Two days after his arrival on U.S. soil, Aurelian Gaunt stood with his hands in his coat pockets in front of the imposing facade of the Woolworth Building in the heart of New York City.
Against all odds, he went to the meeting alone. Hestia and Flora had decided to stay in the presidential suite of the ultra-luxurious Muggle hotel they'd booked, enjoying all the amenities, treatments, spa services, and extravagances that room service had to offer. They'd concluded that international politics and business were far too boring for a honeymoon, giving Aurelian the perfect space to operate.
Aurelian walked through the building's revolving doors and, crossing the imperceptible magical barrier that separated the Muggle world from the wizarding world, entered the headquarters of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, better known as MACUSA.
He stood there for a second, gazing at the immense lobby in awe. The interior was an architectural masterpiece. Everything was designed in an opulent, grandiose Art Deco style, with tall marble pillars in shades of black and gold accents that made everything gleam. The vaulted ceiling was overwhelmingly high, enchanted to display a magical sky that changed colors, and in the center of the lobby stood a colossal clock that indicated the country's magical threat level.
The air was buzzing with activity. Instead of the classic flying paperwork typical of Great Britain, hundreds of copper pneumatic tubes crisscrossed the walls and the air, sending messages at breakneck speed between the various departments. Aurors in leather coats and wizards in elegant 1920s suits hurried along under the watchful gaze of the golden statues that adorned the premises.
Aurelian walked over to what appeared to be the main reception area. A witch wearing glasses was sealing some scrolls behind the counter.
"Good morning," Aurelian greeted her politely. "I have a meeting scheduled with President Sam MacDuff at this time."
The witch looked up, ready to ask for his wand for the visitor log, but when their eyes met, she paused. She studied him for a moment and, immediately recognizing the sharp features and unmistakable eyes that had graced the front pages of newspapers worldwide, gave him a respectful smile.
"Of course. There's no need to announce your arrival—they were expecting you," the witch said in a professional tone, pointing toward the back of the lobby. "Please go straight to the main elevator and go up to the top floor."
Aurelian nodded.
"Thank you very much."
"Good luck with your meeting, Mr. Gaunt," the witch said, nodding as she took her leave.
Aurelian crossed the lobby, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor. After a quick, dizzying ascent, the doors opened, revealing an elegant hallway leading to a single office at the far end.
Upon entering the huge, bright office, the first thing he noticed was the gigantic window offering a spectacular panoramic view of New York City. Standing in front of the glass, gazing out at the Muggle city, was the current president of MACUSA, Sam MacDuff.
Hearing the door, the president turned around. He was a sturdy wizard with a charismatic presence and a shrewd gaze. Upon seeing his guest, MacDuff opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, wearing an affable smile.
"Mr. Gaunt! Come in, come in, please have a seat. It's a real pleasure to have you here in North America; I was wondering when you'd arrive," MacDuff greeted him, stepping toward him.
Aurelian shook his hand firmly.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. President. Thank you for the invitation."
MacDuff gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk and then walked over to a small bar cabinet in the corner.
"Would you like something to drink?" asked the president, displaying a wide variety of American-made bottles. "I have an excellent Kentucky bourbon from 1855, or if you'd prefer something milder…"
"The bourbon will be perfect, thank you," Aurelian agreed, settling into his chair.
MacDuff poured two glasses with a couple of ice cubes that clinked against the glass and handed one to Aurelian before taking a seat behind his desk.
"I'll be frank with you, Lord Gaunt. I've wanted to meet you face-to-face and speak with you for a long time," MacDuff began, taking a small sip of his drink. "Gauntcorp has expanded its operations across our country at a ridiculously rapid pace. Your potions and artifacts are everywhere. But what I find truly fascinating… are the multimillion-dollar investments you yourself have made in dozens of Muggle companies. Companies that, interestingly enough, are proving to be a huge financial success globally right now."
Aurelian raised an eyebrow, pausing with his glass before bringing it to his lips. That definitely caught his attention. Not many wizards in Great Britain bothered to track Muggle bank accounts, but Americans had always been more paranoid, whether they were magical or not.
"Is MACUSA interested in the business dealings of non-magical people in its own country, Mr. President?" Aurelian asked, cautiously testing the waters.
The president burst out laughing, a deep laugh that filled the office.
"My friend, when your society shares space with a superpower that manufactures bombs capable of wiping entire cities off the map, you must always be alert to everything happening around you. Ignorance is the first step toward extinction."
Aurelian nodded slowly, taking a sip of his bourbon. The liquor burned pleasantly down his throat.
"That's very wise of you. A philosophy with which I fully agree."
Sam MacDuff rose from his chair, resting his hands on the desk.
"Don't get me wrong—I have absolutely no problem with your investments. It's your money and your vision. It's just that… it's extremely rare to see a wizard from one of Europe's oldest families so deeply interested in the world of non-wizards."
Aurelian looked him in the eye, maintaining a perfectly serene and enigmatic expression.
"You could say that, by a twist of fate, I grew up between the two worlds, Mr. President. I learned to see the value and the danger in both."
MacDuff seemed satisfied with that cryptic answer. He sat back down, shifting the focus of the conversation to the true purpose of the meeting.
