Chapter Twenty-Six: Clearer Than Yesterday
It began with a slight ache, which she responded to by taking off her glasses. Second there was a tickling feeling that became a sort of itch, though that disappeared before she could even register it fully. Third there was a stinging pain in her retina, then a soothing cool came over her eyes. These were annoying signs of her body absorbing the potion, though a harsh click of jarring pain had her lurching forward, hitting her corseted torso on the wooden table.
Her ribs rattled a bit, and she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that a bruise would be formed there by the end of the night. She held back an intense cry of pain, though as she opened her eyes it all drifted into the background. It was so bright and he saw everything...
Literally everything, he mentally cheered, it was almost as if she were seeing through her lionesses eyes, though the colors were brighter in her human form. If she were paying attention to her inner subconscious she would have heard the cling of one of many locks falling into nothingness.
"Oh my darling mate I can see so much clearer than yesterday!" She exclaimed, a few tears escaping her. From pain or happiness she honestly didn't care.
The aforementioned mate, simply took her hand back in his own and gave her time to enjoy her new improved vision. Time passed again as everyone watched the wonder in Harry's eyes while he took in every last detail of the gardens, the maze, the forest, their faces, and Severus in particular. He hadn't realized just how much death had served to deteriorate his eyesight, or just how long he'd had the old outdated spectacles that had long since stopped aiding her sight.
She felt like dancing, or running, flying anything, so long as her mate were there to enjoy this with her, because she had never felt so-- so free! Another cling, and another lock falls...
This one she notices, though she brushes it off as one of the goblets being placed on the table by those around her who are still drinking and conversing quietly.
Severus was proud of himself though, as he had been working on the potion since he had completed Remus' prenatal potions. It would seem that his iridescent roses had more use than simply looking good. Things were calming down a bit, and he wanted his mate to be as comfortable as possible before the first test.
Lunch came upon the mates, their family, and friends all too quickly it seemed. In no time at all, a maid arrived and they were informed of the Dursley's near arrival in the entrance hall, where Severus would soon have to greet them. The maid was sent approximately ten minutes before they left, or so she told them, which made the rest of Lord Prince's Guests rush in as dignified a manner as possible to greet Harry's challengers.
House elves came to clean the table, all dressed in the Lord's house colors, and sporting his house crest. They would be the only ones cleaning and setting up, as most of the new muggles were much too slow for their liking.
The Weasley's, Potter family, and heiress Granger all fell into place, almost as if they had done this a million times, led by Lord Prince, and Lady Potter into the castle, and even further in towards the side Entrance Hall just past the courtyard and opposite the servants quarters where the Dursley's were residing.
Severus would be introducing the Dursley's to everyone, so all Harriette had to do was sit pretty and wait for the disgusted shock to show up on their faces at her presence, so that she may lap it up with the utmost glee. This was how the Dursley's found them, Harriette with her hand placed gently upon Severus' arm, looking delicate and youthful, as if untouched by death or time.
Dudley, as well as Vernon, had to control their eyes when they saw her. They did not recognize the girl, she must have either been a commonors daughter or someone from another country. They took in her skin, eyes, hair and especially her body as if she were a whore on sale for them. She had to repress a shudder at the looks, and stare at the space above their heads, clenching her jaw to refrain from clawing their eyes out.
Petunia nearly glared at Harriette in her disgust. she too could not recognize Harry in the confident girl, but she did see how beautiful the young girl was, as well as how her own husband and son leered. She was envious, and incensed that her husband would hardly look at her anymore and this little chit had gained his attention in less than two seconds.
She was now in a predicament. Because if the girl lost the claim she had on Lord Prince, Petunia had no doubts that her husband would attempt to claim the girl as a second wife, yet if Dudley lost they would be out of a title, servants to do their every command, riches, and a home. This would be difficult for her to navigate...
This all happened in less than a thirty second pause-- as the Dursley's had only just come into view-- before they stood before the vampire, his inteted, and their family.
