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Chapter 48: After the Storm.
🕑 Added 2025-04-28 04:13:27 +0000 UTCAuthor's Note:
Hey guys, we're here with the final chapter of the week! Hope you enjoy it.
It’s a bit shorter than usual, but honestly, it was needed... I was getting tired trying to keep up with the schedule I set for myself. But whatever, we'll see how the future treats me.
Like I said in the message, the next chapter will focus on other POVs, like what Walburga and Voldemort are thinking after the graveyard, and more importantly, what they're planning.
There might also be a couple of other groups involved that I won't spoil just yet.
Celestial Ascendancy
Chapter 48: After the Storm.
Hogwarts.
Nym… Tonks, just Tonks.
I had faced werewolves, vampires, and enough lunatics that I honestly believed I could handle anything the wizarding world threw at me.
Add in the kind of training Moody put me through, and I knew I was the most capable of all the rookies, maybe even a few veterans, too.
But now?
Now, I didn’t feel that way. Not by a long shot.
And I had thought I was ready for anything.
The last few hours had been a bloody rollercoaster. From watching, helpless, as the Girl-Who-Lived was abducted to feeling the ground shake under my feet at whatever mess happened in the Quidditch Pitch...
Then, I heard Iris Potter herself say that Voldemort was back and that a student was fighting the woman who had abducted her while Dumbledore was fighting the Dark Lord.
It was madness.
I knew Elias Blake was capable, probably stronger than me if his showing during the first two tasks was anything to go by.
But seeing him go all out against that woman in the graveyard shattered whatever ego Moody had allowed me to keep.
And now?
Now, I stood frozen, useless, as the young man choked the Minister of Magic before us.
The only silver lining was that I wasn’t alone.
Saul Croaker, a bloody Greycloak himself, was trembling next to me.
Dumbledore, of all people, looked shell-shocked. His wand was lowered, and his body trembled with exhaustion from his fight against Voldemort.
Much to my shame, Iris Potter and Hermione Granger were the only ones capable of moving.
Not that they would, I thought with a weak chuckle, catching the way they glared daggers at the Ministry.
Elias was ignoring our group like we were flies… and honestly? Respect.
Because what the fuck did we matter to someone who could fight against a person wielding an artifact capable of killing gods?
That alone opened another can of worms I was trying my best to ignore.
My father was a Muggleborn, and while not particularly religious after learning about magic, he'd grown up in a Catholic household.
He hadn't spoken much about religion in our house—understandable, really, since Mother was pretty agnostic—but he'd mentioned God once or twice over the years.
Learning that He existed?
Cool as fuck, honestly, and probably way more important than I was giving it credit for.
Other gods?
Less shocking, in truth. But even then, my mind was running wild with the possibilities.
I watched with bated breath as Bones, Merlin bless her brave soul, fired a Stunner at Elias's back, as useless as it seemed.
The spell fizzled harmlessly against him.
"D-Drop him," Bones managed through clenched teeth. "Please... Elias... before this gets worse."
I forgot how to breathe as Elias turned his attention back to us, his magic pressing even heavier with just a look.
He was simply divine in appearance, and for a moment, I imagined him clad in armor, ready to pass judgment.
The image shattered as he opened his mouth.
"And why should I do that, Madam Bones?" His baritone voice echoed in the otherwise silent room. "This insect here thought he could once again hide his mistakes before they came to light, once again ignoring that my FUCKING UNCLE spent fourteen years in Azkaban wasting his fucking life!"
"Your uncle?" someone blurted, and it took me a second to realize it had been me, "Is Sirius Black your uncle?"
"I had hoped to speak to you under better circumstances, cousin," Elias Blake... no, Black, replied softly, the brightness of his eyes dimming.
Before, looking into them felt like staring directly at the sun. Now, it was more manageable.
Now that I had really focused, I realized why he had felt vaguely familiar. He resembled Sirius's brother from Mum's old photos tucked away in her drawers.
Regulus? Yeah, that one.
It was there if you ignored the divine intensity and beauty radiating from him.
I caught Bones shooting me a desperate look, silently pleading for me to keep talking.
I opened my mouth, my heart hammering inside my chest.
"Elias, you stopped him," I said softly, savoring the sudden absence of the crushing weight on my shoulders. Somehow, I doubted the others felt the same, but somehow, he'd spared me of it.
