Chapter 101 - Wedding Invitation (1/2)
”Are we done yet?” Severus tiredly said as he wiped the sweat off his brow. He still didn't know how, but his sister had somehow managed to become friends with a previously unknown house elf. And even more jaw-dropping managed to somehow convince their grandparents into allowing them to perform simple chores out in the sun, all in the name of healthy exercise.
”No, young master, we are not,” Tadbey tartly said as he carefully removed a twining weed from one of the primrose bushes.
Severus sighs as he glances over to peek at his sister, Rowan, who astonishingly enough is enjoying herself while they weed. Turning away, Severus peeks at Lily, who looks quite lovely with her straw hat. Lily glances up and meets Severus's eyes and grins. ”Having fun?” Lily asked.
”Very much so,” Severus murmured somewhat truthfully.
Lily giggles and says, ”I know you, Severus Prince, and you'd much rather have your nose in a book.”
”Some of us simply prefer not to labor under the hot sun,” Severus teased back.
”I don't know sometimes it's nice to get your hands dirty,” Lily hummed. ”Though tiring, it's nice to look up and see the efforts of your hard work. It's not always that easy-.”
Seeing Lily's crestfallen expression, Severus quietly asks, ”Is it Petunia again?”
”She's not that bad!” Lily protested as Severus merely raised an eyebrow in disagreement. ”But Tuney's been meaner as of late. She calls me, freak, all the time now.”
Furrowing his brows, Severus says, ”And have you told her this?”
”I told her to stop and she will, but then she'll do it all over again,” Lily confessed.
”Sounds like Rowan to me,” Severus grumbled.
”Rowan's not that bad!” Lily objected.
”She flinches my snacks and won't share when she has some!” Severus began to list his twin's faults. ”Believe it or not, but she whistles in her sleep.” Lily chokes with giggles as Severus begins to smile at having caused Lily to brighten back up. ”She is incredibly lazy at times and stays in bed for half of the morning. But worst of all, she always starts some mischief and never gets in trouble! But the moment, I try anything, I always get caught!”
”That's because you're terribly loud at sneaking about,” Rowan whispered into Severus's ear causing him to jump.
Smirking at almost causing her brother to fall over, Rowan says, ”And it's not though you're without faults yourself, Sev.” Severus begins to pale as Rowan begins to list out his flaws. ”There's your snoring and let's not forget your hogging of the blanket. Quite horrible social skills and hedgehog tendencies at bristling at everything it is a sheer miracle, you've made any friends at all. I'd say in retrospect that my tiny flaws aren't quite bad as yours, Sev.” Severus chokes with outrage as Lily letting out loud peals of laughter.
With an added smirk, Rowan turns around as she takes off the gardening gloves. ”I'm done with my section, Tadbey, I'll be heading inside now for a nice ice-cold lemonade,” Rowan pronounced with glee causing Severus to glower darkly at her as he was not yet done with his patch of the garden.
”You did a fine job, young mistress,” Tadbey said as he a careful eyed her neatly weeded patch in approval. ”Go on and head inside, I'll send these two lazy stragglers inside as soon as they're finished.”
”Hey!” Severus protested at the last bit causing Lily to spew into a fit of giggles again.
Rowan waves goodbye as she heads into the cool manor. Letting out a sigh, she heads to the kitchens to wash the sweat off her face. A small platter of tarts and pitcher of ice-cold lemonade have been left out by Dawn for the children. Seeing the kitchen empty, she quickly concludes that Dawn must be somewhere else about the house.
Splashing cool water onto her warm face, Rowan lets out a sigh, before washing her hands and drying herself. Feeling much less sticky, she takes a seat and pours herself a glass of lemonade. Taking a sip, she lets out a sigh at the refreshing drink, before taking another gulp. Licking her lips clean, she proceeds to eat a delicious tart with the odd sip of lemonade here or there.
Having consumed three tarts, Rowan decides that is more than enough, before wandering off to her grandfather's study. Knowing Severus and Lily, they'd be done soon, and after a quick bite to eat, they'd head up to the attic to see Sir Knight Prince. Lily was rather enchanted with the handsome Prince ghost causing Severus to feel more than a touch of jealousy at Lily's besotted gaze.
To her surprise, Rowan finds the study door locked. Furrowing her brow, she knocks loudly on the door and waits to be let in. Whispers can be heard inside until finally, the door unlocks to reveal the tense faces of the three adult Prince's. Reginald blinks and says, ”What are you doing here child?”
”I already finished my patch, grandfather,” Rowan slowly said as she studied their tense bodies. ”Is something the matter, grandfather?” The three adults share a look before Georgine's eyes subtly flicker towards a wedding invitation on the study desk.
Having gotten the hint, Rowan says, ”Is that a wedding invitation? Whose wedding have we been invited too?”
The silence grows even heavier as Georgine shamelessly says, ”Well, that's my cue to leave, brother.” And with a brisk step, Georgine quickly fled the study, before Reginald could even stop her.
”Well?” Rowan asked for an explanation.
Sirsa glances pleading at her husband as Reginald says, ”Go on now, love, I'll do the explaining.” Sirsa lips twitch in a sad smile of thanks, before exiting the study and closing the door behind her with a firm thud.
”What is that all about?” Rowan thought to herself. ”It's more like a funeral than anything else.”
Taking his seat, Reginald motions for his granddaughter to do the same as he composes his thoughts. ”It is a wedding invitation from the Filch family, a pureblood family,” Reginald drily said.
”Filch? Any relations to Argus Filch, Hogwarts Caretaker?” Rowan curiously asked.
”Roderic Filch, is his younger brother.”
”Oh, is he a squib too?”
”No, he is a wizard.”