"My Lord," Vernon spoke, only taking his eyes off of the enticing girl for the moment. "May I introduce you to my wife, Petunia Dursley," he stumbled over her name, unused to not saying the title of 'Lady' before doing so, "And my heir Dudley Dursley."
With an air of complete and subtle sarcasm, Severus bowed just enough to be respectful, saying, "It is a pleasure." Shaking Vernon's hand in a death grip for even glancing upon his mate in all her beauty. The rotund man winced and nearly cried out in pain before his hand was released, stepping back in fear more than the end of his introductions.
"I would like to introduce you to my family." Severus spoke with so much confidence that neither of the families had any doubts that they weren't seen as such. That and he didn't care to separate them all by family, and have to make three separate introductions. Besides they were all under his care or would soon be family anyways. He started with the Weasleys and lone Granger, and Dudley looked only at the females for the entirety of this part. Next he moved on to the Potters, though he saved the two former heads of the family and his mate for last.
"Remus Lupin and his mate Sirius Black," he had said, before a twinkle of malicious joy flickered in his eyes, "And finally my intented mate ad her family, Lady Harriette Potter, former Lady Lily Potter, and former Lord James Potter."
And the entire group had to fight hard not to lose their shit when the Dursley's patriarch fell in a dead faint onto his twig like wife, who had grabbed at her son's arms in order to stay upright, though it only resulted in the heir of the family falling with a rather pig like squeal onto the floor, covered by his mother and father.
"Oh dear me!" Harriette exclaimed, her skills in acting only second to her mate's, as she had Severus levitated the ex Lord off of his family, while Ron and Charlie helped the rest of the family up.
Vernon was taken to the infirmary where he was enervated by Poppy Pomfrey, a mediwitch who had come to serve the Prince family after Albus' death. She held back a snicker at the sight of the man, before gushing over Harriette and Molly to a lesser extent. She knew the story behind Harry's disappearance and reappearance, but it was nice to see the girl happy for once.
When Vernon came to, he took one look at Harriette and almost fainted a second time, though pride kept him from doing so. The next week for the Dursley's did not seem to be looking up.
No one spoke of the incident for fear of bursting into laughter, and the group thanked Madame Pomfrey (the Dursley's were a bit hesitant to do so, but not thanking her would be worse than the close of their introductions they reasoned) and left the hospital wing in slightly higher or lower spirits, depending on whom you sought to ask.
Everyone was in a definite silence comes the way towards the dining hall, as the Dursley's were too embarrassed to speak just yet, and no one else had much to say that they hadn't before the family had shown up.
The muggle family were still coming to terms with Harriette, Lily and James not being dead, so when they remembered that some of the others with them were probably at one point dead, Petunia had to restrain her son from running away with his tail tucked inbetween his legs. He would not ruin this for her, and as Vernon had yet to look at their freak of a nephew since the introductions, she had less to worry about.
Harriette was beaming inside at the self disgust on her uncle's face as they took their seats. Severus had taken out her seat for her first, before doing the same for Dudley, reminding the other that he would be the submissive counterpart if he by some miracle won the challenge. He then waited until the men seated their sisters wives and fiancee, before the men took their seats.
Harry could see the embarrassed flush mottled upon Dudleys cheeks at being treated like a woman, and shared her amusement with her husband to be. 'My mate,' she projected towards the others mind, 'I am quite baffled that they have not run just yet. I do doubt that they have grown to accept magic, let alone tolerating reanimated corpses. Their motives must be important to them to do all of this.'
Severus took a bite of his chicken, which had piped up only moments ago, while watching those at the table with an almost calculated stare. 'Beloved Rie, they are standing to gain much more from this challenge than they could ever lose, I am only surprised they are not overdoing their... acceptance.'
Harriette had to conceded that point, as her mate was right, but she blushed from hearing her name abbreviated so charmingly, and spoken in her mate's low silky voice no less.
'They must not have even glanced at Elder Gutknecht however, as they only fainted at my and my parents names.' Harriette began to cut her meal into bite sizes, showing perfect etiquette as he had been raised to do. She waited four her mates reply, which did not take long.
