Chapter 3
Dinner.
Raven's back didn't burn anymore as she sat down at the dinner table. After what happened a few nights ago with her cousins, Raven was excused from the table for a few days to.. heal. Or as her Uncle Nicholas likes to say, prepare herself. Because a Rosier shouldn't be anything less than perfect.
But that also meant that she didn't have food for a bit. Though, it wasn't anything that she wasn't used too. Sure, Hogwarts might have fed her on the daily and made her love eating more than she did when she was home. And sure, her stomach had been cramping, aching as if someone had stabbed her for the last few days. But it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
She was a Rosier after all. Thankfully, her cousins had been sneaking food upstairs for her at the late of night—leftovers from their dinners. They would wait till everyone was asleep before they carefully and quietly placed the plate in front of her door. Raven had been surprised to see it at first, not expecting her cousins to continue to defy their father. Each of them knew the strictness of Nicholas Flint and what he would do to whoever he found delivering Raven her food. He was merciful, but commanding. So, for the next three days of her punishment, Raven kept quiet about the whole food thing.
She'll thank them in private.
Or perhaps, not even mention it at all so that no one in the house could hear of their actions.
And now she was here, looking down at her Aunt Eleanor's dish. Upon coming downstairs for the first time in three days, she witnessed her Aunt hard at work as she cooked. Raven couldn't help but watched woman with perfect posture perform such mindless acts as if it were second nature. Raven wondered if she would ever be able to cook like her Aunt—who truly looked in her element.
"Raven, watch your manners." Aunt Eleanor said. Raven halted the spoon that was about to reach her lips. "We need to say our thanks first."
It had slipped her mind for a moment that she was back home and not in the safety of Hogwarts. She couldn't just eat dinner right away like she had been doing for most of the year.
"Sorry." She felt her cheeks burn as she placed down her spoon carefully, feeling her Uncle's eyes on her head. "My mistake."
"Dumbass." Chris chuckled under his breathe. Raven glared at her cousin before kicking him under the table. "OW!"
"Oops was that your leg?" Raven smiled, an innocent smile.
"You did that on purpose." He glared at her.
"You started it!" Raven exclaimed, glaring back at him. Chris gapped at her, at a lost for words.
"And I'm finishing it." Katherine interrupted just as Christopher opened his mouth to contour. She smacked the back of Christopher's head as she was sitting next to him. "Father's about to start."
"Thank you, sweetheart." He nodded to his first born before he placed his two hands in front of him, palms out and awaiting for someone to hold them. Aunt Eleanor was sitting beside Raven, so she held his hand as he was at the head of the table. Katherine held his other hand before holding Christopher's hand. Raven held her Aunt's hand before holding Christopher's last hand. "Now, let us begin."
"Let's give grace to our beloved Shimizu."
Shimizu was their god. It was common around the wizarding world for them to pray to Shimizu. Every time Raven went over to the Malfoys, or even at the blood balls, they would pray to Shimizu. Her Uncle Nicholas had once told her about what it meant and why they believed. Supposedly, Salazar Slytherin said that Shimizu was the god that he believed in. The god that will bring them peace and prosperity.
Shimizu was their salvation. Though, Raven did not see a lot of people praying to Shimizu at Hogwarts. Or praying in general? Maybe a Mudblood or two for their beloved god. But.. she hadn't seen anyone.
She didn't do it, considering that she was trying to blend in amongst Hufflepuffs that only saw her for her name. It took all year for them to like her, and trust her. Thankfully, her roommates weren't like that. They actually tried to get to know her, fight for her. Even when she..
"Amen." Her Uncle Nicholas finished, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Amen." They all repeated before they began to eat their food. Raven grabbed her spoon and quickly began to stuff her face as her stomach rumbled even more in delight at the food finally entering her body.
Her back didn't feel sore, or achy, which surprised Raven. She hadn't expected the feeling of relief to fill her back as if all the pain that she had been suffering from since her first whipping had disappeared into nothing.
"How's your back, Raven?" Uncle Nicholas asked. Raven stiffened at his voice. "Does it still hurt?"
She relaxed at the lack of firmness in his tone. He was genuinely curious. She inhaled before turning to her uncle and giving him a perfect smile, a small tug of the lips, "It's just a little sore, Uncle."
Nicholas smirked at Raven, a glint in his eyes as he took her in. "Just a little sore?"
Christopher and Katherine stiffened.
"And— And the wounds closed." Raven stuttered. Her Uncle sighed, a flash of disappointment in his dark cold eyes.
"I thought you knew better than that, Raven." Uncle clenched his jaw, his dark eyes burned into her own. He glanced over at his wife, "Don't you agree, honey?"
