Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
Chapter 55: Shocking News
Delicious food appeared before them, and the family patriarch wasted no time before he began eating.
The rest of the family hesitated for a moment before they began to do the same.
Several minutes passed, and Lord Pollux just continued to eat without saying a word.
Everyone was waiting with anxiety to hear the motive behind this unusual family reunion.
The Blacks did not do this too often, and every time the Patriarch was the one who made the call, it had been for something of extreme importance.
Eventually, the patience of the adults in the room began to grow thin and someone spoke up, breaking the silence.
Druella gave her husband, Cygnus, a good smack on his back before pointing at the patriarch with her narrow eyes.
Cygnus cleared his throat. "Ahem… Father. If you may… ehm… we were all wondering what w-"
Cygnus stopped mid-sentence when he heard his father slam his fist on the table with enough force to make the massive wooden construction shake violently.
Pollux's angry black eyes were focused on his son. "I would like to finish my meal first. We can discuss things after the dessert has been served."
The tone of the patriarch left no room for argument.
Even Walburga, who loved to voice all her complaints, decided to keep quiet for now.
Sirius and his brother looked at each other, wondering what this was all about. But neither of them had a clue, not even enough to make a wild guess.
He glanced at his favorite uncle, who just shrugged at him in response. It was obvious to Sirius that even the adults were in the same position as them.
Bellatrix stared at her grandfather with an expression of concern.
This earned the attention of her older sister, Andromeda, who noted that Bella was the only one who didn't seem confused, and promptly asked her if she knew something.
Bella simply shook her head and refused to say anything. As much as Andromeda wanted to push her for information, raising her voice right now was not an option.
The meal continued in tense silence after that.
Some ten minutes later, the house-elves came by to retrieve the empty plates before bringing the dessert.
It was a triple chocolate mousse cake...an extremely sweet dessert that was not to the taste of most Britons, but it was Lord Pollux's favorite.
The family took a bite here and there while keeping an eye on their Patriarch. Tonight, they could tell that something strange was going on with him.
"Ah… that was delicious." Lord Pollux finished his cake and leaned back on his comfortable chair with a look of satisfaction.
"Father…" Walburga spoke first. "I believe we have been very patient, but we would really like to know wh-"
"I'm dying." The words of the Patriarch had an immediate effect on the room.
The silence that followed his declaration left everyone quiet for a long minute or two as they each processed what he had just said.
The shock was evident on their faces. Bellatrix was the only one who looked more sad than surprised, as she had been the only one to know about this beforehand.
"What?!." Cassiopeia exclaimed in shock.
"Father, what are you saying? Are you sick?" Alphard stood up. His expression showed that, despite not seeing each other very often, he was still concerned about his father's well-being.
"Yes, why did we only find out now?" Cygnus asked.
"Is it dragon pox?" Druella asked. "Perhaps soul rot? Or maybe bloodfire fever?"
"It doesn't matter what it is!" Lord Pollux snapped, giving Druella a nasty glare. He had not missed her intentions when she asked what kind of disease he had.
"The fact is that I'm dying. I'll probably be gone in a year or so."
Bella heard her sisters gasping.
"A year?! That's…" Andromeda had to cover her mouth.
"You knew?" Narcissa glanced at Bella.
"Of course not. Don't be silly." Bella denied it without hesitation. If her mother found out that she had hidden it from her, she was going to spend the rest of her Christmas break locked inside a cupboard.
Druella's ambitions were not exactly a secret among the members of the family. She had been looking forward to this day for quite a while, but it had definitely come much sooner than she had expected.
"Why did you wait until now to tell us?" Cassiopeia asked. "Is there nothing that can be done?" She may have detached herself from the family for decades already, but deep down, Cassiopeia still cared for her older brother. "Why didn't you tell me…" she muttered softly at the end.
"I'm sorry, Cass…" Pollux shook his head. "Nothing can be done. I have already spoken with the greatest experts on the whole continent. There is no cure for what I have… there is nothing to be done."
"Father…" Walburga glared at her brother Cygnus and his wife with narrowed eyes. "Have you spared a thought for what will happen after…"
"Hmph!" Pollux scoffed. "Aye, I knew you lot would want to talk about your inheritance."
"Walburga! How dare you bring that up now." Cassiopeia wished for nothing but to slap her niece as hard as she could muster.
"Now, now… there is no need to speak about those things right at this moment." Orion stepped up for his wife. "The Patriarch said he still has at least a year left. That's more than enough time to discuss t-"
"What is there to discuss?" Druella shut him up. "Cygnus is the oldest son. He is the next in line. Or are we going to ignore tradition now?" She urged her husband to stand up. "Isn't that right, dear?"
"Ehrm… yes." Cygnus hurried to stand up but was still trying to avoid eye contact with his father. "I mean… that's how it has always been done. The eldest son is the one that… you know…"
"Bollocks!" Pollux slammed his hands on the table before giving Druella a nasty glare. "I have not decided yet who my heir will be. But, Cygnus… don't take it for granted just because you are my oldest son."
"B-But Father…" Cygnus looked between his father and his wife and knew that, right now, neither of them was happy with him.
Alphard chuckled. "Looks like the old man wants to stir up shite until the last moment."
"Does that mean…" Walburga glanced back at her husband and two sons, but more so at Regulus. "We have a chance, then."
Sirius sighed. "I wish they had let me stay out of this and remain at the castle…"
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