The Future of House Black
By: Ryu Katanna
Beta:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Fifteen
Dolce Italia Restaurant & Pizzeria had a rather plain exterior with its white paint, a small white sign with green lettering, and two red awnings with simple white letters spelling out Dolce Italia. From the outside, it had looked like any other hole-in-the-wall eatery. It was only once they had stepped inside that Hardwin was reminded of the phrase that appearances can be deceiving.
'That phrase certainly fits this place. It's really nice.' Hardwin thought as they waited to be seated.
The chairs and tables were a dark wood; each covered with grey and white checkered tablecloths. Place settings had already been set at each table with a napkin folded and standing upright in the shape of cones where the plates would be placed. Each table also had a small vase with a flower, which looked to be roses in either white or red, placed in the middle of the table off a bit to the side so that two people could see each other easily. There was also what looked to be a full bar near the two slat swinging doors leading into the kitchen.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Do you have a reservation with us today?" A woman who looked to be in her late twenties with shoulder-length black hair asked as she approached them.
"I'm sorry, but we don't. Will you be able to seat us today?" Hardwin asked with some concern that they would have to find another place if this was a place that was by reservation only.
"Just the two of you today? Let me see…" She said as she looked through the reservation book after Hardwin nodded to confirm that it was just the two of them.
"We do have one table available right now. Right this way, and we can get you seated with some menus." She said after a moment before pulling out two menus, placing them under her arm, and leading them to a table along the far wall.
They had to shuffle a bit to get there through the crowded dining area, but they were soon seated.
"My name is Paula, and I'll be your server today. Do you know what you would like to drink, or would you like to look through the menu for a minute?" Paula asked once they were settled into their chairs, and she handed them their menu.
"A moment, if you please." Marcus replied for them both as he glanced over the menu to see what they offered.
"No problem." She replied with a smile before leaving them.
"This isn't your first time eating out in the muggle world." Hardwin commented quietly at seeing the ease with which Marcus had shown since they enter the restaurant.
"A time or two though not often." Marcus answered as his eyes scanned the menu, and Hardwin's eyes widened a bit as he looked at his own.
Looking through the dishes offered by the restaurant he couldn't help when he started to feel a little apprehensive. He had been honest with Marcus when he'd said he hadn't had Italian before. He'd never even been out to eat in the muggle world. Oh, his relatives had dined out often enough, but they had never taken him with them.
Hardwin read through the menu and didn't understand half of it. The names of the dishes were foreign to him. He knew what pizza was, but hadn't tried it before. Even then, the names of the different kinds they offered left him feeling even more clueless. The only saving grace was that there was a short list of what each dish contained under the name. Though that didn't help much when he'd never tried it. He also didn't want to sound like an idiot if he tried to pronounce the names of the dishes.
"Do you have an idea what you would like?" The question drew Hardwin's attention; looking up to see that Marcus had set the menu aside in favor of watching him.
"I'm unsure. I'm not too picky when it comes to food, but I've never had anything like this before." Hardwin admitted a little uncomfortably as he glanced around at what had been served on the tables nearby.
He had hoped to avoid situations like this until he'd had more time to study etiquette and try different foods. He could imitate the mannerisms he had seen from the Slytherins during school, but that only hid the gaps in his education. It would take time and correction from the tutor Narcissa had mentioned getting for him before it would become more natural to him. He wasn't finicky with what he ate because of how he'd grown up in his Aunt's so-called care. He'd never tried very many different foods until he'd gone to Hogwarts. Even then, with the exception of his fourth year when the other schools were visiting, the meals served at the school didn't explore dishes served in other countries. This left him with a very narrow margin in which to determine what he would like when it came to food he hadn't tried before.
"I see. Would you like me to order for you then?" Marcus offered as Paula approached their table.
"That may be best. Thank you." Hardwin replied quietly, feeling disconcerted by the situation.
It didn't take long for Marcus to order for them. The names of the dishes flowed smoothly from his lips in a way Hardwin knew he would not have been able to manage without mangling them. Watching as Marcus spoke to their server, Hardwin could see every bit of the high-class mannerisms the man had been raised with. It made him feel a little inadequate sitting there with him at the table. Hardwin thought of the mannerisms that he had observed during his dinner with the Malfoys and Andromeda and decided to mimic what he could remember.
He was determined not to make a poor impression for two reasons. The first being for the sake of his family name. The Black name had been tarnished due to the events of the last few decades. If Hardwin was to have any hope of dragging his House back from the ruin it had become then he would need to be able to navigate through upper wizarding society. He was still learning about the Black Family's legacy, but Hardwin was determined to do his best to restore his House. Not only for the sake of himself and his cousins but any children he may have.
