I loved reading this! Very seasonal, too, as Harry mentioned. :) An interesting twist on the creature-mate thing. I thought it was very well-written, and I loved your comparison of working with the wards to a spoon penetrating old honey. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the idiom "ended in a crescendo", but that's a personal thing. (Yes, I know that through common usage that "crescendo" is now also taken to mean "climax", but call me old-fashioned.) Thanks for the great read!