DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The storyline, all new characters, new character development, new developments, are my intellectual property. Glorioux

Partly canon, until the fifth year; the battle occurred, not everyone died, and pairing might or not be as canon. It mostly disregards the epilogue. Most characters are depicted OOC. This story contains themes suited for mature readers, and Weasley lovers need not read. Close your browser window, a click away. Thanks! This work is dedicated to all good friends and those who are in this world to make our passage easier.

I had a comment that made go back and read this story. It was one hacked and I never cleaned it up. I have found missing parts etc. So I have decided to delete chapter 3-17, and republish it.

"We are in this world but a minute; the moment we realize our existence, we are gone." -Glorioux

The romance peddler - Part of the Fate and Jealousy Series

Prologue

A suitor's pin.

A charmed gold pin's tale -or- How accidents are bound to happen if you are invisible.

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there was an invisibility-silencing-charmed pin. It only worked when worn by males of the young wizard's line; and only around, or near by, the person they loved. The particular pin, according to family records, had been commissioned by one of our young wizard's ancestors, with less than honorable intentions, to spy upon his young bride.

That wizard had been a ripe 120-years-old on the day of his nuptials to a young witch of barely 22 springs; it was his third marriage, and the union would bring him little happiness.

The reason for his marriage's unhappiness was as old as the human race, jealousy. Indeed, the old earl, jealous and forever spying on his young wife, had vowed to catch her in the midst of her alleged infidelities. Why did he want a prove of her betrayal? Because, he reasoned as others before him, he was protecting himself, he was afraid that she would be his undoing.

His insecurities worsened at the inability to bond her, with his clan's fidelity brand. Only one spousal brand was granted during a wizard's lifetime; it was the clan's magical law, and he had already bonded with his first wife. The reason was simple; it created an eternal bond between two souls, here and in the hereafter.

Don't wish for something because you might get it, the old saying goes. He wished to verify his young's bride disloyalty, and in doing so, she would indeed prove to be his doom. Fate is tricky and grants wishes, as she sees fit.

His mind was twisted and hoped, while afraid, to catch her one day being unfaithful; alas, that was his most fervent wish.

So one day, Fate wanted to oblige and waited for him; he met her at the top of the slightly curved stairs at his magnificent castle. The stairway was very narrow and steep steps made out of irregular stones, hardly wide enough to fit one normal foot-length. He was perched right at the top, checking, ahem, rather spying, upon his wife below.

It was unfortunate to have chosen such an observation point while invisible. Not a good place stand, Fate noticed pursing her lips; of course she said nothing and just looked at a young wizard of three and twenty, a son by his earlier marriage, coming behind his father, not missing a step, kept on walking.

Oh, oh, Fate snickered when the old Earl's son was unable to see his father on the account of the charmed pin. Aha, it was the very same he wore during his spying missions which made him totally invisible; hence, unknowingly, the son pushed his father down straight to his death, plunk, plunk, plunk...

Evidently, the annals recorded, it was accidental since the heir had no way to know that his father was there; nobody knew of the pin until that day's grim revelations.

Nevertheless, with gravity at work, it was unavoidable, and with a bang, the old lord came rolling and tumbling head down, the entire length of the 100 steps or so. Once his neck was broken, the pin's magic no longer work, thus, the horrified son was able to witness the macabre spectacle; his father's lifeless body tumbling down to the bottom of the staircase where he lay on a pool of blood.

Noteworthy, the young wife had been blameless and never cheated; nevertheless, she married the young buck within half a year of his father's accidental demise. Many asked the big question, was it an accidental death, who knows?

The old Earl's ghost knows or thinks he does, he is still crying bloody murder around their castle when this story begins. Particularly after spying on his son's never ending connubial bliss, and as reminded by the brood of wee ones that had merrily chased their old grandpa's ghost.

There is a fact germane to our tale, as per the family's annals, the son, a young chieftain, became suddenly ill when he was around twenty. The consuming sickness was killing him, and he had just arrived at his father's castle to die. Happily, as recorded, the young earl enjoyed of great health after his father's accidental demise, and our protagonist's line descended from him.

xox

a/n So where is this going, why this old tale? Am I being capricious? Just read, I think you will like it.

Now, my keyboard's sail is taking our ship to Hogwarts; the school year is 1995-1996. See' ya there dear dear poppets, ship's ahoy.