Chapter 223 - Claret

In a home near Nottingham, a very petite witch anxiously stares at the elaborate clock sitting on the mantelpiece. Her light-colored eyes are narrow as she anxiously twists the silver goblin forged wedding band on her right hand. Trying to stop herself from fidgeting she brushes tendrils of mousy flaxen hair from her face.

Taking a deep breath, the petite witch named Claret rises to her feet. Murmuring to herself in an effort to calm herself down, Claret says, "He is just running late. It must be an important job that required his services."

Claret unconsciously bites her lip revealing slightly crooked teeth, "But Urlort always sends word via his owl."

Still muttering to herself, Claret wraps her arms around her herself in an attempt to console herself as she loudly hears the ticking of the clock in the background. "It must be very important. Yes, that must be it." Claret tried to convince herself to very little avail.

Glancing up at the clock again Claret sees the minute hand barely move in a twitch of the minute past. Trying to ignore the growing panic and worry in her stomach, Claret trots across the rich Persian carpets that had been gifted to her by mother-in-law for their marriage home.

Her mother-in-law had been vehemently opposed to Claret and her only son's marriage. But after their first child had been born, her mother-in-law had quickly changed her mind. Even Claret found it strange how rapidly their relationship had transformed practically overnight. With her mother-in-law no longer trying to veto her, Claret and her mother-in-law to their own great surprise became friends. It was quite the shock to both of them, but something which Urlort often smiled in amusement which made both women scowl fiercely back at him.

Claret paused at the nursery door and carefully opened it just a crack lest the light trickle in and awaken the children. Inside two children's beds, two tiny flaxen colored heads could be seen peeking up from under the warm covers. A tinge of fierce love can be felt as she smiles lovingly at her two sons, Iarx and Ilx. Her eldest was going on six, while her youngest was two.

Claret felt a faint stab of pain in her heart as she recalled her husband's pleased expression after their birth and how he commented on how glad he was that they took after her rather than himself. Claret felt a great pang of sadness for her husband at that moment.

They'd met at Gringotts, where she had joined the bank as a rare wizarding accountant and he a Goblin Clerk. To both of their shock, Claret had fallen in love with the goblin and Urlort with the witch. Urlort's mother had vigorously opposed as a great-aunt of hers had once married a wizard by the surname of Flitwick. And despite the fact that said marriage had been rather successful and had eventually led to the birth of the present Professor of Charms at Hogwarts, Professor Filius Flitwick, the wizarding world was not kind to children of mixed creature heritages. But even more so wizarding children as they tended to be rather cruel to those having a mixed heritage.

However, despite the growing concerns of Urlort's mother, Urlort had asked Claret to marry him. It had been the happiest day of her life. Claret's happy smile slips as the memory of her own family. Her brothers and sister had accused her of being a goblin slut. While her father and mother had stated that she was dishonoring the family by marrying a magical creature.

To which Claret protested that she was a half-blood herself and that her parents promised that she could wed anyone she chose! However, her parents pointedly replied, that if she could marry a muggle, and they would not protest. But that she simply could not marry a goblin! In the end, they gave her an ultimatum it was the family or him. Claret chose Urlort and ever since that day she had never darkened her parent's door and nor they had her home.

Claret blinked and shook herself out of her reverie. Closing the door as quietly as possible, Claret shuffled back down the hall and back the way she came. Pointedly ignoring the clock on the wall, she much more calmly made her way to three tiny silver cases with a glass top. And inside each glass case was a sharp tiny tooth.

Goblin mothers would collect the first fallen tooth of their child and place it inside an enchanted silver, goblin forged case. According to goblin tradition and her mother-in-law, the teeth of goblin children would remain intact as long as they were safe and sound. And despite the fact that at that time her mother-in-law had unhappily explained the tradition and handed over the silver case, it had been a comfort to Claret on the long nights when her husband was away.

Suddenly, Claret lets out a scream at seeing the baby tooth of her husband break into pieces. Letting out a softer wail, Claret rushes to the hearth and tosses sparkly floo powder in, "Bogrod!"

Instantly the flames turn green as a tiny elderly goblin teller head could be seen peeking through the flames. "Claret?" Bogrod tiredly croaked. "It is rather late. What is wrong?"

Claret bursts into tears and babbles unable to make sense. Bogrod sighed and said, "I am coming over, my dear."

Already dressed for bed, Bogrod emerged from the green flames in slippers and warm nightclothes. "Well?" Bogrod asked the wife of his sister's son.

Claret merely sobbed louder as she pointed at the silver cases on the stand. Bogrod exhaled rather loudly at her hysterics and walked over to the tiny silver boxes. Bogrod suddenly froze at seeing the tooth of his nephew broken into pieces.

With his heart pounding with growing concern, Bogrod whirls around. "Where is Urlort, Claret?"

"He-," Claret loudly sobbed, "-never came home."

Bogrod frowned with great worry as he himself had seen his nephew exit the bank and head home. Bogrod hid his fear and said, "Take the children and go to Urlaa's home. I will search for him at Gringott's and speak to others. Go now, I will wait, child."

Drying her tears on her sleeve lest she frightens the children, Claret hastily took out her wand and rushed away to the nursery. Whilst Claret packed an overnight bag for herself and the children, Bogrod woke his sister by shouting into her floo.

The sleepy and rather cranky elderly goblin woman soon appeared into view. "Well, what is it?! It better be important, Bogrod!" Urlaa growled through the green flames as hair curlers could clearly be seen in her thick white hair.

"Urlort's first tooth broke," Bogrod gravely said.

Urlaa went rather pale as she stammered, "How?!"

"I do not know," Bogrod gravely confessed. "But Claret is fraught with worry as Urlort never returned home from Gringott's."

"He could be working late," Urlaa optimistically chocked out.

"Urlaa," Bogrod gravely said. "The Goblin King has been rather concerned ever since the Goblin Auction. And there are wild rumors that a successful attempt on a vault was made. Which I believe true as the famous alchemist, Nicolas Flamel is dead and the security on the vaults has dramatically increased. Even the teller desks are now covered with strong enough wards capable of blocking all but the strongest curses and spells."

Bogrod paused at seeing his sister looking about to faint. "I do not wish to frighten nor alarm you, Urlaa, but I fear that Urlort has run into something afoul."

Bogrod is saved from a reply as Claret can be seen carrying the two children in her arms thanks to a light-weight charm placed on them. The flaxen children though on the smaller side of things sleepily protest as she softly hums to them causing them to settle back down in her arms. The two boys largely resemble their witch mother except for their slightly tan skin, slanted eyes, somewhat pointed ears, and slightly sharp baby teeth that are their physical inheritances from their goblin father.

"Go on, Urlaa is waiting for you, my dear," Bogrod gestured to the open flames.

Urlaa nods at her daughter-in-law and steps back from the flames as Claret nods her head in thanks to Bogrod and steps into the green flames. With a whirl, Claret vanishes into the green flames and towards her mother-in-law's home; where the two women will anxiously wait for news, while the two children remain sound asleep unaware of the concerning ongoing around them.