"Yes, dear." Aunt Eleanor smiled—a perfect tug of her lips that matched her daughters. "The children should have known better than to lie. After all, we heard them three nights ago."
"Father, I can explain—" Katherine stammered, but was cut off by his hand.
"Don't bother." He said. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but I expected this."
"You did?" Raven questioned, her voice was a mere whisper. He nodded before sighing and sending Raven a kind smile that did not reach his eyes.
"You three have been causing me trouble since you were little." He stated, a reminiscent smile slowly carved up into his face. Then, his eyes darkened, "But that doesn't mean you disobey our rules. I don't like punishing you, but I will."
They could hear the seriousness in his words. Raven gulped. She glanced over at Katherine and Christopher and saw the way Katherine's hand reached over towards Christopher's. She can only assume that they were intertwining hands under the table to comfort each other during this moment, while she was stuck next to her aunt.
"So, don't do it again."
"Yes, sir." Raven looked down at her plate, playing with her food.
"Yes, father." Her cousins said.
"Now, tell me, my dear badger." Uncle said, and despite his voice being filled with excitement, Raven could hear the venom of the reminder of her failure. She tightened her grip on the fork as she straightened her posture even more. "How was Hogwarts? Were the children treating you well?"
Raven didn't even have to glance at her Uncle to feel more than his burning eyes on her skull.
"The children were treating me well." Raven lied. Christopher scoffed, narrowing his eyes as he glared at his plate.
"Something to say, my boy?" Uncle Nicholas glanced over at his son.
"They're calling her Rotten Rosier, father!" He exclaimed, gripping onto his fork. "It's not right!"
"No, it is not." He agrees, surprising them all. "Children can be mean sometimes, can't they?"
"Yes, they can." Raven nodded.
"But I'm sure you can get through it. You're a Rosier after all." He said. His words sent chills down Raven's spine as she understood them loud and clear. Even if she did have a problem, she couldn't complain, couldn't act out, couldn't do anything that would ruin his reputation. She is a Rosier, and Rosiers were expected to be prim and perfect no matter what. He sent her another smile that did not reach his eyes before asking again, "Now, how was Hogwarts?"
"It was.." Raven turned, sending him a strained, but proper smile. It was barley a tug of her lips, and yet, her eyes still held a certain spark as she spoke of it. "Okay."
"Just okay?" Her Uncle pushed, a knowing grin on his face, but this time, it did reach his cold eyes. Almost as if he were reminiscing his own years at the school.
Raven couldn't hold it in any longer.
"IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, UNCLE!" She exclaimed, happily, for once, not caring about her rise in her voice. The man laughed, pleased with her disruption. And soon, his laugh spread throughout the table.
The tension that had previously spread around the table dissipated as if it were never there as the family watched Raven speak of her first year at Hogwarts. She began to talk about the ghost, and the school itself. She did not talk about her roommates and how one of them is a Mudblood, instead she chose to talk about how the Hufflepuff doors always smell like cinnamon and are warm. She talked about her classes and her professors. She talked, and talked, and talked until she had nothing more to say.
"I think that's it.." Raven's voice trailed off. She looked down at her food before eating some more stew. Then, her eyes shined brightly as she remembered another detail. "Oh! And Harry Potter and his friends stopped a troll."
Suddenly, her uncle Nicholas's eyes went dark at the boys name, sharing a look with her aunt.
"A troll you say?" His voice was firm as he clenched his jaw, looking almost angry.
"Mhmm!" Raven said, her mouth full. "It was humongous! Almost as big as the manor!"
"That's quite big." He mumbled. Uncle Nicholas cringed at the sight of her open mouth—eating without the manners that were beat into her. He turned to his wife, clearing his throat.
Aunt Eleanor stiffened before she turned to Raven with a closed eyed smile—like a puppet tugging her strings. "Raven, control yourself. It's not ladylike to eat with your mouth full. We don't want another week of me controlling your food, do we?"
Raven stiffened at her Aunt Eleanor's words. Halting her spoon mid air. She could practically feel the burning gaze of her Aunt on the side of her head. But she didn't dare look.
"She's hungry." Christopher spat. "She hasn't eaten for 3 days. Can't you just give her a break, mother?"
"Watch your tone, son." Uncle Nicholas glared—his voice filled with warning.
Suddenly, the calm air was gone, replaced with the cold of the house. The cold that kept Raven chained to the basement since she was nine.
Aunt Eleanor softened her gaze at her son before she exhaled—her eyes swimming with something unreadable to Raven. She sent her son a gentle smile, one reserved for her children's eyes alone.
