Chapter Five- The Dinner Party
Morwen ran into Bill Weasley when she was returning from lunch the following Monday, the bright-eyed wizard grinned and followed her to her little office, "Please tell you've found something useful?"
"Not quite, still working on it I'm afraid," she felt a little sad at his downtrodden expression. Sitting at her desk she groaned at the state of her 'in trunk' again, did the goblins ever run out of antiques?
"Ah well, I've been getting in touch with some of the goblin clans. See if some of them don't know something," Bill shrugged, poking through the trunk himself nosily.
"Well I have a few friends helping, there's a lot of time consuming stuff to work through. Cor, are you as busy as this?" she lifted an old watch out.
"Yup, never stops. I curse broke all that for you yesterday," he laughed, "Thought that was a handsome watch, had a nasty stinging hex on it though. Someone had sold it to some poor muggle."
"Nasty, but yes, your mother had heard of the necklace you know?" she took out her miniature screwdrivers and with a wave of her wand set them to work on the backings of the watch.
"What?"
"Heard some old tale like it from an Aunt or something," Morwen looked at the clockwork in the back of the watch and hmmn'd to herself.
"I never thought to ask her, I forget my parents are purebloods sometimes," laughing he gets up from her spare chair.
"Well don't worry, I'm on it," she waved a hand absentmindedly, engrossed in the beautiful workings of the watch. "You worry about the goblin bit and I'll try and track down the family."
"That'll do then," he mock saluted and made for the door.
"See you," she called as she wrote a valuations tag for the watch, it was a worth a tidy sum indeed.
That evening she arrived home from work tired, a long day of valuations was tedious and then she'd had to stop down Diagon Alley for some groceries. The house elf should really organise such things but poor Howey was getting old and almost always forgot something. Morwen then usually spent a good twenty minutes persuading him not to do something daft, like iron his ears. Morwen had got on with her mother well enough when she was alive, but she was a timid women who had let Morwen's grandmother dictate the house. As such, the house elves were treated rather appallingly. Something Morwen had always been ashamed of.
"Howey?" she called as she closed the front door.
The little elf apparated in front of her with a pop, he bobbed his little head nervously, "Good evening Mistress, your cousin is here again."
"Not quite good evening then Howey," she sighed handing him the bags, "Get some dinner started please and I'll go see to him."
"He's in the second-floor guest room Mistress," he bowed, a little wobbly, and disappeared again.
Morwen could feel a head ache coming on, pinching her nose she drew her cloak off and set it on the hall table with her summer gloves.
Slowly she started up the stairs, pondering the best approach, she thought of her paternal grandmother who had lived with them when she was young. Grandmother Isla had been a Yaxley, originally from Scotland although she only spoke with the barest traces of an accent. Still, Morwen thought of how she had bullied her mother, a rather beautiful woman, if not a bit dim and meek.
Thinking of how Isla had raged at her father not to let Talan's politics affect the family's standing at the ministry, she paused on the first-floor landing. Hating muggles was acceptable but murdering them was unpopular and any man who wished to be Minister for Magic had to walk a fine line. Morwen tapped her fingers against her lips in thought before she set off again, making her way up to the second floor. Grandmother Isla had laughed at her father's worry over not joining the Dark Lord, at not being on the winning side.
'And Grindelwald wasn't a threat? Look at how Dumbledore wiped the floor with that pretender? The wizard might be as old as I am but only a fool would underestimate him. We are Selwyns, we do not take sides in public. Follow your younger brother's example, at least he has the brains to navigate!'
Uncle Izzy had let her into the family business once it became apparent that his only nephew Talan was going to become a death eater. Always her favourite Uncle she had been pleased to be chosen, he had explained that dark lords came and went but it was possible to navigate a neutral path and in the long run that was more prosperous for business. 'Not a popular notion amongst the fanatical purebloods but we Selwyns are business men first Morwena, never forget it.'
She felt a little guilty that she had closed the family business, but Talan and Morwena were the last of the line and she didn't envisage children for either of them anyway. There was little point in worrying. The second floor guest room was opposite what had been her mother's drawing room, in the back of the house, when they were children this was the room he'd always stayed in.
Knocking the door sharply she waited a few moments, there was no sound until eventually footsteps thudded across the wooden floor with a stream of curses and the door was pulled open.
