Reply to Myrtilles: The land of the dead is more of an enigma then it seems. The dead can go there to reconnect, but there are requirements and exceptions to who passes through. Like there has to be a partially intact body, so if it's destroyed you either go straight to reincarnation or to being a ghost/portrait. You get to choose to keep your corpse and stay down below, or simply wander as a spirit above ground until you cease to exist or reincarnate. It also depends on who is set up where in the underworld (Prisons, or as portraits in ancestral homes for example) where they will likely never get out from. There's a lot of people dying, but only a few of them actually meet, and less than that choose to stay for the afterlife.

Secondly, for anyone wondering, Elder Gutknecht is the old skeleton man from Corpse Bride who instructs Emily that the living could never marry the dead.

Ok on with the story!

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Opposition

"You say he proposed twice? I always hoped he had it within his heart to do so one day..." Albus gleamed as he imagined the scenes Harriette described. She had spoken of their first meeting, their first few dates, her trips up top, and Severus' reaction to seeing the land of the dead for the first time. She told the two of meeting the Granger heiress, the Weasley's, remembering Molly, and introduced them finally to Iana. She left out anything remotely sexual, like her heat, and the scent marking, but told them of the gifts she had received, and even of their disastrous date.

Finally she touched on the fact that their minds had linked, and that in doing so she had found out more about her death. Sirius, for his part, mostly sat in shock, seeing as Harriette had neglected to tell the rest of the family about this. She even seemed reluctant to speak on it now, though that was probably due to his presence more than anything.

Sirius knew that Harriette had come here in order to gain the elders' blessing, and to see if there were any rituals of their people that she could implement in their wedding vows.

After asking those exact questions, the young woman waited for the advice and blessings she could practically hear bubbling forth from her elders' mouths. Elder Gutknecht spoke up first, speaking of technicalities.

"Because your mate is of the undead variety, he should not have to drink the poison," As Elder got up to retrieve and read through a large time, throwing books aside one after another until he found it, Sirius blinked hearing this tidbit of information. There couldn't have been a law about the undead marrying the living could there?? "No, there should be no legal or deadly repercussions from this union." He said, leaving it at that.

"Congratulations are in order my girl, you have found something most people would very literally die for." Albus said with a smile, chewing on a candy quill he had pulled from his pocket. "Love is a power in and of itself, and you are lucky to have found something so rare as true love."

"But no, seeing as Severus himself is mostly dead there is nothing stopping you from being wed. We as your elders offer you our blessing, and wish you both eternal happiness."

From here conversations shifted towards how Severus was doing since Albus had last seen him. To which Harry replied, giving him bits of information he'd gleaned from the vampire himself. At this point Spinle arrived, apologizing for the interruption, but nevertheless handing Harriette a letter from her beloved. A soft smile graced her face, and her eyes twinkled when she saw the mans wax seal. Her face fell however, after opening the letter and reading it through.

It started by telling her he had gained her estate back and only needed her signature for it to be transferred back into her name, then assuring her that he only permitted the next part of his letter due to the law, before explaining that someone had challenged her right to be courted by Severus.

As this went on she told those around her that she needed the whole family there to fully explain. And after a few minutes and a few trips from spinle, all of Harry's immediate family were sitting around the table and waiting to hear what had caused their youngest member so much turmoil.

"I need to finish this last bit of the letter before I can explain, please give me a moment." She said, before refocusing her gaze on the parchment.

She reread the beginning, before going into the rules of the law and what it meant for her and her family. From there there was a formal invitation for both her and her family to make their way to his castle where they will be accommodated for the duration of the challenge, and finally towards the end, was the who of the matter. The Dursley's had once again butted into his life, however unknowingly, and were trying to steal her mate! The letter is ended very sweetly, stating that even if her cousin took the challenge seriously, Dudley could no better hold the vampires attention than he could an intelligent conversation. He wrote that she would always be his beloved, and that he awaited her arrival with an accelerated heart beat.

