… Quality Quiditch Supply, Diagon Alley, London
Vasant Patil was a merchant emigrant to the British Magical world. His family's fortune was made in the manufacture of magical carpets. He was the second son of his father's third wife so while his life would be comfortable applying his family magic toward the endeavor, the work did not appeal to his personal ambition. He had three wives and 7 children but it was his last wife whom he loved the most. She was actually the same age as his eldest son but that made no difference to him. They married and he was blessed with twin daughters.
This blessing is what encouraged him to pursue his ambition. Other than his newborns, all his children were grown and his wives were satisfied with the life that the extended Patil Dynasty offered them. His relationship with his first two wives more resembled the one he had with his sisters than what one would imagine a wife would be.
He was not bothered as they had given him strong sons and he had given them a prosperous life. So he took his third wife and their two daughters and moved to England. His family were "purebloods" as the English magicals called it so he was not a victim of any discrimination as such but he was a new business in a world that had an established culture. He was not much surprised that after 3 years of a bustling business, the English outlawed the sale and import of magic carpets.
The wealthy had all bought multiples from him and so were comfortable banning further sale but didn't want to deny themselves the convenience. Expecting this turn of events from his early dealings acquiring a business license, he had actually brought the defective carpets from his family to resale to the English.
For the following 4 years after the ban, he did good business in the maintenance market. Unfortunately he had overplayed his hand and by the end of 7 years, while he had amassed a good amount of gold, the bottom fell out of the magic carpet industry. For the clients he held in regard he made sure to go and make a final repair that would bring the carpets up to the standard of his family name.
He was no fool however and had invested heavily in the broom industry. The thing about trends is that when they eventually wither their ends up being a surge in what is considered tried and true. While broom riding had only been for sports like racing and Quiditch, the death of the flying carpet made for a rush on flying brooms.
He had approached the Nimbus Company about an exclusive contract for their touring brooms and they had gladly sold it to him as at the time no one cared about that market. But by the time his daughters had reached ten he was a well-respected business man that owned Quality Quiditch Supply in Diagon Alley. His touring broom business was still the larger segment of his business but that was only done by owl order.
Over the years Vasant had learned much about the English Magical culture. It made sense to him as the Indian Magical culture was very similarly, still living in age that was more compatible with magic. He could live quite easily in the modern muggle world but had no desire to.
The modern world did not need magic, it had used technology to fill the gap and magic while interesting did not really fit in a world of automobiles, cellphones and airplanes. For magical Europe the ideal age seemed to be the early renaissance. They had grown culturally from that point of course but that was the cultural core.
As such English society was very feudal in nature but instead of land being the symbol of power and wealth, it was magical power and knowledge. Unfortunately, he was completely locked out from that. His family had not been in contact with English Magic for long enough to amass much power and the knowledge of his family was banned. He was allowed, of course, to be a distributor but none of the enchanting families that ran broom companies would ever share secrets with him. Not with each other and definitely not with a foreigner.
That brought him to the Weasleys. Their oldest son was on the Quiditch team at Hogwarts and the family was obsessed. Every journey into the Alley would include at least a half hour of the children drooling over his high-end racing and Quiditch broom models.
As was the case with fathers of all cultures, magical and otherwise, he struck up a friendship with Arthur Weasley over a shared fondness for their children. On one occasion, Arthur told him the story of why the Weasley family was the mortal enemy of the Malfoys.
The story was interesting and he respected the show of loyalty but it got him to thinking. If the oaths were still in effect House Weasley would be under the protection of and have access to the Potter Magic.
Doing some research he discovered that it was common practice for Noble houses to marry into the families of Retainers and Vassal Houses. The rules were pretty strict. Basically a noble could only marry someone of equal station within a degree but they could take concubines from anywhere and a concubine was part of the family that would start a cadet branch. So if he could become a Retainer of one of the Noble families, his daughters could then become concubines of a son of that family and they and he would be ensconced within the family magic.
