And what did you find... Torchwood!

Title:  Arcanum 101
Series:  House of Torchwood
Rating: R/NC-17
Summary: Hogwarts has fallen to the enemy.  Now holed up under the protection of the Cardiff Rift, the team rushes to get things ready for the final battle while old friends and old enemies resurface.  Nothing is as it seems yet it more important than ever for the good guys to prevail.
Pairings: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones; Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams; Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato; Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy; Hermione Granger/Pansy Parkinson; Neville Longbottom/Ginny Weasley; Ron Weasley/Lavender Brown; Blaise Zabini/Luna Lovegood; OCs
Warnings: Male Pregnancy; Semi-Graphic Torture; Parallels to real world history (Nazism & African Slavery) which could be disturbing to some readers
Spoilers: All Torchwood up to S2X06 Reset; Harry Potter up to the end of Goblet of Fire
Disclaimer:  Torchwood is ©2006-2009 British Broadcasting Service Wales (BBC Wales). Harry Potter is ©1997-2007 J. K. Rowling.  Copyrighted material is used without permission with no intention of profit from the works contained herein.
Author's Notes:  I totally blame this story on my beta, bookwrm89, and her cohort, cjharknessgirl. Also special thanks to merucha for her assistance and many head smacks on getting this done. This story is the third in the House of Torchwood trilogy following A Kind of Magic and Where the Road Diverges.  For purposes of this story, all events after Torchwood episode 2x06 Reset and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire should be disregarded and are not relevant to this story.

 

* CHAPTER FOURTEEN *

Holding Stephen’s hand in one of his, Ianto led Gwen from the dining room. They reached the main stairs and he looked back to be certain Tosh was coming. Shaking his head at Gwen’s newest rant, this one about what she could possibly wear, Ianto just led the way up two flights of stairs, past her suite and to the smaller hidden staircase which led up into the attics. Dropping Gwen and Stephen’s hands, he pulled out his wand and cast a soft lumos spell. He grinned down at Stephen when the boy murmured ‘cool’ at him.

“Ianto?” Gwen asked. “What’s this?”

“The attic stairs,” Ianto replied. “If I’m right, and I usually am, we’ll find something suitable for you to wear up here.” He started up the stairs and grinned back at her. “You’ll find that almost all of the old blood wizarding families have a bit of pack rat in them. Playing in the attics amongst all the stuff my ancestors left behind was one of the highlights of my early childhood.” He grinned at the two women before letting the grin fade to a conspiratorial smile. “The Parkinsons were and are very rich, Gwen. I can almost guarantee we’ll find things by Chanel and Mainbocher up here among others.”

“Well, what are we waiting on then?” Gwen started up the stairs and was soon squeezing past him only to call back. “Hey, where are the lights?”

“It’s a wizarding house, Gwen,” Ianto called back. He shared a laughing look with Tosh who surprised him by pulling a small, but powerful torch out of her trouser pocket and flicking it on. Shaking his head, he again offered Stephen a hand and headed up the last of the stairs to join Gwen on the attic landing. Silently, he strengthened his lumos spell and scanned the attic looking for the usual wardrobes and trunks which would most likely have women’s clothing packed in them. He stood there looking for a while, sighed, and muttered, “Dammit.” He looked down at Stephen, considered and shrugged a bit before calling “Mipsy!” The house elf popped into the massive attic before him with a soft pop. He chuckled at Stephen’s softly muttered “cool” and squeezed his shoulder in acknowledgement.

“Yes, Master Ianto?” Mipsy asked.

“I need a favor, Mipsy,” Ianto said. “Somewhere in this attic I’m certain there is a dress suitable for Gwen to wear for her wedding,” he explained. “And one for Tosh to wear as her attendant. Could you find them something for me, make certain it’s clean and bring it down to Gwen’s room, please?”

