Chapter 15

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Anna's pov

I sighed and frowned as I shut the dialogue box. Somehow Ollie always managed to pull me into her crazy schemes. I stood up and stretched my arms over my head. A window had been opened and a light breeze was blowing in and ruffling the covers on the large canopy bed I'd been sleeping in for the past two weeks. It was hard to believe that we were leaving tomorrow. And my mother may or may not be getting married in three days.

There was a soft knock on my door and Mary entered, a large smile on her face. "Guess what?"

"What?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"My parents are going out for dinner. So we'll have the house to ourselves tonight!"

"Great!" A sudden idea hit me. "Let's invite Marie over. Who knows when you'll get to see her again."

Mary frowned, in thought. Then she smiled. "Sure! My parents would love that. You know how they are about leaving me home alone."

I nodded then stood up.

Mary's parents were all for having Marie over. So, Mary flooed Marie and she said she'd be there in a few minutes.

"Have fun girls," Mary's father called from the entryway. I could just make out the back of his muggle suit from here.

"Don't stay up too late," his wife replied while fluffing her hair with her fingers. They waved and left. Marie smiled at us as she stepped out of the fireplace.

"Bonjour! It is wonderful to see you both again. I thought perhaps I could cook dinner tonight for us and then we could chat. I rarely see you Mary." She said, her lips pouting at the end of her sentence.

"I know. We really need to get together more often. We have so much in common."

The three of us then headed towards the kitchen, Mary and Marie talking about handbags the whole way there.

When Marie said she'd cook dinner, she really meant she'd tell the house elves what to cook and watch them carefully while they added seasoning to the crab legs. Once everything was in the oven, we went into the next room and took a seat at the dinning room table.

"So, erm, Marie," I started out nervously. "How long exactly, have you and Lex been dating?"

She raised a brow and gave me a look that clearly stated she had no clue how I got on this subject.

"Because," I pushed forward, "I have a boyfriend and well, it's getting pretty serious and I just wanted to know-"

Mary squealed. "You have a boyfriend Anna! Who is it?"

"Umm," I jumped to the first name in my head. "Scott Peterson."

"Really? He's dreamy!" Mary said with a sigh. "How long have you been dating."

"Ahh, about, about 7 months," I was praying that Scott would never find out about this. Though I doubted he would care much. Being the captain of one of the quidditch teams at our school there wasn't much that actually got threw his thick skull.

"Oh." Marie said, immediately relaxing. "Lex and I have known each other for years. We started dating about three years ago."

"Wow," Mary said. "And he hasn't asked you to marry him yet?"

"There are certain complications."

It was then that I knew she knew he was engaged. But what woman would willingly split her boyfriend with someone she'd never met?

"What sort of complications?" Mary asked, propping her elbows up on the table we were currently seated at.

Marie looked around nervously. "I really shouldn't say, Mary. If it got back to your parents-"

"It won't! Anna and I can both keep a secret. Right Annie?"

I nodded, even though I hated the nickname Annie.

"And I'm sure you'll feel better getting it off your chest," I put in helpfully.

"He's engaged," Marie said.

Mary and I gasped. "No!"

Marie nodded. "To a horrible penniless woman with no social standing and children who were raised in a barn!"

"Never!" Mary fanned herself with her napkin. "That's just awful!"

I too pretended to look scandalized. But really I was fuming. "Why then? When he has you, why would he marry another woman?"

Marie shrugged. "I do not know. He says one day he and I will be married. But right now this is something he has to do."

I frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I wouldn't stand for it." Mary said.

"What?" Marie asked, raising a brow.

"I wouldn't stand for it. If he loved me so much, why would he need another woman? If I were you, I would barge right into that wedding and break it up! Tell her the truth."

"Lex would be furious, Mary. For some reason he thinks this woman is worth something," Marie shook her head sadly.

"More then your love?" Mary asked.

There was no noise apart from the house elves constant whispering. Finally Marie said, "I don't even know the date of the wedding, or the place. And knowing Lex, it's invitation only."

I knew this was the moment to confess to both Mary and Marie who exactly Lex was marrying.

"Would you put a stop to it though, if you knew where it was being held?" I asked with baited breath.

Marie frowned then nodded. "When Mary puts it that way, I realize she's right! I am the most wanted woman in all of Paris, Italy and England! I could have any man, any rich man! Why am I letting the one I love marry a, a, slut!"

