Theseus made a point to waylay his mother before she started an outright interrogation the second she saw Melody's ring. Out of all of them, she had been the one who would have eagerly strangled Leta Lestrange for betraying her son.

"Mother, a word."

"If this is about Newt's new love..."

"She's an Obscurial," Theseus interrupted.

Cold shock filled her features.

"Are you sure?"

"I performed the diagnostic charm myself. She's mostly stable, though I suspect that Newt is playing a very strong part in keeping her that way."

Obscurials were dangerous and if provoked could expose them all. So the idea of Newt marrying one left her with trepidation in her heart.

"Can we trust her?"

"From what I've been able to ascertain, she's more terrified of him betraying her rather than the other way around," said Theseus after a moment.

He hadn't really spent much time around her, but he recognized the look in her eyes. Someone had betrayed her before, someone close. It was clear to him she was as damaged as any one of Newt's "creatures", and that he was a vital part in rehabilitating her. She would no more betray him than she would hurt him.

Though considering her animagus form, Theseus had the sneaking suspicion that if Melody ever encountered Leta Lestrange that the other witch would be confronted with a very pissed off dragoness all too willing to roast her for hurting Newt.

So she changed tactics. She wouldn't treat the new love of her youngest son's life as a potential snake like Lestrange had been... but she was determined to discover her intentions towards Newt.

Some time later...

"What are you intentions towards my son?"

Melody froze like a deer in the headlights.

"I... just want to be with him."

"Do you love him?"

"I barely know what romantic love is. However Newt is the first person to actually see me and not some ridiculous mental image he's built up in his head. With him I can actually be myself without having to hide behind some ridiculous mask," she admitted.

"How do I know you won't betray him?"

Like Leta, went unsaid but definitely implied.

Melody lost any sense of timidness and looked her dead in the eye. There was a sense of resolve and steel behind them.

"Let's get one thing straight. I am not some self-serving little fool who has no concept of loyalty. When someone earns my trust to the point I allow my defenses down, they have it for life. The only way I would even consider betraying Newt would be if he were to commit an unforgiveable betrayal of what we have first. I would sooner die than hurt him in that way," said Melody with such conviction that you could feel the weight behind her words.

The older witch stared her down...and found a proud dragoness who hoarded those she loved as fiercely as a goblin hoarded gold.

She had seen how Newt interacted with his chosen fiancee, and had not been found wanting. There was genuine love between them, and it was clear that the young woman before her cared for her son deeply.

There was something that bothered her though.

"Why are you so quick to adopt children not your own? That boy, Credence, is more than old enough to go out on his own."

"Credence is my cousin through the Black family. His father, Pollux, had no issues with leaving a muggle woman pregnant and alone with absolutely no support, and as an unfortunate side effect she grew to hate magic. I merely laid out his available options and fortunately he was willing to come with us, rather than stay with his abusive mother."

"And the little girl?"

"She's a muggleborn who was in a rural village, and they believed her to be a demon simply because she was able to manifest magic. They locked her in a shack when she turned her magic against them... I wasn't about to leave an innocent child in that situation."

It was clear Melody had a vast heart and adored children. She would make a good mother when the time came. Newt was already besotted with her.

"Hmph. In that case I suppose there is only one thing we should talk about then."

"And what's that?"

"When and where to have your wedding, dear."

"What?" said Melody, thrown completely off.

"We are rather protective of Newt, especially after what happened with Ms. Lestrange. I just wanted to be sure you weren't trying to take advantage of my youngest son," she clarified.

"You'll have to arrange things with the Potters," Melody blurted out without thinking.

"I thought your last name was Peverell?"

"Only because I have no desire to be accused of line theft, and because the head of the family has yet to formally recognize me. I am a half-blood after all. Claiming the name of a distant ancestor kept people from bothering me about which family I belonged to while staying true to my roots."

"A sensible witch... I fully approve. If you truly are a Potter then that means we can follow proper protocol for this sort of event."

"If you like, you can borrow Hedwig. She's quite fast, as Newt can attest to," said Melody shyly.

Melody stared at Potter Manor with longing eyes. This was the first time she had ever actually stepped foot in her ancestral home, as the one in her time had been burned to the ground.

Charlus was the first one to help her out of the floo.

"I hate Floo travel. I swear anything that doesn't involve actual flying refuses to agree with me," said Melody annoyed.

"What about apparition?"

"I spent a six month looking up the older ways of instant transportation just to avoid it. Took me a full month before I had that trick down pat," said Melody shuddering.

"Now this I have to see!" said Charlus eagerly.

"Perhaps we should wait until grandfather meets her, little brother."

Melody blinked, and looked past Charlus to a man who she had never met.

"Ah, right. Melody, this is my elder brother Hector. Hector, this is Melody Peverell...soon to be Scamander if that ring on her finger means anything," said Charlus.

"So this is the mystery witch that appeared on the tapestry."

Melody stood before the Potter Patriarch and had to fight the urge to flinch. She had never had to answer to her family before, not without the weight of unreasonable expectations or demands trying to bow her back.

Her eyes met his and for a split second she almost thought he was using Legilmency.

His eyes softened.

"Tell me my dear, what do you know of our family?"

"Next to absolutely nothing. I know more about my paternal grandmother's family and that's only because I spent quite a bit of time hiding in the London Townhouse from idiots who seemed to think I just needed to 'settle down' with a nice witch or wizard to get over the trauma I suffered in the war."

"War?"