“Of course, sir,” Mipsy said. She snapped her fingers and several other elves appeared in the room, including Dobby who got whapped with Mipsy’s wooden spoon. “You don’t belong here, Dobby. This is a job for women elves,” she ordered decisively. He popped away, rubbing his head as he went and she nodded firmly before speaking rapidly in house elf to her companions. They ran off into the attics while Mipsy pointed firmly at the stairs. “You go get ready, sir. We’ll have things for the Mistresses soon.”

Ianto nodded and waved to Gwen who was staring intently at a mirror. He shook his head at her, went over and grabbed her arm again. “Come’n, Gwen, you need a bath before the elves bring you a dress to wear,” he said. He watched her eyes widen before she took off at an almost run for the stairs while calling madly for Tosh to come help her. He shook his head again and looked down at Mipsy. “One more thing, Mipsy, could you be certain that Captain Hart gets cleaned up and presentable before attending the wedding?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied before tilting her head, shaking it, and taking off deeper into the attics. “You go on, sir. We’ve got it.”

“Well, grandtad, she certainly knows how to manage you,” Stephen said. He grinned up at Ianto who just shook his head in response.

“Actually, if you want the proper Welsh, it’s tad-cu,” Ianto explained. “And yes, she does. I grew up with house elves. Just like Mica and the new babies will. They always know how to manage their wizards.” He waved a hand toward the staircase. “So, do you want to wear a suit for the wedding or wizarding robes?”

“What are you wearing?” Stephen asked.

Ianto descended the stairs and turned toward Gwen’s suite of rooms. He paused for a moment, leant back against a wall, and shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know yet,” he said. He considered for a long moment. “I’ve lived in both worlds, Stephen,” he said. “So I could do it either way.”

“Can you wear both?”

Ianto blinked at the kid and then laughed. “You are a genius,” he said softly. “Yes, I can. And I never would have thought of doing so either. I think I’ll wear Jack’s favorite suit with a formal robe over top. So, what do you want to wear?”

Stephen shrugged. Ianto wasn’t the least bit surprised by that. The poor kid had been tossed into a strange new world without many explanations. He squeezed Stephen’s shoulder in sympathy. “I’m certain Mipsy can come up with something suitable,” he said. “Let’s go see.”

They walked the rest of the way to the suite. Ianto knocked once and, receiving no answer, eased the door open to look inside. Seeing no one but hearing giggles from the direction of the bath, he pushed the door open and led Stephen into the room. Before he could call for Mipsy, a soft startled sound from Stephen had him turning about to face the boy. He watched, a soft proud smile on his face, as Stephen talked to a young house elf and let the elf dress him in a combination of standard formal wear topped with a wizarding dress robe.

“Do I look okay?” Stephen asked. There was a slight nervous shake in his voice. “Can I show Mom?”

“You look great,” Ianto said. “Go on and show her.”

“Thanks Tad-cu!” 

Stephen ran out the door, robe billowing behind him and Ianto barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he left. A sharp tug to his waistcoat made him look down to see the young elf giving him an expectant look. “Yes?”

“Mipsy says you should get dressed here, sir,” the elf said. “Then come talk to the ladies… she left something suitable for you to give Missy Gwen as a gift from the Heads of House.”

“Of course,” Ianto said. He swiftly changed clothes from his original suit into a dark tone on tone stripe Armani suit paired with a deep raspberry silk shirt. A few deft twists and the tie was knotted and smoothed into place, the waistcoat and jacket shrugged on and settled. With a final tug of the coat, he accepted the small box from the elf who’d been helping him, cracked it open and grinned before heading for the door to the dressing room where he could hear the girls giggling. “Ladies,” he called as he knocked. “You decent? I have presents.”

“Come in, Ianto,” Gwen called.

Ianto stepped into the dressing room and smiled at the two women sharing conspiratorial giggles by the dressing table. Where Tosh was already fully dressed, in a exquisite lilac satin Edith Head gown, Gwen wore a slip and robe while her dress, a gorgeous ruby creation by Balenciaga, lay nearby waiting for her to don it. As he watched, Mipsy worked on Gwen’s hair while Libby worked on her makeup. He crossed the room, conjured up a chair, and sat nearby.