"What do you want, you old spinster?" Talan had always been a little rough looking, blunt edges and a heavy brow alongside the Selwyn nose didn't make for an attractive man. However, his mother had been a Bulstrode and age hadn't helped the matter.
"Good evening Talan," she folded her arms, "I'm well, thank you, how have you come to be in my house?"
"Your house," he laughed darkly, "This is my house, I am the last male Selwyn ."
Morwen smiled a little, "This house was not entailed and it is mine," she raised a hand as he tried to cut her off, "you are welcome to visit any time, of course, the manor is so far from London."
"That old splintering behemoth," snarling, he stepped closer into her space, "is much too far from London. I have business here, I'll be using the house a lot. Tell that little elf he'd better stop harassing me."
Still frozen in smile Morwen merely inclined her head an inch, "Howey worries about his Mistress is all. This is my house Talan, I welcome you as my cousin and the last of my family, but don't forget that I am mistress here."
Holding his dark gaze she hoped she looked more assertive than she felt, finally he just broke it with a chuckle, "Very well, stay here little bird," he reached for the door behind him, "the Dark Lord is taking power again and soon you'll be wishing you were in Cornwall, Princess." With an ugly sneer he slammed the door in her face.
The presence of her cousin unsettled Morwen, she wasn't used to sharing the house and although she had yet to see him again she no longer felt as safe in what had been her space for over a year. Since Uncle Izzy had died the townhouse was finally somewhere for her to settle and stop moving about.
Still she found herself getting ready for the dinner party the next week, vowing to put Talan out of her mind, Maggie had thrown the soiree on a Friday night so at least she didn't have to worry about work the next day. The week had been so busy that she hadn't made it back to Grimmauld Place, but a letter from Sirius had arrived on Wednesday pleading for mercy. Molly was on the cleaning warpath and Sirius had been roped in by himself, Remus had managed to find some work again with a company that specialised clearing houses of magical unwanteds. They took him on every now and then because he was such an expert at rounding up boggarts and the like. Laughing at Sirius' whingeing she wrote back, promising she'd come by on Friday evening after the dinner party. Hopefully the Boot's thing wouldn't run on too late.
Morwen had a feeling she would be mentally exhausted by the end of the night, finally clasping a locket that'd belonged to her mother around her neck she decided she would have to do. Fortunately, Maggie had provided her address, so she was able to apparate with that in mind, saving her from using the floo network. That always caused a bit of a sooty mess of your clothes.
.
The apparition landed her outside a charming enough townhouse in a nice borough of London. Not quite as posh as Grimmauld Place or the Selwyn's but respectable none the less. Morwen straightened herself by the shoulders and climbed the front steps, a plain knocker adorned the door, so she knocked it and waited. When the door swung open she half expected to hear the screeches of Mrs Black out of sheer habit.
Maggie shadowed the light from a tastefully decorated hall, "Oh Morwen!" the other witch half squeaked when the door opened, before hugging her rather enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you could come, almost everyone is here, you're just in time."
Morwen was ushered into the hallway as Maggie took her cloak and bag, "Well, Grandmother did always say never to be too early!"
Fighting the urge to smooth the skirt of her dress she instead painted on a civil enough smile as her hostess led her into a small parlour at the front of the house. The room was still bright with summer sunshine, it was only a quarter past seven after all. Maggie introduced a tall, thin man as her husband Edwin.
"Yes, it's nice to meet you, Maggie's been chattering away about how you two were school friends," Edwin smiled, trying to be interested in his wife's friend but Morwen could tell he was anxious to be rid of speaking with her already.
"Yes, we went to Hogwarts together," she couldn't help but remember that he'd been the year above, same house, so technically went to school with her as well.
"Oh this is Pius Thickeness and his wife Harmonia," Maggie guided her to the pair who where standing next to the bay window near the door. "This is Morwena Selwyn, you're more likely to know her Uncle Izzy."
"And her father Ruan, of course," Pius gave her a little quirk of a smile, Morwen was rather entranced with the thickness of his shoulder length hair. Asking if he used hair positions would probably be considered impolite.
"You dress is very flattering Miss Selwyn, you look very well," his wife did not share Pius' good hair. Equal in its darkness of colour, the older woman had fiercely pinned her frizzy, wispy hair up. The look was rather severe but Morwen suspected that it likely suited her.
