Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
Chapter 61: Taking a Friend Home
James opened the doors of the hall where he had been told his father was waiting.
Before entering, he heard the sounds of an animated discussion coming from inside the room.
He quickly found his father sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of him, and at his side was none other than his friend Sirius.
"And so, James hit the enemy Seeker with a potion and grabbed the Golden Snitch!" Sirius exclaimed.
"He did what?!" Fleamont exclaimed.
"Excuse me? What kind of stories are you telling my father?" James asked as he crossed the hall at a brisk pace.
His father turned to glance at him. "What took you so long? I thought you'd forgotten about your old man already."
"Sorry about that. I lost track of time for a bit."
The voice came from behind James. The figure of Pollux Black was tall enough to tower over him. "My apologies, Lord Potter. Your son and I were having an interesting discussion about the art of potion-making. I'd heard of his talent but didn't think it was that impressive until I met him in person."
"Is he?..." Fleamont stared at James for a moment. Pollux's skills in potions were well-known among his circle. In the past, he had been a legendary Grandmaster but faded into obscurity after an incident decades ago.
If someone like that found his son impressive, Fleamont's initial estimation of James's skills might have been too low.
"James!" Sirius approached his friend and whispered, "You were talking alone with my grandfather? What was that about?"
"In part, it was about you," James responded.
"You're going to spend the rest of the break with us," James told him.
"Really?!" Sirius exclaimed, his excitement rising.
"Unless you don't want to, of course. I won't force you t—"
"I'll go!" Sirius didn't even let him finish. "Can I really?. But what about..." He turned to his grandfather.
"Yes, you little rascal, you can go. I'll deal with your mother if she complains," Pollux said.
"So, is your business finished, then?" Fleamont asked.
"Are you in a hurry to leave, Lord Potter? Was the tea not to your liking? I instructed the elf to give you some from my private reserve. You won't find better tea in this island." Pollux eyed Fleamont, amused by his discomfort.
"The tea was delicious, but we'd better not overstay our welcome. I'm sure you're not oblivious to the fact that our families aren't on the friendliest of terms, Lord Pollux." Fleamont replied.
The politics of Magical Britain were divided into two factions: one advocating progress and cooperation, the other clinging to tradition...even at the cost of alienating parts of the magical community.
The Potters and the Blacks had always stood on opposite sides. Though not outright enemies, their relationship was far from cordial.
This friction wasn't new... it had existed for centuries. In fact, the union between Dorea Black and Charlus Potter had been the first marriage between the two ancient houses, though it lacked approval from either family and led to Dorea's disownment.
Pollux sighed. He'd been one of the few to support the marriage, but he hadn't been Lord of the House at the time. "Yes, well. For as long as I'm in charge, you and your son are welcome here."
Fleamont nodded. "I appreciate it." His tone was polite, but he had no intention of returning if he could help it. He respected Lord Pollux, but that was all.
He glanced at James. Unfortunately, his son seemed to have forged ties to this house, and future interactions might be unavoidable.
"You should go get your things, Sirius," James advised. Given what he knew of Sirius's mother, the sooner they left, the better.
While Sirius rushed upstairs, James and his father were escorted to the entry hall to wait. Normally, a house-elf alone would accompany them, but Pollux joined them personally, this could be taken as a gesture of respect.
Fleamont noted it, though he suspected it was directed more at James than himself.
As they descended the stairs, James felt a presence and glanced back.
Bella was staring at him from a doorframe across the hall. If he remembered correctly, that door led to one of the house's three libraries, the smallest of them all, but also the coziest.
'So that's where they were.' He guessed Lord Pollux had ordered the family to stay out of sight to avoid conflict.
Bella's expression suggested she wanted to approach him.
'Bet she's curious about my talk with her grandfather.'
At first, he assumed Pollux's presence deterred her, but then Andromeda peeked out from behind her. Knowing Bella wouldn't speak freely in front of her sisters, James turned and followed his father.
Once they were out of sight, Andromeda whispered, "Not even going to say hello?"
"Why would I? This isn't my business," Bella replied coldly.
Andromeda smirked. "Come on, you can't hide it from me. I saw your face when you heard Potter was visiting."
"He came for Sirius."
"Hasn't Potter been friends with Sirius since the first year? Why visit now?"
Bella frowned. "I don't like what you're insinuating. I have nothing to do with Potter, no matter what gossip you've heard."
"Bella, you can trust me," Andromeda said, her tone softening.
"I'm not like you. I respect this house's rules and traditions." Bella responded harshly.
"Even the ones that make you miserable?" Andromeda asked.
Bella snapped. "I am not mis—"
"What are you two arguing about?" Narcissa interrupted. "If you keep raising your voices, Mother will hear and punish us…"
"It was nothing," Bella said, turning to leave.
Andromeda whispered again, "We'll talk when you've calmed down."
"We won't speak of this again." Bella stormed off.
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