The second reason was that Marcus had piqued his interest since meeting him again. He knew about the open marriage contract between the Houses of Black and Flint, and he knew that he would have to marry. Hardwin would need to marry either way, but he would prefer that he could be cordial with his spouse at the very least. As it was, he wanted to learn more about Marcus. Even if he was not the one Hardwin was partnered with, a friendship between Houses Black and Flint could be advantageous for future business dealings.
"I would be interested to hear about the other two snakes you spoke of earlier now that we have the time." Marcus said after a few moments of polite small talk after Paula had taken their orders and left them once again.
"Ah, those two." Hardwin hummed as he remembered what he had said earlier when they were at Reptasia.
"I thought that a parselmouth could tame any snake. Yet it wasn't the case with the two you were speaking of?" Marcus queried after pausing their conversation briefly when Paula had returned to pour the Gavi Di Gavi, a dry white wine, into their glasses before leaving the bottle to chill and quietly departing from their table.
"It would appear that way to the people who cannot speak parsel, I suppose. A parselmouth does not tame a serpent so much as gain their respect. They are prideful creatures, and to be capable of their language puts the speaker above the other humans in intelligence to a serpent. A parselmouth does not control or tame a serpent, but we can form stronger bonds with them." Hardwin explained what he had learned about his own ability; sipping his wine before continuing.
"The two snakes I mentioned earlier were bonded familiars. Nagini would never have listened to me even if I had spoken to her. She was too intent on the meal promised to her by her master. The other was a basilisk that dwelled within the Chamber of Secrets until the end of my second year." Hardwin paused as Marcus interrupted.
"There really was a basilisk? I mean, I heard the rumors at the time, but no one knew for sure what had really happened." Marcus asked, his eyes a little wider than before in either surprise or horror, Hardwin couldn't tell which.
"She was Salazar Slytherin's familiar and should have listened to me as a descendant of his line. The problem was that I did not know that my parselmouth ability was inherited through my bloodline at the time. She was also more than half mad as a result of the broken familiar bond and her centuries-long isolation. I was also too busy running from her before I was forced to kill her that I didn't even try." Hardwin admitted a little regretful that it had come to that, but knowing he'd had no choice when he'd been in that position.
"Why were you in that situation in the first place? I remember the rumors that were being spread throughout the school, but I always thought they were tales made up by the students." Marcus said before they halted the conversation when Paula approached with their antipasti.
"I'm sorry for the wait. I have your Gamberoni All'aglio right here, and I'll have your main course ready for you shortly." She said with a smile as she laid a plate in front of each of them.
"Thank you." Hardwin replied politely before she took her leave of them again.
Looking down at his plate, Hardwin didn't know what to think of the dish in front of him. He remembered what had been written on the menu about this dish. The Gamberoni All'aglio consisted of fresh king prawns in wine, butter, and garlic. The problem was that Hardwin had never tried prawns before, and so he hadn't known what to expect. Looking down at what he thought must be some kind of seafood dish, he had no idea how to eat it properly. So, instead of overthinking it too much and stressing about it, he mimicked the movements Marcus made with his utensils as he took a bite.
"It's good." Hardwin murmured as he used his napkin to gently pat away any juices around his lips after swallowing.
"As for why I was in that situation… Let's just say that I was being tested." Hardwin said before going quiet as he finished his Gamberoni All'aglio and sipped at his wine while he waited for their main course.
"Dumbledore, I presume?" Marcus asked as he remembered how interested the old Headmaster had been in the other man since he had started Hogwarts.
The man's favoritism toward the lions, Hardwin and his little group in particular, had been no secret amidst the snakes.
"Indeed. I'm still learning the particulars, but the man had his hand in many areas of my life. It may be a while yet before I learn everything; if I ever do. As it stands, I can only work to correct what I am able." Hardwin admitted as he tried not to grip his wine glass too tightly at the topic before changing it to the safer topic of Mardyn's new pet.
It wasn't too long before Paula came to take away their plates and deliver their main course. Marcus had ordered something different for both of them. For Hardwin, he had ordered the Penne Dolce Italia, which was penne noodles with mushrooms and bacon in a tomato and cream sauce. For himself, he had ordered the Spaghetti Mare, which the menu had said to be spaghetti noodles with fresh mixed seafood and tomato sauce. Having not had any real seafood outside of fish and now prawns, Hardwin wasn't exactly sure what the seafood was though the dish looked to have little shells in it.
It left him feeling a little frustrated with himself as he determined that he would need to learn a lot more even when it came to something so basic as food. He hadn't been prepared to eat a meal with a scion of another House. Sure, he'd eaten with the Malfoys, but that was also a meal with what was left of the Black family. They knew and understood the deficiencies in his education.
