Chapter 8
Reluctantly, Eleanor got off the Hogwarts train in London. The train whistled steam around her, while she took Pegasus' cage and her trunk.
"Come, let me get that for you," said Adrian, who popped up next to Eleanor and offered to carry her trunk.
"Thank you," she said absentmindedly, searching the crowd in vain. She felt silly, like a little girl waiting for Christmas morning.
Of course he wouldn't be here.
"So, I will see you this summer?" asked Berenice, while she dragging her own trunk behind her.
"I guess. Is your father still okay with me visiting?"
Berenice rolled her eyes. "Please. His bark is worse than his bite. My mother always looks forward to your visits."
Eleanor laughed. "Of course she does. Since I explained Muggle nobility to her, she cannot stop comparing it to the Pureblood families."
"Well, is she wrong?"
"Your mother is never wrong," Eleanor assured Berenice. "But I'd love to come visit."
Berenice smiled. "Thank you. Write to me as soon as you're home."
"I will, Bunny." Eleanor watched how Berenice disappeared into the crowd.
"You know, my parents probably want to go to the Quidditch World Cup," said Adrian softly next to her.
Eleanor smiled. "Berenice cannot hear you anymore, you know," she said teasingly.
"Oh, she knows already. Maybe you want to come too?"
Eleanor understood the underlying message immediately. "Of course. I would like that very much, Pucey, thank you."
Adrian smiled and Eleanor resisted the sudden urge to wrap her arms around him.
"Darling, I have been looking everywhere for you." A clear voice behind them made Eleanor tighten.
"Good evening, Mother," Eleanor muttered, before turning around.
Behind her, Astraea Fawley stood waiting for her only daughter. Her ash-blonde locks were pulled together into an elegant updo and her dark eyes - the same as her daughter - were accentuated with dark eyeliner. She was fashionably dressed into one of the latest robes straight from Paris. The dark plum colour stand out against her fair skin.
She had a regal air around her. In her ears glittered pearls and on her left ring finger she wore one of the biggest diamonds in England.
"Hello, mister Pucey. Thank you for assisting my daughter with her trunk." With a light wave from her wand her mother made the trunk weightless and thus levitated the trunk out of Adrian's hands..
"Miss Fawley," greeted Adrian Astraea uncomfortably, not exactly knowing what to do. He knew at least better than to use the surname of her husband.
"Goodbye, Pucey. I will write you very soon," said Eleanor, dismissing Pucey back to his freedom.
The relief nearly dripped off his face. "Goodbye, Eleanor. Miss Fawley."
Her mother nodded her head and Eleanor resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Around them, people began to stare and to whisper.
"Come, daughter. Our chauffeur is waiting for you. Please stand up straight, shoulders back. Good girl."
"Yes, Mother," said Eleanor barely audible, pushing her shoulders back and lifting her head, before following her mother.
From the corner of her eye, she could see the Weasley family. George was being hugged by his mother and his little sister flung to his side. His father looked very proud and hugged George's younger brother tightly.
Jealously crept over her, before she quickly looked away.
"How did your OWL-exams go, Pleione?" asked Astraea when they finally sat in the car and the chauffeur seamlessly drove through the busy traffic of London.
Eleanor flinched at the name her mother used. It was the name her mother had wanted to call her, but her father, the Duke of Norfolk, insisted in using the name of his grandmother. Her father didn't even want to use Pleione as her second name - which was Anne, the name of Eleanor's grandmother.
Astraea was the only one who called Eleanor Pleione.
"They went well, Mother. I expect my results be the end of July."
"Very good, Pleione. I want to see excellent results. We need to plan for your future, darling. "
Eleanor kept silent. She knew exactly the future her mother had planned out for her.
"It is a pity that Berenice Yaxley's brother is only six years old," mused Astraea, tapping her bottom lip with her perfectly manicured finger. "I know Corban Yaxley is an uptight prick, but maybe he can be useful. He is still one of the most influential members of the Sacred 28. If Slughorn still taught at Hogwarts, but it is no use crying over spilled milk …"
Eleanor closed her eyes, but couldn't block out the voice of her mother, rambling over every single Pureblood family.
It was a relief when the car stopped in front of the old country house that had belonged to the Seymour family for years. It was grand and could easily be mistaken for a small castle. When Eleanor's grandparents were alive, the castle was open for day visitors, but after they passed away, Astraea Fawley had put an end to that practice. She hated being surround by Muggles and only kept the Muggle servants, claiming she liked them better than their house elves.
The chauffeur opened the door and helped Astraea to get out. Eleanor rejected his hand and followed her mother inside.
The great entry hall seemed to bring them back into history. The walls were high and decorated with swords and the coat of arms from the Seymour family.
"We are expected to go to Euston Estate tonight. Apparently, a party is being held for the son of the Duke of Grafton, who came over from the United States." Astraea pulled a face. If there was one thing Astraea hated more than Muggles, it was American Muggles.
"You will wear the dress I laid out for you. You can find it on your bed, and please, be on your best behaviour tonight. I don't want to end up having to beg that old fool Dumbledore for your admission at Hogwarts again."
"Viscount Ipswich should know how to behave, Mother," said Eleanor icily.
