"The Black Raven"
Chapter Two: The Davies House
Parvati Patil was coming down the hall when she saw Lord Edgar coming towards her and nearly tripped over the Persian rug as she moved out of his way. Lord Edgar often vented his anger upon hapless servants and it was best to not to cross his path.
"You, girl!" Edgar beckoned her to him. As she approached, Parvati dared to glance up and noted that her employer appeared to be in a good mood.
"Yes, my lord?"
"When will tailors come with the costumes for my son and his betrothed?"
"Betrothed?" Parvati repeated.
"Lady Susan," Edgar informed her.
Parvati had been Susan's maid for almost a year and knew her well. While Susan cared for Roger like a brother but loved Harry Potter deeply. This engagement smacked of an arrangement. Parvati was not surprised Edgar wanted the match – Susan was an heiress of considerable fortune - but she was stunned Lord Roger agreed to hit.
Lord Edgar probably threatened to disinherit him, Parvati thought. The principles of the wealthy always vanished like smoke when someone threatened their gold.
"The dressmaker will be here tomorrow for the final fitting."
"Very good."
Edgar continued down the hall until he came to Susan's room. Parvati watched him knock and enter.
Parvati stood in the middle of the corridor, her original errand forgotten as she digested this latest news.
Wizard law set the minimum age for marriage at sixteen, but coming of age at seventeen. No under-aged witch or wizard could marry without parental permission and could not refuse a match before coming of age. Parvati had known Susan feared her sixteenth birthday, but with her seventeenth birthday in five months, she had started to relax and.
Parvati moved to the door, hoping to listen at the keyhole, but that proved unnecessary. The door had not shut all the way and Parvati could hear their conversation with ease.
"I won't marry him! I'm too young to marry anyone." Susan insisted. Through the crack in the door, Parvati could see that Susan had her arms crossed over her chest and her blue eyes flashed defiance.
"You're sixteen and my ward. I have the right to arrange your marriage."
Edgar started to leave and Parvati hurried into the linen cupboard adjacent to Susan's room. It would be best to remain out of sight until Edgar had left, she didn't think he would approve of eavesdropping. Parvati sat down on the floor and closed her eyes. Already the beginnings of a plan were forming in her mind.
Later, when she went up with a tray for Susan's dinner, she discovered Edgar had magically sealed the girl into her room.
Susan sat on the widow seat, staring bleakly at the manicured lawn in front of her, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in one hand.
"Congratulate me," Susan slurred. "I'm going be married in March. To Cousin Roger."
"I know."
Susan took another drink. "I'm under-aged. I don't have a choice."
Parvati took a deep breath. "There may be a way…"
"There is nothing," Susan sighed. "I know the law. There aren't any loopholes."
"You can only be compelled the wed before your seventeenth birthday," Parvati reminded her. "But Lord Edgar would have to have access to you to force a marriage."
"You want me to run away." Susan started to giggle. "I can't even leave my room, he sealed me in."
"I have friends who can help you," Parvati said, keeping her words vague. "But they cannot come unto the estate without permission."
Susan rested her forehead against the window. "I'm family."
Parvati nodded. Only Edgar, Roger, or Susan could grant the magical permission needed in order to gain access to the Davies estate. She helped Susan make out three passes and sign them before helping her into bed.
Parvati folded the passes and hid them in her robes. She debated using a memory charm on Susan to erase all memory of the passes, but she hated memory charms, and it was unlikely she'd remember. In the end, Parvati decided it was better to be safe rather than sorry.
"I'm sorry about this…obliviate," Parvati whispered. She watched the spell settle over the sleeping girl before she headed for the door and closed it softly behind her.
In the morning, Susan would awake with a sore head and remember nothing. She was attribute everything to what she'd drunk the night before.
Meanwhile Parvati, wearing an enveloping black cloak, went to a nearby pub, the Fourth Dragon. She approached the bar man.
"You have something for our flighty friend?"
Parvati nodded. "I need to see her tomorrow. I know a way to make Mr. Davies a very unhappy man."
The bar man gave her a toothless grin. "I hope so. I'll pass along your greetings."