"This is Magnus Montague," Maggie appeared back at their side, clutching the arm of a rather uncomfortable half giant before Morwen could accept Harmonia's compliments.
At well over six foot he was taller than tall, and had a breadth of shoulder that dwarfed poor Maggie beside him. "Magnus, Morwena Selwyn."
Magnus shook her hand, and managed not to crush any fingers, he had a bronze head of hair and a strong jaw. "Nice to meet you Morwena, I attended Durmstrang, I'd guess that's why we've never met."
Maggie and her husband drew back to speak to a few others dotted about the room, Morwen was surprised to see the red hair of what had to be a Weasley. Standing near the empty fire place was who she thought she recognised as Geoff Bole, he was in law enforcement and had always been a sneaky little bastard. The Thickenesses excused themselves to go join them, the Boles looked more of their age.
"What do you do then Miss Selwyn?" Montague interrupted her thoughts.
"I work for Gringotts," he nodded and didn't say anything else.
After another painful minute she cleared her throat, "So have you been in law enforcement long?"
"No, I was teaching at Durmstrang before this. I work for the hit patrol now," inwardly she sighed. Hit patrol wasn't quite hit wizard or anything so interesting.
"Durmstrang? I'm sure that was interesting, what subject did you teach?"
"Oh I can't say Morwena, sworn and all," of course, Durmstrang's famous secretiveness.
"I see," she smiled apologetically, secretly wishing the floor would open up.
The doorbell rang and Maggie jumped up from where she was sitting beside a stylish blonde woman, "oh there's the last one."
As she scuttled out to the hall the blonde lounging on the sofa smiled and waved at Morwen as she caught her eye. The other witch excused herself from Montague and quickly escaped.
"I don't know why Maggie keeps throwing the available witches at him," she smiled catlike, her short curls immaculate, "It's like drawing blood from a stone. So bleeding boring."
"Yes, he is rather…" Morwen fought for the polite word.
"Hnnn, yes. I'm Hestia by the way" she reached out a red taloned hand, Hestia Jones, Legal aid."
"Good to know, Morwena Selwyn," she shook with a grin, "Most people call me Morwen."
"You worked for Izzy Selwyn, yes?" Hestia arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. Only slightly darker that her platinum blonde hair.
"My uncle, yes but I work for Gringotts now," she offered, Hestia nodded and glanced to door.
Maggie had appeared with the newest arrival, Corbyn Yaxley, he walked in with his usual black suit and yellow blonde ponytail.
"Great timing Corbyn," Maggie clapped and waved everyone to the open door. "Dinner's ready."
The dining room was at the back of the house, and a charming conservatory continued on into the garden.
"I have name cards out so everyone just take a little look" Maggie waved her hands before she sat to the left of Edwin, he was settling himself at the head of the table. Yaxley took the seat to his right. Hestia and Morwen found themselves down the unimportant end, Magnus had the other end of the table. Usually an honour but it soon became apparent that Edwin's colleagues and close friends were seated nearer to him.
Morwen sat opposite Hestia, Magnus to Morwens left and The Weasley to her right was Percy. Percy's girlfriend Audrey, an affable sort sat next to Hestia oddly enough. Maggie probably hoped Morwen and Hestia would be vying for Magnus' attentions. Pius Thicknesse's sharp faced wife was seated beside Audrey and was giving her side looks of disdain, Morwen guessed the girl was probably not a pure blood. Opposite her was a Henrietta Bole, Harmonia and Henerietta both wore old fashioned summer robes rather than dinner dresses like the rest of the women. Their husbands were seated beside Corbyn Yaxley and Maggie, presumably considered the most important guests Morwen pondered.
"So what do you do Audrey?" Morwen politely asked the pretty auburn haired girl over her soup course. Magnus had managed to start a conversation with Hestia about quidditch so she felt the need to try and engage the young couple.
"Oh, I work in Flourish and Blotts," she replied with a bright smile, "And you?"
"I'm Morwen, by the way," she hadn't been introduced properly, but Audrey nodded anyway, "I work for Gringotts, and you Percy, you're in the Ministry aren't you?"
The bespectacled Percy wiped his mouth on a napkin as he finished his soup, "Oh yes, personal assistant for the Minister," he enthusiastically shook her hand, "what do you do for Gringotts?"
"Curse breaker, but I deal with antiquities as well," she shrugged, "You know, the usual."
