"TEMPTING FORTUNE"
A/N: ARE YOU ALL THAT CONFUSED? OKAY, BASICALLY PETTIGREW WANTS RAVEN SO HE GETS SIR GORDON, RAVEN'S DAD TO WAGER HER HAND IN MARRIAGE AND THEN WINS. LORD BLACK THEN CHALLENGES PETTIGREW AND WINS RAVEN FROM HIM. YOU'LL FIND OUT WHY IN THIS CHAPTER. SIR GORDON KILLS HIMSELF RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO BACK TO TELL RAVEN. REMUS IS RAVEN'S COUSIN. HE GOES TO TELL HER AND WARN HER ABOUT SIRIUS. AND THEN SIRIUS GOES TO RAVEN'S HOUSE WITH JAMES AND JOHN, HIS FRIENDS, AND JORDAN WHO IS IN LOVE WITH HIM. NOW RAVEN'S GONNA GO TO BLACK MANOR AND MEET SIRIUS' MOTHER AND I'M EXCITED CUZ SHE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS TO WRITE.
Disclaimer: Okay, first of all, I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters that are or will be in this story. I also found what book this is based on. It's "A Hazard of Hearts" by Barbara Cartland and I'm taking a lot of the lines right from the movie version of the book, which I found in my basement. So just so you know, I'm crediting it right now.
RAVEN'S RANDOMNESS: "Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment and be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes." ~"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas
Chapter 3 - Lady Black
Raven stepped out of the carriage and gasped at the mansion before her.
A servant bowed to her and led her inside. "I will inform her ladyship of your arrival." The servant disappeared.
Raven was left to stare around the room. There were beautiful paintings and murals on the walls, flowers and statues everywhere, and finey polished furniture. This house was obviously much nicer than hers, and this was just the entrance hall. She suddenly heard a shrewd woman's voice in the distance, echoing through the house.
"Bring that here, girl!....No, I said here!....You will be whipped if my orders are not carried out instantly!" The source of the voice appeared before Raven.
She had black hair, woven tightly into a bun at the top of her head. She was quite beautiful still and not as old as Raven had expected. She held a letter in her hand and was reading it, though aware of Raven's presense. She spoke to the letter and not to Raven.
"I am told that you are my son's fiancee."
Raven didn't know if she was supposed to answer.
The woman looked up at her questioningly. "Who are you? And where did you make his acquaintence?"
"Your son will doubtless explain everything to you, ma'am. The situation is not of my making."
Lady Black rose her eyebrows. "Take Miss..." she searched through the letter, "McKinnon to her room."
Another servant, a woman, appeared next to Raven and bowed to Lady Black as she turned sharply and retreated down the hall. The woman smiled at Raven and led her from the room up two cases of stairs and down a hallway.
"This is your room."
"Thank you," said Raven."
"If you need anything, you're only to ask." The servant left.
As Raven opened the door, Padfoot barked loudly and bounded up to her. Raven bent down to scratch his ears and place a kiss on top of his head. "Lucy!"
Her maid, Lucy, smiled and gave her a hug. "The Lady has put you in the coldest, dampest part of the house."
"Don't worry about it. We're together, and that's all that matters."
"There is evil in this house, Miss Raven. Her ladyship's valet told me this house is haunted and I will believe it. But it's haunted by the living as well as the dead."
Raven laughed. "Lucy, aren't you being a little bit overimaginative?"
There was a knock on the door and it opened. As Lady Black stepped in, once again Padfoot gave a loud bark, this time followed by a menacing growl. "That," she pointed to the dog, "goes to the stables."
"To sleep, yes," answered Raven. "Most other times he will stay with me. It is what we are both used to."
Lady Black spoke to Lucy, "You may leave us."
Lucy made her way to the door.
"And take the animal with you."
She led Padfoot out and closed the door.
"It appears from my son's letter that you are to have eighty thousand guineas."
"On my marriage, ma'am. It is in trust," answered Raven.
"You're sure they can only be unlocked by marriage?"
"Quite sure."
"Still, it would be convenient for your needs if you were able to unlock these funds. Guineas you say?"
"So I'm told."
"You cannot marry my son, of course," said Lady Black, throwing her head back arrogantly. "He will never marry. I am his life."