"Very well, moving on to purely magical matters," MacDuff continued, interlacing his fingers. "Would you be interested in helping our school, Ilvermorny, incorporate its famous 'Arcane Patterns' into its official curriculum?"
Aurelian blinked, genuinely surprised by the suddenness of the proposal.
"Of course, no problem at all," Aurelian replied immediately, flashing a broad smile. "In fact, the main idea behind the creation and publication of the Patterns was always for everyone to know them, learn them, and evolve with them."
Sam MacDuff clapped once, looking immensely relieved, and thanked him with a nod.
"I am immensely grateful, Lord Gaunt. I must confess that this will lift a great weight off our shoulders," admitted the president, leaning forward. "It turns out that many of the Squibs in our country managed to get their hands on several copies of your research and are already using them on their own. It has been such a massive and sudden phenomenon that MACUSA had to create an entirely new government division just to incorporate, register, and regulate them within our society. Formalizing this at Ilvermorny will give us the control we need."
Aurelian smiled to himself, feeling a surge of triumph. The magic and theory he had developed with Argus were already changing the very structure of society on another continent. The Squibs were rising up, just as they had planned.
They spoke for another hour, going over the logistics of implementing the Arcane Patterns, signing trade agreements, and ensuring that everything was protected under strict North American magical laws.
When the meeting concluded and Aurelian had left the office, Sam MacDuff was left alone.
The president of MACUSA stood up, walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking New York City, and smiled slightly. He poured himself another drink straight from the bottle of bourbon, gazed at the amber-colored liquid, and remarked to himself in the silence of his office.
"That boy… Aurelian Gaunt really is a most peculiar and interesting wizard. Fortunately, it seems we have him on our side—I thank magic for that."
Aurelian returned to the luxurious Muggle hotel a couple of hours later, leaving behind the hallways and bureaucracy of MACUSA.
As he opened the door to the presidential suite, a warm atmosphere and the soft sound of splashing water immediately caught his attention. He took off his coat and walked toward the sound until he reached the room's private, covered terrace. There, beneath the afternoon sun streaming through the skylight overlooking Central Park, was a spectacular swimming pool.
And inside it, swimming with the grace of two mermaids, were his wives.
Hearing his footsteps, Hestia and Flora stopped. Their faces lit up when they saw him arrive. Both nimbly climbed out of the water and ran toward him, throwing themselves into his arms.
Aurelian burst out laughing, not caring in the least that the water was soaking his clothes. He welcomed them with open arms, hugging them tightly to his chest and kissing each one on the head.
"Welcome home, my love," Hestia greeted him, resting her chin on his chest to look up at him. "How did your meeting with those politicians go? Sorry, with MACUSA."
Aurelian stroked their backs, his shoulders completely relaxed.
"Everything went pretty well, actually," he told them calmly. "President MacDuff simply wanted to clarify some logistical and legal details so that the Arcane Patrons could be officially included in Ilvermorny's curriculum and begin to be taught to the younger generations of this country."
Flora tilted her head, brushing a strand of her dark hair out of her face.
"That's interesting… I thought the meeting would be about other things, like Gauntcorp's monopoly or trade regulations," Flora murmured, shrugging it off. "But I guess that's fine. The more people who rely on your magic, the better for us."
Putting political and business matters aside, a mischievous sparkle suddenly flashed in Flora's eyes. She let out a soft, playful giggle, took a step back, and crossed her arms, accentuating her figure.
"Changing the subject to truly important matters, Aurelian…" Flora said, biting her lower lip. "What do you think of how these strange Muggle swimsuits look on us?"
Hestia nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with her sister. With a flirtatious smile, Hestia slowly turned in a circle, strutting her stuff and showing off all her assets in the afternoon light.
Aurelian remained silent for a moment, letting his gaze wander from head to toe. The twins had taken advantage of his absence to go shopping in New York's boutiques and had chosen some beautiful, daring two-piece swimsuits in black and emerald green, which contrasted perfectly with the paleness of their skin and highlighted every curve of their bodies.
Feeling his mouth go a little dry, Aurelian took a step toward them. He raised his hands and tenderly caressed their cheeks.
"You look gorgeous," he whispered, looking into their eyes with an intensity that made them shiver. "You are, without a doubt, the two most beautiful women in the whole world."
Hearing his words, the twins' usual pride melted away. They both smiled from ear to ear, blushing deeply at their beloved's compliment.
They didn't wait a second longer. Hestia and Flora grabbed him firmly by the arms and began pulling him toward the edge of the pool.
"Then go change and get in the water with us!" Hestia demanded, laughing.
"The water's perfect, and you've left us alone for way too long!" Flora added, pulling him hard.
Aurelian smiled, giving in to their demands.
Minutes later, having stripped off his clothes and donning his own swimsuit, he plunged into the warm water alongside them. They spent the afternoon laughing, playing in the water, kissing, and sipping glasses of champagne—without a thought for conspiracies, Grindelwald, or the secrets of governments.
Aurelian closed his eyes for a moment, feeling Hestia wrapped around his back and Flora resting against his chest. He took a deep breath, feeling at peace. After all, that was exactly why he'd gone on vacation—to finally enjoy his own perfect honeymoon.
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