He had known even then that his cousins had been watching and keeping tally in their minds on what would need correcting. Hardwin hadn't minded it because he was dependent on their help in that area as well as others. Left on his own, Hardwin knew that he would never have been able to set up a betrothal and marriage in time to keep his Lordship. Just as he wouldn't have known everything he would need to study. He had a lot of catching up to do, he knew. It was this knowledge that left him feeling inadequate now.
"Will you be returning to Hogwarts to complete your schooling this year?" Marcus asked once they both tasted their pasta.
"I have decided not to attend but will be completing my school through tutors. There is far too much that I will need to do, and I can't do that at Hogwarts." Hardwin replied knowing that he wouldn't need to expand further on that answer.
Marcus would already know many of Hardwin's new responsibilities even better than he himself did. Marcus was the second-born son of a Lord. He had been raised and taught in their ways since he was a child and trained in the responsibilities that came with the Lordship as the spare if anything were to happen to his brother before he had an heir. Hardwin had not, and he was taking on the responsibilities of the Lordship for his House. He was determined not to fail.
"I also didn't know how well I would be able to concentrate on my studies. The war may be over now, but I have never had a peaceful year at Hogwarts. I don't feel like dealing with the other students, for various reasons, either. Headmistress McGonagall agrees." Hardwin finished after he'd sipped some water to rinse his mouth.
"Understandable. I can only imagine how much work you have on your hands when your House has been without a Lord since Lord Arcturus Black's passing." Marcus said as he thought of the responsibilities his father dealt with and knew that Hardwin would have his hands full just from the years' worth of paperwork for whatever investments he had in the Black portfolio.
Hardwin grimaced at the reminder.
"It's more than I would have expected. Arcturus Black may have passed in ninety-one, but he abdicated the Lordship in nineteen-eighty after naming me heir before moving to France. I'm just thankful I don't have responsibility for House Potter as well." Hardwin said darkly as he thought about how much he had wished he could curse his great-grandfather/cousin so many times removed when he'd discovered that information the night before when he'd been going through the paperwork.
Hardwin couldn't help the small smile that curled his lip at the look on Marcus's face at that information. The man had been the picture of cool composure since he'd met him again at the Menagerie. Yet now, Hardwin could see the emotion that flashed in those dark eyes as his lips pressed together in a way he knew was meant to suppress an emotion though he couldn't discern what that emotion was. Perhaps they needed a new topic.
"I think we've spoken enough about me and my current situation. What about you? Do you still find the time to play quidditch?" Hardwin asked as he tried for a topic that he knew they had in common that wouldn't have so much weight.
That was how they spent the rest of their meal with Hardwin learning how the House of Flint had avoided the Blood War. It seemed that Lord Flint was smarter than others in that as soon as he knew Tom had returned he had packed up his family and left the continent. They had managed to avoid the war by traveling and building advantageous business connections in other countries and had only returned to Britain after the news of the end of the war had reached them in South America.
Though Marcus had come from an old and well-off family, he did not like to remain idle and had started investing for himself in quidditch teams around the world. He was currently the owner of five teams located in Japan, America, Brazil, Greece, and Iceland. He also owned a few quidditch stadiums and was currently considering another team. He would travel when he needed to but also had ensured he had people to manage everything and so his presence was rarely needed to keep everything going while he still made a good profit.
While Marcus admitted that was fun, he also told Hardwin that he was thinking about getting his Mastery in Ancient Runes now that his family had returned to the UK. He'd continued to study after graduating, but traveling to avoid Tom's search for his family had kept him from pursuing his passion for the subject. They'd only been back for almost a month, but he was gathering names of Runes Masters to apprentice from.
Their meal didn't last much longer, and Hardwin found himself thankful that the serving size hadn't been too large. It had been several months now since he had been able to start eating regular meals, but after his childhood and summers with his relatives, as well as the last year of living out of a tent with minimal food available, Hardwin's system would take time adjusting to having proper meals. The potions he had been prescribed by the healer were helping to correct the problems, but only time could truly heal the damage that had been caused. Even then, there was only so much that magic could do. It may be able to ease the physical effects of malnutrition, but Hardwin would need to be the one to work passed the mental effects that lingered.
"Thank you for lunch, Marcus. I enjoyed my time with you today." Hardwin said as they left the restaurant once Marcus had paid the bill; denying Hardwin's attempt to do so.
"I did as well. I wanted to thank you for taking so much time out of your day to take Mardyn to get his pet. He was happy to have been able to go himself." Marcus said as he grasped Hardwin's hand, bringing it to the crook of his arm, and they started walking toward an alley to apparate.
"It was no problem. I'll look for a book on carpet pythons at the muggle bookstore and send it to you to give to him. I should be able to find one with plenty of information for him to learn about his new pet." Hardwin said softly as they entered the alley and looked around to make sure they were out of sight.