I stood up. "Don't you dare call my mother a slut."

Mary and Marie just gapped at me.

"Your mom's Lex is Marie's Lex!" Mary asked, once finally finding her voice.

I nodded. "My little sister has been trying to prove he's been up to something," I shrugged, then looked at Marie. "You do deserve happiness. You belong in the same social status as Lex, not my family and I. And in all honesty, I think you would make Lex a hundred times more happier then my mother ever would."

Marie nodded. "You are right of course."

"Right," I added, sitting back down. "The only question that remains is why is Lex marrying my mother?"

We all sat in silence again, thinking.

"Can't be because of wealth," Marie finally said.

"Or status," Mary added.

"He's not her type," I said. "They're polar opposites. So what could she have that would entice him to marry her."

"The only reason a man with both status and wealth would marry a woman who is his polar opposite, is because she could offer wealth and status. Of course we've already ruled this out," Mary shrugged.

"Maybe he wants her career," Marie ran a hand threw her short brown locks. "I mean, she's in the ministry right?"

I nodded.

"So, he could want her power."

"He already has power," I muttered.

"Dinner is served," a small house elf bobbed over and curtsied neatly. Behind her were several other house elves supporting three large silver trays. They placed the food in front of us at the table, bowed then left.

It was then Mary's plump lips formed into a round 'o' and her eyes lit up.

"Yes?" Marie asked, while removing the coverings from the food.

"Well, what if Anna's mother is an heir!"

Marie and I both gave her blank looks.

"Think about it. Maybe, she has money that she doesn't know about. Money that could make her richer than even Lex! If that's the case, then he'll marry her and later on, demand a divorce and payment for all he's done for her, payment and more! No offense Marie but he seems like a bit of a slime ball."

Marie simply shrugged and poured the wine. "He is. That's why we get along so well."

I shook my head. "That's impossible. And how would Lex know about it and not my mother?"

"Maybe he was looking for it." Mary took a bite of her crab legs.

"Looking for what?"

"The heir of something. I don't know. It was just a thought." Mary shrugged then took a gulp of her wine.

"What is your last name?" Marie asked suddenly.

"Demmers, why?"

She stood up suddenly and went into the next room. Mary just shrugged and we continued eating. About five minutes later, Marie came back carrying a thick leather book.

"What is that?" Mary asked her brows raised.

"This is the history of every pureblooded family tree in the past three centuries. Or at least, all the ones with social standing. It updates itself according to the census put out by the Pureblood Family Society."

"Why do you have a copy?"

"For work," was Marie's simply reply.

"What exactly is it you do?" I asked.

"A little of this and a little of that." She flipped open to the index in the back and ran her finger down the tiny printed columns. "Your last name is actually in here." She then flipped open to the correct page. What I saw took my breath away.

It was hundreds of tiny printed names scrawled next to painted pictures. Marie started at the bottom of the list. "Isabella Demmers, your mother?"

I nodded.

"Funny, you and your siblings aren't listed," Marie said.

"My dad was a blood traitor in his family's eyes."

Marie nodded. "That makes sense." She followed the tree up. Then stopped. "Merlin," she breathed.

"What?" Mary and I asked, dinner completely forgotten.

"You're related to Godric Gryffindor."

There was a long silence and then I asked "how?"

"He had three sons. Once of which only had daughters. The youngest married Edwin Demmers. He is your great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather on your mother's side."

Another silence and then, "Lex knows." I breathed. "He knows and I'll bet there's a heavy inheritance somewhere in some bank in London. I'll bet Lex knows and that's why he's marrying my mother, because she is absolutely filthy rich. I have to tell my mother." I stood up.

"She won't believe you." Marie said. "We need her to hear Lex say it."

"He'll never admit it," I half yelled. "My mother could probably retire a hundred times over and she doesn't know! I have to tell her, tonight!"

"No," was Marie's firm response. "Well tell her tomorrow, during the wedding. As she reaches the altar."

"Dramatic much," was my sarcastic reply.

"Lex loves a big scene. He'll tell her if he knows I know. And with so many witness's, he wouldn't dare lie."

I nodded. "Tomorrow. First thing, we leave for London tomorrow." I sat back down and finished eating my cold crab legs.

Authors Note: This is the second to last chapter. I really can't believe we're almost at the end. Any comments or concerns are wanted. Or you could just read. Whatever.