"Ah yes, very interesting stuff then," Percy smiled and shifted uncomfortably. Morwen's quizzical expression only made him turn to Audrey and begin telling her some rather long-winded anecdote from his work day.
"Curse breaking, that must be exciting?" Hestia interjected, as their plates vanished only to be replaced by the main course.
"Oh not really," she pulled a face.
"Wizengamot's the same," Hestia rolled her eyes. "Everyone thinks it must be so interesting, hearing all about crime and murder. But it's mostly procedure and red tape, the ministry is coming down with that."
"Quite unlike the goblins then," Morwen replied as she picked at her dinner.
"The ministry's becoming bogged down in ridiculous paper work every day," Hestia delicately pushed her food around her plate, "do you know I received a twenty page document on the correct way to address an owl to the minister? Merlin forbid I just start a letter with his full name."
"Well his assistant will read them, so I doubt it matters too much," Audrey chuckled.
"The regulations are very important," Percy interrupts, quite indignant and shooting Audrey a rather disappointed look.
"Oh go read your rule book," Hestia sneered at him dismissively, Percy's ear tinged red and he merely harrumphed and turned to ignore her.
The main course took longer than Morwen thought it would, after all Maggie had served a rather meagre dish of roasted pheasant. Still she raised her eyes at Hestia when she noticed that Magnus had a considerably larger portion than them. To be fair he was twice their size but it had been awhile since Morwen had been to a proper dinner party, maybe this sort of thing was the new norm.
When the dessert appeared, the older women protested and refused to countenance it, "Those figures won't last long," Pius' wife shrilly gloated to the younger women. "In my younger days we didn't partake in such sugary offerings, women lusting for such things is far from becoming."
Morwen wasn't sure if Harmonia was still talking about the chocolate pudding, perhaps the disapproving looks Hestia's low cut dress had garnered all evening exposed the true stab.
"Oh I don't know, there's something so irresistible about chocolate," Hestia savoured a spoonful and poor Magnus' eyes' nearly feel out of his face. Hestia was a little like a twenties flapper, all ease and confidence with her pin rolled blonde hair and red lipstick.
"Yes the youthful beauty many women rely on fades rather fast, doesn't it Harmonia," Henrietta piped up, Morwen looked over to Hestia and the pair of them smirked into their glasses.
"Should young women not enjoy their flash of youth? I'm hardly youthful myself but I do love to look after myself," Hestia laughed, a little too loudly and untowardly for the older women's liking.
The men further up the table glanced down, attention caught by Hestia's gaiety.
"What is all this talk about women and enjoyment?" Pius raised an eyebrow.
"We were merely commenting on the fading of youth darling," Harmonia patted her husbands arm.
"Really, I thought I heard something about lusting myself?" Geoff laughed, his beady black eyes roving over Hestia rather noticeably.
"The older ladies think us greedy," the blonde raised an eyebrow at Bole impishly. "It's entirely unseemly."
"I think that Hestia and Morwen, Hestia rather especially, are a little too modern minded for your wives' good tastes, Pius, Geoff," Magnus interjected offhandedly, he didn't even look up as he was wholly immersed in his pudding, "To be honest, perhaps it's my European influences with Durmstrang, but I much prefer a more straightforward woman. All this simpering behind fans, only in England."
Magnus didn't blink an eye as he set his spoon down and looked up the table, shrugging and reaching for wine when nobody else said anything. The two merry wives' were casting unrestrained looks of loathing his way and Pius and Geoff had lost their appeal for banter. Percy and Audrey were sitting in silence between everyone looking utterly uncomfortable.
"Yes, well, I think everyone is finished," Maggie got up from her seat, "Perhaps we should all move into the conservatory?"
At her suggestion everyone immediately got up, and as Morwen made her way out she was pleasantly surprised. The conservatory was actually very pretty. There were chairs hidden here and there, surrounded by trailing hot house plants. A single orange tree was planted in the centre of room, and Morwen lingered there with Hestia.
"Gosh, this is such a bore," the blonde whispered, quickly she pasted a smile on as Maggie scuttled over with a bottle of wine.
"Well ladies," the hostesses drew her shoulders up in excitement, "Any luck with Magnus?"