He thought of what he would have to offer such a family. His hope was that his daughters would become concubines of the Lord but that did not offer anything to the family and was still a benefit for him. He had raised his daughters in a mix of English and Indian magical culture. They spoke 4 languages and played the piano and knew all the proper pureblood customs.
On top of that they were well versed in giving sexual pleasure and were gaining mastery of the martial arts. He supposed they could fill the traditional role as guards but that might offend English sensibilities. He could offer his business acumen and help increase the wealth of a House. He wasn't sure if it was enough but it would make a respectable offer.
That was where his thinking ran into a wall. All the Hereditary Titled nobles had released all there Vassals and Retainers from their oaths. Most of the non-Hereditary titled nobles had done the same with only some keeping Retainers and looking at the list, he would not commit his family to any of them. He smiled as it read like the list of people whose magic carpets don't work.
Vasant went back to the list of titled nobles and was struck with an inspiration. As he perused the list his mind which had been operating like a Slytherin to this point got struck with a bit of Gryffindor daring and he focused on four names. The elite of the elite, the Prima Potentia Magicae.
Only one of them was an option and when he looked up what their magic was famous for, he smiled to himself. "You can't make brooms without wood" he whispered to himself as he looked at the book in front of him. Deciding that fortune favored the bold he composed a formal letter requesting a meeting with the Dowager Longbottom.
… Longbottom Manor, Durham, England
Augusta Longbottom watched her grandson as he sat by a window in Longbottom Hall. She felt like a total and complete failure. Next to the boy was an open letter and a wand. When he had gotten his acceptance letter to Hogwarts she thought that he would be ecstatic; but he wasn't. He had smiled and hugged her but the smile had not reached his eyes.
In an effort to get him more excited she had given him his father's wand and while it did not spark with the brilliance she remembered when young Frank had held it, it did respond to him. He had smiled happily but the smile still did not reach his eyes.
Now as she looked at him staring out the window of his room not noticing her standing in the doorway, she wondered what type of person she was, that the child she raised, alone, could be so unhappy, that the knowledge that magic accepted them, did nothing for them. Was all of Frank's happiness only due to her late husband's influence? That thought made her miss Eric. She left Neville and went back to her room.
She knew that she had not given him enough room to grow up. But after she lost Eric and then the attack on Frank and Alice, she just was so afraid to let him go. She had then swung the opposite way, thinking that she was failing to make him into a good man and became distant, not wanting to have him hiding in her skirts his whole life.
After some time to mourn her lost family she had found some equilibrium but now she feared it was too late. His magic had been late in developing and he barely showed any accidental magic. She remembered when her brother had picked him up and scared him. He had flown out the window and then dropped three stories before bouncing down to the tree line.
They had joked that Algie did it on purpose because he was sure the boy had magic to save him. She returned from her straying thoughts and looked down at her mail. She sighed as she looked at the letter. Someone had a proposal for House Longbottom. Neville was all that was left of House Longbottom, but she had a duty to protect what was left for Neville.
She had investigated Vasant Patil. By all accounts he was a good man. He had a sharp mind for business and despite less than subtle efforts to chase him out of England he had made a small fortune for himself. She sighed again, House Longbottom could use some of that.
Neville's future was secure but they were the poorest of the Prima Potentia families and the fortune had stagnated. At this rate the Malfoys would surpass them in a generation. She called Neville and told him of the meeting. She made him sit in all the meetings as part of his lessons in taking over the family.
Vasant was excited when he arrived at Longbottom Hall. His wife had made passionate love to him the night before and stroked his ego with equal skill this morning. Her support had a magic to it and Vasant felt ready to make his case.
A well-dressed house elf met him in the entrance parlor and led him to a sitting room. The dowager Longbottom was dressed well as was the young heir. He nodded at the both of them and took the seat he was offered. They executed the ritual of tea, biscuits and small talk with aplomb before Augusta started on the business. "Mr. Patil, I hope you don't mind that I have asked young Neville to listen in on this meeting. I find it is important that he becomes familiar with the duties he will one day be required to uphold."
