Somber Conversation Ⅳ

Lily knew Mr. Prince's words sounded callous, but she understood quite a bit after all these years. It wasn't out of hatred for the mother but rather to protect the children. It wasn't as though she wouldn't have visiting rights just that the children's primary residence would always be Prince Manor.

Still, Mr. Prince had been rather generous with an open betrothal contract. She knew that Rowan and James' betrothal contract was far from that. The only way their betrothal could be broken is if one of them fell in love with someone else. And love didn't always come early in life but rather late for some.

"Naturally all wedding costs will be covered by our household," Reginald promptly continued. "Does the Evans household have any further questions to be addressed?"

Unable to remain silent anymore, Petunia said, "Mr. Prince it was a scandal when Lily was Severus' primary escort all because she was muggleborn. How much more will this be, it is marriage!"

"There won't be any protests," Reginald self-assuredly replied. "The marriage betrothal of Rowan satisfies the purebloods, and the betrothal of Severus will satisfy the common masses. The Prince's represents both the past and the present. Neither side shall be slighted." At least that was his intention to ensure the wellbeing of his grandchildren.

Seeing that Evans had no further questions at the moment, Reginald reached into his inner robes to remove two identical golden contracts. He presented one to Lily to take along with a quill. Lily dumbly accepts while Petunia carefully peers at the golden contract reading all the various clauses. Petunia had picked up a thing or two from Rowan and Andrew about magical contracts!

Mr. Evans awakens finally from his stupor. "You wish to sign the betrothal contract now? "He croaked in disbelief.

"There is no time like the present," Reginald smoothly countered.

Mr. Evans has no choice but to push his anger aside and study the contract intently along with his wife. The contract is rather generous and straightforward with no hidden clauses. The previously mentioned conditions are clearly stated and are even in larger letters.

Finished reading the contract, Lily glances at her family. "I want to do this," she firmly declared as her emerald gaze subtly pleaded with her parents.

"Are you sure of this, my Lily flower?" Mr. Evans voice broke with emotion.

"I am," Lily responded with a determined expression. "Don't worry, Dad, I still have time to change my mind and break the contract," and she sincerely hoped that it would never come to that.

Mrs. Evans did not speak; she saw no reason to. Her youngest daughter had made her choice no matter how much that worried her as a mother. She could only support Lily and be there for her should the need arise.

With a firm grip on her quill, Lily signs the betrothal contract. Reginald had already signed his portion and merely awaited the signature of Lily. The two golden parchment contracts flashed before vanishing. The contracts would be recorded by the goblins at Gringotts and stored therein.

"Where did the contract go?" Petunia whispered in awe.

"To be recorded and stored at Gringotts, Miss Evans," Reginald matter-of-factly responded as he rose to his full height. He bowed deeply to the Evans family in a sign of sincerity. "I am deeply obliged to you both, please do not hesitate to call upon me. I would be more than willing to return the favor."

Reginald straightened and nodded at Lily. "You are not the candidate I would have selected for my grandson," he bluntly said causing Lily's face to startle. "I am old and embittered, but I am capable of recognizing my past mistakes. I choose to ignore my daughter's wishes in the past and I will not repeat the same mistake again with my grandson."

"Lily Evans, I welcome you to the Prince family," Reginald earnestly said, before turning on his heels. "I shall see myself out, it is late," and promptly departed from the Evans home.

There is a lapse of silence until Petunia drily says, "Well that went well," before sending a sly look at her parents. "Since we are all gathered here as a forewarning, I must say Andrew fully intends to propose once he enters his 7th year."

Mr. Evans loudly choked and looked like he was about to faint. Mrs. Evans hurriedly rises to grab a glass of water and a vial of smelling salt should he faint. She wouldn't put it out of the question. It simply was far too much of a shock in one night for Mr. Evans to handle.

In a lifeless tone, Mr. Evans stumbles to his feet. "I am going to tuck in early," he mumbled refusing the glass of water from his wife. He somehow climbed up the stairs and flopped into bed blankly staring at the ceiling. His daughters were going to get married! What is he to do? They are so very young! It was his worst nightmare coming true!

Ignoring the existential crisis Mr. Evans is going through, Mrs. Evans pours out the glass of water in the sink and returns the smelling salts to the cupboard. She sighs and flops down onto the couch between her daughters. "Did you have to go and give your father a heart attack," she arched her brow at her eldest daughter.

"What?!" Petunia screeched in protest and accusatorily pointed at Lily with one hand. "It's Lily who went and got betrothed! I was just warning Daddy! How is that my fault?"

Mrs. Evans sighs and pulls her two nearly grown daughters toward her. She hugs them in her arms and places a kiss on each of their foreheads. "What am I going to do with the pair of you?"

Petunia mumbles something under her breath, while Lily merely snuggles closer to her mum. "Do you think I did the right thing?" She quietly asked in a small voice.

Petunia snorts pulling herself out of her mother's suffocating grasp. "Please, you have only ever had eyes for Severus since he was a snot-nosed brat," she rolled her eyes in emphasis. "Why do you think I never liked him?"

"It wasn't Severus fault he was poor!" Lily snapped back rising up like a cobra.

Petunia merely sniffed pointedly ignoring Lily and instead gazed down at her nails.

"Enough you two," Mrs. Evans chided her daughters. "The two of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Your poor father is beside himself and the two of you are fighting!"

"Sorry, Mum," the two girls reflexively apologized.

"Now behave yourselves, I am going to check up on your father," Mrs. Evans firmly said as she headed upstairs. She had accustomed herself to the idea as of last year. It was startling mind you, but it wasn't a thought she had not considered before.

Petunia sniffs before in a slightly apologetic voice, she says, "Want to make some popcorn and watch Dr. Who?"

"No, I think I will write to Severus telling him about my acceptance of his proposal," Lily firmly replied as she rose from her seat.

Petunia cackled in the depths of her heart unable to hide the smirk on her face. "That will show that cocky brat," she muttered under her breath as she watched Lily head to her bedroom. She knew that Severus would be leaping for joy, she would have to write to Rowan and get all the juicy details!

Seeing that is that she is all alone, Petunia sighs to herself. "I might as well go to bed," she huffed under her breath, but first she would write a letter to Rowan!

Petunia firmly closed the screen door and locked the front door. There was no telling if someone might sneak in and rob them! These were perilous times after all!