'Of course had they not been so focused upon miss Ginerva, miss Fleur, heiress Granger, and yourself, my mate, they surely would have fainted much earlier.' Severus inflected with a low mental growl. Harry had a hard time keeping his own physical purring at bay, instead allowing it to flow through their bonded minds.
By now the silence had gone on long enough, and Severus indicated that he would begin speaking. Placing his fork and knife to the side of his plate before taking a sip of his wine, and turning towards the intrusive family of three.
"I was informed rather recently, Mr. Dursley, that both you and your father have managed to forge a deal with the Baron of Grunnings in response to the everything growing need of-- what was it?" He spoke, watching as the elder Mr. Dursley puffed up with pride, having forged the contract himself, but with Petunia and his livelyhoods on the line, he would allow his son some of the credit.
"Ah..." Dudley was almost at a loss, for if his father hadn't bragged for weeks after the contract were signed, he would not have known what to say. "Well my Lord," he felt a wave of self revulsion in that moment, "We are looking into the need of new sustainable chimney sweeps. Those over fifteen usually have no use when it comes to that profession, thus smaller children are needed to fix this shortage."
Those around them with magic, morals, and a heart shivered at the thought of sending a mere child up or down a chimney for that matter. Those poor things got stuck more often than not, and rarely lived into their twenties. Harriette blinked and few times, remembering the days he used to be forced to clean the fireplaces while embers still flickered with heat beneath his knees. He could understand a bit of what those children had to do, and he did not envy them their tasks.
This was just something else he would need to address with the muggle House of Lord's, as mainly only muggles and squibs used this form of cleaning.
Severus on the other hand, simply nodded, making plans to visit the Baron and find out his intentions. A shortage he calls it, huh? He looked Vernon to butt in with his boasts, as he knew would happen, while processing his mate's thoughts and feelings. Of course the family would use his innocent mate for such laborious and harmful tasks, and as he listened to his mate's determined thoughts, Severus knew that there could never be another for him.
Harry was all that he was not, with a heart of gold and a radius of warmth several kilometers wide. It would be difficult to pass a law for those children, especially as it would leave them without a job, no matter how hazardous the profession was. Just how would Harriette convince the muggle's House of Lord's to not dally with the idea, he wondered.
Meanwhile the others at the table attempted to steer the conversation in other less controversial directions.This started a conversation in which Petunia and Molly argued over the proper ways to raise children. Though it seemed less like an argument on Molly's side than it did on Petunia's.
It seemed that the eguine woman was sticking to the ideal that less children are better as they could be raised with a more watchful eye and better care financially. It was a near blatant dig at the way Molly's children were raised on hand me downs and less expensive fabrics, food, and material possessions. Molly, handled it gracefully, stating in a reasonable tone that the children need only love and the necessities to grow into propr men and women.
The youngest mother --Molly, as Petunia was the eldest mother in the room, and Lily only second by a year-- did not need to point out that her children were well mannered and mostly well behaved, only glancing at Dudley, who had not left his food even to speak.
The man in question was still stuffing his face in barely concealed zeal, while his mother flushed with embarrasement at her point being undermined by the boy she had raised. And there was not much she could do in that moment as Vernon, not speaking any longer, ate much the same way beside her.
The two were unrefined, this was what she noticed in that moment, and she no longer saw how this day could become worse.
And perhaps she should not have thought that because after lunch the group retired to the parlour in which several instruments and other recreational activities were stored. As they found places to seat themselves, the conversation ebbed and flowed. The men were speaking by the fireplace about their own business endeavors, staying vague so as not to give the Dursley's any ideas. Remus and Severus spoke at length about the potion and it's affects on the wolf's body, as well as how well the little Lupin was coming along.
Sirius stayed in the background of the conversation, adding his view of the last few days to the vampires data collection. The women, including Petunia Dursley and Harriette, sat speaking of the few dozen books shelved around them. Lily regaled them all over a cup of tea of Harry's beautiful songwriting and piano composition once the instrument was noticed.