Mr. Patil nodded at the woman and gave a respectful nod to the young boy and said. "No madam, I do not mind, even if we do not reach an accord I am happy to have my presence be educational for a young man. The young are our future and we all have a responsibility in guiding their journeys to adulthood. And please call me Vas" Augusta liked this man and replied "You may call me Augusta"
"Thank you Augusta" Vas began "I am here to ask you to open the House of Longbottom and accept my oath as the English Head of the Patil family as Retainers to your esteemed House". Direct was Vas' plan of attack. Of the many things that Augusta had heard over the years this had been the most unorthodox.
She was about to reject the man when she noticed Neville had sat up and was paying attention to discussion. She liked to see the life in him and decided that even though she would still deny the man she would allow him his full presentation. "That is an odd request." She said and nodded for him to continue.
Vas was a keen business man and new he had nearly lost her with the straight forward approach so he adapted to the remaining opportunity and went with the long winded version. "If I may set the stage a bit" he said and Augusta nodded.
"The 50 titled families of magical England all have the oldest and strongest connections with England's magic. The titles came from service in defense of the realm or something similar which only strengthened the magic of those families. However the four Prima Potentia Magicae families are the original of these so titled and the only ones gifted by magic and not by vote or politics."
He paused to verify he was not being to over eager in his presentation. "Now all Houses have developed some family magics. The Patil Dynasty, as you know are enchanters and we have a familial magical affinity towards making carpets. More prominent families will have multiple affinities or more powerful single affinities. If those affinities can benefit other Houses, those Houses might offer to become Vassals to gain access to the benefit in exchange for loyalty or tithe or something similar." Augusta nodded and Vas continued smiling at the obviously interested boy sitting behind his grandmother.
"So we move forward in history and two major wars in Europe cause most families who had them to release their Vassals and Retainers. And now we have no one benefitting from anything. Before I tell you what I would want and what I can offer from my request, let me speak in more general about the institution but more specifically, your House." He looked Augusta in the eye as the conversation would become more personal and may end his proposal. She recognized this as well and nodded stiffly.
"Houses like yours have a history of being very honorable and at the same time very generous." He started carefully "As such for many generations, even before the last that carried the oaths, you asked very little of your Vassals or your Retainers. Mostly the families were sources of playmates and love interests. There was some financial dealings. Sharing in profits and rental agreements but an impartial observer would say the protected Houses got more out of the arrangement from a material perspective than they gave."
Augusta thought that was an accurate analysis. The truth was that having Vassals and Retainers had become a status symbol so the benefit for the Master house was not material. Vas continued "But, and here is the thing, now that your house is in the greatest need and danger is when the foresworn houses would be most helpful. They could help with finances and help you train young Mr. Longbottom. Not to embarrass the young man but they would provide trusted options for his wife and any concubines he might take on to rebuild the House faster."
Augusta leaned back in thought. The man made good points. Her recent doubts about herself and whether she should have found more help to raise Neville still echoing in her mind. "You have given me much to think on. The House of Longbottom has three historical Vassal Houses and no Retainers. I see where they might be helpful. I am not sure they would want to re-swear the oaths but our families have always been good to one another and they would probably aid us if we ask" Vas smiled and nodded before saying "If you would allow me some more of your time I can explain that and how it ties to my proposal." She nodded as he had already made it an interesting day and she was now curious as to the direction.
Vas took a breath as this was the part that would make or break him. She may ignore him completely or worse take his advice and leave the Patil family out. "First your family's fortune is currently stagnating. I know this not because I have been made aware of any secrets but simple because I know you had the family closed in the wake of the crime against your son and his wife. It is a very typical move when a family has suffered losses such as yours has. The reasoning being that the family is not able to manage its duties and so steps back from them till it has repaired itself. It's believed to be the honorable thing and the Longbottoms are nothing if not honorable. But here is where your Vassals can repay their duty to your family as well acting as advisors and proxies to maintain the family as it repairs itself. The reason to do it that way, is that the world is a dynamic place. My own business is a great example of this. Imagine if your family was an investor in my magic carpet business. I would have been willing to have your investments move as mine had to avoid the losses incurred by the Ministry laws but with your House closed all finances and the like are closed as well. The same holds true for land purchases and political maneuvers."
