Selene knocked on the door of a beautiful Victorian style home. It was very large, in a neighborhood of like sized houses, though the others were more modern. Her father had owned this house since 1867.
She waited in the cold for a few moments before a maid answered, sticking her cheery face out the door. "Good morning." Her voice was very cheerful.
"Good Morning. I am here to see Maurice." She said.
"Please come in, miss." The maid opened the door wide and let Selene enter, then closed the door behind her. The foyer was the same as always. Decorated just as it had been in 1867, as her father had told her. The carpet was thick and the walls were bright white. There was a beautiful table along the wall with a white and blue vase filled with purple flowers.
The maid took one step to go fetch her employer when there was a splintering crash of breaking glass from somewhere Selene couldn't see. Just then a woman came stomping out of the door that lead to the parlor, screaming "Cressida, you are a monstrosity!" She was in a light green dress, much like the ones Selene wore. She had long brown hair that was piled on top of her head. She was as pale as Selene herself.
The woman took no notice of Selene, and went up the stairs that were directly in front of Selene. As the woman slammed a bedroom door, another came following her out. She was blonde. She was quite tall and wearing the same fashions as Selene and the first woman. Her eyes were hazel and she had an abnormally large nose. She began muttering to herself, "Worthless girl! Thinks she knows everything." She finally turned to see Selene standing there, the maid three steps in front of her.
"Selene Tussaud! Come here! I always hoped you would grow to be beautiful. You arent as pretty as I, of course. Your father has been waiting for you. He is in the parlor. Come!" She gushed. She grabbed Selene's hand and pulled her into the parlor. There were three others there. One man, the same man who raised her, and two other women, plus herself and the woman who brought her here.
"Cressida, don't pull her arm out of the socket." The man admonished. Cressida pulled away, smiling, and went to sit in a chair. There was a broken vase, water and flowers on the floor next to her.
"My darling." The man said, standing and walking to give Selene a big hug. He was quite heavy with a big stomach and a lot of greying hair. "We have missed you."
"Hello, Papa. I've missed you, too." She said, holding him tightly to her. She pulled away and turned to a lady who had stood. She was wearing a lavender gown. It had a bustle in the back and a train spreading out behind her. She was very tall and thin and held herself like a queen. She was gorgeous with black hair framing her white face.
"Come here, Lena." She said softly, and Selene went to her quickly and hugged her.
"Hello, Vivienne. It is good to see you." Selene said. This woman had lived with her father for as long as she could remember. She had never seen two people care for each other more. She held her stomach and sat. "Not feeling well, I am afraid."
"Well, don't you forget me, now, Lena." The other woman said, smiling brightly. She stood and her long dress fanned out around her. She looked alot like Selene's father.
"Hi, Aunt Anastaise." Selene said, hugging her aunt.
"Sit, all of you." Cressida spoke from her chair.
Selene took a chair next to her father and Vivienne sat next to him on the love seat while Anastaise sat on the couch again.
"How have you been, dearest?" Vivienne asked Selene, slipping her hand into Maurice's. They all looked at her expectantly.
"Well, I've been fine." Selene said.
"Arnaud said that he hadn't seen you in over fourteen years and then suddenly you popped up from nowhere." Her father said.
"Yes, well..." She then explained why she left and what she had been doing since. By the time she finished, quite a few more vampires had joined them. Gertrude and Ethel had entered. Ethel old with very grey hair and Gerty short and skinny, looking like a little kid. Along with them was the Burns brothers, both looking poor and thin. Emilie and Pauline came in and sat on the floor at their feet. Emilie, quiet with black hair, Pauline, blonde, extravagant and loud.
"Do you know where your brother is staying?" Anistaise asks her niece.
"I don't." Selene responded quietly.
"He is staying with a bunch of others at his manor house." Her father replied. "So, what do we do?"
"I say we attack the boy. He isn't doing any good and he is helping the Death Eaters." Pauline says, then turns to Emilie, "It's all in the parenting. Raise the children you want, I always say."
"It is very nice to hear the advice of a childless woman about how to deal with one's errant son." Maurice says glaring at Pauline.
"Well, I did raise my sister's child." She replies, sitting taller and pushing her breasts out indignantly.
"You had your sister's sixteen year old daughter in your home while your sister was on her second wedding trip. The girl was already raised and only required a chaperone. You never had a child to raise." Maurice said, quietly. "Now, when you have two children who have both turned out to be perfect, you may preach to me, but as for now, be quiet unless you can say something helpful."
Pauline made a "humph" noise and glared at the carpet.
"Well, I do wish my father had invited me to this lovely reunion." They all turned with vampiric quickness to the doorway to find Gilbert leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
"I would not even be here if it weren't for you. So at least be proud of that fact, son." Maurice said, standing. The rest of the vampires stood and glared at Gilbert. Some were snarling slightly, baring their fangs, while other stood completely composed, if not a little stiff. Selene pulled her wand out and was now pointing it at her brother. The only person who remained seated was Vivienne, who looked sicker than she had before.
"I am only here to bring a message. We want to meet with you. All of us, all of you. Selene, do you remember that field we used to fling rocks at each other? All of you be there tomorrow at nine in the evening or there will be consequences to be paid." With that, Gilbert turned and ran. When they followed him, he was already gone, the front door swinging wildly.
"Did you see that?" Vivienne asked, tugging Maurice's sleeve. "He didn't cover up."
"What could this mean?" Cressida asked.
"I have no idea. But I know that we will meet them tomorrow. They may let something slip about why he can be in the sun." Maurice says, grabbing Vivienne's hand.
"No more burning." Vivienne replied, standing. Though seeming impossible, her face grew even paler. She wobbled slightly, Maurice watching her with wide eyes, then crashed to the floor.
Maurice bent down and lifted his mistress and began walking out the door. Selene followed closely. What was happening? Hadn't she eaten anything?
Selene opened the door to her father's bedroom and Maurice carried the limp woman to the bed.
"We must remove her corset. The damn woman refuses to stop wearing the cursed thing." Together, they relieved Vivienne of her dress and corset, and she laid there in underwear and a chemise. Selene dabbed water to her temples and slowly her eyes fluttered open.
"No more corset." Maurice says threateningly.
"Have you told her yet?" Vivienne asks, eyes shining brightly.
"I thought you should have the honors." He says, smiling at her.
"I am pregnant, Selene. You will have a little sibling soon enough. Of course it's not your father's. We talked it through and I talked a wizard into donating." With this, she gave Selene a big grin.
"A baby?" Selene asked.
"Yes, and that is why lovely lady Vivienne can no longer wear corsets!" Maurice said fiercely.
"Yes dear." Vivienne rolled her eyes.
Selene stayed a little while longer. She agreed to meet them all here at eight the next day and they would all leave together. When she got back to Grimmauld Place, Remus was still there, sitting in the living room with Sirius.
After she explained everything, Remus said "I want to come."
"You can't. You will be the only one who isn't a vampire there. That is way too dangerous. They will go straight for you." Selene says, rolling her eyes at having to explain this yet again.
"Fine." He says.
"Don't you get short with me, Lupin. You don't want to see it. Trust me." With that, Selene stood and went to her room. She was quickly in bed and asleep, dreaming about having a little sister running around.