"I would appreciate that. I want to ask if you would mind having a meal with me again another time. I have enjoyed my time with you." Marcus said as he pulled Hardwin's hand from his arm and brush the skin of his knuckles against his lips.
"I would like that, but..." Hardwin started to say as his heart sped up before a squeezing feeling in his chest stopped him, and green eyes looked up into dark chocolate, feeling the intensity of that gaze.
"I want to say yes. I really do." Hardwin said as a small scowl started forming on Marcus's lips.
"Then what is stopping you? I know that my House is considered dark, but so is House Black. Are you looking for someone from a light family? Of course, that would be the best option to redeem your House in the eyes of the public." Marcus said as his scowl grew deeper and he pulled back from Hardwin.
"No! Marcus, that's not it. Not it at all!" Hardwin said as he reached out to grasp his arm and stop him from turning away.
"Then what is it?" He asked as dark eyes looked back at him, and Hardwin could sense the walls that Marcus had let down around him through the course of their lunch being pushed back up.
"It's not proper for us to be alone like this, for one. Marcus, my cousin is looking for a marriage partner for me right now, and I will likely be betrothed within the next two months. I would like it if we could be friends, but I'm also interested in you. I can't... I can't let myself hope for anything between us." Hardwin admitted only for Marcus to turn back toward him and pull him a bit closer.
"What if I have my father speak to Lady Malfoy?" Marcus asked and Hardwin's eyes widened in surprise.
"What? Marcus don't joke about something like that." He asked in shock at the direction this conversation had suddenly taken.
"I would never joke about this. If I do this properly and seek your contract, would you accept my suit if Lady Malfoy agrees to a match between Houses Black and Flint?" Marcus asked seriously and Hardwin found himself at a loss for words.
This was not how he'd expected this day to go. Hardwin knew he was interested in Marcus, but should he take it that his interest was returned? This would be more than just the two of them dating for a while to see if they could have a relationship. If Lord Flint sought Hardwin's contract for a match with Marcus then there would be no backing out of it once the contract was signed. They would be betrothed to be married before Hardwin's twentieth birthday.
Hardwin had read through the base contract for the members of the Black family. IF Marcus took this step, if they became engaged, then there would be no way to back out of it. They would be it for each other. Hardwin had accepted that it would need to happen, but had Marcus thought this through?
"Marcus... Have you thought this through? The fidelity clauses in Black family contracts are irrevocable. You would never be able to be with anyone else. You may be interested in me now, but that might fade. Sure, we knew of each other during school, but we don't truly know each other that well." Hardwin said quietly as he bit his lip unsurely.
"Mutual interest is more than most marriage contracts start with. Neither one of us know what will happen in the future. I don't know if this attraction with develop into anything more, and I can't promise more than a marriage of convenience that would be beneficial to both of our Houses. What I do know is what I've been looking for in a spouse, and I see some of those qualities in you. So I will ask again. Would you accept a betrothal between us?" Marcus asked, and Hardwin let out a heavy breath as he thought quickly even as he knew his response.
"If you can gain Narcissa's approval of a match between us then... Yes. Yes, I would accept." He said only to be stunned aa a smile flashed across Marcus's face before it was gone again.
"Alright. Then I should return home to have a conversation with my father. I will wait for your owl with the book for Mardyn." Marcus said as he grasped Hardwin's hand again and brought it to his lips to kiss the palm in a silent promise, and Hardwin's eyes softened at the warm feeling that spread through his chest.
"I'll send Siddra once I return to the manor. She's the crow I bought the other day so you can't miss her." He said as Marcus smirked and released his hand.
"Yes, she is distinctive. Be careful around the muggles though I know you're more than able to navigate their world." Marcus said before stepping away from Hardwin and apparating away.
Hardwin stared at the empty space Marcus had left behind. He was surprised at the sense of loss he felt with his departure. Shaking away the feeling the best he could, Hardwin looked down at the hand Marcus had held in his much larger one. The warmth from his skin was already fading, but the memory of the kiss brought a smile to his lips.
"Best get to the bookstore." Hardwin mumbled to himself as he looked around before apparating to the Leaky Cauldron where he would take the Knight bus into London to finish his errands for the day.
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At long last, this chapter is finished! I was stuck for so freaking long at the part where they were getting ready to leave the restaurant. This last part surprised me as it was not planned at all. Marcus is a lot bolder than I had planned for.
Hope you all enjoyed it. I'll try to get the next chapter out more quickly than this one was. There is so much that Hardwin needs to do, and the list grows longer with every chapter. I actually got fed up with trying to remember it all and had to go through each chapter to make a new file labeled Hardwin's To Do List. Geez. I feel bad for him right now as it just keeps getting longer. Every time one thing gets cleared from the list three more things get added to it.
Let me know what you thought,
Ryu