"I-- The Dursley's... They are..." She began. Anger, panic, sadness, and more panic were all wrapped around a surge of love within her, and she didn't know how to describe her feelings let alone how to describe the letter.

"What about those scum?" Sirius asked incensed, taking the letter as Harry passed it around the table.

"They are challenging our courting! They want Dudley to eat courted by Lord Prince, and are trying to repudiate my claim!!" Was all she could say, voice cold and low, before standing and excusing herself in order to make herself some tea. She needed a distraction, and to simply not be in the room when everyone read it. She could already hear both Sirius and Remus beginning to read it aloud and she did not want to hear it all again.

She loves that man, and she knows that he loves her, but what could possibly be the motive behind her abusive relatives wanting to marry into the family of a man who is not only a wizard, but a vampire to boot?!

It made no sense to her. Why in Merlins name would they reference a law on these things? And it seemed odd that they would use Dudley in that way, though she could understand that their greed had no bounds. Was it all to gain back her estate in a semi legal way, to gain Severus' money, his castle, or --heavens forbid-- control over his coven? She felt faint in that moment, and once her tea was done and prepared with a bit of sugar and some lemon juice, she made her way back into the room.

Dumbledore was there at the doorway to help her back into her seat, offering a bit of emotional support as she was about to head into a brand new challenge.

Iana was whispering calming words into her ear, sporadically tightening around her arm in order to bring her back out of her mind, which usually helped her through many panic and anxiety attacks in the past. It was no different this time, and once calm Harriette addressed her family.

"Well, I believe it's best if we all pack for the next week or so, we do have a long trial ahead of us." She would not hear anything else about this until she had Severus beside her to explain what she could not.

A round of solemn nods was her answer before her family apparated back home, then Spinle retrieved the two horses, and finally Harriette herself departed the Elder's base. Albus and Elder would be by shortly after they packed, and they would all leave from the Potter estate the next morning.

Two rooms were prepared for the elders of the family, and everyone had a quiet dinner before retiring for the night, some like Harry taking dreamless sleep potions, and others like his parents and godparents curled up around their significant other for a bit of comfort.

He would need as much sleep as possible for the next few weeks, and could only hope that his room would be beside his mate's as it had been only a few days ago. He had no dreams, nor any nightmares, which meant that his body was not getting too used to the potions affects. Later in the next morning, Harry awoke to a small pain in his forehead, one he knew was from crying, as the tear tracks were still upon his face. It seemed that while he did not dream, his brain was still trying to find an outlet.

Penning a quick letter to Severus letting him know they would arrive at around 7 AM, Harry sent Spinle off as she was the only house elf that could pass through the plains, and he needed this done quickly.

Dressing similarly to his outfit yesterday, Harriette wove a few white daffodils and daisy's through her hair, which she wore loose with a few smaller braids on the sides, and wore a light yellow gown with yellow sapphires and lace adorning the top of the corset, just barely visible from where it sat beneath the dress. He wore a rose gold diadem on his head, and had cream gloves made of satin. She wore cream colored heels, and pantyhose, which she had found in a store below ground that sold items from the 1960s.

It was spring now, and Harriette needed some way to express herself. Besides, what better way to introduce herself to the competition than to make a lasting impression. This time she would not feel sorry for wishing her opponent eternal sadness, seeing as they had very nearly done the same to her many times over.

Grabbing her wand and the purse she had packed, which had an extendable charm on it, and finally her glasses, Harriette was ready to crush her so called family's dreams of splendor and extravagance. Confidence oozed off of her, smothering any insecurities she may have had with a pillow, as she made her way down the stairs.

Her family had never seen her so sure of herself, and it heartened them to know that she would never give her mate up without a fight. They were seeing a fairly new side to her, one they thought had been locked away with her lioness all those years ago. The mood in the dining room lifted, and Albus had that infernal twinkle in his eye. Iana was as secure on her left arm as she had been yesterday, and Harriette's wand holster was out as a proud statement to her magic. She meant business, and she would try her damndest to make them see she was no longer their starved little servant girl.

