbing at his head. As if his whole body hadn't been already smarting from the whole ordeal with Thorine. Finally glaring up at his father challengingly, he could have sworn that some of the books were jeering and giggling at his misfortune.

 

[Sarah Hildebrandt]

Sarah rolled over in bed and realized that something was not right. The space where the hulk of a man she was in love with should be was empty and Valcan was not in the room at all. It was not unusual for him to be up late or to leave so she was not worried, but she was in a mood and wanted to find out where he was so he could help her change her attitude just a bit. She stretched out on the bed, then moved to stand up and slipped her feet into her slippers that were near her. Throwing her robe around her, she crossed the room to the door and headed out into the hallway.

Quietly making her way down the hall, Sarah opened the door to the suite where Julie and the children were sleeping. It was exciting that they had a new baby in the home, little Evan Mya Drage had made her appearance in the world the day before. As she crept about checking on everyone, she smiled at their sleeping forms. Julie and Evan were snuggled together in her bed, and Erik and Eliza were tucked into theirs. She half expected to see Valcan lurking about the suite. He was much more open with his feelings around the children and Julie for some reason. She theorized that it was because Julie was so amiable and the kids were so loving.

Heading back to the hallway, she made her way down to Valcan's favorite spot to relax, other than their bedroom. As she closed in on the library door, Sarah heard a huge crash from inside. Running in, she took in the scene before her. "Merlin's beard! What is going on here?" she yelled, looking from Valcan to the man on the floor under the books. It took her all of a second to realize that that man was Tristan. "Oh my word! Tristan! Where did you come from?" She knelt next to the man she looked upon like a son and moved to help him up. "Baby, did you really need to blast him? Shouldn't we get him upstairs?" She knew her initial intentions might not be helped tonight by her actions now, but she felt that Julie and Tristan needed to be reunited quickly.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Pleased with his spellwork, Valcan pocketed his wand. His glare was just as scathing as his son's. The sixty six year old seemed to remember himself as her voice reached his ears. His smirk morphing into a frown, he muttered, "Just another thing the idiot had coming to him." With a thoughtful look at Sarah he raised a hand to a book that had given his son a good smack on the head and summoned it to him. Pulling the title to his chest, he said calmly, "I will be reading here, sweetheart, if you need me. I trust that the dolt can put one foot in front of the other."

Turning his back on them, he started off down the aisle. Remembering something, he glanced over his shoulder. "And Tristan," the man's accented voice was dripping with amusement and a hint of a threat, "I would very much prefer you not to be in my sight during the duration of your stay." With that, Valcan took long strides to pick up his glasses and settle down in a far corner of the impressive room.

 

[Tristan Drage]

Tristan grimaced as Sarah moved to help him up. The blast had been pretty cheap of his father, but what was he supposed to expect of a Death Eater? He gritted his teeth as the man who had sired him commenced to call him a dolt and an idiot. Thankfully Sarah had shown up to intervene; the dark haired man would probably have gotten himself into more of a fix than he already was in. Merlin knew he was already decorated with enough bruises.

Once his father had disappeared from site, he smiled gratefully at Sarah. "Where did I come from? I'm not entirely certain but I know I've been to Hell and back." The thought of Christian's sweet face was enough to send him into tears, but there would be plenty of time for that. Now, all he wanted to do was see his wife and kids. He had never known it was possible to be drowning in his own guilt. Everything he had done over the years was piled on him, covering his mouth and allowing no air. There was no way to reverse all of the things he had done. Few opportunities would allow him air, if just a little. He had a chance to start doing things right, and he had to take them up before he suffocated entirely.

Brushing off his robes, he asked weakly, "Can you bring me to Julie?" For the first time in months, his features were stricken with hope. He felt as if he were going to explode with joy. The anticipation was slowly killing him.

 

[Sarah Hildebrandt]

Sarah looked at her lover as he moved to find a reading spot. She knew exactly where that spot would be, the pair of them having visited it quite often in the past for some, well, quiet moments. As Tristan stood up, she waved her wand and replaced the books on the shelf before them. "I can take you to her. I just checked in on Julie and the kids before I came down here. They are all sleeping peacefully right now, but I am sure that Julie will be glad to be awoken to see you." She smiled at the man before her, and then spoke again. "They are upstairs. Follow me and I will take you to their suite." Sarah turned her back on him and headed out the door, her slippers making barely any noise on the floor as she moved, her robes swishing around her ankles.

 

[Tristan Drage]

Tristan's chest swelled with excitement. He was finally going to be able to see them! After so long. He imagined Julie's belly would be giant. To think that he would lay eyes on his new daughter anyday now! He wouldn't mess this up- he couldn't. He could never really begin to make up for his abandonment, but he would make sure that he was always around for Erik, Eliza, and his unborn child. And Julie. He would never leave her side again.

An almost silly smile gripping his features, the large man took off after Sarah, looking very much like an insane beggar as he made his long ascent up the stairs.

 

[Sarah Hildebrandt]

Sarah headed up the stairwell, leading the large man to where he was due for quite a shock. The day before, Evan had made her appearance and Tristan still had no idea. Sarah was not about to be the one to tell him either. She figured that was going to be for him to find out.

Upon arriving at the door of the suite, she hesitated with her hand on the handle. "Please don't wake the kids up. They had a rough time going to sleep tonight, and it is best if they sleep well tonight. I can imagine the squeals of delight that will be heard tomorrow. I only hope that Julie is as willing to see you as I believe she will be. She has been balancing between anger and depression as of late." She let go of the door and got right up in his face, well, as in his face as she could from her 5'9" height. "And if you hurt her again, your father is not the only one that you will have to watch out for, understood?" She glared at the man, then reached out and patted his arm. "Good luck," she added, then headed back off to the library.

Making her way silently down the steps, she returned to the library and made her way to where Valcan was seated. Walking up behind him, she leaned over the back of the chair and gently nibbled at his left ear. Whispering softly, she said, "You are too tense. I have a few ideas to help you relax." Her hands slipped into her lovers hair, tenderly caressing his head.

 

[Valcan Drage]

Valcan was still quite incensed when he retired to his usual corner of the library. Pjotr, the house elf responsible for everything in this room, had long since retired for the night. The sixty six year old flipped through the pages of the book with a meaty hand. It had been a long while since he had read anything in runes, but there was nothing like reawakening the mind. And it made him feel a bit better that it had given his eldest son a good smack on the head. He was so immersed in the title that he jumped a bit when he felt something at his ear. "Why hello there," he murmured, enjoying the head massage thoroughly. Without much hesitation he put the book down, making a mental note to grab it for a later read, and hopped over the chair. He picked Sarah up easily and carried her off.