"A dark lord who came into power after Grindelwald. Though considering I know most of his personal history, I could just as easily nip that in the bud by adopting him or insuring a decent family takes him in. He had a particular habit of wiping out entire families simply because they refused to support him or opposed him outright."

"Dear gods..." said Hector, eyes wide.

"And his minions, which were originally were called the Knights of Walpurgis but were later known as Death Eaters, took particular enjoyment in torture, rape and murder of those who were born of non-magical families. There were barely four hundred students collectively by the time I was attending, with the numbers only going up by the time I hit third and fourth year," said Melody. "Of course the number of casualties the first go around would have likely been much lower if everyone and their grandmother hadn't waited until Albus bloody Dumbledore got off his arse and left his ivory towers to deal with the issue. He is a horrible wartime general and has no place in the battlefield."

"Albus Dumbledore? The transfiguration teacher?" said Hector confused.

"In my time he was not only the headmaster of the school, but the Supreme Mugwump and the head of the ICW. All because he beat Grindelwald in a duel, after several other witches and wizards had given their lives to wittle down his forces," said Melody in disgust. "The senile fool began to believe that in order for the 'greater good' to become reality, it was acceptable to sacrifice the future and innocence of a single child when a prophecy became known. After all, what was one little girl in the face of thousands of magical children born to the English enclaves? And because he was Albus Dumbledore, the defeater of Grindelwald, no one dared to challenge his decisions."

Solemn silence.

"And of course, once the current dark lord was defeated, who better to place the same burden of responsibility than the child who managed to rid them of the one terrorizing them for several decades?" spat Melody. "They were so eager to throw accolades onto a traumatized witch who hadn't even finished schooling because she was too busy trying to save their collective hides and who had never been given a chance to truly be a normal child, much less a teenager. It was expected of me that I would become an Auror, that I would marry an 'acceptable' wizard and start popping out heirs while taking up the same ridiculous expectations that they had given Dumbledore. After all, I was his protoge."

"So what did you do?" asked Charlus.

"I holed myself up and started properly reading any book I could get my hands on. I avoided everyone, including my so-called best friends because they were so quick to try and bury what we went through during the war by settling down. But I wasn't like them. I couldn't simply forget, nor could I accept all that I had lost and move on. I believe Newt put it best when he saw my memories... I had been quite literally conditioned from early childhood to act as a martyr for 'the greater good' by everyone around me. Whether it was knowingly or accidental," said Melody tiredly. "If it hadn't been for Newt finding me after the accident with the time turner, I would have avoided the magical enclaves entirely or become a minor menace to Ministries everywhere trying to keep the Statute a secret."

"Does this have anything to do with the annoyed look Theseus gave Newt when I came over?" asked Charlus.

"It was Newt's idea, especially when he found out what my animagus form was! I simply humored him. Their reaction was hilarious."

"Okay, now I have to see what caused Theseus to look like that when I asked how Newt introduced you to the family."

"We'd have to go outside if you want to properly meet Maleficent."

"...Isn't that the name of the sorceress from the muggle fairy tale involving a girl who falls into an enchanted sleep via a spindling wheel?" asked Hector.

"Oh good, so I don't have to explain the reference!" chirped Melody.

The expression on the Potter's faces when they saw Maleficent was almost as hilarious as the one the Scamander's had. The only difference was that she hadn't scared the crap out of them in the process.

It didn't take much for the Potters to add Credence and Angel to the family tapestry, even if the lines clearly indicated they were adopted.

On the plus side, there were zero objections to her marrying Newt. The fact they were willing to supply Melody with a home for her and Newt to call theirs whenever they visited England was a nice surprise.

Credence looked at his new wand almost reverently. He was registered as a 'home-schooled' student, though he was a very quick with practicals. It was the written work he had trouble with.

Though he restricted his spellwork to the designated practice room. Because of his bloodline, he had a real knack for battle magic, hexes and curses.

However where his true passion lay, oddly enough, was herbology and potion making. He found it very soothing to work in the greenhouses for hours on end and just letting his thoughts unwind. Plants didn't judge you, and potions was like a mixture of chemistry and cooking. So long as you knew how to follow basic recipes, you could create all sorts of things.

It went unsaid that with guardians like Newt and Melody, he also had a love of creatures. One of the kneazles had already claimed the awkward teen as hers, and would jump on his shoulder to coil around his neck. The first few times Credence had been very startled, but now he barely registered her presence at all.

He tentatively named her Aria, in honor of his 'big sister' as Melody insisted he call her. She wasn't trying to replace his mother and she acted like a cheerful older sibling anyway.

This was his first ever wand, and now he wouldn't have to keep borrowing the family wands to practice his magic.

The room he originally thought was for punishment had quickly turned into a godsend. He could go in there when he was frustrated at his progress in getting to where he should have been, let everything out, and come out with a calmer head to try again.

It helped. Immeasurably.

Being able to openly exercise his frustrations in a controlled manner, to destroy without being reprimanded or told off and let everything out without fear... it gave him a sense of control he hadn't realized he was sorely lacking. And Melody did more that simply teach him magic. She taught him how to think and patiently explained why certain magics were to be avoided or had to be handled with care and patience. She was the one to instill a love of the earth and growing things.

Weeding might be tedious, but it was also relaxing because he didn't have to think and allowed his mind to unwind.

Melody smiled with understanding.

"It's intoxicating isn't it? To finally have a proper outlet tuned specifically to you. It gives you a freedom quite unlike anything else."

Credence clutched his wand tightly.

"And it's all yours," said Melody.

All his. The very words made Credence giddy, because Melody had offered him more than simply power... she had given him freedom, acceptance and the love of a family.