35 First Kiss, Part 2 and Holiday Plans
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Alex returned from the Room of Requirement with a satisfied look, his mood was great as he had both Voldemort's Horcrux and the Hogwarts charter in his spatial pocket, just in time he remembered that the Room of Requirement could provide anything if it was on the castle grounds. So he managed to get the Hogwarts charter without much trouble, and Voldemort's Horcrux was found among the junk, thanks to the spell "Accio". Unfortunately, the guy couldn't get Godric Gryffindor's sword with the help of the room, probably because that piece of iron in the Headmaster's office was a fake, while the real blade was inside the distributing hat.
Checking the time, Peverell made sure it was still half an hour before curfew, which meant he would have time to get to his chambers and not earn time off work in the Forbidden Forest, considering the Basilisk would be hunting there today.
- "Darius," the Slytherin called out to the keeper without removing his robes or slowing his step.
- "Yes, my lord?" the man's calm voice sounded in the boy's head a few seconds later.
- "Tonight at midnight, at the far end of the Forbidden Forest, you will meet the basilisk Salazar Slytherin and redirect him to Slytherin Manor, set him up there," Peverell ordered as he made his way down the stairs.
- "To be performed, anything else?", Darius asked.
- "Yes, as soon as you're done with that, go back to the Forbidden Forest and find a colony of dead acromontuli there, I think you realize that it's unacceptable to lose the opportunity to get your hands on so much acromontuli venom?", Alex asked rhetorically as he descended to the fourth and set off.
- "Sure, as soon as I'm done with the basilisk, I'll arrive in the forest and get all the poison I can," the man said in a cheerful voice.
- "And most importantly, get rid of the corpses, burn them, but before that cover the area with a barrier so Dumbledore won't notice," Alex gave his final instructions as he walked down to the ground floor and headed for the door of his chambers.
- "Sure, don't worry, it'll be done quietly and silently," the man then cut the connection, probably going to get the containers for all the poison he was going to get.
As soon as the connection was broken, the guy entered his living room, threw off his invisibility cloak, and sat down on the sofa with a tired sigh, he had done a lot of things today, so it was strange that he didn't feel like sleeping anyway.
- Alex, is something wrong? - the question sounded suddenly, frightening the boy himself so that he jumped up from his seat with his wand in his hand. Looking around, Peverell saw Narcissa sitting in a chair by the fireplace with some kind of book.
- Narcissa? What are you doing here, why aren't you sleeping? - The third year answered question after question, putting his wand away and walking over to the girl.
- Can't sleep," the girl shrugged.
The third year threw a suspicious glance at the freshman, the girl had been working out with him, and after a whole day of studying, why wouldn't she sleep? The only conclusion was that she couldn't sleep. Why? Nervous? Maybe, if she's nervous, she's up to something. But what is it?
- That's how, and why? - with the last word the boy came close to the girl, looking down at her.
- I don't know, - Narcissa shrugged again, though Alex noticed that the girl barely noticeably twitched.
- Really, and I somehow doubt it? - The freshman blushed slightly, as her fiancé leaned over and looked into the girl's eyes, with only centimetres separating their faces. - Do you want something? - this question was said in a whisper, in the ear of the shuddering girl.
- Yes," Narcissa replied in a husky voice.
- And what do you want, my darling? - Alex continued whispering, though already distant from Black's slightly blushing ear.
- I ... - the girl, without finishing, put her arms around the guy's neck and kissed him ineptly on the lips.
Alex in a way was not surprised. He knew what his dear spouse wanted, but he didn't know if she would dare.
Having stopped thinking about it, the guy responded to the girl's kiss and put one arm around her waist, and the other brought her close to his face and stroked her cheek. Kissing Narcissa was quite different from kissing Bellatrix. Unlike her eldest, the younger Black was more passionate, if Bella during their first kiss answered meekly and was a bit timid, then Cissy immediately responded putting all her feelings into it. Having decided to go further, Alex slightly bit the girl's lower lip, and she obediently opened it, letting the guy's tongue in.
- How was it? - Alex whispered, breaking away from the girl's swollen lips.
- Divine, - whispered Narcissa breathing heavily.
- Let's go to bed, - smiled the guy, he felt very happy and was sure that the emotions he had experienced were enough for a dozen bodily patron uses.
- Let's go," he smiled back, and then the pair headed towards the bedroom door.