He could see he words made sense to her and so he came back to his original proposal. "I am a businessman and a very good one, if I may be so bold. But my family is not positioned to move much further without allying ourselves to one of the noble families. Otherwise we would have to wait a thousand years and at least 10 generations to achieve enough magical connection with England to increase our status. In return for that chance I am offering the business acumen of my house. I also offer my two daughters as bodyguards for your grandson"
Agusta's curiosity caused her to say "I was not aware your family was a matriarchal one." Vas was not surprised by the question. To offer his daughters as bodyguards suggested that the family magic traveled through the matriarchal line. "No Augusta, all Indian families are patriarchal, however in India, all are expected to protect the family and girls are taught from a young age, the skills to fill in any gaps of power. My daughters are trained in such arts. I would not advertise they are body guards but rather let them be friends as I would hope they fit that purpose more than fighting anyway. I would also offer them as concubines to the House of Longbottom."
Augusta's eyes widened and she stared hard at the man. Her grandson had perked up at the mention of friends and she realized why he was so unhappy. It was so simple and thus all the more painful a realization. Her grandson had no friends his own age. He had participated in all the pureblood activities that were expected but he spent most of his time with various adults from her family as all his aunts, uncles and cousins were grown. The fact that concubines created new branches on the family tree was known to her but to use them as a way to save a dying family was a new concept to her. It was quite ingenious.
Vas smiled as he saw he had finally captured her interest. He was surprised that she seemed more interested in his daughters than his business ability, but looking over at the wide eyed young boy he realized that he liked the idea of friends and the grandmother was interested in giving him some.
He decided to push forward as now his business proposal would be the icing instead of visa versa. "To show my value I have an idea that I want to share freely with you" Augusta looked at him with interest, the man had been very helpful and she could see the value of having such a person foresworn.
He continued "The three former Vassal Houses to the House of Longbottom, the Jiggers, Diggorys and Abbotts are all farmers to the magical world. Mostly in the form of potions ingredients. If you re-swear those families the Longbottom Family Magic would re-inhabit their lands and allow them to produce better and more potent crops. My free advice is to have them direct that magic in an unbalanced way. Instead of directing the Longbottom magic to all the crops have only a small portion go to the regular crops making them just slightly better than what is available outside of the Longbottom influence without raising the price. Then direct the remaining Longbottom magic to a special crop of either one item or a mixture of all. Rumors are that under the Longbottom Magic farms and greenhouses can double there yield and potency. With my plan that could be triple as so much of the magic would focus on such a small part of the farm. Then sell those ingredients as a special reserve."
Augusta's eyes widened at what he was suggesting. If she followed all of his advice and it worked the House of Longbottom could indeed rise from the ashes. She was better at politics than business and could see a lot of power and influence if her House and its Vassals were the source of the best potion ingredients normally and a special reserve with triple the potency. Yes the man had already been a great service to the House. If she had been a Slytherin she would have thanked him for his time and asked him to return in a few days for a decision, then waited another few days to take his oath. But she was a Gryffindor. And Gryffindors charge ahead.
Augusta rose to her feet and said "Very well, Let us go re-open the House of Longbottom and we will take your oath of service. While I take Neville to conduct the opening ritual, please invite your family, I am sure Neville is anxious to meet his new friends." Vas was shocked he had not expected such a quick response. He didn't think hesitation would be taken well as his goal was to swear fealty so he rose as well and bowed in acknowledgement. "Twilly" Augusta called and the same house elf appeared in the room. "Please help Mr. Patil contact his family and we will meet in the family hall in one hour. Come Neville." At that she turned and left the room.
