Chapter 45
Chapter 44
“What did you do?!” Death asked once more as he looked from his numerous sisters to the viewing pool and then back at them again.
“Don’t get your robes in a bunch Mortem,” Fate muttered while popping a grape in her mouth nonchalantly. “Good things come to those who wait,”
“Yeah, what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs?” Diana added.
“Well judging by what I’ve just witnessed… my Master,” Death deadpanned. “Seems he’s the only one not getting it up,”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Another deity murmured, too low for their brother to hear.
“Away with all of you!” Death ordered. “I am grabbing my wine and popcorn and I will be watching reruns to catch up!”
“Oh no, you won’t!” Andrasta exclaimed. “It’s my turn now at the viewing pool and I want to see my new favorite human!”
“When did this happen?!” Death exclaimed as he looked at his younger sister.
“It’s a very recent development,” Vita exclaimed as she lounged on a settee nearby. “Even Belisama has become curious of a certain human.”
“Now sit down and shut up Morty,” Vita added while patting a spot near her. “I will fill you in on all the happenings. “Do you really think your sisters are going to give up the viewing pool now that they’ve found entertainment?”
Death grumbled but took a seat. A goblet of wine materialized in front of him and as he took a swig his twin said. “Okay, so Fate gave your Master erectile dysfunction…” That was enough to make the skeleton choke.
Meanwhile, Draco hurried out of the library and back down the hall. He should have let the house elf get Uncle Sev. But no, he wanted to spend some time with his Godfather. Now he saw something that might haunt him for the foreseeable future.
“Hey, are you alright?” A voice made Draco halt. He turned and looked back to see that he had passed someone.
“Who are you?” The blonde asked instead with a frown. “You look familiar.”
“Deidric Prince, pleasure,” Deidric held his hand out for Draco who shook it hesitantly.
“I am staying here temporarily until I can sort out my family situation,”
“I guess you can say the same about the rest and me who arrived today,” Draco replied. “If you’re a Prince how come I haven’t seen you at any of the Pureblood galas?”
“You could say I don’t get out much,” Deidric sheepishly said. “I am usually not this open. I guess it’s because we might be close in age,”
“I was actually about to go to the library to pick out a book for after dinner.”
“NO!” Draco uttered as he grabbed the other’s arm. “I mean no…. Uh… don’t go there. It’s well….”
“Ah, are those two…” Deidric caught on while Draco actually blushed.
“Why don’t I introduce you to the others?” The blonde suggested, changing the subject.
“Uhm… Alright,” The other said and followed Draco down the hallway.
When Draco and Deidric got to the dining room several chairs at the table were already occupied. “Who’s your friend Draco?” Pansy asked as she laid her chin on the top of her palms.
“I’m Deidric Prince. A pleasure to meet you Miss…” Deidric was nervous, meeting so many new faces all at once but his etiquette training kicked in.
“Parkinson,” Pansy introduced. “I don’t think we’ve ever met any of the Professor’s relatives,”
“I tend to keep to myself,” Deidric stated as a few more entered the room along with Severus and Harry. As this was Severus’ home the teens had respectfully left the Head of the table’s seat free for him. Harry took the seat to Severus’s immediate right. Lucius and Narcissa were the last to enter just as the elves delivered the food to the table.
“Apologies. We were waylaid by an important missive,” Narcissa uttered.
Dinner was a bit awkward for some. Deidric had had limited interaction with his peers over the years and had never attended Hogwarts so he was a bit puzzled by some of the inside jokes. He wasn’t the only one. Looking towards the girl next to him, who had shyly introduced herself as Elenor, it seemed that she too was eating in silence and not joining the animated conversation that some of the Slytherins had started.
“So Deidric,” Pansy asked, shifting several eyes in his direction. “Are we to assume you are the Professor’s heir?”
Deidric goggled at the question as he looked at the girl, ‘Was she batting her eyelashes at him?!’
“Uhm… no… I mean… I am pretty sure I am not,” He answered honestly. Pansy seemed to look a bit disappointed at his answer.
“Way to break a girl's heart,” Draco chuckled as his steak knife made work of the venison. At Deidric’s eyebrow raise the blonde added “She was fishing to see if you would be a prospective match,”
“Oh…” Now it clicked for the other.
Looking towards Severus and Harry he could see both men try to hide the quirks of their lips.
“On another note, Severus have you heard that there is a new Lord Black?” Narcissa uttered causing Deidric to freeze.
“That was the rather urgent missive I’d received,” she continued. “That Gringotts owl nearly bowled right into me.”
“Do you know who it is?” Harry asked offhandedly.
“Unfortunately not. The missive didn’t say so the new Lord must want to keep his identity a secret, at least until the Wizengamot meeting next week. It does make me wonder though who it actually is Mr. Evans,” she continued. “Draco is yet to be of age, my cousin is a fugitive, one of my sisters is in Azkaban while the other… well every Pureblood knows the scandal Andromeda caused.”
“Perhaps it is one of the Weasley children. Didn’t a Black marry Septimus Weasley?” Severus made small talk while quirking a brow at Deidric to convey his amusement. The look on Lucius’s face was pure horror.
“Surely you jest!” Lucius uttered. “Cedrella Black had been struck off the Black family tree after she chose to break the marriage pact with my ancestor. To think she would leave a Malfoy for a Weasley,” He sneered.
“Professor, might I ask a question?” Astoria spoke up from her seat next to her sister Daphne.
“You may Miss Greengrass,” Severus responded.
“Are you planning to attend the Wizengamot meeting as well?”
“Unfortunately,” Snape sneered slightly. “The fact that I have to be in the same room as several dunderheads, including Fudge, does not make my day brighter.”
“Severus you can’t call politicians dunderheads!” Harry rebuked. “That’s an insult to the actual dunderheads. Believe me, I speak from experience.”
“Mr. Evans, you have dealt with the Wizengamot before? Are you not a Muggleborn?” Theodore Nott asked with a frown. “Please forgive any rudeness, it is just, that not many Muggleborns reach high enough positions to deal directly with politicians.”
“Well Mr. Nott, I haven’t dealt with this Wizengamot per se. French politicians yes, British politicians… not so much. Rather I was more focused on finding out about my nephew, Harry Potter, and why I had not been contacted when my cousin passed as the next of kin. But overall politicians are mostly the same.”
“Harry Potter is your nephew?!” Several raised voices questioned in shock while the Malfoys tried not to let their faces betray their amusement. Harry had told them about his new identity at the end of their secret meeting and how he wanted only a select few to know.
“Well, I can certainly see the resemblance,” Miss Bullstrode uttered. “However, why would Mr. Evans seemingly have Poter features?”
“Really Millicent,” Draco spoke up before Harry could come up with an excuse. “Everyone here knows how a lot of families intermarry over the centuries. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Evans line was a former squib offshoot from the Potter line centuries ago,”
Harry was thankful for the quick save. He would have to write to the goblins to see if they could…. Amend certain parts of his new family ancestry.
“Perhaps we should end this discussion here,” Severus stated as he stood up. “Again, please feel free to make yourselves at home. The west wing is at your disposal. Harry, perhaps you wish to join me?”
“Oh, yes… of course…” Harry said as he too stood up to leave. He gave an awkward wave to his once-schoolmates before following Severus out of the dining hall.