Breakfast was quiet, though the small talk at the table was light-hearted and confidence boosting. Standing after the meal, Harriette told her family that she and Spinle would have to take them up the first time, and after they established a new link between the plains, they should be able to do it on their own from then on. Thus, Spinle took James and Lily Potter, Harriette took Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and the two came back once more for Albus Dumbledore and Elder Gutknecht, Harriette also grabbing Dobby as the little elf was usually an asset to have around.

Once the entirety of Harry's Procession had arrived in the shelter of the dark forest, Harriette gave them time to cast glamours, but no one opted for it. Not even Spinle, who had a bit of her ear missing and a fully skeletal left arm. "Spinle, please pop in and inform Lord Prince that we have arrived."

Dobby was awed by his Lady Potter, happy that she had brought him along and vowed to do his best not to get in the way, while helping as much as possible. Harriette sent him a look that he knew all too well, as it said 'Leave this to me and do not interfere or cheat.' and Dobby had long since learned that disappointment was worse than pain.

He would stick to his duties and keep his mistress happy. With a nod to his mistress, he recieved a small genuine smile that lit up his mistress's face. Once Spinle had popped back into the groups view, everyone broke out of their stupor. Severus, the Weasley's and a few dozen coven members/guards had come out to greet them. A full welcoming party, Harry smiled, as he led his family towards his mate to be, lifting his gown a bit as he speed walked across the small clearing up to the castles Gates.

It seemed Spinle had informed her mate of her dress and color scheme for the day, as Severus was wearing a cream vest over a white starch collared shirt, as well as cream colored trousers and black dragon hide boots. His pocket watch/time piece hung from a low pocket on the vest, and he wore a light yellow cravat, and white gold cufflinks that had detailed daffodils etched into them.

Her smile brightened a hundredfold by the time she came up to everyone he'd only just left. She then curtseyed and Introduced her family members who either bowed or curtseyed as they were introduced. "Lord Prince, may I introduce you to my mother and father, former Lord James Potter and former Lady Lily Potter, My godfathers Former Lord Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and my honorary grandfathers, Albus Dumbledore and Elder Gutknecht, as well as my adoptive mother and familiar Iana, and my house elves, Spinle, and Dobby."

After everyone had been introduced and the shock had worn off a bit (from Dumbledore's introduction), Severus did the same, introducing everyone in his welcoming party by their name and title as well as his house elves for the morning. "My Lady if you and your kin would accompany me to your rooms, before we retire to the gardens for the morning?" Severus asked, offering his hand to Harriette with a deep bow.

A curtsey just as deep and then Harry took his mate's hand, allowing the elder of the two of them to guide him along once again. Not long after, the two seemed to have gone of into their own world, because neither could look away from the other for very long, reminding the Weasley's of their first night in the castle when the couple had done the exact same thing. It made the challenge even more of a joke, as no one could be so blind as to not see the overwhelming love surrounding these two people.

Once everyone had a room, the third floor of this wing of the castle now more full than ever, the group made their way towards the gardens, not so far as to go within the maze, but just far enough to see the entrance of it. There was a long table set up out there where the families sat to make up for lost time, while the guards went back on their duties, or stationed themselves around the area.

Small talk began, which became questions and getting to know one another as an extension of their own families and was before long a mini celebration. The Weasley's were astounded by the undead family, having only just gotten used to Harriette being deceased. Though it was hard to actually tell, as they did not smell like putrid flesh, or have any signs of death, save for the bluish tinted skin and the occasional bone (Spinle and Elder), and they seemed to be up to date on the current happenings in England.

Soon reality came creeping in as Harriette tentatively asked about the trials she would be facing. That was when everyone remembered about the Dursley's.