Conversation ceased at this statement, as those around the room listened in on the conversation, some eager to hear him play and others a bit envious of the boys apparent skillset. No one moved from the seats they had settled in nor the men from their places by the fireplace, as Harriette smiled shyly and confirmed that she had experience in both fields of music. She stayed humble about her experience, but did nothing to curb the satisfied look in her eyes as Dudley paled.
Surely his mother wouldn't speak of his abysmal piano lessons? He could hardly play a short tune, let alone compose a song or perform for an audience. He knew he could not compete if this were a challenege set for him and his cousin.
To be quite honest, he really did not want to be here in this parlor, with these people, and certainly not caught up in the midst of this weird power play his cousins intended and his parents seem to be engaging in. As he had grown up, after Harry's disappearance and death (as he could only assume he had died by his appearance) he had begun to realized all of the traitorous activities he had taken part in.
It had taken him turning his anger on a friend and being held accountable by their parents that he knew his family was wrong. It wasn't until he was in his late twenties when he knew his father and mother saw no wrong in their actions. And while he was not as bad as them, he knew that he was also in no way close to his cousins innocence. The man accepted himself, no matter how weird he was, and he grew in ways Dudley could not. It was almost unfair the amount of guilt he was feeling towards the undead man and how little his parents cared.
It was at this moment when a house elf Dudley had yet to know the name of, showed up with a chalice full of a deep red liquid. It sloshed around the clear container in an almost viscous manner and left nothing to the imagination. He had read that vampires usually drank from pigs if not humans, but most preferred to drink from their spouses or mates. Which meant if he somehow won this weird little challenge, that he would be the mans walking blood bag. He really did not care for his parents manipulations right now. Honestly if they had not thwarted his every attempt to leave the estate to make a name for himself, he would not be in this situation.
Perhaps he could strike a deal with the two lords?? He truly did not want to be in their way, but he needed to get out from under his family's thumb. He shivered as he watched the Vampire king drink, though from the corner of his eye he could see Harry watching his mate as well. He would attempt to speak with one of them alone before the day was done to set something in place. He refused to make himself miserable just to spite the younger man.
Harry was content to just watch and listen. Especially listening to the conversations around him, joining in when addressed, but mostly keepng to himself. There were conversations ranging from dark creatures, to potions, gardening, music, business and politics, and other personal interests. She bounced from conversation to conversation, listening to each person and giving her impressions on each matter.
Glad that she would not have to play the piano or complete any test today, Harriette simply let herself relax. After a fair bit of socializing, she wound up sitting beside her aunt and heiress Granger, and engaging in a frivolous conversation which included a touch of idle gossip.
They spoke of a Lord Alexander Maywell, a man who left quite a few juicy secrets in his passing. "I was apprised of the fact that following his passing," Hermione spoke lightly after hearing about Lord Maywell, "That he bequeathed his estate to three children he'd fathered with a mistress. I believe she had passed away two decades ago, and as a gift to her he changed his will to exclude his wife from the main estate."
She spoke in hushed tones, though most everyone in the room could here her if they'd tried. Not wanting to be on the outside of the conversation as if she were eavesdropping, Harriette added, "I heard she was a part of his welcoming party once he made his way through the reapers door."
Now Petunia Dursley was not a dull woman, so in hearing about this-- this 'reapers door', she knew that there was more to death than simply dying. But she would rather not display her ignorance of death in front of her dreaded nephew, and thus-- smartly-- did not question it.
"Indeed? And what was left to Lady Maywell?" She asked instead. There wasttyytt something nagging at her, as if she herself could have been in that situation had Vernon disregarded the girl's familial ties, and likewise if Harry had been a girl to begin with.
"She was left with a lesser estate home and enough money to last until her death, much less than was promised to her." She replied.
Bit of a filler chapter this time. It's gonna get a little more interesting in a few chapters. If I had to guess (since I make this up as I go) we are somewhere around halfway done with this story. It may be longer than that, but I will let you all know when we get there. thanks for all the love and reviews, and I hope you stick with me and this story :3
-Xenia