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Magnus was tired. His house was overflowing with Ragnor's things, everything of magical significance and then some things. He himself was overflowing with regret and worry.
He was able to stabilize Ragnor enough to take him to Catarina, and it was when Catarina's strong healing magic covered Ragnor and started healing his best friend that Magnus breathed properly in many minutes. He thought he almost lost him, just because his healing abilities aren't as polished.
Thank Lilith for Catarina, thank Lilith for her unwavering ability to get him and Ragnor out of every trouble they get in.
He should've never taken Clary and Jace to Ragnor; he should've known better, should have contacted Ragnor alone.
Living in what if's is the biggest trouble you can get yourself in Magnus, he can almost hear Ragnor admonishing him. Doesn't help his guilt, though.
Now he's sitting in his living room with Ragnor lying in his bed, in a magically-induced coma by Catarina. She will come by after her shift to check on his wounds and hopefully wake him up. He's supposed to be searching for clues for the Book of the White, but all he can do is replay those terrible moments where he thought he lost Ragnor.
His cabbage is stubborn, way too stubborn to die. He should've known.
---
The sound of a portal snapped Magnus out of his power nap, and he turned around to see Catarina.
"Here to wake him up?" He asked hopefully.
Catarina shook her head. "You're so impatient. Let's see how his wounds are first."
They both stepped into the bedroom where Magnus had put Ragnor. His room was the most comfortable and he wanted his best friend to be as comfortable as his home can be.
He stood back as Catarina worked her magic (great pun, he appreciated in his mind), and in front of his eyes Catarina removed the coma spell.
"It'll take a half hour around for him to fully wake up", Catarina said.
"I'm not completely useless at healing magic, Cat. I know that."
Cat shook her head in exasperation as they both sat at Ragnor's bedside, Magnus conjuring them a glass of wine each.
"After the long ass day we've had, I think we'll both appreciate this."
Catarina nodded her agreement and held up her glass for a cheers.
---
A while passed when Ragnor started moving, and it shook Magnus out of his semi-asleep state. He woke Cat up as Ragnor opened his eyes.
"Why are you both staring at me like I'm in a museum", Ragnor groaned.
"Probably because you almost died, cabbage."
Ragnor's eyes softened in understanding. He, Magnus and Catarina had been together for as long as memory goes, and no matter how stoic he pretended to be, they all knew their relationship was one formed on love and care. After centuries of being together, the thought of one of them gone was unimaginable and disconcerting.
Cat moved forward to hug Ragnor, and soon the trio were clinging to each other on Magnus' bed. No matter the banter, the slightly skewed love between the three, they knew some moments called for cheesy comfort.
This was one of them.
//
Magnus was floating.
Alexander had kissed him. He had stepped down from the altar, went against his mother and kissed him.
He was standing in the ops center with the Shadowhunters and Ragnor, and he could feel Ragnor's 'I told you so' stare burning into his head.
"This bookmark, Magnus. I saw this in the alternate dimension in a book of spells."
Biscuit's voice snapped him out -- he was zoning out a lot these days -- and just as blondie was taking the bookmark for parabatai tracking, Magnus snatched it.
"Warlock tracking is stronger", he hastily explained and Ragnor smirked. That bastard.
As he focused on tracking, the owner of the bookmark slowly became clearer in his mind.
And.
Oh fuck.
"The owner is Camille", Magnus blurted out. Hazily, he could hear Clary exclaiming about her punching Camille in the face, but all he could focus on was the growing dread in the pit of his stomach and Ragnor's stronghold on his shoulders.
It was time to face the music, he thought. The funeral band, more like.
---
Magnus has no idea how he got here, with Camille in his home, Clary and Isabelle having broken her out of the DuMort. He had no doubt Raphael was pissed, and he was even more sure Ragnor didn't know Camille was here. Yet.
He would've been long here, else.
He looked at the writ of transmutation Simon had signed, and was just mourning another person Camille messed up and got away with when he felt her near him.
Standing way too close.
"It's been so long, sweetheart. Did you miss me?"
"I stopped missing you a long time back Camille."
"Oh come on love, don't be like that. You know you always come back to me; I am the only one who can love you. You're difficult, you know."
It stung, but Magnus held onto the memory of Alec's kiss and the hope that Ragnor would soon be here.
"You wouldn't know love if it punched you in the face, Camille."
"And you think you know it? You've found it?"
Magnus' hesitation gave Camille her answer.
"Oh Maggie, you reek of a newfound crush. Who is it? It wouldn't be any of the Shadowhunters currently coming here, would it? Definitely not the one slightly gushing about seeing you after the kiss?"
And before Magnus could respond, Camille had turned him around and latched her lips onto his.
Magnus didn't register anything, not Alec and Isabelle entering the room. Not Isabelle's shocked gasp, not Simon's confused noise, not Clary's indignation.
He definitely couldn't see Alec's angry and slightly hurt face.
All he knew that Camille had turned to suck on his neck, and he did hear Simon's whimper as he felt Camille's fangs sink in.
How did he get here?
Isabelle was pissed, her brother was angry at Magnus for betraying his trust. Simon didn't know how to tell them that Camille was sucking Magnus' blood and Magnus was too out of it now.
