"I agree, now, what about the price, Gul'dan?"
Gul'dan?
Seraphina blinked. Who in Merlin's beard is Gul'dan?
She cleared her throat politely and reminded Garfield, "My name is Seraphina. Seraphina Picquery. I'm not… Gul'dan."
"In my eyes," Garfield replied without hesitation, "You and Gul'dan are the same."
Seraphina stared at him, baffled. "And who exactly is Gul'dan?"
Garfield's ears twitched. "A pitiful, hateful fool who struck a deal with the devil. Died. Then got used by others even after death."
"(⊙o⊙)… Oh." Seraphina had no idea what to do with that. "I've never heard of this person. What era is he from?"
Garfield's tone dropped, resonant voice coming through his small feline body.
"Seraphina Picquery, remember what I say, deals with devils never end well."
"Meow(ノw.)ノ))☆ Meow." He flicked his tail dramatically and turned away.
After taking two steps, he paused, seemed to reconsider, then looked back. "I'm going to Tina's house to check on my servants. Come back tomorrow night. Bye-bye."
Before Seraphina could protest, Garfield trotted out of the interrogation room, down the corridor, and into the elevator of the Magical Congress.
The first-floor atrium was buzzing with activity.
Garfield wrinkled his nose, Queenie's scent was nearby. To avoid Seraphina noticing he could teleport inside MACUSA, he exited the building properly and walked toward High Claw Pawnshop.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
As soon as Garfield stepped inside, Baima rushed forward and scooped him into a hug, rubbing her cheek against the top of his head.
"Master Garfield, you're back!"
"Mm. Baima-dear, I'm back. Everything alright these days?"
"Nothing unusual happened," Baima reported. She glanced around. "Sister Queenie isn't here, Lilith and Vivienne went with her."
Garfield's ears perked. "And the shop?"
"No customers except man named Rogers. He looked around and left."
"Oh? Rogers? Blond hair?"
"Yes."
"If he comes again, ask whether he needs help. Within reason, he's… someone I'm cultivating."
"As you wish, Master."
Garfield settled comfortably between her arms and slept soundly against her. A moment later the door opened, Queenie returned with the succubus sisters, bags of groceries floating behind her.
"Master Garfield," Lilith and Vivienne said in unison.
Queenie scooped Garfield into a warm embrace. "Garfield, how was the prison? Was Grindelwald scary?"
"Grindelwald? Irritable, but manageable. What's for dinner?"
"Salmon."
"Give me the biggest portion."
"Of course." Queenie laughed softly.
When the shop closed, the family apparated home. Queenie began preparing dinner while Baima stayed near Garfield, and the succubus sisters stood obediently at attention.
Tina arrived home, exhausted from a full day of work at MACUSA. She already knew Grindelwald's magic had gone berserk and that Garfield had been released temporarily so seeing him on the couch didn't surprise her.
"Hello, Garfield," she sighed, dropping her coat.
"Hello, Tina. Rough day?"
"Don't even start. A dark wizard was protesting the Statute of Secrecy and causing havoc everywhere. We finally caught him."
Garfield's tail flicked lazily. "Tina, if you ask me, your Statute is nonsense."
"You can't hide forever. Sooner or later, the No-Majs will find out. You don't need to expose yourselves to them, but maintaining stable relations between the two worlds is the smartest path."
Tina actually paused. She considered it. "I'll bring it up to the Minister when I~"
"No," Garfield interrupted firmly. "I'm not asking you to bring it up. I'm telling you the truth. And your current rank isn't high enough to push something that big."
Tina frowned. "Why not?"
Garfield's eyes gleamed. "It's not Tina time yet."
Tina frowned. "Then… when is it Tina time?"
Garfield only flicked his tail. He didn't tell her the truth, that Grindelwald would one day lead a wave of wizards into chaos across Europe, forcing the magical world to confront why everything had fallen apart.
That only after unimaginable loss would the wizarding world finally attempt meaningful reform.
He spared her the price as well… Years of disorder. Innocents caught in the crossfire.
Europe drowning in conflict until 1945.
Since Garfield refused to answer any further, Tina sighed and let it go. Fatigue pulled her attention away from political questions, and the smell of Queenie's cooking carried her straight to the dinner table.
Dinner, as always, was wonderful. Queenie's cooking remained Garfield's weakness, and tonight everyone ate with warm hearts and full bellies.
Later, with his stomach pleasantly heavy, Garfield remembered something. It had been a long time since he'd seen little Steve.
He slipped away to visit him, drifting quietly to the Rogers home to check on the boy's condition.
Steve was still the same thin, small but better than the version in the original timeline. The business had stabilized the family's income, and with the help of the Rogers couple, things had improved.
New York's troublemakers were under control, and the little household felt steadier than before.
Except for one thing.
Fate never changed easily.
Steve was sick again.
His parents were overwhelmed, leaving his loyal friend James Barnes, Bucky, to care for him in the hospital.
Steve lay on the bed receiving an IV infusion while Bucky sat beside him, watching over him like a hawk.
"Hey… sorry to bother you with this again," Steve murmured.
"Steve, don't be ridiculous," Bucky said, rolling his eyes. "We're brothers. If something happened to me, you'd help me too."
Steve straightened, thin chest puffing earnestly. "Bucky, if anything ever happens to you, I swear I'll save you, even if it costs me my life."
Bucky's expression softened into a smile. "See? So stop thanking me."
"And honestly, if it weren't for your parents helping my family, we'd be in far worse shape."
"Hahaha!"
"Ahahahaha!"
The room filled with uncomplicated joy.
Garfield watched from the shadows and wiped the corner of his eye.
This… this was love.
Wait, no. Friendship! Yes, obviously friendship.
The bond between Steve Rogers and James Barnes was something that would one day cross time and dimensions.
Once Steve fell asleep, Garfield quietly pulled him into a pocket dimension, whispered encouragement, and strengthened the boy's resolve. Steve needed spirit as much as medicine.
As for Bucky… Garfield chose not to interact with him yet.
When everything was settled, Garfield returned to Tina's place. Since the cat hadn't been home in over ten days, Tina assumed he badly needed a bath.
She carried him to the bathroom without giving him any say in the matter.
Garfield stretched into the warm water, limbs floating, as enchanted soaps and brushes drifted around him, scrubbing diligently.
Magic was convenient. Showers, teeth brushing, you didn't even need to lift a paw. A simple wand wave did everything.
And if one were truly lazy, a single spell…
"Scourgify."
…handled it instantly.
That night, Garfield slept better than he had in days.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
After dinner the following day, Tina sent Garfield back to MACUSA.
He padded through the lobby, rode the elevator down to the prison level, and walked the long, quiet corridor to Grindelwald's cell.
The guards gave him strange looks, but Garfield ignored them and slipped through the cat-sized opening in the door.
The moment he stepped inside.
"Orange cat," Grindelwald drawled, "You're finally back."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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