Neville followed in shocked silence. He had never seen his grandmother so decisive and energized and the thought that he would have friends were mind boggling to him. Then worry set in. What if they didn't like him? He knew what concubines were and while he was attracted to the thought of girls he doubted anyone would want him as a friend much less like that. He reached the room with the family tapestry and Augusta sat and drew her grandson into a hug. She could see the action surprised him. And she once again felt the weight of her bad decisions.
She let him go and looked into his confused face. "Neville, I am so sorry. I know you might not understand or even believe me, right now, but I do love you very much. After your grandfather died and your parents were hurt, I did not know what to do. I was afraid I was smothering you in my grief and tried to pull back and now I worry that I have left you feeling unloved." Neville hugged his grandmother who had started crying. "It's not that, grandmother, it's…it's…it's that I am weak." He sighed as he started to tell her of his fears.
He knew that his connection with his wand wasn't as strong as it should be. It didn't feel right in his hands and he knew that he had not shown much magic till his uncle had thrown him out a window. His memory of the incident and the joking he heard made him believe they had done it on purpose because they would rather have him dead than be found to be a squib.
Augusta quickly explained the real story of his accidental magic and that their family was not like that. She told him that the House of Longbottom had even had squibs as its head in generations past and that magic always came back even if it skipped a generation sometimes. She also told him that his father's wand might not be a good match for him but that didn't mean he was unworthy as wands were temperamental.
She had only given it to him to show her faith and trust in him. They had a long cry together as years of misunderstandings and small unmeant hurts were cleared up. Then she brought him to the family tapestry and told him how to open the family. By handing him the ritual knife and explaining the process as his magical guardian, she had initiated the first step as he was otherwise too young to complete the ritual.
"Aperta Meum Familia" Neville said. The Longbottom crest flashed and then Neville began to glow. Augusta was concerned at this as the opening ritual should not make him glow. The air became charged with magic and Augusta could feel it. It was similar to the magic she had felt from Eric and from Frank when she was pregnant with him.
A pulse of magic had flowed into Neville starting from his feet and running up through his body. It should have ended there. But instead Neville was glowing. And then there was a flash of light and a pulse of power. When her eyes cleared she looked at her grandson and gaped.
...Flashback
Alice Longbottom was not the genius that Lily Potter was but she loved her son in equal measure. When she was told that her son was being targeted by Voldemort she wanted to find a way to protect him. Her solution was a charm that Professor Flitwick had briefly mentioned that was used on the dueling circuit for training.
It would bind someone's magic bringing it down to the level of a near squib but would allow the person to still flex their magic. The idea was that it would make your magic stronger as you strained to use it under the effects of the charm. Flitwik did not believe it worked but thought it was an interesting feeling. A desperate Alice had applied the charm to Neville.
While under the charm Neville's magic was undetectable and she figured she could hide him in the muggle world if push came to shove. Her more desperate hope was that the dark lord would not see her son as a challenge with so little detectable magic and dismiss him as unimportant.
When word of the Potters death had reached them, Alice had been inconsolable. She was happy that her Neville was safe but was racked by the guilt of hiding him and his magic as she had done. She had not removed the charm by the time they were attacked and no one knew it was there.
...End Flashback
The Longbottom family magic was happy to be released once more. It was not sentient but it had a purpose and as much as such things are possible it was happy to be fulfilling its purpose once more. But when it tried to reconnect with its young master it found a block.
That block was preventing it from completing the bonding. As that would not do, the Longbottom magic shredded the block and was overjoyed to find the well spring of magical power that was Neville Longbottom. The two familiar magics bonded with a flash and pulse.
Neville Longbottom had not changed. His magic had made no physical changes to his body but the charm Flitwick had described had worked. For the last 10 years Neville Longbottom's magic had been in training, pumping against the restriction and getting stronger. Not in size but in density and now it had been released. Magic rolled off of the boy in waves. It looked like the hazy waves of hot air that one could see on the floor of the desert.
Augusta trembled as the magic touched her. It recognized who she was and welcomed her. Their early discussions had done much to help repair their relationship but Augusta still felt as if she had failed her grandson. The feeling of love and acceptance she got as Neville's magic embraced her brought tears to her eyes and released more of the guilt she had been feeling. He truly still loved her and it made more tears flow. She stepped up and hugged him.