The next thing either of them noticed was a portal opening and Raphael and Ragnor stepping in.
With a quiet dios mio, Raphael ran to pull Camille off of Magnus while Ragnor caught his friend. He cursed at the amount of blood flowing from his friend's neck and sent an SOS signal to Cat, who stepped in through a portal not two minutes later.
Raphael had a hissing Camille cornered, while the Shadowhunters still struggled to process the situation. Cat started healing Magnus.
In his fugue state, Magnus could hear Raphael and Clary fighting over taking Camille back to the DuMort as Ragnor contained her.
"She just sucked him dry, you Shadowhunter bitch. What, you want me to let her free so she can do it again just because you cannot see beyond your own self?"
Clary narrowed her eyes as Alec and Isabelle stepped in between her and the vampire.
"Raphael we'll take care she doesn't--"
"You don't say a word", Raphael cut Isabelle off.
"After what you did, you're lucky you're still standing here, alive and intact."
Alec growled at the threat to his sister but before he could ask for an explanation to Raphael's words, he heard a growl as Camille freed herself from Ragnor's spell -- taking advantage of his distracted state.
She lunged at Raphael but before she could do anything, Ragnor conjured holy water and threw it at her, not quite reaching her but enough to burn her left arm. He then swiftly opened a portal straight to the basement of the DuMort and shoved her through.
He turned to check on Magnus only to be faced with a seraph blade held by an angry Clary.
"What did you do? We needed her?!"
"Not we, biscuit. You needed her", she heard Magnus' weak voice from behind. The warlock looked pale but stern, supported by Catarina.
"It would be best for you if you removed that blade from my cabbage's throat immediately. Don't forget, I am the High Warlock of Brooklyn, and you do not want to incur my wrath by threatening my oldest friend. Do you?"
All the three Shadowhunters were shocked. Magnus had always been helpful and accomodating to them and this angry version of him scared them.
"As you might have seen, Camille just almost sucked him dry. He's still weak and possibly needs a blood transfusion."
"What our dear Cat is trying to say is -- Magnus needs rest. The writ of transmutation is no longer going to happen, and you all will quietly return back to the institute."
Before Clary could argue, Ragnor further said,
"Clarissa Fairchild Morgernstern, you do not want to argue with me. I am the one who gave your mother that spell, and I am the one who can remove it. I will look for the counter-spell and let you know as soon as possible. In the meantime, your mother is safe at the institute, which is a lot more than I can say for Magnus right now. You will not argue with me."
Ragnor's tone was so cold, the room almost froze. Alec and Isabelle understood that the situation was fragile and pulled Clary back before she could argue further.
"As the second-in-command to the high warlock, I order you to leave immediately and not return until called."
Catarina's words were no less cold and the three Shadowhunters reluctantly started to leave.
Simon was standing with Raphael, and gave a look to Clary that told her he will be going back to the clan.
Seems they had all learnt a lesson in accountability.
//
Four weeks later, Alec, Isabelle and Clary received an invite to Magnus' house.
In the past month, Clary and Isabelle had been benched by Lydia in the light of the stunt they pulled with the NY vampire clan and Alec couldn't stop seeing Magnus dropping unconscious with blood pouring from his neck.
What would have happened had Ragnor and Raphael not come? How could I be so stupid in my jealousy and anger?
Heavy with guilt and regret, they entered Magnus' place to see him sitting with Ragnor on the sofa, Catarina and Raphael seemingly standing guard.
It hurt the three of them to know that the two warlocks and one vampire clearly thought they needed to protect Magnus from them.
"Magnus I--"
"Before you say anything, Alexander, I want to inform you that I won't be returning on duty for another two weeks. Catarina will be taking my calls still. Also, Ragnor has found the Book of the White's location and as soon as I am up to mark, we can go looking for it."
It hurt Alec to think Magnus only thought of his professional duties, and nothing of their relationship. What will he do?
"Magnus I don't care about that", he heard Clary scoff indignantly at that, "I wanted to apologize. I got stuck in my jealousy and you could've died in front of me and I would've done nothing but be distrustful of you. I am so, so sorry."
Magnus sighed, almost resigned. He was about to say it's okay when Ragnor interrupted.
"Before Mag Mag here says it's fine, let me tell you Lightwood, it's not fine. I encouraged Magnus to go after you and I like to think I'm a good judge of character. But even then, you messed up. You and your Shadowhunter friends have used my dear friend for his services, willingly or unwillingly. You all need to make up for it."
Catarina merely nodded while Raphael glared at them, his gaze somehow colder than Ragnor's tone.
The three Shadowhunters apologized a little more, sat down to have a little chat and then left, feeling the suffocating tension in the aftermath of their actions.
As the door closed behind them, Magnus felt guilty for sending them away. For all of five seconds before he felt Catarina's soft hands in his hair.
He zoned back into the present just in time to hear Raphael exclaim,
"So who was going to tell me that the ex-high warlock of London was almost killed by a shax demon?"
Ragnor threw a pillow at him, indignant at his reputation being ridiculed. Raphael retaliated by throwing a magazine at him, and Magnus let go of his thoughts.
Here, surrounded by his best friends, his hair petted by Catarina, he was appreciated and respected. For who he was, not what he could do.
He could deal with Shadowhunters later.