Gregory sat at the dining table, nursing a pounding headache and a cup of black coffee. The hangover potion had helped, but the stress and worry of the current situation and his fight with his mother left him feeling worse than the firewhisky had. He had spent the night before drowning his sorrows with Theo at Goyle Manor, one of the grandest wizarding estates in England. He looked around at the grandeur of the room, the rich tapestries hanging from the walls, the antique chandeliers casting their warm glow on the table, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness. Despite all the wealth and privilege, he was still helpless to protect his younger sister Lena from their mother.
Theo Nott, one of the few friends he had left, sat across from him, tucking into his lunch. Susan Bones, Theo's wife, sat beside him, sipping on her tea. Lena sat at the other end of the table, picking at her food, her eyes cast down.
"Did you hear from your uncle, Greg?" Theo asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah. He agrees with Mother," Greg replied, his voice heavy with sadness. "He and my mother have all the legal rights to take Lena away. I have no say in the matter."
Normally Greg wouldn't speak of this in front of his sister, but he had been informed by Izzy that after his mother left the study. She went in search of Lena to inform her of the "good news".
"But there must be something that can be done," Susan interjected. "You can't just sit here and let her take Lena away like that. You have to fight for her!"
Greg shook his head. "Believe me, I've thought of every possible way to keep Lena with me. I've tried to appeal to my mother's sense of reason, but she's not interested. The only way I can legally keep Lena with me is if I'm the head of the Goyle family. And the only way I can do that is if my father is dead, I reach twenty-one years of age, or if I'm married. You know that."
Theo looked at him incredulously. "You're not suggesting that you…kill your own father?"
"I'd have to be able to find him first." Greg sighed and looked down, unable to meet Theo's gaze. "What am I going to do? I can't let Lena go with my mother. Who knows where they will leave her. She'll be miserable, and I'll never see her again."
"Get married. I did. Simple solution to keep my old man from fucking up my life anymore then he already has. Had to wait till the bastard was locked up though. Easy enough when I gave the Aurors the tip that led him to his hiding place after the battle. Of course, it helps that Susan and I have been in love since our fifth year. " Theo smiled at his wife. Theo and Susan were the secret, not-so-secret couple in Hogwarts. They'd had to keep their relationship relatively quiet. Neither of their guardians would have approved of the match.
"Yes, that simple," Greg rolled his eyes. "Daphne broke the marriage contract as soon as she could. Pansy's parents said no daughter of theirs was going to marry a troll like me. And Millicent would rather be with witches. Which bully for her, of course, but there's nobody who will have me."
Susan snorted, holding up her fingers as she spoke. "One, there are other women out there besides ones who were in Slytherin. Two, Daphne is a bitch Forget her. Pansy, to be fair, has had her eyes on Draco since nappies I'm sure, but you are also much more handsome now. We all were awkward children. Some people just have to grow into their looks. And three, you can't help who people prefer." Susan stated. "You will find someone to love you."
"In a week?" Greg asked, clearly not convinced.
Theo put his hand on Greg's shoulder. "We'll find a way, Greg. We'll help you."
Just then, Lena accidentally knocked over her glass of pumpkin juice, spilling it all over Susan's lap. Susan jumped up, and Lena let out a whimper, backing away from Susan as she shielded her face with trembling hands.
Greg saw his sister's reaction and went to her. Gently, he brought her hands away from her face. "Hey, it's alright. It was an accident, and nobody is angry with you."
Susan looked up from vanishing the sticky liquid off her robes. To Lena's surprise, the woman didn't get angry. Instead, Susan simply laughed it off and said, "It's just a bit of juice, Lena. Don't worry about it. See? Good as new."
Lena looked up at Susan, amazed. She had never been treated with such kindness and compassion before, especially not by someone who was supposed to be her "social superior." It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to her.
Greg gave Lena's hands a reassuring squeeze before returning to his seat.
"Anthony!" Susan exclaimed suddenly. Everyone stared at her in confusion. "Maybe Anthony Goldstein can help."
"How? And why would he help me?" Greg remembered the skinny Ravenclaw he and Vincent Crabbe had picked on often.
"Well, the Goldsteins are a respected wizarding family and well-known solicitors. Last year, they helped Harry Potter set up the Potter House for children orphaned in the war. Their law firm is an expert on family law, and they will help if I ask them to. If anyone can help you find a way to keep Lena with you, it's them."
When the meal had been eaten, Lena went off to play, and Theo and Susan left with the promise to owl Anthony for him and ask for an appointment. He hoped the Goldsteins would agree to hear his case.
