DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter, we only own our original characters.
A/N: Hi all here is the fifth instalment of Untold Lies, a bit of a shorter chapter this time! We hope you enjoy!
'Bold italics' is the twin's talking telepathically through their twin bond
Chapter 5 – The Weekend
(Severus POV)
Friday evening, I found myself sipping a glass of firewhiskey as I read my latest Potions journal, sitting on my armchair in front of the fireplace. I had started this tradition many years ago when I had first started teaching and found myself needing to unwind after a long week of lessons. It didn't help that I was surrounded by a bunch of blundering idiots. At least this year Lucius would suffer with me.
The quivering of my wards pulled me from my thoughts, alerting me to someone at the door, and I looked at the clock in confusion before moving to answer the door. Finding Lucius on the other side, I moved aside to allow him entry, and then followed him to the living room. I gestured to the other armchair as I poured him a glass of firewhiskey.
"How are you Lucius?" I asked as I took my seat, picking my own glass back up.
He took a sip of his firewhiskey before answering. "I am ok my friend, though I understand your distaste in some of the students."
I chuckled in agreement, and then again when I thought about the disbelief that would be on my students faces if they saw me smiling let alone laughing.
"Indeed. How was your first week of classes?" I replied, shifting some in my seat. We spent some time discussing our classes before moving on to other topics.
"What are your thoughts on the Black's returning?" I couldn't help but ask, the return of Regulus had shocked me, and I was even more surprised to see children in tow.
"I was shocked. But I think it means something big is coming. Big change for the Wizarding World." He replied.
"What do you think is coming?" I asked, curious about his thoughts.
"I don't know. It's just a feeling I have. It's like a change in the air, like a storm is coming. It's like last time, but it feels different somehow." He took another sip of his firewhiskey.
"Hopefully it will be different." I sighed in thought.
"What do you think of the daughters?" He asked me, changing the subject.
"They seem much more respectful than most fifteen-year olds, though Regulus was always very well-mannered in school. They're certainly very competent at potions, especially the one with the violet eyes." I thought about the two new students, who hadn't worn uniform all week, though it somehow hadn't bugged me at all.
"Ha. Always violet. You would notice." Lucius snickered at me "But I agree, they are very well mannered. And smart. Regulus and Xanthia have certainly taught them well whilst they've been away. It will certainly be interesting to have them here this year. Things are definitely changing."
"Speaking of change. You got Black free?" I couldn't keep the bitterness from my voice, Lucius knew I hated the man.
"I did, our mutual friend asked me to check up on Potter during the summer. I found his homelife lacking and he asked me to fix it. The best solution I could think of was to prove Black innocent so that Potter would have somewhere else to go. From there, I ensured that Black would resume his Godfatherly duties and take the boy into his custody, whether Dumbledore liked it or not." He explained.
"Lacking how?" I narrowed my eyes at his wording.
"I don't think that's my place to say but let's just say you more in common with the boy than you think." He finished his firewhiskey and got up to get himself another as I thought on his words. I knew he meant that Potter must have been abused by his relatives but I couldn't bring myself to believe it. Dumbledore had always told me he was treated like a prince. Had he lied to me?
(3rd Person POV)
Following their early morning workout with Susan and Hannah, Ari and Red decided to spend some time getting to know Theodore and Blaise properly. The four decided to spend the rest of the day by the Black Lake, getting to know one another.
"So where have you been all this time? Why did no one know you existed?" The girls paused as Blaise asked them the question they had been waiting for, surprised that it had taken this long for the topic to come up.
"Our parents decided at the peak of the war, that this country was not safe for us. Mother was pregnant at the time and she didn't want to risk our lives for the sake of the war." Ari started, not giving all of the details.
"We moved around a lot, lived in many different countries, and learned a lot. But ultimately, we always knew we would come back when it was safe for us to do so. Uncle Sirius being proven innocent this summer, started a chain of events which led to father deciding it was time to return." Red finished answering.
"Why did they decide it wasn't safe?" Theodore continued the questioning and the girls looked at each other, seeming to communicate with each other silently.
"I mean it was war…" Red replied sarcastically, scoffing along with Ari.
"Fair play. So, you moved a lot? What is your favourite country?" Blaise asked them.
"My favourite is probably Croatia; the landscape is stunning and it is full of incredible creatures. We met many like-minded people there who showed us a number of creatures that many people think are myths." Red replied first.
"And mine is probably Brazil. The Amazon is breath-taking. I spent so much time there searching for potions ingredients. Plus, I love the hot weather," Ari sighed longingly.
"Wow you really have been all over." Theodore was in awe, along with Blaise.
"And you really love animals and potions." Blaise laughed, along with Theodore the girls.
"What about you two? What're your stories?" Ari asked the two boys, happily moving the subject away from themselves.
"Well I live with my mother at Zabini Manor in Yorkshire. Nothing too interesting really. We go on holiday but mostly to see family in Italy. I haven't been to nearly as many places as you, I've certainly never lived anywhere as exotic." Blaise shrugged.
"My parents and I live in Nott Castle in Suffolk. Though we spend three weeks every summer exploring another country. My favourite was France, I love the cuisine there." Theodore answered as well.
The four spent the rest of the day discussing the places they'd been and their favourite places, before moving onto other topics, until it came time for dinner.
"Hello loves, how was your first week?" Their mother hugged them tightly as they joined them in their room's just before lunchtime on Sunday.
"Hi Mama. It was good, though the classes were a bit easy. Hopefully they'll get more challenging as we go." Red replied for them.
"Of course it went well. Our girls each got a hundred points this week! Your teachers love you girls!" Their father laughed as he hugged them as well.
The four sat in the living room of the two teachers chambers as they discussed their week respectively.
"I'm not sure I'd say they love us Papa." Ari laughed in reply to their fathers joke.
The girls spent an hour sat around the sitting room of their parents rooms, having lunch and discussing their weeks classes. Regulus told them about his Hand-to-Hand Combat classes, in which none of the other classes he had had, had worn the correct clothing, and Xanthia told them about her surprise at seeing just how lacking the students were with healing knowledge, even the Purebloods.
Before long, Redina and her father moved to play Wizard's chess, which had become a Sunday tradition when the girls were just four years old. It became a great bonding experience for them that had sharpened Redina's critical thinking and forethought. When she was nine years old, she had won her first game against her father, and had only improved her skills since. How the pair challenged each other and were evenly balanced in their number of wins.
Ariadnae and Xanthia sat discussing the latest edition of Chizpurfle Potions, their preferred potions journal. Like Redina, Ariadnae had started helping her mother with making her potions from the age of four, starting with simply mashing and chopping ingredients, before moving up to stirring and then brewing her own. By the time she turned ten, Ariadnae far exceeded others her own age, and was even thinking of ways to help improve her mother's potions in such a way that would help them heal patients more efficiently.
The family of four spent the rest of the day simply enjoying each other's company, after their first weeks of school, each wondering how this new adventure in their lived might turn out.
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