This caused both Hermione and the Weasley's to perk up, as they had no idea that the Dursley's of all families were the ones to issue the challenge against Harry and Severus' budding relationship. It made Molly angry to hear their names again, and she vowed to overlook any of her children's pranks on the wretched family for at least the next few days.

Remus could not hold back a growl, as his cub seemed to deflate a bit at the mention of her relatives.

"They are my blood relatives," Lily supplied, "Petunia was my elder sister, and Vernon her husband. Dudley is there soon, and Harriette's cousin, they were the despicable family Harriette was left with after our deaths." She quickly finished speaking before silencing her family in anticipation for the trials her child was to face, before being free to marry the man she loved.

"I have set up a series of tests for the two of you to undergo, such as playing an instrument, singing, seeing, arts, and dance. You will both be expected to present the best versions of yourselves, and I will be obligated to speak with him once per day, though how I shall survive the ordeal is unknown. Your etiquette shall be put to test, as well as your form and general grace. Not to mention how each of you would handle holding some power over my coven or estates, filing the ledgers, and taking account of what needs upkeeping in the castle and grounds." Severus described fairly plainly, giving Harriette a look that spoke of his love for her and how much he trusted her talents in those fields, even if he had not seen them yet.

"All things that the lady of the estate should do, as well as the planning of one days meals, and checking in with the staff every other day." Severus knew it was a lot to ask of Harriette to do all of these tasks withing a week, even though he knew she was going to crush the Dursley's whelp. He could not give her anymore information than that however, as she had already been told more than the Dursley's would be getting. Just because it was one of the few laws that expanded through out muggle, creature, and wizarding cultures did not mean everything had to be fairly distributed. He had space in the castle, but he wished to spare as many people as possible from the torment the muggle family would cause, so he placed them elsewhere.

They would be around for meals as he could do nothing about that, but they were as far removed as he could get them while still playing the polite-- if not generous-- lord and host.

"The trials will begin tomorrow,"The vamire stated, "and the only time you will be seeing the Dursley's between then and now will be for meals." Here he turns to Harriette and takes her hands in a gentle grip. "You Harriette, will be seated to the right of myself, and to your right will be your family. To my left will sit your cousin and his family, followed by Molly and her family, including heiress Granger, who will be seated on either side of the table." He tried to smile reassuringly, but his sneer showed through nonetheless. "This is the last of our free time, so cherish it." Severus added at the end, keeping Harriette's left hand in his own while they sat and finished their morning in peace.

Not much was said for the next half hour, though when Albus congratulated Severus on his reinvinted potion, the vampire in question perked up. Calling to grace he instructed the elf in tones too low for even Remus to hear, to grab something from his lab. This was to be his next courting gift to Harriette, and it would have to be the last until the challenge had been conceded or won.

When the small elf popped back into view with crystalline vial with a shimmery yellow liquid inside, Severus thanked her and relieved her of her small burden. She bowed low to her master and his guests before leaving to finish her duties. She was not the head house elf for nothing.

Turning back towards his mate, Severus smiled warmly, which still caught people of guard. Ever since Harriette left to go back home and few days ago, the man had hardly smiled, though he was constantly working as well. It was like he needed a distraction until he could see her again.

Harriette smiled in anticipation, watching as he mate rolled the vial between his long fingers, before passing it into her, as he spoke. "This potion is a variation of the Oculus potion I have been workshoping recently. It will fix your eyesight almost completely. There may be a slight averion to bright lights, or an irritating itch for the next hour or so, and if you experience either, inform me immediately."

This was said with such care and devotion in his eyes that no one doubted his word, as as everyone at the table had enifited at least onc3e from his potions, they knew not to take his cautions lightly.

Harriette unstoppered the vial and after holding her breath-- expecting a horrid flavor to greet her-- her eyes widened when the taste of vanilla exploded on her tongue. She took potion without a problem. Then there was pain...