Dinner with some strangers
- Are you nervous? – Sirius silently approached him.
- Well, I am, a little – he said looking down while brushing his hair.
Severus was sitting in the vanity of their room.
He looked gorgeous. He seemed to prefer some frills in the end of his sleeves and in his neck for formal occasions.
He had decided to wear a suit in a beautiful and deep Prussian blue with silver accessories. The pants were glued to his legs and his vest was a corset.
He looked amazing, his frame slim and delicate.
His hair was already past his shoulders because he had been drinking small dozes of a hair growing potion,
Walburga had insisted on setting their hairstyles apart by at least a few inches.
He was wearing formal black leather shoes that had a low blue glow when the light shined on them.
- Why, love? – Sirius arrived behind him and put his hands in Severus’s shoulders.
Severus looked in the mirror and appreciated how Sirius was dressed. He was wearing a black suit with silver accents. He was already wearing his coat, a summer one by its thin fabric. He was looking ready to be eaten. He was always handsome but today with his tight summer clothes he could show off his hard built muscles and his strong waist.
- I don´t know, maybe I’m just wondering if they are going to like me or not – he allowed himself a moment of vulnerability.
- You don´t have to worry about that, love, the most important thing is that I love you, my mother loves you, Regs loves you, even my father loves you in his lowkey manner.
- I know, I just, I feel insecure – his voice was tiny.
- Dear, you need to work on that, you have to remember who you are now – Sirius helped Severus stand up and held him in his arms to whisper in his ear – You are Severus Black, my consort, a proud son of two old pureblood lines, you are smart, beautiful and now rich. Nobody holds a candle to you.
Severus sighed with relief. He hugs Sirius back; relishing in the warmth and love he could feel coming from Sirius.
He had spent so much time surrounded by the Blacks that he feels comfortable with them. But Sirius was different. He didn´t knew a thing about him as a person. He was attracted to the way he treated him, softly and reverently. Later, he got to appreciate his childishness and fun nature, the unrestraint tint to his personality was reflected in the way he loves. His wildness was luring him, him who always felt so cautious about everything.
He felt like a moth near the fire.
They went to their receiving hall where everyone was waiting for them. Regulus was not coming with them this time.
Lady Walburga preferred a tasteful Oxford blue. She looked regal standing by her husband who was wearing a black suit pretty similar to Sirius’s. Standing face to face, they seemed like two versions of the same coin.
They were given a portkey, and how Severus dreaded all the training he had to go in the first days so he could land with grace.
When they appeared at the Rowle residence in London, Walburga leveled him a proud look at his perfect landing.
In front of him, the Rowle family was standing to greet them.
Lord Tommen Rowle was a man in his mid-sixties. He still stood tall and proud, he was at least 185 cm tall and made an imposing figure. Walburga taught him everything he needed to know about him. He was married to Lady Elizabeth Rowle née Greengrass, a woman that was a year younger than him. She had given birth to Thorfinn Rowle, their heir, Finnlay Rowle, his father, Eliza Rowle who later married into a French family and finally Julia Prewett née Rowle. The Rowles looked similar, they all had blond hair in different shades and blue or green eyes.
His father himself had dirty blonde hair and a striking pair of blue eyes.
Lord and Lady Rowle were looking guiltily at him and mostly talked to Sirius.
In the room, he could see Heir Thorfinn and his wife Madeleine Rowle née Carrow, a woman with a mean streak in her eyes, in the corner, just sipping some alcohol which meant that Madeleine was not pregnant. He had heard from Walburga that she had been married for six years already into the Rowle family, she gave birth to a daughter that should be three years old but Lord Rowle was not satisfied, he was pushing for a male heir whenever he had the chance.
As per custom, the Prince family had also arrived before them, and they were waiting for them in the sitting room. They stood up to greet them too and he was shocked to see them.
Lord Augustus Prince still retained his raven black hair, the very same shade of black that he had. His eyes though were a baby blue, a really icy baby blue. He looked at him from top to bottom before imperceptibly nodding at him. He approved of his appearance. He really was a sight to behold.
On the other hand, Lady Eleanor Prince née Fawley was a delicate thing, just like his mother and just like him. She had hazel eyes that his mother inherited and chestnut hair. She had bore him three children, Eileen was their first daughter. She birthed her when she was twenty years old, and they seemed fine to let her be their only child and heir. They have planned to let a second son of a secondary branch of a pureblood family marry into their family adopting their name.
Sadly, she ran away when she was eighteen. Lady Eleanor who was thirty-eight was forced by her duty to have more children. She gave birth successively to two boys. Heir Julius Prince and Scion Ceasar Prince. Julius was a year older than him and Ceasar was a year younger. He knew that they have been both sent to Durmstrang as their parents decided to try another approach to their education.
Julius and Ceasar were carbon copies of Augustus.
Julius had the same baby blue eyes while Ceasar had Eleanor’s hazel ones. They were definitely not as tall as the Rowles, but they were for sure taller than him. He was the shortest man in the room. Alas, he was the shortest in the family, even Regulus was taller than him for three centimeters.
It seems he had gotten his Black eyes from his grandmother Lady Elizabeth who was a descendant of an Arab pureblood witch. She herself had dark eyes just a few shades lighter than him.
He felt scrutinized by everyone, and he got tensed. Sirius seemed to notice his nervousness and put his reassuring hand in the small of his back. He took a small breath and steeled himself.
Lord Black and Lady Black made his introduction and let him extend his hand to every man in the room. They all bowed to him and kissed the back of his hand. That made him feel way better. He was not a nobody anymore.
To his grandmothers he took his hands and kissed their cheeks, to his aunt he himself place a kiss in the back of her hand. He was informed that his sister-in-law, Marguerite, was indisposed and couldn´t come. From what he understood she was having nasty bouts of nausea still in her second trimester.
After the introductions, they were led to the table. A simple but exquisite dinner had been prepared for the occasion. There was no deep conversation between anyone. It was mostly fishing around information to be aware of the relatives’ interests and overall life. They had to know about each other to pose as a convincing happy family.
Severus informed them of his interests, mostly potions, and defense against the dark arts, he talked about how he liked runes but was no master and how he loved to cook at home. He quickly gained the praised of the men in his families, after all they were traditionalists and supported Severus taking fully his position and responsibilities as Sirius’ Consort.
He simply ignored the snort that Madeleine let out when he talked about his skills at serving tea and preparing complicated desserts for guests.
Lady Eleanor blushed heavily when she saw her own teachings in what Severus described his mother as. She was really saddened by her lost but totally furious when she left for a “supposed muggle”.
As there were no private conversations, even if there was an awkward question, he could always get some help from Lady Black’s input.
He mostly enjoyed the food and pay attention to be able to have a sense of familiarity with these people the day of his wedding. Nobody bothered him but he didn´t connect with anyone either. He was actually glad for not having to share his space with his aunt Madeleine anymore.
He gave his permission to Caesar to write to him though. He reminded him to a puppy with his big doe hazel eyes. He was so eager to get close to him, it was clear that Julius was cold and distant, and wasn’t that saying a lot when coming from him.
He was happy to agree to a meeting with him after the wedding took place.
At the end of it, he was led by Sirius to the chimney and then he wanted to fall right into bed, but Sirius prevented it with his antics. He almost chokes when he saw Sirius imitating Madeleins expressions during dinner. Even that awful witch could become a source of happiness if Sirius put his heart to it.
He wanted to make Severus as comfortable as possible. He didn´t had to mind anyone else but him and his family, after all, Severus didn´t get to be a Rowle or a Prince ever.
He is a Black and will be a Black until the day he dies.