WHO: Dante Avery & NPC Celestina Warbeck & Assorted Family WHAT: Someone needs a little persuasion to behave. WHEN: Feb 11-12 WHERE: Celestina's abode, & that of her grandson WARNINGS: Creepy DE stuff like stalking people and the Imperius and ominous warnings :)
When his sister had asked for the favour, Dante almost hesitated. Celestina Warbeck was a fixture. A legend.
She was also being obtuse, or so his sister said. He had no reason to doubt his sister’s truthfulness on the matter, so there was really only one option: she had to be shown that she couldn’t simply refuse anymore, not if she wanted to have a place in the new world order. It didn’t matter who someone was; no one could stand in the way, no one could disrespect them. They’d participate in the new world, or they’d find themselves replaced. People always thought they were special, but the truth was everyone was replaceable, even legends.
… But someone like Celestina deserved a chance to see the light, first. It’d be a shame to throw out her decades of work. If he could find a way around that, that would be ideal.
-----
Dante watched her for the better part of a day before he made his move. His frustration on Friday night and subsequent hangover on Saturday put him off-kilter, but then he took a deep breath and breathed. He couldn’t afford to rush in headlong into this and risk setting her off before he got a chance to enact his plan. It was easy to learn who her assistant was and gently convinced them to give up Celestina’s schedule for the next few days. With a copy in his pocket, he turned his attention to her family.
Everyone knew she’d had a son from an earlier marriage. Her life had been making headlines for years, in no small part to how turbulent it was in the early years. That child had grown up long ago and had a family of his own. The years had turned Celestina into a great-grandmother, and it was there that Dante put his focus.
People tended to be brave enough on their own, mouthing off when it was their own lives on the line. It was another story when their families were on the line, particularly the young ones.
They were easy to find once he had access to all of the information her assistant carried. Names, ages, birthdays, addresses. The latter could have been forged, certainly, but the records at the Ministry proved otherwise. The rest of the pieces fell into place: wards crumbled under his touch, and before anyone else could blink, he was stepping through the threshold and into their lives.
The child was young - three, at most. Dante ignored the sudden tightness in his chest and the pit in his stomach. It was Celestina's fault, he reminded himself. If she would have let go of her old sympathies, he wouldn’t need to be there. No one would have to get hurt.
It was just as well that none of them believed him when he said that. It would look better if the tears were genuine.
-----
The wands were confiscated, and a new family portrait was taken, to replace the one on Celestina’s mantle. The family huddled together as he took the photo. His mask was visible in the mirror placed strategically in view behind them.
He left them in their home, calmer and more sedate than before -- save the child, who still had large tears rolling down its face. His curse would last as long as he wanted it to, as an assurance that he got what he wanted out of the deal. If she refused to comply, there were a great many things he could do to them in retribution. A great many things he could make them do to each other.
But if she caved like he thought she might -- well, they could be free. It was her choice.
-----
The magic to turn the new portrait into a one-way window into her world was more challenging, but his father had been teaching him how to modify art and turn it life-like since he was a boy, what enchantments to use to create a portrait that could shift and move. Hours later, he stepped away from his handiwork. All he really needed this time was to see her reaction to his gift.
Sitting beside the frame on the mantle was a letter that reminded her that there was a time-limit on the rest of their lives if she continued to be difficult. If she didn’t do as was requested of her.
And then he watched, and waited.
Her face gave nothing away at first: she entered her home as she always did, set down her bag, took off her coat. She went into the kitchen and that was when he lost sight of her. Fifteen minutes later, she entered the sitting room again. That was the moment he’d been waiting for.
The cup she was holding dropped from her hands and shattered on the floor.