His head was starting to pound and burying his face in his hands only helped so much. Blocking out the light did nothing for noise around him and the cacophony inside him. Every option and consequence they brought forward clamored to be heard even over basic ramifications of curse he was still struggling to wrap his head around.

"This is not just about Hogwarts." he barked, suddenly. He was tired of all of their noise but he was especially tired of hearing that. "There's no CLASS for anticipating an unforgivable curse from your FATHER." He was nearly yelling now, too.

"And don’t talk to me about reputation." He set his sights on Robin - Robert - the shadow of an older brother from his memories. Worrying about reputation was almost worse than the murder talk. "He made me a goblin liaison who can't speak goblin. I'm ruined regardless."

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   Elias Grimstone

Mira blinked at Edwin’s outburst, tears prickling at her eyes. This sadness and shock was short lived before she yelled back.

“Well I wouldn’t know that because I didn’t go!” She practically shouted the last part at the top of her lungs.

To Edwin it might have seem stupid to care about Hogwarts, but that has been the one thing she had anticipated before being out under the curse. She hasn’t had much of a life beyond that. No disappointment over not playing Quidditch or not enjoying a society life.

Frankly, she didn’t have much of a life to return to now that she was off the curse, unlike her siblings that all got to live free until early adulthood at least. All she could do with her freedom was mourn the life she could have had.

Feeling the weight of all this, Mira began to cry and curled up in the closest chair.

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“I have a very childlike rage, and a very childlike loneliness.”

- ※ -

"Miranda!" Robin snapped, having run out of patience for all his siblings. "What happened to you is appalling—but you would do well to remember it happened to all of us. If you cannot endure this conversation without harping on about Hogwarts, then go home—or to the Castle, if you cannot abide under the same roof as our father."

"As to a plan, Edwin, you will establish a new account at Gringotts. Do it by post if you must, though I'm very sure every goblin with which I have interacted speaks passable English. I will obtain Father's wand to keep in it for the foreseeable." Robin doubted very much that his own account, or those of any of the siblings, was free from their father's reach if Algernon should return to his full faculties. "You will delegate at work as much as possible until we come up with a longer term plan in that regard."

"Miranda, you are long overdue for a miraculous recovery," Robin allowed, softening slightly, "but it cannot be too much all at once or it will raise suspicion. Seraphina, you will go live your life provided it does not bring negative, undue attention to the family. You have a husband. You have children. Remember that you are not the only one who wound up with both without your assent. And all of us," he continued, "will keep our hands clean to avoid any potential legal repercussions. If Father wakes up and if he retains his faculties, Philip, you will get to addle him so long as you can make it look natural. Have I missed anything, or are we still set upon murder and hysterics?"

— Miranda Rowle Philip Rowle Edwin Rowle Seraphina Bythesea —

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   Edwin Rowle, Seraphina Bythesea

“Well,” Philip said loftily, as every sibling snapped in turn like a set of psychotic dominoes (suddenly he almost felt like the calm one here) and Robin reeled off his master plan like he’d been waiting his whole life to give orders, “that all sounds terrific.”

Any opportunity to addle their father did placate him, ever so slightly – but other than that, Philip gave no indication he’d heard anything of the plan. He had, quite frankly, had enough of his siblings for one day, and he wasn’t prepared to just shut up and fall in line after twenty four bloody years of it. “Good luck with living your lives,” he drawled, heading abruptly for the door Robin had so graciously pointed out to him. “Some of us have places to be.”

He hadn’t decided what he was going to do next – but perhaps it would start with a visit to their father’s bedside.

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   Edwin Rowle, Robert Rowle

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Sera felt as if she were older than Miranda — who was throwing a fit. She listened to Robin's plan. She considered it. She watched, silently, as Flip departed — she ought not to be surprised that he was gone already, given the temper she remembered from his youth — and unfolded her arms.

"Robin," she said, with more affection. "I am very amenable to this plan." Father addled, everyone else left to their own devices — she actually liked it. Perhaps there was a reason that he was eldest.

Seraphina leaned forward. She had woken up to more problems than she expected.

"But I have discovered that my husband believes I have been addled by laudanum these past fifteen years," she added, flushing faintly at the admission. "And I am unsure how he will take to my being a person again. Would one of you —" she looked between Robin and Edwin "— be amenable to a portion of my allowance going into your accounts?"

She swallowed. "I would like to trust my husband," Sera said, "But I have no legal rights. And — as I said, Robin, I like this plan."

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   Aldous Crouch

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set by MJ | adopt a Bythesea!

Much like children , Mira had a hard time feeling that much empathy towards the similar misfortune that had befallen her siblings. She had suffered and she didn't feel like her siblings cared about it enough. If anything, she felt like she was being overlooked. Robin's plan didn't involve her getting any of the life she might have wanted. Did she expect him to miraculously say he'd try everything she was admitted to Hogwarts? Yes. Mira knew, rationally, that this wasn't possible, but she harboured the hope that maybe, it could happen.

Sera was now speaking, asking about bank accounts and legal rights. It was all kind of confusing to Mira, who was anyway too busy sulking in her corner. What she was sure of, was that they would pay more attention to what Seraphina wanted.

She hated them, Mira decided. They were all the worst. Apart from Philip, who at least didn't like this stupid plan.

"I've had enough of people telling me what to do!" Mira declared. "I'll leave you to discuss since you don't want me here anyway Robin!"

And with that, she turned for the fireplace, to floo to the 'Castle'.

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   Elias Grimstone

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“I have a very childlike rage, and a very childlike loneliness.”

- ※ -

Robin's new edicts got and held his attention but garnered little more than an eye roll from Edwin when all was said and done.  It grated on his nerves to have his concern so quickly set aside and be ordered about but as quickly as it had come, the fight in him was gone.  His outburst had sapped what reserves he had and he'd never admit it but it was a relief that someone had something resembling a plan. 

He watched Flip make his grandiose exit as if an explanation of what Robin meant by 'addle' was written on the back of his head.  And then stared at the door that closed behind him as if it could explain how that would fix everything.  Sera's reaction only compounded his feeling of deflation.  If he wanted to fight the plan he'd be fighting it alone.

He opened his mouth to answer but paused to let Mira make her petulant exit without comment.  After a beat and a pointed look at the fireplace he turned back to Sera. "You can deposit in the new one I'll set up." And then with out any forethought he was on his feet and headed for the door. "I'm getting a drink." he muttered. They could find him at the bar if they wanted more from him.

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