Tea
Lady Walburga Black entered the beautiful tearoom of Lady Dahlia Parkinson as if she owned the place, head held high and eyes glistening.
Everyone watched stunned how Lady Black returned to the tearoom she stopped frequenting when Sirius ran out of home. She had been mercilessly criticized and didn’t find pleasure in their monthly meetings anymore.
But she never stopped contributing to their different non-profits, after all they were not friends. This was a space for networking, for establishing meaningful connections with the right side of society.
She took her place by Lady Parkinson who quickly dismissed the rarity of this returning member of their little club.
- Lady Walburga, it is a pleasure seeing you once again – Lady Longbottom said with a smile.
- Ah, Augusta, you talk as if you haven’t seen me recently – She answered cunningly.
Lady Isadora Carrow seemed interested on this.
- Oh, you’ve been neglecting us, but you’ve found time to meet with Lady Longbottom – she said slyly.
- Well, yes, there have been appropriate occasions for us to meet – She said with a pleased smile.
- Oh, were there? Now, Walburga, why haven’t I heard anything about it? – Lady McMillan, one who was slightly closer to her dared to ask.
- I am pleased to be the bearer of good news – she stopped to appreciate the curiosity in the eyes of her companions – My son and Heir Sirius celebrated his wedding just two months ago, naturally, Augusta was invited to the venue – she said while casually sipping her tea, strong black tea with lemon.
Her eyes wandered and she relished in the shocked faces and the unbecoming opened mouth of Lady Dahlia's daughter-in-law.
- Did you just say your heir? – probed totally unsubtle Louise Parkinson née Crabbe.
- Indeed, who else could be my heir? – she feigned ignorance.
- Excuse my daughter-in-law, Walburga – Dahlia intervened – but I do confess myself confused, I thought you were training your second son, Regulus, to be the heir? - she said as politely as she could.
- Oh, how could you think that? I would never do that – she put down her cup of tea – my Reggie is a male carrier; I’ve started his training to be a good husband, silly.
The recently conferred Lady Fawley, a young girl of twenty something that came from France, Amélie, couldn’t help but choke on her tea. The old Lady Avery allowed herself to gasp in amazement while Lady Augusta tried to stifle her laughter.
- Well, that’s wonderful, Lady Walburga – the formidable Lady Euphemia Potter offered her congratulations – now that I think about it, I haven’t heard yet about the engagement of your youngest son.
- Lady Potter – she said sweetly – I would have been worried if you heard something about it, it is not official yet, we are discussing the last details with the other family. On the other hand, I’ve heard all about, who was it? Daisy, Ivy, Violet?
- You must be referring to Lily, yes – the smile in Euphemia’s face didn’t reach her eyes anymore – my son James has just returned home, it seems that Lily Evans was just a stage that he had to go through, you know, young men are always like that, they don't really know how to see good housemaking material.
- So, it seems for Young James, it is good then, you should start looking up some adequate candidates – she smiled sweetly.
- I should guess that you chose the candidate for Young Sirius’ marriage then – she said before taking the tiniest sip on her cup of tea.
- Ah, Euphemia dear, there was no need for me to arrange for a proper candidate, you see, my son perfectly chose all on his own – she said reaching out to one of the lemon pastries.
- Is that so? – she said with a fake astonished faced – who did he marry then?
- Oh, he married my grandchild – Lady Elizabeth Rowle who normally didn’t engage in conversation intervened.
- Grandchild? – Lady Carrow was confused – I haven’t heard about a wedding, maybe it was one of your French grandchildren?
- Oh, no, my daughter Eliza only gave birth to one boy that is the heir of their family and her two daughters, Louanne and Claire are two young to even think about marriage. My grandchild Severus married Sirius.
- Oh, is he going to take a potion then? – Lady Avery was quick to ask.
- Oh, no, there is no need for that – Walburga giggled a little – My son-in-law was born a carrier, we will not worry about that.
Now, the gasps were louder. Not one male carrier but two in the Black Family? They were gob smacked. The only other male bearer known in this generation was Gideon Prewett, the third son of Lord Victor and Lady Julia Prewett, who was recently announced to be betrothed to Lord Antonin Dolohov, a Dutch of Russia.
- Elizabeth, dear – Lady Dahlia softly called – I don’t remember you having a grandchild named Severus.
- Yes, it was unfortunate – Elizabeth seemed to look at her cup of tea with sadness – you see, my only sister Elladora was married to a third son of a pureblood family in Scotland, but they couldn’t ever conceive.
When my second child Finnlay was ten years old, she suffered greatly from the depression caused for not being able to raise a child. My two daughters were too young and Thorfinn was my heir, so I sent Finnlay to be raised there by my sister.
She loved him so much and raised him as his own. Sadly because of that, when he met Eileen Prince, nobody recognized him as a son of the House of Rowle, they even had to elope! – she laughed at the last part – by the time they realized who he was, Eileen was already striped of her title as Heiress, thank Merlin, Augustus arranged for Severus to also bear the Prince last name as apologies.
- Oh yes, quite a name he has, Severus Black née Rowle-Prince. – Walburga announced proudly.
- Oh, you should have brought him Walburga – Lady Dahlia chided.
- I was planning to but now that Severus is pregnant, he doesn’t feel particularly well in the mornings – she said sweetly.
This time she did hear how a teacup was broken.