The afternoon passed light and free, the wind swiftly running through the leaves of the trees at the end of September. Alphard raised his eyes, observing the clear blue sky. With a half-smile, he let his steps carry him to the more distant corners of the school. Although he was now in his final year at Hogwarts and needed to prepare for the NEWTs, that afternoon he preferred to take it easy.
In one arm, he carried a package of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, in the other a book on the Physiology of Mythical Animals. That Saturday seemed to the young man ideal for a picnic and some relaxing reading.
As he crossed the edge of the forest, near the school lake, towards one of his favorite spots, Black noticed that his private paradise was no longer untouched.
Under a peach tree, there was a female figure, practically motionless, to the point of considering the idea that it might be a statue or even a life-sized doll.
Alphard walked lightly towards the tree, partly worried about the girl's immobility. As he approached, he immediately recognized her. It was Marguerith Black. From the undulating movement of the brunette's chest, he could see that she was just sleeping deeply.
Involuntarily, the young man let his eyes linger a bit on the curve of the girl's breasts, which were hinted at through the gap in the blouse of her uniform. Realizing what he was doing, Alphard averted his eyes, feeling his cheeks and ears abruptly heat up.
Recovering from the situation, he looked back at Marge, keeping his attention on her face. It had been years since Rosette's death that he had seen her that way. The sweet and soft expression, completely free and at peace. Never had his cousin seemed so beautiful to him. The perfect essence of Sleeping Beauty.
She always had a seemingly distant, almost arrogant expression to some people, but he realized that she acted this way because it was demanded of her by everyone in her family. Of all the people in the wizarding society, it was Marguerith herself who demanded the most from herself, who never let her guard down, never allowed herself to relax... Except when she was with him.
It was a relief for the young man to see her so serene. Alphard felt a strong desire to protect the peace that the girl so deserved. He sat down next to her, placing the sealed candy package on the grass and the book on his lap. He would not let anything or anyone disturb Marguerith's sleep at that moment.
Looking up, he noticed how the peach tree was in full bloom, letting its perfume fill his nostrils, realizing, truly, for the first time how much Marguerith had become an essential part of his life. Perhaps this feeling had been inside him for years, but only now was he fully aware that he was in love with her.
Alphard himself was a massive contradiction, Marguerith thought to herself. He was a calm and fun young man, and she noticed how the other Slytherin housemates seemed to admire him for these characteristics, but at the same time, she could see a tenacity in him that sometimes bordered on stubbornness.
Engulfed by the stifling temperature of the common room and Alphard's soft voice, Marguerith closed her eyes and allowed herself to be carried away by the memory of a dream she had the night before… She did not remember the details, but she could still capture the nuances of sensations, almost as if she were still there…
She and Alphard walking together through a forest… at one point their hands meeting briefly… a comforting warmth taking over Marguerith… Something she had never felt before in her life… Even in all the years she had been by his side… Something she desired and at the same time feared…
"Marge?" Betelgeuse's voice brought her back to reality in a whisper. "Are you okay?"
She turned to her sister, blinking her eyes, slightly disoriented. Finally, she managed to collect herself, returning to her usual self-sufficient and imposing posture.
"I'm fine," the young woman with green orbs nodded, although an incredulous look could be seen on Bete's face. No one else could read so well beneath the rigid mask of her younger sister.
"Your eyes were dull and distant," Betelgeuse spoke, still in a practically inaudible tone to the other classmates except for Marguerith, with whom she shared the armchair.
"It was nothing, just the heat… My blood pressure must have dropped."
"Do you want to go to the infirmary?" the older of the twins asked, concerned.
"No need, I feel better already."
Marguerith directed her emerald orbs again to Alphard, who was finishing the story he was telling the other seventh-year Slytherins.
"I'm in love!" Alphard blurted out, causing Bartemius to choke on his butterbeer and Abraham to raise an eyebrow slightly.
At that moment, The Three Broomsticks was so full that he doubted anyone could hear them amidst the murmuring of conversations from other tables. Usually, the three would have gone to The Hog's Head during the Hogsmeade outing, but since Abe started dating Carmilla and Bart had done the same with Alicia, they had begun to avoid the place they deemed unsuitable for meeting with their girlfriends. Alphard, in fact, had teased his friends for a while, joking that they were becoming boring, and Abe in particular was finally becoming a proper Ravenclaw.
"Okay, and who's the lucky girl?" Abraham Reinfield asked, while Bart was still recovering from the surprise.
"Marge," he replied, sighing dreamily.
Bartemius and Abraham exchanged a complicit look, as if they had been expecting this for many, many years.
"I can't believe you finally realized it!" the Ravenclaw said, unable to hide his enthusiasm. "It's always been very obvious to us."
"I'm a bit slow with these things… Besides, we grew up together, which made it take me longer to understand that what I felt for her was nothing fraternal."
Bart took a sip of his butterbeer before asking a question he deemed important in that context.
"Doesn't it bother you that she's our cousin?"
Alphard shook his head in the negative.
"If you think about it, she's more your cousin, being the son of cousin Charis, than mine. There's at least one generation of Black separating us… Besides, our family never saw that as a problem. Orion and Walburga are getting married and they're close cousins. In fact, who isn't related to whom in traditional families?"
Abraham scratched his head thoughtfully; Alphard had a point. They were almost all connected by some kind of kinship. At least the members of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight" – a title the Ravenclaw found excessively pompous and stupid, but he knew it was taken seriously by many wizards.
"As far as I know, I'm not related to either of you two," he said finally.
"Not to worry," Alphard said. "If Marge and I have a child, maybe they can marry a daughter of yours and Carmilla's."
Abraham smiled, imagining the situation.
"A daughter of mine becoming a Black? It wasn't something I had considered until now."
Bartemius shook his head; those two were hopelessly lost if they were already thinking about children and marriage, although he himself did not shy away from dreaming of joining Alicia after graduating in law.
"When are you going to talk to Marguerith?" Bartemius asked, in a more serious tone. "You know there are two obstacles to this relationship really happening…"
"The Ice Maiden and the boggart?" Alphard laughed. "Betelgeuse is difficult and I know she doesn't like me much, but if she sees that I can make Marge happy, she'll eventually soften… The real problem is old Black, but Marguerith will soon be of age. She'll be able to decide her own life."
"Are you going to wait until she turns seventeen to declare yourself?" Bart questioned again, thinking it might be a better option than facing the irascible temper of the uncle.
"It's an idea…" he said, in a jocular tone. "Actually, I want to start preparing the ground. I've joked a lot with Marge, saying she's my muse. If I don't do it the right way, she'll think I'm joking."
Abraham crossed his arms, thoughtful. He knew Alphard and Marguerith's personalities well enough to know how it would unfold.
"I foresee it's going to be a very hard job, my friend…" the Ravenclaw stated.