"Grandmother, I feel so different" he said into the side of her head as she held him. She pulled back and looked at him and smiled "I don't know what happened Neville but your magic is pulsing and it's powerful. Very powerful. Can you feel it? Can you pull it back some? You'll scare the Patils radiating this much power."
Neville wanted to deny his Grandmother's assertion that he was powerful but he could feel his magic and new that would be a lie. It was so simple to hold it and control it. Like an additional appendage that he'd had his whole like.
He wrapped it around himself and it settled. Augusta felt the waves stop but anyone even slightly sensitive to magic would still recognize her grandson as a powerful wizard. It made her very happy. She ran her hands through his dark blond hair to fix it but didn't really do anything. After their earlier conversation she had promised herself to initiate more contact with him and she could already see he ate the attention up.
The Patil Family had already arrived and were waiting in the sitting room. When he had arrived home not only with news of his success but the announcement that the oath was to be given tonight it was met with quick congratulations and then a rush to get dressed.
He took the time while his wife and daughters got ready to send a letter home to his other two wives and to the head of his family. They already knew of his plan and while the greater family would not be bound by his oath, all of his direct descendants would be unless they were released or requested release to start their own branch as he was doing with his move to England.
His two wives and his sons would be bound but would not be required to come to him and would still be cared for by the family though now he would have to pay a yearly tribute as he was now creating a separate but very closely allied family. He would also have to provide his wives with a more robust allowance as the portion provided by the family would not be there. He had properly prepared for this move and no one's day to day life in India would change so all would be happy with his success.
In the sitting room the four people felt the pulse of magic as the House of Longbottom opened. The house elf that had been waiting with them actually groaned and grew a bit. They looked at the elf in wonder as her skin stayed gray but lost the waxy sheen typical to house elves and some of the wrinkles that covered her body flattened out. Also the bit of manic excitement that seemed to always exist in house elves went away and the elf calmed.
Twilly was as surprised as everybody else at her reaction to the house re-opening. The changes were subtle but the ability to draw more completely on the House magic had done her wonders. She smiled in remembrance of the last time she felt this connected. And thought of Master Eric with a sad smile.
It was 20 minutes later that the occupants in the room got another surprise as a much happier Augusta and Neville entered the room. They paused and looked at Twilly who looked back. Neville had never seen the elf look so…healthy but Augusta had. She had not realized that closing the house had affected them so much but the difference was clear. She smiled at the elf who smiled back in thanks and then turned to the family who had inspired all this. They were staring at Neville. She smiled at that too.
The Patils did not know really how the family magics worked in England and they knew of the closing and opening of old Houses but it was clear that something had happened because the boy was not what had been described. Vas had told him the boy was shy and sweet. While Neville was still shy it was obvious he was magically powerful and Lakshmi Patil looked over to her husband to confirm that he hadn't kept the boys power a secret to surprise them which he confirmed with a look.
Padma and Parvati Patil had been raised prepared for this moment. Arranged marriages were neither common nor uncommon in magical India, they just happened sometimes. What was more important was that once a match was made both the bride and groom be versed in their marital responsibility.
Husbands were expected to guide the family and set the goals toward success and wives were expected to use their intelligence, cunning and magic to help complete the tasks needsd to accomplish those goals. The Patil twins had been studying at their parent's feet since they were six. In addition to their fathers business lessons and their mother's lessons in sex and seduction, their family pensieve had also been used to teach them the martial arts.
They knew that their father hoped they would be accepted eventually as concubines of the future Lord but that would not be forced on them and they were just happy to make a new friend. The description of the boy had made them hopeful. But looking at the powerful boy in front of them radiating shyness and power they both thought that he reminded them of their father and that it might be fun to use their mother's methods to inspire him to greatness.
