Queen Anne Style
My mother was very upset, dessert was to be served but Kreacher wasn't there. She was pacing like a warlord before her fleets. "This is shameful, Regulus! We have the Minister waiting!"
We were in the entrance hall. "Mother I explained, Kreacher was needed elsewhere, he'll be back."
"What does he need with our house-elf?" she snapped at me. It was a good question, but I couldn't even begin to speculate. It was best to just wait.
"I can have my house-elf serve us," Leandra offered. "Coco!" Her house-elf appeared, bowing deeply at her feet. My mother tutted, turning away. I gave Leandra a grateful look. "Coco, go into the kitchen and prepare to serve the dessert in- what, Walburga, ten minutes?"
"I suppose, but don't let your elf slack in the presentation," she warned. "It took years to teach Kreacher how to best present the food at a party as prominent as this. The show is half the charm when you dine at our home."
"I've noticed," Leandra muttered. She addressed her house-elf again, "Ten minutes, Coco, I want it to be perfect. Everything is all set, so you really shouldn't mess things up. If you do, you'll embarrass me greatly, you understand this."
"Yes, Madame Crafter, Coco knows! Coco will perform as perfectly as Puddlemere United did last season, captained by the brave and brilliant Sebastian Ragtuffson," she swore. I laughed, she noticed me, glancing up shyly first but then her head snapped back and her mouth dropped open in awe, "The Seeker Regulus Black!" she squealed.
"Coc has a deranged obsession with Quidditch," Leandra explained quickly. She then slapped Coco on the back of the head, sending her on her way. My mother looked at them like they were the most revolting sight she's ever seen.
"Shall we return to my raving party outside?" I asked them.
A loud crack sounded and there was a thud. Something was knocked over behind the coat hanger. We looked at each other confused, and I moved forward to see what it was. A limp, grey body rolled out.
It was Kreacher.
Her cousin's mansion was made in the Queen Anne Style. Though she knew she would never make it as a crafter or even a Muggle architect, she enjoyed learning what she could about architecture. Besides when they first arrived at the mansion in mid-September, she took care of Corvus as Leandra gave them a tour, explaining every aesthetic wonder.
It was built a few kilometers out of the city of Bristol. The house was nearly the size of the Malfoy Manor, but this garden was much bigger than theirs. Leandra and Regulus had spared for expense building this house. They even had Brutus, her father; send over his best landscaper since the talent offered in Britain did not convince Leandra.
There were lush flower gardens, cascading brooks, great big trees scattered about, a grove of apple trees to the west and a lake. Everything was spread out, so there was enough room to begin private projects, like plant vegetables or build a playground for Corvus. These are some of the things she would do anyway.
The house had all the fine features of a Queen Anne styled home. A sweep of steps leading to a carved stone door-case, rows of painted sash windows in boxes set with the brickwork, stone quoins emphasizing corners, a central triangular pediment set against a hipped roof with dormers…
Métis sat in the grass as Corvus played in a shallow stream only a few yards from her. On her lap she had her nursing textbook open and she was underlining important facts that she was positive would be in her next written exam. Nursing wasn't really a passion of hers, but Leandra was right, she needed to make herself useful.
It was so kind of her father to send her here to work for Leandra. And it was wonderful of Leandra to take her in; she knew that she was a burden as a Squib. She did not expect any of these fine wizards to treat her as kindly as they have.
There was the sound of a footfall, Métis quickly turned. Neither Leandra nor Regulus was due to be back until that evening!
It was Ascanius Stirling. His hair was neatly sleeked back; it had grown longer since the last time Métis had seen him. The ends reached a little beyond his collar now, but it was held back neatly and respectfully. His robes looked crisp and new, she noticed his cufflinks. They were silver set with sapphires.
Métis nervously got to her feet, trying to fix her long wool skirt as she moved. Some of the papers she had stuck into the pages of her textbook slipped out. She felt herself blush. She bowed, "Mr. Ascanius."
He shifted the weight on his feet. He tried looking everywhere but at her. "My sister is not home?"
"No, I will have word sent immediately though, of your arrival-"
"Stop," he raised his hand. She bit her lip. He sighed; she could sense that he pitied her. "Please, don't worry, Métis."
She knew everything about Leandra and Ascanius's history. She prided herself on knowing everything about the Stirling family in general. Many feared Ascanius; she could understand how they could misunderstand someone like him. But she knew that if she were a real witch, she would be someone like Ascanius. He was a warrior, a knight upholding his family's honor, sacrificing himself to purge their world of filth and disease. His passion run deep and it was strong. Métis saw this immediately; it could all be read in his haunting eyes.