"I know, darling, I know. But we need to make an effort. I cannot afford any more skirmishes with Fudge." Astraea twirled a lock of Eleanor's dark ebony hair.
Eleanor recognised that look on her mother's face and slowly took a step back.
"Where is the Duke?" asked Eleanor tentatively.
"In his study." The soft look disappeared out of Astraea's eyes and her voice turned cold.
Eleanor slightly nodded her head and walked away.
Her father was sitting behind his large mahogany desk, reading several newspapers. Just like the rest of the house, the study looked like it belonged in a museum. Expensive furniture and antique paintings decorated the room. Behind her father hung a painting from an old English queen, who once belonged to the house of Seymour.
"Eleanor," he said, dropping the newspapers and smiling widely.
The Duke of Norfolk was a lot older than his wife Astraea. Astraea was only in her mid-thirties. Philip Fitzgerald Seymour was already in his fifties. Some grey hair was showing through his pepper and salt coloured hair, but his big blue eyes still shone brightly.
"Daddy." Eleanor smiled.
"How was boarding school in Switzerland?"
Eleanor's smile froze for a tiny moment. "It was fine," she replied. "I am getting my exam results in July."
"I know, darling. Your mother was very stressed out about them," her father went on. "You know she doesn't like to worry, darling."
Eleanor smiled sadly. It was no secret that Astraea had never used magic on Philip in order to get him to adore her. She simply didn't need to.
"They went well," Eleanor assured her father. "I already told her."
"Good. I hate to see your mother unhappy. Why don't you get ready for Graftons' get-together this evening? I know your mother has picked out a wonderful dress. I know Viscount Ipswich would love seeing you in white." He patted her on her elbow, before he turned his attention back to the newspapers in front of him.
Eleanor silently left her father's study and headed for her room.
As Astraea had promised, an ivory gown was waiting for Eleanor on her Queen Anne style bed. Eleanor sighed and resisted the urge to plop down on the dress. She knew her mother would refuse to use magic to get rid of the wrinkles.
She sat down at her dressing table. The staff had already put her trunk in front of her bed. Pegasus' cage was standing on the nightstand. She had left Pegasus in Scotland, knowing that he would love to fly back to the south on his own.
On the armchair, a big white Persian cat lay snoozing in the warm sunlight that came through the big windows. As soon as the cat heard Eleanor, it opened her eyes and stretched out, longing for much needed belly rubs.
"Hello, Nemea. Did you miss me?" she asked, perking up and scratching Nemea behind his ear.
The cat began to purr and Eleanor scooped her up so she could sit in the chair herself.
Absentmindedly she stroke Nemea. She knew she needed to start changing, but she didn't feel like it.
Her mother would spend the whole summer planning for her daughter's future, just to make sure her offspring would end up in high society if the Wizarding World, while her father would have rather preferred to gain a better standing with the Muggle nobility.
Lady Eleanor Anne Seymour, the future Duchess of Norfolk was related on her father's side to the royal house of Windsor and was a very good catch for any man, from a duke to a baron. She knew that she had her looks going for her and that she could have her pick of the litter.
But the only suitors her mother deemed worthy of Eleanor's time, were all members of the old Pureblood families that had shut the door in Astraea's face sixteen years ago.
The fact that Astraea's mother, Lady Annabel Stuart, was a Muggle, was enough to consider Astraea's blood status as impure. It didn't matter that the blood of Annabel's husband, Cepheus Fawley, came from a long generation of the purest wizard blood. Astraea was considered a bad marriage candidate for any of their sons.
Eleanor had never met her maternal grandmother, but she knew that Lady Annabel Stuart was considered the most beautiful woman of her time. Her beauty was the only reason that Cepheus had married her, a simple Muggle.
Astraea Fawley never got over the denial. She sought out the richest Muggle in the United Kingdom, seduced him and ended up marrying the poor duke. Eleanor knew that she had more money than the 28 Sacred families combined. But she also knew very well that she was but a mere pawn in the scheme of her mother's sweet revenge.
"Lady Eleanor, your mother has sent Poppy to remind you to get ready for the Viscount Ipswich's party, miss." The door silently opened and Poppy, her own personal house elf, came in.
Eleanor put Nemea back on the chair and gathered her dress from the bed. "Thank you, Poppy. Can you fill up a bath for me? If I need to bear with Viscount Ipswich's hideous sexual snide remarks, I better feel clean to start with."
After the bath, when Poppy was busy with putting all of Eleanor's hair into a tight bun, Pegasus came flying in through the open window, holding a letter in his beak. The tiny boreal owl looked very sure of himself.
Proudly Pegasus stretched out his leg and immediately Eleanor snatched the letter.
She couldn't think of anyone who would write to her on the first day of the summer holiday.
Eleanor unfolded the letter.
Dear Nell
I sent you this letter to let you know that you always have a place to stay with us, even if Father doesn't agree with me. We both know the truth. Don't listen too much to your mother. I will see you soon.
Bunny
PS: I cannot wait for the World Cup. I really hope that Father will be able to get us good seats with an excellent view. Ireland against Bulgary, can you imagine?
PSS: it seemed that Pegasus knew you needed to hear this, he showed up a few minutes after I wrote this letter to you.
"Lady Eleanor has very good friends, miss," said Poppy behind her softly.