***
The next day Alex woke up in a wonderful mood, feeling two very warm and soft bodies pressed against him from both sides, and barely audible sniffing came to his ears. Yawning and suppressing the urge to stretch, the boy carefully got out from under the soft captivity, which he did not want to leave. But, unfortunately, he didn't want to sleep anymore, as there was no sleep in any of his eyes,
Peverell somehow managed to wean his sisters from the habit of getting up at six in the morning, but he couldn't stop himself, because he had been doing it for too long.
When he got out, he fixed the slipped bedspread, pulling the piece of cloth back over the girls. After that, stretching with a crunch, Alex grabbed new clothes and went to the bathroom.
The guy came out of the shower in half an hour, dressed in black trousers, a black shirt, and the same black robe. After making sure he looked great, the third-year student took his time heading to the Great Hall.
As he entered the Great Hall, Alex saw that there were no students there but him, and only Dumbledore and Moody were there.
- Good morning, Lord Peverell, - the Headmaster greeted the boy across the hall, after his duel with Lestrange the whole of Hogwarts recognized his status, so everyone except some addressed him accordingly.
- Good morning, - Alex said in a normal voice, though the professors heard him, and then returned to the interrupted conversation. The Slytherin's observant eye, noticed that Albus was frowning today, though he was trying to hide it.
"Probably noticed the charter was missing," a hunch slipped into the third year's mind.
Half an hour later, the seniors appeared in the hall, among them, to Alex's surprise, were Lucius and Andromeda, but the future Malfoy couple, seeing Peverell, were not surprised in the least and went straight to him.
- Good morning," the pair said together, sitting down across from the boy.
- Good morning, - Alex nodded in reply. Then breakfast went much more cheerfully, the Slytherin had already had breakfast and now was sipping strong coffee, which the housekeepers delivered to him at his request. - Are you going to Hogsmeade? - After taking a sip, the third-year asked.
- Of course," Andromeda answered for the two of them, taking a bite of toast.
- And you? - Lucius asked, putting a piece of bacon in his mouth.
- Naturally," the boy shrugged and drained his cup in one gulp.
Another twenty minutes later, as Peverell just sat there with his arms folded across his chest, Narcissa and Bellatrix appeared.
- Good morning," the sisters said together, sitting down on either side of their fiancé and kissing him on the cheek at the same time. Alex smiled in return, seeing Andromeda's shocked face, and Malfoy, who was looking at him with 'white envy', but hurriedly turned away, almost getting a slap from his 'wife'.
- Are you going to Hogsmeade? - Andromeda turned to her sisters.
- Of course, I've never been there before," Bella nodded.
- I haven't," Narcissa shook her head, surprising the whole group.
- Why not? - Malfoy voiced a common question.
- I'm a first-year, and first-year students aren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade, only third-years and above, that's first of all. Secondly, I need to finish my Transfiguration and Charms essay, and thirdly, I want to ask Madam Pomfrey," the first-year replied.
- I see," Lucius answered for everyone.
- You mean to ask, are you in pain? - Alex immediately asked anxiously.
- No, I want to ask her to help me with healing magic, - the girl reassured her fiancé.
- Reasonable, - approved the whole company.
- Then let's go to the carriages, - Andromeda suggested, with which everyone agreed, and having said goodbye to Narcissa, went out of the doors of the Great Hall.
After that, the company went to the main gate, and from there to the carriages. Upon reaching the magical village, everyone decided to just walk around and visit the shops first, and then visit the Sweet Kingdom and the Three Broomsticks. Deciding not to waste any time the Slytherins set off along the main road, popping into various shops along the way.
The children stayed in the village until five o'clock in the evening and the valiant followers of Salazar Slytherin returned from the village satisfied, and in their pockets, the girls had packed and reduced purchases they had made during the day, at their husbands' expense of course. The latter looked tired as Bellatrix and Andromeda had dragged the two of them through all the shops for clothes, potions, books, and more.
Once through the main gates of the school, the Peverells and Malfoys split up and went to their chambers. Looking at the clock, Alex made sure that it was still an hour before dinner, so he could rest a bit.
Unlike her fiancé Bellatrix was in an elevated mood that even openly, smiling, shocking the oncoming students. She had a great walk, bought some interesting things, and most importantly dispersed, as for three years even such a large castle as Hogwarts, has already managed to bore.