"The Dementors are gone," I said slowly, "Let him go, and we'll do our best to clear Sirius's name."
"And what’s stopping this waste of space from trying again the moment I’m not there, huh?" he growled, the pressure around us tightening further.
I opened my mouth in panic, ready to say anything to keep him from killing the Minister, and nearly fell over when the bushy-haired girl walked forward.
"Eli, love," Hermione said softly, walking right up to him and gently touching his back, "Let him go. You know that will just make things harder for us."
My cousin growled, the sound rattling my very bones, but then scoffed and dropped the Minister to the ground with a dry thump.
I rushed forward first, checking if Fudge was still alive. I immediately pulled a face at the sour, acidic smell clinging to him.
The stench made me cover my nose, but relief flooded me as I saw his chest rising steadily.
There was froth around his mouth, but otherwise, he seemed uninjured, lying there unconscious.
"Fine," Elias grunted. "Ask them whatever questions you want. But I want them from here tomorrow, and I’ll keep him under my tender care until the hearing. I’ll bring him and my uncle to the Ministry myself."
"You can’t do that," I blurted without thinking. "There are proceedings..."
"And I don't care," he said bluntly, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Minister.
"Let it go, lass," Croaker grunted beside me, "They'll stay here in the infirmary, and I'll protect them while you’re gone. Same for Dumbledore."
The Headmaster nodded slowly, his wand resting once more on the table.
"They’ll be safe here, Elias. You have my word," Dumbledore said with a weary sigh, "I’ve shifted the wards to wartime configuration. Saul and I will fortify the room further. You can take them to your place tomorrow.
He took a deep breath before nodding calmly, "Now, go with your girls and cool down after such a hectic day, no?"
Elias locked eyes with him, unflinching. I knew that he was probably stronger than the Headmaster. Still, it felt harder when someone younger than me could do that to the Dumbledore himself instead of fighting against that unknown woman.
"Fine, fine, old man."
He turned, his demeanor softening instantly as he looked at Fleur.
His eyes were filled with such tenderness it made my heart ache.
Why couldn’t I have someone look at me like that?
"Will you come with us, Fleur?" he asked gently, his voice full of worry.
The half-Veela laughed softly, brushing a golden strand from her perfect face.
"I think the Headmistress will understand if I spend the night away, Eli," she said confidently, "If Iris and Hermione approve, of course."
"Yeah," Iris grinned, "You’re more than welcome, Fleur."
"I have nothing against it after today," Hermione laughed. "We all deserve a good rest."
Elias grinned boyishly and took the hands of his girlfriends.
Bones was on Croaker the instant they left the room, ignoring the unconscious bodies of the Aurors outside or the Ministry officials, for that matter. Her wand half-raised as she glared at him.
"You just accepted that?" she growled furiously, "You let him dictate terms to us? We are the Ministry, for Merlin's sake!"
Croaker didn't flinch. He didn't even seem annoyed at the situation. In fact, he seemed to have already expected it.
He laughed, a dry, mocking tone that made my skin crawl before I could understand why.
"And what exactly would you have me do, Madam Bones?" he said lazily, his eyes wild. "Would you like to try and stop him? Are you even capable of that?"
Bones stiffened and stayed silent.
"If he'd wanted to kill the Minister," Croaker continued with a deadly hiss, "none of us would have survived to tell the story. Or do anything to stop him. Things have changed.”
He took a deep breath before continuing, “It's Best we accept it now while we still have the chance to play nice."
I swallowed thickly, unable to deny the truth in his words.
Bones finally lowered her wand, her jaw clenched so tightly I thought her teeth might crack.
I felt no better.
Because Croaker was right.
The world had changed tonight, and we were lagging behind.
Elias Black.
"So this is where you guys spend the night, eh?" Fleur grinned as the girls pushed her toward the Hollow.
It was a beautiful thing, and Fleur ooh’d in surprise at the different biomes we passed along the way.
"Yeah," I nodded proudly, "Welcome to our home, Fleur," I added sincerely, "It’s not much, I know, but we love it here."
"Oh, I think it’s lovely, Eli," she smiled brightly, "I didn't know wizards could make something like this."
"That’s for later, I believe," I said apologetically, "One day, yeah? Let’s just take our time."
She nodded thoughtfully, "Don’t worry, I understand. And I hope I earn that trust someday."