'O-kay...' thought Raven.
"Well, I will not keep you. You must be tired after your journey and require rest. I'll have some food sent up."
"Thank you."
"Tomorrow you will join us downstairs. I have a few guests for dinner and a number are coming in afterward, as usual, for the entertainment."
Raven furrowed her brows. "The entertainment?"
"That's what I said, girl." She slammed the door behind her.
The door opened again and Raven whipped around to see Lucy. "Oh, Lucy, it's you. I thought she was back."
"You be careful of her, Miss Raven."
"She doesn't like me, but she likes my money well enough. Don't worry, I may be afraid of her but she can't actually harm me...I don't think."
"She is dangerous."
Lady Black went to her room to find Sirius waiting for her. "This quaint little girl you brought down here, what on earth did you wager for her?"
Sirius shrugged. "To prevent her from falling into the hands of that man, Pettigrew."
"Oh shame, Sirius, you're becoming a sentimentalist!" accused Lady Black.
"Not in the least. I merely wanted the pleasure of frustrating him," replied Sirius.
Lady Black gave an approving nod. "And you really do not intend to marry her?"
"You know well that I do not. In the circumstances, I marry no one."
Good heaven's, boy, you frightened me. I thought you were interested."
"One day, mother," said Sirius, walking to the window and looking out, "there will have to be an heir for Black Manor."
"One day, of course! But not yet. I couldn't bear to be a grandmother yet."
Sirius continued to look out the window. "Until she is married, I am responsible for her."
Lady Black smiled and sat on her bed. "Now there I can be of some help to you. The girl is not entirely without possibility. I can put my dressmaker and hairdresser to work on her."
Sirius turned to face his mother. "And then what? Send her through the shark pool? See who bites?"
"Something of that sort."
"Miss McKinnon has stronger medal than she shows. And if you do succeed, what will you get out of it?"
Lady Black smiled conspiratorally. "Rely upon me to work that out."
A/N: WEIRD, I KNOW. BUT YOU GOTTA ADMIT, IT'S DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER MARAUDER FICS YOU'VE READ. IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME TOGETHER, I PROMISE. PLEASE REVIEW!
A/N: ARE YOU ALL THAT CONFUSED? OKAY, BASICALLY PETTIGREW WANTS RAVEN SO HE GETS SIR GORDON, RAVEN'S DAD TO WAGER HER HAND IN MARRIAGE AND THEN WINS. LORD BLACK THEN CHALLENGES PETTIGREW AND WINS RAVEN FROM HIM. YOU'LL FIND OUT WHY IN THIS CHAPTER. SIR GORDON KILLS HIMSELF RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO BACK TO TELL RAVEN. REMUS IS RAVEN'S COUSIN. HE GOES TO TELL HER AND WARN HER ABOUT SIRIUS. AND THEN SIRIUS GOES TO RAVEN'S HOUSE WITH JAMES AND JOHN, HIS FRIENDS, AND JORDAN WHO IS IN LOVE WITH HIM. NOW RAVEN'S GONNA GO TO BLACK MANOR AND MEET SIRIUS' MOTHER AND I'M EXCITED CUZ SHE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS TO WRITE.
Disclaimer: Okay, first of all, I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters that are or will be in this story. I also found what book this is based on. It's "A Hazard of Hearts" by Barbara Cartland and I'm taking a lot of the lines right from the movie version of the book, which I found in my basement. So just so you know, I'm crediting it right now.
RAVEN'S RANDOMNESS: "Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment and be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes." ~"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas
Chapter 3 - Lady Black
Raven stepped out of the carriage and gasped at the mansion before her.
A servant bowed to her and led her inside. "I will inform her ladyship of your arrival." The servant disappeared.
Raven was left to stare around the room. There were beautiful paintings and murals on the walls, flowers and statues everywhere, and finey polished furniture. This house was obviously much nicer than hers, and this was just the entrance hall. She suddenly heard a shrewd woman's voice in the distance, echoing through the house.
"Bring that here, girl!....No, I said here!....You will be whipped if my orders are not carried out instantly!" The source of the voice appeared before Raven.
She had black hair, woven tightly into a bun at the top of her head. She was quite beautiful still and not as old as Raven had expected. She held a letter in her hand and was reading it, though aware of Raven's presense. She spoke to the letter and not to Raven.
