Barnaby pulled himself together after a while and returned with Sanshi to their house, where Tonks was pacing back and forth at the entrance, in front of Calcifer. Upon seeing her husband arrive, Tonks rushed over to him.
"We have a problem."
"I told you, it's not a problem!" Calcifer complained from behind.
"Wait, don't argue," Sanshi interrupted what seemed like the beginning of a disagreement, noticing their moods suggested they had been at odds for a while. Instead, she asked them to get to the point. "What happened?"
Barnaby was also intrigued. Was there an issue with the house that he'd overlooked?
Tonks pointed toward the living room, and both Barnaby and Sanshi followed her gesture to see someone sitting on the sofa, quietly watching them.
A woman dressed in a light green Victorian gown, white gloves on her hands, a bonnet adorned with blue flowers on each side, and long blonde hair cascading down her back. Curiously, the color of her eyes perfectly matched her dress.
Her posture was polite, and her expression was stoic, though her face brightened slightly when she saw Barnaby, her eyes seeming to light up instantly.
Sanshi was startled by her, as she hadn't picked up any strange scent upon entering, nor had she heard any noise. But before she could move to defend the family, she felt a surge of emotion from Barnaby through their connection, leaving her confused.
"A Silky…" Barnaby ran his hand through his red hair in disbelief.
This had caught him completely off guard.
Though he knew of their existence from the memories inherited from his mother, he didn't expect to see one until, well, at least not until he had great-grandchildren.
No, even then, the chances were simply remote.
"Barnaby?" Tonks poked his shoulder with her finger. "Do you know who she is?" she asked. "Calcifer doesn't seem to care, but he won't tell me anything. She hasn't said a word since I came back from work, and I can't even get her out of the house with my wand!"
Barnaby looked at her as if she'd grown six heads.
Get a Silky out of the home it inhabits?
"Well, I'm glad you couldn't do that," Barnaby commented with a bit of humor.
The only ways to harm a Silky were if the house it lived in fell into such disrepair that it could no longer be called a home, or if the bloodline of the family it cared for became extinct.
And Barnaby didn't want either of those things to happen!
The house was newly built, and they were working hard to expand the family line.
"Tell me!" Tonks impatiently poked his shoulder again. "You're the expert on this!"
"Alright," Barnaby rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. She's a good thing. Silkies are…"
Tonks and Sanshi listened closely as Barnaby explained, surprised by the nature of their new housemate.
"So, she's like a house spirit who will act as our housekeeper?" Tonks asked, staring speechless at the Silky.
Incredibly skilled at cleaning, with cooking as if it were instinctual, proficient in sewing, she keeps watch at night while the household sleeps, and even shares Calcifer's ability to alter details of the house, though in a completely different way.
The only downside is that she can't leave the house until she has matured, and even then, she'll be limited to the garden or the property itself.
Well, she's better than the Weasleys' ghoul in the attic, that's for sure…
Barnaby gave Tonks an approving look, immensely grateful she didn't compare the Silky to something like a house-elf.
Silkies also have a certain sense of humor and enjoy occasionally playing tricks on the household members.
"Does this mean I won't be able to cook anymore?" Sanshi asked, concerned about her greatest interest after Barnaby.
"I'm sure she won't mind if you help her in the kitchen, right?" Barnaby asked, looking at the Silky.
She nodded, indicating she didn't mind.
"Alright, not very talkative…" Tonks processed everything rather quickly. "What should we call you?"
The Silky stood up and showed a flower gently floating in her palm.
"Convallaria?" Barnaby recognized the flower easily, as there were plenty of patches of them around the house and throughout the grounds. Seeing that Tonks looked puzzled, he gave her the more common name. "You might know it by its other name—it's lily of the valley."
"So, your name is… Lily?" Tonks looked at the Silky and asked hesitantly.
The Silky clasped her hands and nodded, smiling slightly as her eyes narrowed.
"Merlin's beard, she's so cute!" Tonks exclaimed, suddenly jumping forward to hug her.
After Barnaby's explanation, the metamorphmagus had already classified the Silky as an existence similar to Sanshi, so any caution she might have had evaporated instantly.
Now the house would be livelier and well cared for!
Lily rolled her eyes but didn't pull away, more than happy to receive a welcome hug from the family. Barnaby and Sanshi joined in the family embrace, leaving Calcifer to watch the heartwarming scene in boredom.
"Less work for me," the fire demon thought. "And with her here, my wood supply will never run out."
Meanwhile, Tonks had a question on her mind, but she wasn't sure if asking it would make her seem rude.
"Why is she wearing a Victorian dress of all things?" she wondered internally, confused.