The boy himself went through the front door, waved his hand at Narcissa, and not paying attention to the chirping of his sisters, who were already looking at her purchases, collapsed face down on the bed with a tired loud groan.
- Alex, is something wrong? - was the voice of the younger Black, ten minutes later, waking the dozing boy.
- Nothing, just tired," the third year mumbled, wiping his eyes.
- Tired with Bella while we were out shopping," the freshman said, not asking but affirming, climbing up on the bed and leaning against the headboard, then placing her palms on her fiancé's head and sinking her fingers into the boy's hair.
- I'm tired," the boy replied, resting his head on the girl's lap and covering his eyes. For the next ten minutes, there was complete silence in the bedroom, broken only by Alex's quiet sniffling.
"Asleep," Narcissa stated the obvious, taking a closer look at her fiancé's face.
- 'Cissy,' came the voice of Bellatrix, who had just, just walked into the bedroom.
- Shh, Alex is asleep," the freshman hissed.
- I'm sorry," the third year replied in a whisper.
- Bella, you're overdoing it," Narcissa said in the same whisper, a barely perceptible reproach in her voice.
- Yes, a little," the older Black admitted, lying down next to her boyfriend. A couple of minutes later, the same quiet sniffling was heard from the boy.
Narcissa herself, following Alex's example, sighed heavily, unfortunately, she didn't want to sleep, nor did she want to go anywhere. Looking at Alex's watch, the girl made sure that it was still almost an hour before dinner, so there was time to think because, in this position, there was nothing but thinking for her.
***
Meanwhile, in the Malfoy couple's chambers.
Lucius, following his friend's example, collapsed onto the bed, but unlike Peverell, he fell face up and without a sound. His mask of aristocrat had fallen off as soon as the door closed behind him, so now he could only be recognized as a member of the ancient, noble, and respected Malfoy family by his platinum hair, which was just below his shoulders and was now scattered on the pillow.
After a couple of minutes, the dozing boy felt a movement on his left side, followed by a slight weight on his shoulder, and the familiar smell of coffee that Andromeda loved so much hit his nostrils. Without opening his eyes, Malfoy put his arm around the tired girl's shoulders.
- I don't want to go to dinner," Black's voice cut through the silence.
- Okay, me neither," Lucius nodded without opening his eyes.
They didn't talk further, and ten minutes later, the steady breathing of the couple could be heard in the bedroom.
***
After waking the sleeping couple, Narcissa stretched, kneading her stiff muscles. Alex noticed that the boy and the girl were following her into the Great Hall, yawning every minute. Arriving at his destination, Alex noticed that Dumbledore and McGonagall were absent at the teachers' table.
The dinner went quietly, and to Peverell's delight no one paid attention to them, so after having a quiet dinner and saying goodbye to Frank, Mark, and Barty, the Slytherin went back to his room, before leaving he noticed that there was a big company gathered around Lestrange Junior. There, in addition to Lestrange himself, Travers, Rookwood, and Malsibert, were about a dozen other Slytherin students, five or six from Clawton and two more from Puffenduil. The whole company sat quietly.
***
"How quickly time flies," Alex thought to himself, followed by Lucius and Andromeda and Bellatrix and Narcissa as they boarded the train for the Christmas holidays. The whole company was in a festive mood. The sisters and Greengrass and Crouch, who had joined them, were chatting merrily about Christmas. Alex himself didn't feel the holiday, all his free time last week he and Narcissa had spent studying the Hogwarts statutes. Peverell was shocked at what Dumbledore and his predecessor Dippet had done to education. Most of the subjects had been assigned to the Dark Arts, banned, and then dropped from the curriculum. And of the subjects that remained, the curriculum was severely curtailed.
Studying the charter took Alex the entire week he had planned on studying the book. Of course, he could have finished it sooner, but he had a lot to do.
"That leaves presenting this book, to the Board of Trustees," the board itself was a separate matter. On Alex's orders, Darius had learned all about the people on the board. There were twelve lords, heads of clans, or members of a clan. Thanks to the connections of the Greengrasses and the Malfoys, the influence of the Blacks and the Peverells, the money of all of them, and the dirt they'd dug up (of course), they'd managed to get most of the Council on their side, and now it was possible to make changes in the school itself through the Council.