“I have a present for you,” he said softly. He took her hand and set the box he carried in it. “Gwen, as you’re the first daughter in the House to marry,” he paused and swallowed. It was still hard for him to believe he had two, no three stepdaughters who were all older than him. “Well, this is from Jack and I…”

Gwen grinned at him. She looked like one of the kids when they’d seen all the presents earlier that morning. She took the box and used it to wave at first her clothes and then the dress. “I thought all this other stuff was from you, too?”

“Well, that too, but this is different,” Ianto conceded. “Every daughter of the House gets a piece of the family jewelry to mark the ancient traditional occasions. Most commonly that’s coming of age, marriage and childbirth,” he explained.

“You must have a great deal put away,” Tosh said. She was smiling her rare truly happy smile. It lit her up. Ianto hoped they’d see it more often now that she was with Owen. “Four daughters and,” she paused and pointed at his stomach. “Maybe more on the way.”

“Between the Lestrange and Black inheritances, I’ve got plenty,” Ianto said. “I don’t know for certain what Jack has though. Those,” he paused and nodded to the box Gwen was holding. “Well, the bracelet is from Jack’s inheritance. The earrings are from mine.” He gave her an encouraging smile and nodded to the box. “Go on…”

Gwen stared at him for a moment before dropping her gaze to the box. She cracked it open, closed it, and then opened it again to stare at the contents. “Oh, God, oh, God… Tosh, look at these…” she stuttered. “Oh, God, Ianto, I… Oh God…”

“What?” Ianto asked.

“They look so old and real,” she murmured. “Beautiful.”

“Of course they look real,” Tosh said. She lifted the box a bit to get more light on the contents. “They are real. Eighteenth century cameo work though the earrings are French and the bracelet most probably English.”

“Oh my God, Ianto, I can’t…” Gwen trailed off for a moment. “I don’t…”

“Hush,” Ianto murmured. He closed her hand around the box. “You can and you will. It’s tradition, Gwen.”

“You know, I’ve handled aliens, Rifts, and a secret underground base pretty well,” she said. “I’ve even managed the magic, the moving staircases and the pteranodon who shapeshifts, but this…” she trailed off again and waved a hand around the room. “Being adopted by Jack, getting myself a daughter, getting married… it’s scary and wonderful at the same time.” She shook her head at him. “I’m not making sense.”

“You’re making perfect sense.” Ianto chuckled softly at her. “Imagine how I'm feeling... I have three stepdaughters who are all older than me. I'm pregnant. I'm getting married to Jack. And... well, I seem to have acquired a bodyguard from the future." All the women, even the elves, snickered at him and he pouted back which just made them giggle all the more.

“Knowing Jack, it’s been one hell of an experience,” Tosh said when she’d finally calmed again.

“You have no idea,” he replied. He considered her for a moment, shifting in his chair to be more comfortable, and twirled a finger at her. She laughed gaily, stepping away from the dressing table to first turn about and then, with an elegant sweep of her skirts, curtsied to him.   He smiled, thought for a moment and then reached into a pocket to pull out another box which he silently offered her. He watched intently as she opened it and gasped. He didn’t need to look to know that the box contained a perfectly matched East Indian pearl necklace with a sapphire drop and matching earrings.

“Ianto...” she murmured. “You should save this for one of your daughters.”

He shook his head. "You're my best friend, Tosh, and the closest thing I have to a sister,” he replied. “Please, don't protest.”

“Thank you,” Tosh said. As Gwen stood up to don her dress, Tosh took her place in the vanity stool in order to don the jewelry. Ianto stood to help her clasp the necklace.

 

“Ianto, I thought wizarding families tended to be big, but you don’t seem to have any uncles or aunts on the Lestrange side,” Gwen said. Her voice was somewhat muffled by the fabric.