"Oh I think Hestia felt more of a click than me," Morwen smirked at the other witch who glared daggers before putting a hand to Maggie's arm, "Oh Mags, he's a decent sort I suppose…"
Maggie face dropped, "Oh I know he's not much of a conversationalist…"
"I don't know," Morwen looked at Hestia archly, "I think he said quite a lot."
"Oh don't worry dearie," Hestia put her arm around Maggie, ignoring Morwen, "Haven't you got any hit wizards? They're much more dashing."
"Hmm, besides Montague's only a patrol man," Morwen agreed, "Not exactly…"
Maggie rolled her eyes, "Well, if you come back in a couple of weeks I'll see who else I can rustle up."
"Brilliant darling," Hestia raised her wine glass before downing half it.
"So what were all the important men talking about Maggie?" Morwen hoped she sounded casual, "They seemed to be having a right little chinwag up your end of the table."
Hestia hmmed and looked at Maggie expectantly, the other woman paused a moment,
"Well..." she glanced at Edwin, who was standing across the room talking to someone shrouded from sight by palm fronds. "I'm sure you'll hear soon enough, but you can't repeat it! Not for a week or two anyway," Maggie leaned in, "Dolores Umbridge is to be appointed to Hogwarts by the Minister. Isn't that wonderful news? The Minister and Umbridge have plans to shake up the curriculum, apparently the previous Professors of the Defence Against the Dark Arts where teaching all sorts of things. Practicing Unforgivable's on students as preparation!" Maggie whispered the last bit wide eyed.
"Really?" Hestia asked, surprised, "Dolores Umbridge?"
"Can the Ministry really demand who teaches at Hogwarts?" Morwen couldn't believe they could interfere so.
"Oh yes, some article or other, I don't remember but it's perfectly legal," Maggie assured her, "Oh excuse me girls, Harmony and Henrietta are calling for me," she squeezed Morwens shoulder and made off for the two women seated well behind them, a rather large orchid perched beside them.
After a moment of silent contemplation Morwen suddenly turned to Hestia, "Who is Dolores Umbridge anyway?"
"Oh haven't you heard of her? Ghastly woman," Hestia made a face, "Poor children, she passed a werewolf act a couple of years ago you know. She's dreadful about things like that, you know, hates goblins, merpeople, has all sorts of questionable thoughts on how to treat anyone who isn't a wizard, " Hestia was quietly murmuring and Morwen felt her eyes widen.
"And she's teaching children?"
"Oh yes, she's on the Wizengamot as well, but she's a right bigoted cow. Fudge seems to think a great deal of her," Hestia shimmied a little closer, "Why Maggie thinks this is good I have no idea, she has strange ideas about muggleborns too."
"I suppose Edwin thinks it a grand idea," Morwen whispered in reply, hesitating a little in asking, "I take it they're purist?"
Hestia gave her a dark look, "Umbridge is alright. Edwin has turned into a grand bore. We went to school together and he used to be a laugh, you know. I shouldn't like to think he's grown purist."
"Maggie and I were best friends at Hogwarts," she nodded to the ugly sisters behind them, "I think we're being talked about."
Hestia harrumphed, "Those old crows. So dry, they don't speak to me. A working woman, they don't seem to much like you either." She glared at the older witches. "Right, it's after half past nine, time I was moving on to better things."
"Oh good, if you leave I can," Morwen set her wine glass down and looked about for her hostess, she felt a little guilty at not getting more information. Although Dumbledore always seemed to know everything, she wondered if he'd heard about Umbridge.
Morwen's daze was broken by Hestia who was waving a hand elegantly to catch Maggie's eye and half talking at her at the same time.
"Yes, after half nine seems appropriate, the old crones left then at the last of these little nights. Are you coming with, I'm heading for the Leaky?"
"Maybe next week? I've had a long day," Hestia was surprisingly good company, but Morwen had promised she'd head over to Grimmauld Place.
"Of course, owl me, we'll meet after work a night next week."
Maggie came rushing over, "Oh you're not leaving?"
"You know me, I've another offer," Hestia winked as Maggie shook her head. The blonde hugged them, air kisses and all, before sashaying off into the dining room.
"Yes, and I'm heading off, the goblins ran me ragged today," Morwen looked at Maggie apologetic, "But I'll call into the tea rooms for lunch."
Maggie pouted, "Please do, it's so nice to have you about again."
The dark haired witch smiled and promised before managing to leave the Boots'.