There were twelve pureblood muggles on the Board of Trustees in total, including the Malfoys, Blacks, Greengrasses, Pruetts, Goyles, Crouches, Potters, Notts, Browns, Flints, Lestrange, and Gumps. The Council was the only body to which the school and the Headmaster were accountable. The Council by vote could easily remove the Headmaster from his position. The Malfoys, Blacks, Greengrasses, Goyles, Notts, Flints, Browns, and Gumps were now on the neutral side. These eight families are enough to make changes to the school and bring back the original education system as it was in the time of the Founders, but not enough to bring Dumbledore down from his chair. Although it has been speculated that, as a result of all that will be revealed, Dumbledore will lose his seat as Supreme Wizard of the Wizengamot and his seat as President of the International Confederation of Mages, and with it a great deal of his influence and supporters. In return, most of his enemies, including those abroad, will raise their heads. Albus Dumbledore was loved by many, but those who hated him were even more numerous, the latter, especially in Russia and Germany, who still had not forgiven him for the situation with Grindelwald. Albus may have defeated Gellert in the duel, but the two of them had done a lot of dirty deeds before their spat.
- Alex, what are you thinking about? - The boy's train of thought was interrupted by Bellatrix, who sat beside him and patted his shoulder.
- Bella? Is something wrong? - Peverell asked, shaking his head and pushing other thoughts away.
- No, nothing's wrong. It's just that you've been brooding all day," the third year mentally slapped himself, he had forgotten that Bella was very observant, and there was nothing to say about Narcissa.
- Yeah, I was wondering where to take you for the holidays," he said. In response, the third-year girl's gaze softened a little, but Narcissa's gaze became even more suspicious.
- Don't forget that we have a Christmas ball at Malfoy Manor, a family dinner at Black Manor, and you have a meeting with Lord Crouch," Narcissa reminded him.
- I know honey, thank you for reminding me," Alex wasn't lying, he was very grateful to both sisters for sometimes helping him with family matters, and more often than not they reminded him about different important meetings or things.
- You're welcome, - the boy's thoughts were interrupted by the girl's answer, who returned to reading a book on advanced healing magic. Since the beginning of the year, Narcissa had made a great leap in magical power, and now she was only a little bit behind her older sister and already surpassed Bella and Alex in healing magic combined. It was a simple matter of persuading Madam Pomfrey to give Cissy some extra lessons, and the witch doctor was more than happy and no less enthusiastic to teach the future Slytherin lady.
The boy was not allowed to think further, having been drawn into the conversation. To refuse or to keep silent Peverell was not given by the girls, and to the surprise almost shock, Malfoy.
By late afternoon, the train had reached platform 9¾. Stepping down onto the platform, Alex began to look for the adults.
Darius couldn't come this time, as he was on the trail of another Horcrux. Tom Riddle's diary, the keeper noticed completely by accident but managed not to lose track and has been searching for the cursed little book for almost a month. He had also found the snake, but much earlier, and was going to go looking for it after Christmas. Voldemort's familiar was found somewhere in the forests of Albania. Where exactly Darius had not found, only the country, and of that he was sure.
To Peverell's surprise, Cassiopia and Dolokhov come after him. To the lad's feeble protestations that he could get to the manor on his own, a concerted growl from Peverell Senior, Black, and the Russian advised him "not to arise and argue with your elders."
- Oh, there they are," Frank's cheery voice rang out. Lord Peverell followed in that direction and saw a large group of Lord Greengrass, Lord Black, Antonin Dolohov, Cassiopia Black, Augusta Longbottom, Abraxas, and Elizabeth Malfoy.
And I found my parents," Crouch's faint voice rang out. Looking in the direction indicated, the students saw a middle-aged man with sharp facial features, and indifferent black eyes, dressed in a black robe, also on the ring finger of his right hand shone the ring of the head of the family.
Standing with him on his arm was a frail middle-aged woman who was the complete opposite of the man. The woman was beautiful, with soft facial features, warm brown eyes, and blonde hair. There was also a ring glittering on her finger, indicating that Lady Crouch stood before them.
- I'll see you in a fortnight then," Malfoy said first, followed by the others, to everyone's surprise, all the Black sisters took turns hugging him, shocking both Crouch, his parents, and their parents.
- See you later, Barty," Alex was the last to say goodbye and gave Crouch a pat on the head, causing the others to laugh.
- See you later," Barty replied in a slightly disgruntled voice and hurried to his parents, while the others hurried to theirs.
