Harry Gaunt - Chapter 15

Bellatrix was in her room again when the house began to rumble, but this time she wasn't sitting reading her book.

"Protego Totalum," she intoned, standing beside her bed with her wand raised. "Salvio Hexia."

Bellatrix closed her eyes, imagining a shield that would surround and protect her. That's all she wanted, it wasn't much to ask.

"Ugh!" But it didn't work, the shield fell like melting wax. "Why won't it work!"

Bellatrix tossed her wand at the bed with an angry shout. "Harry didn't have any trouble," she muttered, assuming he hadn't after the way he'd left dinner. "And we still haven't heard from him."

Bellatrix wanted to talk to him, demand from him what she after weeks of thinking could not discern.

What was there to forgive?

"Nothing," she bit. "There was nothing."

She was at a loss. Harry Gaunt didn't make sense and that bothered her, nor had he come to visit either to explain. "Maybe-" Bellatrix nibbled her lip as she retrieved her wand from between her pillows. "Maybe I could write to him."

Perhaps he was apprehensive about seeing them in person, pondered countered Bellatrix in her head, thinking of the little things Harry had done while at dinner. He'd lied about school, then covered tried to cover it with a topic change.

Then the toast. He'd hesitated.

"He must have an address," concluded Bellatrix aloud, feeling sure that Arcturus would know it if he did. "Yes."

Bellatrix got up from her bed with a pleased sound, forgetting as she did that she was dressed in he dressing gown and pyjamas. But that didn't matter and neither did whatever guest had just arrived. It was probably just one of Walburga's, they'd become more frequent since the dinner.

Knock Knock.

Bellatrix waited at the door to Arcturus's office.

"Come in," came the lacklustre voice from inside. "That better not be you Walburga." Arcturus tilted from his spot by the tall window as the door opened. "Bellatrix?"

He turned to her fully, watching as a cautious Bellatrix slipped inside. She smiled a little, then fiddled with her hands just in from the door. "May I speak with you, my lord?" she asked. "If you're not busy."

Bellatrix would never assume that he wasn't, despite the tea in his hand.

"Oh no," returned Arcturus easily. "Just thinking. What's on your mind?" Arcturus could see that something was troubling her. "What's on your mind?"

He offered her a seat by his desk while he sipped his tea.

"Well, I wondered if…" began Bellatrix, sitting stiffly on the soft leather. "If you've heard from Lord Gaunt?"

She had to resist fiddling with her hair. Arcturus didn't know how intimidating he was just standing there, watching her with that intense gaze of his.

"Why do you ask?" he returned a second later. "Do you have need to speak to him?"

He peered at her from behind his tea cup.

"N-no, I was just concerned that we hadn't heard from him." Bellatrix covered it well. "He was clearly distressed when he left."

One might think something terrible could have happened.

"I see," said Arcturus. "I am glad at least you retain the honour of House Black Bellatrix, because no other at the dinner has showed any concern for him."

They'd all been busy running around Walburga it seemed, all too happy to once Arcturus had been carted off.

Arcturus took his seat with a sigh. "But how are you feeling Bellatrix?" he asked, seeing she'd relaxed a little. "I know we've not yet spoken about the arrangements, nor Cissy, but I trust your mother has discussed it with you?"

He leaned forwards slightly. Bellatrix denied to answer.

"Unbelievable," he growled. "This house is on the brink Bellatrix," he seethed without thought to who was listening. "Generations of Black, put at risk by pampered women!"

He banged the table, jolting Bellatrix who shuffled backwards in her chair. But she didn't leave, struck by his words as they played again her head.

Bellatrix was right. She felt dread settle in her stomach.

"I apologise," said Arcturus with a steadying hand. "I will need speak to you both about the arrangements then."

These were not Bellatrix's problems to resolve, they were his as Bellatrix nodded. "Shall I get Cissy now?" she asked quietly. "She's in her room."

"Please." Arcturus bid her go. "Feel free to change if you need."

Arcturus chuckled a bit at Bellatrix's face, which reddened in embarrassment as she hurried through the door.

"Cissy's is much worse," she grumbled once she'd reached the stairs. It was silk and very… short.