"I am told that you are my son's fiancee."
Raven didn't know if she was supposed to answer.
The woman looked up at her questioningly. "Who are you? And where did you make his acquaintence?"
"Your son will doubtless explain everything to you, ma'am. The situation is not of my making."
Lady Black rose her eyebrows. "Take Miss..." she searched through the letter, "McKinnon to her room."
Another servant, a woman, appeared next to Raven and bowed to Lady Black as she turned sharply and retreated down the hall. The woman smiled at Raven and led her from the room up two cases of stairs and down a hallway.
"This is your room."
"Thank you," said Raven."
"If you need anything, you're only to ask." The servant left.
As Raven opened the door, Padfoot barked loudly and bounded up to her. Raven bent down to scratch his ears and place a kiss on top of his head. "Lucy!"
Her maid, Lucy, smiled and gave her a hug. "The Lady has put you in the coldest, dampest part of the house."
"Don't worry about it. We're together, and that's all that matters."
"There is evil in this house, Miss Raven. Her ladyship's valet told me this house is haunted and I will believe it. But it's haunted by the living as well as the dead."
Raven laughed. "Lucy, aren't you being a little bit overimaginative?"
There was a knock on the door and it opened. As Lady Black stepped in, once again Padfoot gave a loud bark, this time followed by a menacing growl. "That," she pointed to the dog, "goes to the stables."
"To sleep, yes," answered Raven. "Most other times he will stay with me. It is what we are both used to."
Lady Black spoke to Lucy, "You may leave us."
Lucy made her way to the door.
"And take the animal with you."
She led Padfoot out and closed the door.
"It appears from my son's letter that you are to have eighty thousand guineas."
"On my marriage, ma'am. It is in trust," answered Raven.
"You're sure they can only be unlocked by marriage?"
"Quite sure."
"Still, it would be convenient for your needs if you were able to unlock these funds. Guineas you say?"
"So I'm told."
"You cannot marry my son, of course," said Lady Black, throwing her head back arrogantly. "He will never marry. I am his life."
'O-kay...' thought Raven.
"Well, I will not keep you. You must be tired after your journey and require rest. I'll have some food sent up."
"Thank you."
"Tomorrow you will join us downstairs. I have a few guests for dinner and a number are coming in afterward, as usual, for the entertainment."
Raven furrowed her brows. "The entertainment?"
"That's what I said, girl." She slammed the door behind her.
The door opened again and Raven whipped around to see Lucy. "Oh, Lucy, it's you. I thought she was back."
"You be careful of her, Miss Raven."
"She doesn't like me, but she likes my money well enough. Don't worry, I may be afraid of her but she can't actually harm me...I don't think."
"She is dangerous."
Lady Black went to her room to find Sirius waiting for her. "This quaint little girl you brought down here, what on earth did you wager for her?"
Sirius shrugged. "To prevent her from falling into the hands of that man, Pettigrew."
"Oh shame, Sirius, you're becoming a sentimentalist!" accused Lady Black.
"Not in the least. I merely wanted the pleasure of frustrating him," replied Sirius.
Lady Black gave an approving nod. "And you really do not intend to marry her?"
"You know well that I do not. In the circumstances, I marry no one."
Good heaven's, boy, you frightened me. I thought you were interested."
"One day, mother," said Sirius, walking to the window and looking out, "there will have to be an heir for Black Manor."
"One day, of course! But not yet. I couldn't bear to be a grandmother yet."
Sirius continued to look out the window. "Until she is married, I am responsible for her."
Lady Black smiled and sat on her bed. "Now there I can be of some help to you. The girl is not entirely without possibility. I can put my dressmaker and hairdresser to work on her."
Sirius turned to face his mother. "And then what? Send her through the shark pool? See who bites?"
"Something of that sort."
"Miss McKinnon has stronger medal than she shows. And if you do succeed, what will you get out of it?"
Lady Black smiled conspiratorally. "Rely upon me to work that out."
A/N: WEIRD, I KNOW. BUT YOU GOTTA ADMIT, IT'S DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER MARAUDER FICS YOU'VE READ. IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME TOGETHER, I PROMISE. PLEASE REVIEW!