As he was being stared at Neville was staring back in equal wonder. Not because of the power of the family but because of the beauty of the twin girls in front of him. They were wearing long dresses that reached their ankles but the material hugged their bodies snuggly without being too tight.
It put their developing curves on display and Neville blushed as he noticed the subtle protrusion that suggested they were not wearing a support charm. His blush deepened as he looked down and could see evidence of their panties pressing into the thin materials of the dress. Neville didn't know it but the entire outfit had been chosen to appeal to the developing hormones of an 11 year old boy. They were meant to look innocent and approachable with just enough on display to cause blushes and furtive glances. It had worked spectacularly on young Neville.
But his physical attraction to the beauties did not end there. They had long beautiful necks that were accentuated with very delicate looking lace chockers. Their skin was light brown and their eyes had a slightly oblong shape and ended in points at each side with dark brown irises and finished with long eyelashes that gave them, at least from Neville's perspective, an exotic look.
They had long Black and straight hair that was tied to a tight ponytail at the top of their heads, held by jade clasps. The rest of their hair cascaded down their backs and stopped at their hips. This brought Neville's eyes back to the hidden panties which sent his eyes back to the protrusions which made him blush and look in their eyes and then hair and the cycle would repeat.
Augusta took control of the situation and asked everyone to sit. She told the Patils what happened during the ritual and said "You have already been a great service to the House. I am surer than ever we should take your oath." In silent agreement the adults chatted to give the children a chance to meet with each other. Neville and the two girls had taken a seat away from the adults.
Sitting together the three children looked at each other. Neville had got enough control of himself to not stare at their chests which was noticed by both the girls and their mother. They were committed but it was also a small test of the young man's character that they were pleased he had passed.
However once passed the girls did not mind basking in some attention if they invited it. "Do you like our dresses?" Padma said. The question had the desired affect and his eyes darted to her breasts before he blushed and looked her in her face. "Yes I do Padma, you both look very pretty in them"
His statement shocked the two girls. He had been staring at them during the introductions but they had doubted he was paying attention. And as a habit they had crossed paths with each other multiple times to sew confusion about their identities. Parvati asked to confirm it wasn't a lucky guess "You can tell us apart?"
Neville was shy but he was not an introvert. Most of his shyness was due to being sheltered and his fear of being weak and disappointing his grandmother. Most of those issues had been put to bed and in spark of cheek reminiscent of his father, though he didn't know it, he said. "The two of you had a pretty firm grasp of all of my attention when I came in. And you made a pretty big impression on me. Padma, your eyes are slightly lighter than Parvati's and Parvati, your lips are slightly paler than Padma's." The two girl blushed at his statement. They had not even known those things about themselves.
The ice thoroughly broken the three children became fast friends. They talked about what they knew about becoming Retainers and told them about their training in business and fighting. The Parvati in an attempt to make him blush again said "and if you convince us to be your concubines, we are also being taught all about sex and seduction" She was successful in getting the boy to blush and he said "From where I am sitting, I think you already got the seduction part down" The two girls laughed and Neville found he liked the sound.
They continued to talk and practice their flirting with each other and after a short while Neville was able to keep up and get the girls to blush too. Seeing that they had made good progress toward friendship, the adults interrupted them and the three children blushed realizing some of their conversation was likely overheard. Augusta smiled at her grandson and led them to the family hall to accept the oaths of the House of Patil.
When they entered the Longbottom family hall, the Patils looked around in wonder. The room was covered with magical portraits, tapestries and family memorabilia. It was clear that the Longbottom family had a long and rich history. The room had architectural touches that looked to be of Viking origin which was why the home was called Longbottom Hall.
They turned to Augusta as she was addressing Neville. She held a box out to him that held a gold medallion attached to a gold rope chain. "This is the sigil that will mark you as the Heir Apparent of the House of Longbottom. Each family has its own methods of marking both its Heir and its head.
Once it is on it is charmed so that none may take it off. For many years the Hogwarts Headmaster has had a policy that discourages the wearing of such things until at least your 5th year. He believes that it is detrimental to the learning environment and the ability to form friendships.