"If things keep going like this, it shouldn’t take long," Iris grinned, tugging Fleur’s hand, "Now, come... Dobby makes some awesome tea."
Fleur laughed and followed Iris inside.
Hermione sighed in amusement and hugged me tightly.
"Thank you for stopping, Eli. I know it must have been hard," she murmured in my ear.
"It was," I admitted, leaning into her body, "But thank you for stopping me, Mione. You’re the best."
"Of course I am," she grinned brightly, but her eyes dropped a second later.
"We were lucky tonight," she whispered.
I let the silence sit for a minute, just enjoying her warmth.
"Yeah... we all were."
"What happened there, Eli?" She asked worriedly.
"I don’t know," I admitted, sighing, "One moment I felt like I was going to die, the next my body was filled with a strength that wasn’t exactly mine..."
"Whatever it was, I’m thankful," she said, kissing my lips deeply, "I was so afraid that we lost you, Eli..."
"I know, love," I kissed her brow, "But I'm alive and stronger than ever. Let’s rest today, yeah?"
"Uhu," she nodded.
"So... how was Fleur?" she asked teasingly.
I laughed loudly, smacking her bottom and making her squeal. "I should be the one asking that, Mione. "Are you really on board with this?"
She bit her lip thoughtfully, "I wasn’t that sure before, you know," she admitted shamefully, "I mean, I liked her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and has a lot to offer to our relationship, but even then I was torn..."
"What changed?" I asked seriously, rubbing her back.
"Tonight happened," she whispered, "When Iris was taken, I felt like I lost a part of myself... I was afraid, and knowing that you would go in search of her didn’t help my feelings."
"Go on," I prodded her, hugging her tightly.
"Fleur was there with me the whole time," she smiled softly, "When Ash took her away from the waiting room, she brought her to the Great Hall, you know?"
I stayed silent, letting her speak.
"She could have stayed there or returned to her carriage, somewhere safe..." Hermione continued, her eyes bright with unshed tears, "But she didn’t. She went back to the stands, searching for me. She stayed with me the whole night, helping me when I was almost broken... She helped me keep my wits and think carefully about the situation."
"She cares for us," she finished, nodding to herself. "She genuinely cares for us in this short amount of time, and she deserves the love we could give her."
"She’s a good person," I nodded, "Thanks for this, Mione. Really."
"I love you, you know?" she said softly.
I kissed her forehead, feeling the lump in my throat.
"I also know how you two act... and I was right. I suspected that you would go back to the village, and that was what I feared the most."
I took a weary breath.
"I thought I lost you two. And I didn’t even think Fleur would be there to help. You three almost died because I wasn’t strong enough."
A few hot tears welled up in my eyes, and I rubbed them away harshly.
"I almost lost you. Because I was weak."
I felt two pairs of hands rubbing my back and turned my head to see the teary eyes Iris and Fleur wore.
Fleur smiled through her tears at Hermione.
"We shouldn’t have listened to this... I’m sorry," she said softly, "But I want you to know that even if this doesn’t work out... I do care for you. And I will always be there if you need me for anything."
Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Iris’s and Hermione’s hands closer.
"I know I’m new. I know this is something uncommon. I know people will talk, but I don’t care. I like you guys. A lot."
"And we care for you, Fleur," Iris smiled, wiping her tears with Hermione’s shoulder, "This will probably be strange and even hard for us... but I really hope this works out."
I nodded, pulling the three of them closer.
"Yeah. Never doubt that, Fleur. We’ll be there for you. For anything, okay?" I grinned through my tears.
I was feeling drained after today.
We had been lucky, and whatever had happened just before Walburga’s attack hit was a goddamn miracle if I was being honest with myself.
But we survived... and grew stronger because of it. That was what really mattered.
Allowing the girls to break free from my hug, Iris perked up.
"Oh, Eli," she began, "the phone was pinging while we waited."
Nodding at her, I smiled, "Our friends must have been worried, I suppose."
"What friends?" Fleur asked, tilting her head in a way that made her look downright adorable.
"You’ll see," I grinned and pulled the phone toward me with a wandless Accio.
Unlocking it, I laughed at the multitude of messages and missed calls from our devil friends.
Tapping the screen, I returned the first call with a video call.