"She doesn't know I was coming," he told her. He looked over at Corvus. "I came to give Corvus his birthday gift."
"I don't believe Leandra will be celebrating it today, Mistress Walburga wants to throw him a party for the weekend though," Métis said in her soft voice. Ascanius's eyes examined Métis, slowly and she couldn't see what his verdict was.
"He's one year old now," he said finally looking away. He walked towards Corvus. The child was slapping his hands in mud puddles, laughing as he always did. Métis rushed to pick up a cleaning rag lying beside her bag of things. She was going to clean Corvus up for Ascanius, but he beckoned for her to stop. With a quick flick of his wand, Corvus was cleaned up. The child blinked, confused and sad to be without mud. Ascanius picked him up. "This gift is important, I have to give it over to him. It is only right."
He placed Corvus back on the ground, away from the mud bank though. He knelt in front of the little boy. Métis wanted to pat down an odd strand of hair sticking out in the back. She felt Corvus should look his best for his uncle.
Ascanius pulled out a silver necklace from under his collar. The necklace had a pendent. It was the necklace and pendent given to every newborn boy of the Stirling family. The pendent had their family crest on it. Métis use to dream of one day having her own baby boy, a powerful wizard and the best crafter to ever live, and she would polish that pendent every night as he slept.
"But is this one yours?" Métis asked without thinking.
He looked up at her. He looked surprised that she knew how important this gift was. Ascanius nodded.
"He is the first son after our generation," he said in his deep voice, "It is my gift to Corvus."
"It is the perfect gift then," Métis complimented. "Corvus is lucky to be in such a good family."
Ascanius purposely looked away from her. He took the necklace and slipped the silver chain over Corvus's head. It magically adjusted itself to fit on his neck. Corvus was impatient to begin playing against. Métis wished he only knew how monumental this was.
"Tell my sister I came to bestow Corvus this gift," Ascanius ordered as he stood up. "I don't know when I will see her next. Let her know I wish Corvus a happy birthday."
For the entire day, Métis thought about him. What did he mean about not knowing when he will see Leandra next? It nearly sounded like he wasn't sure when he'll ever see her again. And the way his eyes took her in. They were calm. There was some disgust behind them when they looked at her, but he was reserved. He was willing to acknowledge her. Métis appreciated him for being so giving.
That day was 27 October 1979, Corvus's first birthday. Leandra and Regulus wanted to celebrate it privately. Walburga would organize something for the weekend, when everyone had off. Métis would not be invited. She was never allowed to step foot into the Black household. They were determined to find Corvus a witch nanny. She understood their concern. She agreed actually, Corvus needed to be raised as a proper wizard. He was the heir of the family after all.
Leandra, Regulus and Corvus sat on a white sheet thrown over the floor in the sitting room. Corvus had discovered finger-painting. The sheet they sat on was covered in paint stains. On the walls, portraits of long-gone relatives and random fine-art models turned their nose up at the messiness. But Leandra and Regulus didn't seem to care.
"Tonight was fun," Leandra said lightly. Regulus was staring off into space. "Reg!"
"Huh, yeah it was fun."
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie. You're thinking about Kreacher again aren't you?"
"I'm thinking about what's in there," he retorted, as he stood up, careful not to touch anything. Leandra looked angry.
"Have you thought about how much danger we could be in discussing this?"
"Don't we have a right to know, Lea?"
"We don't want to know anything, because the more we know the more involved we get," Leandra told him. She noticed Métis watching them. "You can go home for the night, Métis I know you have a paper due for tomorrow."
Métis nodded obediently and stood up with the scarf she was knitting for Corvus. As she left into the hallway, she kept the door slight ajar and she waited to hear more.
"Reg, we said we would put this behind us."
"Lea, think about what he's done. Kreacher was almost killed. Why did he have to do that? Kreacher's just a house-elf, what's the point in doing that?"
"He's just a bully, Reg, he's did it because he can."
"I think that's only part of it," Regulus said thoughtfully. "What's important enough to have you build him a cave rigged with traps?"
"Reg, please-"
"You know something, Lea, I can tell."
Métis heard her sigh exasperatedly. "He wouldn't say explicitly but yes, I have an idea."
"What is it?"
There was a pause. "The wickedest of magical inventions, Regulus."
Métis frowned, she couldn't understand. Regulus seemed to have, he cursed in disbelief. He said something else, but it was lost to Métis, but just then a crash came at the door to the garden terrace. She heard Leandra and Regulus hurry to the door; she had to move quickly to appear innocent of eavesdropping.
She ran to the door. Close behind her were Leandra and Regulus.
"Métis? Is that you?" Leandra called out. They came into the corridor with her. Leandra was holding Corvus, even though his hands were staining her robes. Regulus had his wand out. He looked alert. He led the way to the door and opened it.