In the years of war and the decline of the old ways most if not all of the families have respected this policy though he has no power to enforce it, but Mr. Patil and his arguments have gotten me thinking about how many of the old traditions we have put down.
It seems the only ones we kept were the ones that were meant to maintain power and none that encouraged the sharing of it. As such I would like you to wear this proudly. Neville nodded seriously and his grandmother in what was a serious and respected moment placed the sigil around his neck and fastened it. There was a pulse of magic and then things settled.
Neville stepped up to the top of the Longbottom crest that was inlaid into the hardwood floor and said
"Vasant Patil, Head of the British Magical House of Patil step forward and offer your oath."
His grandmother stood behind his right shoulder. All could feel the magic of Longbottom Hall pulse with the beginning of the ritual. Vasant stepped forward and placed his wand at Neville's feet. Disarming oneself was the first step of the ritual. His wife had not brought her wand and his daughters had none. He stepped back to the center of the crest and kneeled at its center. He said
"I, Vasant Patil, head of the British Magical House of Patil proclaim on my faith and ability in magic that my family will from now and in the future be faithful to the House of Longbottom, never cause them harm and will observe my homage to them completely against all persons, creatures or intent in good faith and without deceit. So I swear, So mote it be."*
Neville responded and his voice was laced with magic as the ritual connected and waited to be completed.
"I, Neville Longbottom, Heir of the House of Longbottom wish to accept the proclamation of the head of the British Magical House of Patil and accept their service to the House of Longbottom in faith and allegiance and blessed by magic until such time as their duty is done or their oath is released. So mote it be."
Had Neville been the Head of the family the ritual would be concluded at this point and had there been a recognized head, he could not have powered the ritual. As it was Augusta was required as Magical Guardian of Neville and Regent of the House to include her part.
"I, Augusta Longbottom, Magical Guardian of Neville Longbottom, Heir Apparent to the House of Longbottom and Regent of the House of Longbottom do acknowledge this oath as just and fair and grant my blessing. So Mote it Be.
The magic pulsed and all present felt the foreign magic settle into their core. The families were now bonded. They all returned to the sitting room quietly contemplating the feeling of each other's magic within themselves. It felt like family but not and was streaked with a weird sense of duty.
Augusta said "Please spend the night and we shall continue this in the morning. As is tradition we will build you a home within the wards of the property. And tomorrow we shall arrange to purchase the building your shop is in. I believe it is owned by the House of Potter." Here she turned to Vasant "Vas, we will approach the families about re-swearing the Vassal oaths as well."
The Patil twins were given a room next to Neville's as they were to be his playmates and the Patil parents were giving lodging in the guest quarters. The family and their new Retainers had dinner which was very comforting and full of discussion for the future and eventually everyone retired to their beds.
Neville had changed into his pajamas when Padma and Parvati entered his room still dressed in their dresses. He looked at them and blushed at their beauty and said "Twilly will get you some pajamas if you call for her".
The day had been amazing to the two girls and between Neville's power and the power of the ritual they decided they wanted to put in their claim that they wanted to be his concubines. At the same time they reached down and pulled their dresses over their head and dropped them on the floor. "We don't need pajama's" Padma said "But we might get cold tonight" Parvati continued "Can we stay with you?" Padma concluded.
Neville woke up with the two mostly naked girls still in his arms. He had slept very well and the feeling of their skin still firmly held in his hand under their satin panties, filled him with a bit of pride. He was sure he did a good job last night both in respecting their boundaries and pushing some them.
He went to stand up and the girls snuggled tighter to him. "Come on girls" he said "time to get up. I need to take a shower" he got some mumbled Okays and he got out of the bed and headed toward his shower. He looked behind him and noticed the two girls were out of the bed and following him. "What are you doing?" he asked. Parvati smirked at him and said "We are going to help you". He realized it would be a while before he could keep up with the two of them. But looking at their exposed top he knew he would enjoy the journey.
*[paraphrased from passage on page "Knights Oath of Fealty" found at /]