"Elias, my friend!" Sairaorg's boisterous laugh greeted my ears. "And I see all of you are there. I’m glad."
"Hey, Sai," I nodded at him with a tired grin, "We’re alive, and I managed to cut that bitch’s hand. Our training wasn’t for nothing."
He grinned brightly, but his phone was snatched from his hand.
The top of an orange head appeared on the screen.
"Hey, Elias. I wanted to ask if Dobby is fine?" Regulus asked bluntly, making me burst out laughing... The bastard.
"Thanks for the well wishes, you overgrown cat," Iris huffed.
"I knew you were fine," Regulus replied with confusion, "Elias is strong, after all."
I smiled softly through my laughter. Well, it wasn’t like he didn’t care... he just thought differently than humans.
Sai took the phone back, and I swear I heard a smacking sound in the background before Kuisha appeared on the screen.
"Hello, Elias," she smiled warmly, "We’re all glad you three survived."
"Hey, Kuisha," Hermione waved.
She smiled back, her eyes locking onto Fleur, who was looking confusedly at the screen.
"Oh, a new conquest, Elias?" she teased.
"He’s a womanizer," Iris joked, "Well, Kuisha, meet Fleur Delacour... a French flower Eli managed to trick."
"A pleasure," Fleur nodded mechanically after grinning at Iris.
Kuisha grinned before going serious again, "A pleasure for us, too, Miss Delacour. My name is Kuisha Abaddon, and this here is my King, Sairaorg Bael. Feel free to call us by our names. Every friend of Elias is a friend of ours."
Fleur’s eyes widened slightly as she recognized the names somehow, and she nodded again.
I took the phone back from Iris before addressing Sai.
"So, yeah. We’re good, thanks for asking. I’ll make a dinner to celebrate in a couple of days. I’ll send you the details later... and I hope you bring your whole peerage for it." I grinned, "Dobby’s cooking, so at least the cat will be happy."
I grinned wider when I heard something resembling, "I’m not a cat, you infuriating bastard," and nodded again before hanging up.
"Bael? Abaddon?" Fleur said slowly. "You really have friends in high places, Eli."
"Not as much as you’d think," Hermione shook her head sadly. "Sai… he has some problems with his family. Let’s leave it at that. But he’s strong, probably still stronger than Eli when he goes all out."
Fleur’s mouth opened slightly, and I felt a little bad for her. It was a lot to take in.
"Just wait," Iris joked, bumping her shoulder against the taller woman, "I bet you’ll be even more surprised in a bit."
"I highly doubt it," Fleur sniffed haughtily, "It’s not like you have the Lucifer’s number."
Lo and behold, a bunch of texts popped up at that very moment... none other than Rias herself.
Chuckling at the absurdity of it all, I called her immediately since she threatened to teleport here herself with Akeno… and I was not prepared for that.
The raven-haired devil really seemed to think I was her toy, and my girls only found it funny to fan the flames even more.
"Elias!" Rias shouted, "Why in my brother's name did it take you so long to reply?!"
I winked at Fleur, who had gone pale, and blew her a kiss while Iris poked her ribs with a smirk.
"Sorry, Rias," I smiled tiredly, "It was a busy night… but we’re all alive and well."
"Good," she nodded thoughtfully, "What about Walburga?"
"She ran after her Sacred Gear failed," I shrugged with a scowl, "Cut the bitch’s hand, though."
"Ufufufu," Akeno’s laugh could be heard, and it honestly made me shiver before I controlled myself.
Rias sighed, glaring off-screen, "That’s good to hear, Elias. I have to admit... I’ve grown fond of you three. And Akeno would’ve been sad if something happened to you."
"Don’t remind me," I rolled my eyes. "And thanks... for everything."
Rias smiled softly, "It was my pleasure, Elias. And it’s not like we didn’t gain something from our deal."
"That’s true," Koneko's monotone voice chimed in, "Rias has been training harder these past months compared to before."
"Koneko!" Rias looked offended.
"But it’s true, my King," Akeno giggled before taking Rias’s phone, "Now, let me see. Are you sure you’re okay?"
"Of course," I grinned at the scarousing devil, "Why? Want to make sure?"
"Don’t tempt me, Eli," Akeno winked, "When’s our next meeting?"
"I planned to make a celebratory dinner soon," I nodded at her and explained shortly.