“I have one. Uncle Rastaban is my father’s younger brother,” Ianto said. “On my mother's side I have, had, two aunts, Narcissa, Draco's mother, and Andromeda, Tonk's mother.”

“I wondered, because Ginevra was talking about all her great-uncles and great-aunts and it sounded like a legion!” Gwen said. She laughed a bit as she said it before stepping into her shoes.

“The Weasleys always seemed to breed like rabbits,” Ianto replied. He shook his head and laughed. He kissed Tosh’s cheek and resettled in his chair. “There are lots of them, but the rest of the pureblood families stopped having children when they had an heir to the name.”

“That sounds very aristocratic, the whole male heir thing,” Gwen said. Ianto wondered where she was going with this conversation. “But of yours, you are an aristocrat, aren't you? Title and all?”

Ianto stared intently at her for a long moment. She couldn’t possibly know about the family title. Next to no one knew because none of the family had actually ‘taken’ the title in three generations. The last holder had been his great-grandfather. "Just how do you know about that?" he demanded.

“Well, Ginevra said some of the pureblood families actually had titles, though it was the family name that counted. And then there's all this,” Gwen said. She waved a hand to encompass the house around them. “Everyday folk don't live in places like this!”

Ianto sighed, a bit relieved, and nodded. "The Malfoy's do, did. If Draco hadn't done what he did, he'd be Lord Malfoy now... roughly the equal of an earl." He thought for a bit. "No one in my family has used the title since my great-grandfather passed. The castle wouldn't let them."

“The castle?” Tosh asked. “You mean the building itself?"

Ianto nodded. “Afalglyn consists of the manor house and the castle. All the Lestranges have access to the manor... at least if you're keyed to the wards which I’m not at the moment. But you have to be accepted by the castle. My grandfather, father and uncle are all practioners of the Dark Arts, so the castle wouldn't let them in. Actually, it's not so much as castle as a...” He broke off and sighed. “It's too complicated to explain now.”

“I understand complicated,” she said. Gwen chuckled softly. “So, does Jack have a title?”

"Subtle you are not, Gwen,” Ianto said. “I outrank Jack, if I use the title. I believe the Parkinsons are the equals of Barons.” He thought for a moment, rose from his chair and took a step closer to her. “If I'm ever allowed there again and the estate gives me access, I’d outrank everyone in the wizarding world,” he said quietly. “As my daughter, you'd be a princess.”

Ianto watched the two women. Gwen stared at him in shock, but Tosh was giving him a deeply speculative look. He saw the exact moment Tosh realized what he was saying but not saying.

“Ianto, there are no Welsh lineages left in existence. Except...” Tosh stopped. Her eyes widened just a bit before she dropped into a deep curtsey. "Your Royal Highness,” she said softly.

Ianto blushed, reached out and tugged Tosh up. “Don't...,” he said. “Unless and until I have access to the full extent of the estate, the title doesn't matter.” He smiled at Gwen. “I know you know what my title is, Gwen. I just wish I knew for certain how you know it.”

“I wish I could tell you, but I think I'm...” Gwen drifted off for a moment. “The secret keeper for this family. Does that make sense in your terms?"

Ianto tilted his head and nodded "It does,” he said. “Answer me this then, if you can, is John Hart my 'knight errant'?" She said nothing, but did nod to him. He nodded back and offered her an arm. “Let's get you married. If I ever get the family ring, I promise to take you both out to see Afalglyn." He offered his other arm to a watching Toshiko.

Both women laughed and took his arm. Gwen grinned up at him. “Let’s get you married, too,” she said.

“Not without his proper robes!” Mipsy protested. She raised her wooden spoon threateningly at him.

“I just need to put the outer robe on,” Ianto said. He dropped his head and whimpered softly. “There’s no need to attack me with the spoon.”

Chapter Fifteen