In stumbled Ascanius. His face was drenched in bright, crimson blood. Regulus took a step back so he wouldn't fall onto him. Both Leandra and Regulus looked pale, they didn't move at all. Métis hurried forward, turning Ascanius's body up so she could examine his face. Being so close to him, she could see his dark eyes burn through the blood smeared on his face. She could also see that he had other wounds on his torso.
Her hands fluttered over him, checking the natural of his wounds. "Someone tried to use a knife to his face," she explained as she gingerly touched the side of his face. "Everything else is magically inflicted."
He was panting. "The damn Order stopped me before I could… before I could…"
"Before you could what?" Leandra demanded, her voice deathly quiet. She was alight with some anger. Metis didn't understand.
"Before I could kill him, sister… I was so near to finishing it all. Our father, I was so close to ending it for us."
Regulus and Leandra stared at Ascanius. Métis used the hem of her skirt to wipe the blood off his face.
"Before you could kill him?" Leandra repeated. "Before you could kill our FATHER?"
Her scream destroyed any other sound in the house. The air was heavy.
"How dare you come here! Get out! I will not have you in my house!"
"Sister…"
"But cousin, he needs help," Métis pled on his behalf.
"I don't care! GET OUT!" Corvus started to cry in her arms, he didn't like his mother to be so angry. It was a side of her Métis never saw before. Regulus quickly took Corvus from her.
"What is this, sister?" Ascanius hissed.
The house groaned. The windowpanes shook. Leandra pointed her wand at her brother. He was forced to his feet, held in the air. The door swung open violently.
"I said GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
Ascanius was thrown out through the door and it snapped shut behind him. Métis was shocked. She had felt the force of his banishment as he flew by her. The door splintered when it was slammed. She looked at Leandra. She looked possessed.
"Ascanius ambushed my father," she spoke in a hushed tone. But Métis heard her words through Corvus's cries. "He was going to kill him, nearly had him…"
"But he's alive," Regulus reminded her.
"He was nearly dead, who knows what Ascanius did to him! Maybe he's still dying," she took a step back, resting against the wall. "I can't believe it… Reg, I thought he was done doing this to me! Why isn't he happy? What more can we do?"
Regulus was quiet. Corvus was hiccupping from crying too much. Métis got to her feet and looked out the window. Ascanius was gone. She silently hoped he was getting the help he needed. She looked at the blood on her skirt now. She could still feel him in her arms.
"He's just killing whoever he wants!" Leandra exclaimed. "Doesn't the Dark Lord control him? All of you Death Eaters, what kind of sick order do you follow?"
"Cousin!" Métis gasped. "Hold your tongue! Your brother has done everything for you, you should be grateful for what he has provided you with. And to criticize the Dark Lord like that, it's an insult to your brother and your husband."
"How can you defend him or any of them!" Leandra shouted back. "You're a Squib, you are nothing to them but shame! Do you have no self-respect, you're pathetic!"
"You can not turn away from your proper family-"
"Shut up, Métis, shut up and leave before I seriously regret something," she said, aiming her wand at Métis.
She held back from saying anything else. She knew that when it came to a fight involving magic, she was surely to lose. Regulus was giving her an equally cold and disgusted look as Leandra. She held herself high though and turned to the door.
Just as she opened the door and stepped out, a cool mist surrounded her and after a few steps she found herself wondering aimlessly outside of Leandra's property. This mist would mislead and displace uninvited guests. Métis knew how to navigate herself to the city. It would take a very long time however.
We were left half-knowing what had just happened. Ascanius had come, bathed in blood and he told us that Dante was in bad shape too. Then Métis got involved, and I always thought she was neutral and was reliable to stay that way. Leandra had her face hidden in her hands. She was sitting on the floor. She looked defeated.
"You're both Death Eaters, but how can you stand beside him?" she asked him. "He's horrible. I don't know how to stop him without… without doing something stupid."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, don't say your sorry," she looked at me. "I don't even know where this is all coming from. It's just from the surprise. My father is still alive. I know this will blow over-"
"Just because you say that, doesn't mean I believe you meant it," I said. She tried fighting back her tears. "I've been asking myself the same thing, you know that. And we keep brushing it aside and then, well then something like this happens, Lea."
"What can we do? You're a Death Eater! I'm married to a Death Eater and related to another, we're surround by Death Eaters," she stressed. "We can only keep ourselves from getting anymore involved then we already are. And you know that."
Corvus was calming down. I didn't want what she said to be the final verdict. It felt too wrong.
"We should go see him."
"What?"
"We should go see your father, at St. Mungo's."
She was speechless.