"Yeah," Iris grinned, "There’ll be food. And food... Probably more food. And good company."
"We’ll be happy to attend, Elias," Rias said as she grabbed the phone back, "And I’ll let you four rest. You look like you’ve seen better days."
"You have no idea," Hermione mumbled, resting her head on Fleur’s shoulder.
Waving at Rias, I finally hung up.
"Any other bomb you wish to drop, Eli?" Fleur pouted, glaring at me without any heat.
"Not that big of a bomb, I suppose," I chuckled, "I planned to leave her for last, but Rias can be a bit impatient."
Calling Seekvaira, I smiled as she answered almost instantly.
"Elias," she nodded coolly. "I see you all are in good health. I'm glad we won't need to go through the second plan the girls asked of me."
Looking at her quizzically, I dropped when she didn't look like she wanted to explain.
After some quick pleasantries, I did the same and invited our first devil friend to the dinner. I smiled as she hung up quickly after accepting.
"I don’t know who she was, but she was cold," Fleur frowned.
"That’s how Seekvaira is," Iris shook her head softly, "You’ll learn when you meet her, Fleur. She cares as much as the rest of them."
"If you say so," Fleur muttered, dropping the subject.
"Are you sure it’ll be alright for me to be there?" she finally asked, her voice small.
"Of course, it’ll be fine," Hermione said immediately, grabbing Fleur’s hand.
Fleur smiled brightly, then yawned loudly. She hurried to cover her mouth, but her cheeks still turned flaming red.
I couldn’t help but laugh at Fleur’s flaming cheeks, which only made her pout adorably in response.
"Come on," I grinned. "Let’s rest. For once, everything’s fine. We might as well enjoy it while it lasts."
Iris stretched with a soft groan and leaned into my side.
"I’ll write to Sirius tomorrow first thing in the morning," she mumbled. "Let him know we’re okay... and probably prepare himself for the Wizengamot."
"Good idea," I said, ruffling her hair.
With a wicked little grin, Iris turned and started nudging Fleur toward the bedroom, practically herding her like a sleepy sheep.
"You sure you’re fine sleeping with us, Fleur?" she teased.
"It’s only sleeping," Fleur said, lifting her chin slightly in mock offense, "I’ll survive."
Iris laughed tiredly, "You say that now..."
We stumbled our way into the renovated bedroom. Dobby had built a vast, soft space with care using the wood from the oak trees outside, and Iris wasted no time stripping off her shirt and tugging at her pants like it was second nature.
I caught her wrist gently, cocking my head meaningfully toward Fleur.
Iris blinked and then giggled without shame.
Fleur just laughed, a teasing shine in her tired eyes.
"I do not mind," she said lightly, waving a hand, "It’s nothing I haven’t seen before."
Shrugging, I let Iris go.
Honestly, after the day we’d had, I didn’t have the energy to be embarrassed. It's not like she had not seen me after the battle... the fucking boxer now probably covered more than what I had left back then.
Kicking off my clothes, I stayed in just my boxers, and Iris quickly followed.
Hermione, rolling her eyes but smiling fondly, stripped down to her underwear, too, and dove headfirst onto the bed with a groan.
That left Fleur standing there, her cheeks still pink but a small, mischievous grin tugging at her lips.
I caught her looking, running her eyes slowly over me and Iris and biting her lower lip in thought.
"You’re terrible influences," she sighed dramatically.
Then, with a quick motion, she tugged off her top and pants, leaving her bra and underwear on as she joined us.
"There," she said, smiling triumphantly without a single ounce of shame, "I think this will be enough for now."
"Perfect," Iris said almost drooling, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the bed.
We all clambered onto the wide mattress, exhausted and sore but glad to be complete and, in some ways, even bigger.
Fleur settled in beside Hermione and Iris, her head tucked between them comfortably.
I leaned over, kissing Hermione’s temple, Fleur’s brow, and finally Iris’s forehead.
They returned the kisses softly, giggling between them.
"Goodnight, loves," I murmured.
"Goodnight," they whispered back.
Comments
InfinityReads99
She absolutely can’t allow him to kill the minister dude lol
Jordan Lopez
It's funny bones was literally just being thankful he's on their side a couple chapters ago and say we need to keep him on their side and she goes and starts to burn the bridge herself 😭
Hiram
Seems like a nice start for the wrap of this arc