"Of course, my love." She said softly. "Whatever you want."
"I just lost my appetite." Raven mumbled.
"Raven!" Katherine whispered, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Be nice."
"Okay, fine." She mumbled before she began to continue eating, but at a much slower pace. "Just saying Auntie has a favorite."
Thankfully, the only ones who heard her was Katherine and Christopher as they were the only two paying attention. Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Nicholas were whispering amongst each other, talking as if the children were invisible. Uncle had that smile—that kind grin that never reached his eyes as he spoke carefully to his wife, a hand gripping onto her arm comfortingly.
"Me?" Christopher whispered back, raising her eyebrow at his cousin. "You're crazy."
"Okay, Mama's boy." Raven teased.
"I am not a Mama's boy!" Christopher exclaimed. He nearly smashed his hand onto the table, but Katherine grabbed his wrist before he could. Christopher turned to her with a glare. "Let go."
"Control yourself, hothead." She said softly, concerned. "We don't want father to get upset."
Christopher stiffened before sighing as he calmly pulled his arm away from her grasp. "Right. Sorry."
"It's okay." Katherine whispered to him. "Just wait until we get to Uncle Sevie's house."
Aunt Eleanor cleared her throat causing the three of them to stiffen. Raven and Katherine fixed their posture on instinct, straightening up. Katherine have Raven a pointed look once she saw her elbows on the table. Raven quickly put them down.
"I'm sorry children, but your Uncle Severous will not be able to keep you this summer." Aunt Eleanor said, a tight perfect smile on her lips. And yet, that smile didn't stop her from sounding anything but sincere with her kids. It most definitely didn't stop the glint from shining in her eyes as if she were filled with joy at the thought of her kids staying with her.
"More like steal them away." Uncle Nicholas said, resentment in his tone.
The table grew silent at his words. No one dared to utter a word. That's what it was always like with her Uncle. He had the power to strike fear into their hearts with just the smallest words, or the simplest sentence. It was a trait unlike any other.
One second, he can be the kindest man at the table. The next, he is the reason for their nightmares.
"But—" Raven stuttered. "But what about my lessons?"
"I'm sure you can go one summer without them." Uncle Nicholas replied, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. He narrowed his eyes at her, almost tempting her to disagree. She looked away, not liking his eyes on her.
"Y— Yes, sir."
"Nicholas!" Aunt Eleanor narrowed her eyes at her husband. He pursed his lips before softening his gaze upon meeting hers. Aunt Eleanor sighed before glancing around at her children and niece. "Now, my sweets, I am so sorry for this misfortune to occur—"
"It's a punishment." Christopher growled, interrupting his mother. Raven shut her eyes at his words, a spike of fear ran up her spine.
"Watch your manners, son!" Uncle Nicholas banged his hand onto the table, earning a flinch out of all of his children and niece. Katherine and Raven glanced at each other before Katherine acted.
"He— He didn't mean it, father." Katherine explained, stuttering a bit out of fear of speaking out of turn. "He's just upset. We had plans with Uncle Sev is all."
Plans?
That's right. They did have plans. Plans that Raven's Uncle and Aunt should never know about. Every June, their Uncle Severous steals them away as soon as school ends. And then, he works with Raven on her magic throughout the entire week, teaching her defensive magic, offensive, healing, etc. But on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, he takes them out of the house and into the town.
They always start the day with breakfast, then shopping, then the pier, and finally, the movies. Each of them loved going to the movies and every week they all chose a different movie to watch. Sure, it was repetitive, but nice. There was no expectations there. No one to tell them to sit straight, to laugh a certain way, to calm down.
It was just them having fun. Them acting like children.
Even now, each of them have there own room with their uncle, holding some of their most precious items from their adventures. Thankfully, Uncle Severous doesn't just teach Raven, but he also teaches the rest of them as well. Fortunately, Christopher and Katherine can practice magic outside of Hogwarts because of their father. He was the Minister of Magic. And so, he had granted them permission, Raven included, to use magic outside of the grounds.
"I'm sorry." Raven apologized, her voice was quiet almost a whisper. "I didn't mean to ruin everything."
"We can work with you being a Badger." Uncle Nicholas nodded. His cold eyes locked with Raven's. "As long as you obey my rules. Understand?"
Raven knew her Uncle was a kind man. But that didn't mean that he didn't believe in the pureblood traditions as if they were air to him.
Raven felt a chill go up her spine at his words, not liking the way his cold dark eyes locked with her own. It felt as if he was looking through her, as if he owned her. She felt as if she couldn't disagree with the man who gave her a home.
"Yes, sir."
She didn't eat another bite of her dinner.