Bellatrix made sure to knock this time. "Cissy?" she called from behind the door. "Cissy, we need to see Arcturus. Are you up?"

Bellatrix tried to listen, hearing a glimpse of hurried footsteps before the door was pulled open.

"Who's here?" demanded Cissy with a fierce whisper. "Is it Flint? Tell me it's Flint."

Cissy wasn't ready to meet her future husband, not now in her silk dressing gown.

"Calm down Cissy," huffed Bellatrix in an unimpressed way. "Arcturus just wants to talk to us, you know, because mother hasn't?"

Cissy heaved a sigh of relief. "It's about time," she snipped, heading back in for a different dressing gown. "A letter's not enough to explain these things!"

Bellatrix agreed with an 'I know' as she leaned through the door. "She's been avoiding us," she explained in annoyance. "So I checked with Arcturus. He wants to see us now."

It wasn't quite the whole truth, but as Cissy hurried to get changed behind her dresser, Bellatrix didn't mind a lie of omission. Cissy was already bad enough when it came to teasing Bellatrix about Harry.

"Have you heard from Harry yet?" asked Cissy as she peeked round the dresser. She could see from Bellatrix's look that he hadn't. "It's been two weeks, he could have at least apologised."

Cissy didn't think it was right not to apologise.

"It doesn't matter," said Bellatrix softly.

"But it does," pressed Cissy, stepping out in a wintery gown. "Harry's different from the usual boys. He's nothing like Lestrange and the rest."

Didn't Bellatrix see how important that was? Even now as Cissy watched stare out the window.

"We have to go. Arcturus is waiting." Bellatrix came to her sisters' side and with a playful touch, guided her out by the shoulders.

Cissy giggled.

"I knew you liked him," smiled Cissy as they came to the landing. "I knew it."

Cissy slipped away and took Bellatrix's hand, tugging her along as Bellatrix denied it profusely. "He was polite as he should have been, nothing more. I've told you to stop reading those romance novels."

Bellatrix had hardly spoken to him, she didn't know what Cissy kept going on about as they arrived at the office.

"Ah, girls." Arcturus held open the door for them. "Good morning Narcissa," he said with a hidden grin. "Just woken up?"

She had a blonde bit of tuft growing from her head.

"Yes thank you," she replied happily while walking in with. "It's the weekend!"

Cissy giggled, always the same no matter who she was with. Bellatrix smiled as she patted Cissy's hair down.

"Right then, you two sit here." Arcturus showed them to the chairs he'd arranged with Kreacher's help. "Drink?"

"Yes please," said Cissy. Bellatrix was fine.

"Kreacher." Kreacher appeared. "Orange juice. Bring the jug," ordered Arcturus.

"Yes master."

Kreacher replied like he always did before disappearing.

Bellatrix had watched him go, remembering for a moment what Harry had said to her during dinner.

Kreacher did serve her better. He'd just returned with the pulpy orange juice.

"So to begin," began Arcturus from his desk with letters in his hand. "You're both aware of an agreement made between House Black, House Flint and House Brown for your respective hands in marriage?"

He was asking them, looking up with a pair of spectacles on.

"Yes." Bellatrix spoke for them both. "I with Flint and Cissy with Brown."

Arcturus nodded. "Good. She explained that much then." He returned to the letter and continued to read. "But what she didn't say which you'll be pleased to know…" Arcturus had to be very careful here. "Is that should both parties wish it, the arrangement can be annulled. But it's not commonly done," he warned.

He didn't want to get their hopes up, but they should at least know how the agreement worked. When two people were arranged to marry in this way, then if both man and woman felt that the marriage would be fruitless, they could mutually agree to end the contract.

Of course it went without saying that the process was very expensive for both sides, and rarely was their a man who would deny himself a Pureblood dowry.

"W-we don't have t-to get m-married?" tumbled Cissy with hope in her eyes.

"No, no that's not what I am saying," corrected Arcturus quickly. "What I mean is, that you both endeavour to succeed at the matches, but if through mutual agreement it doesn't work, then yes, you won't be forced to marry."

Arcturus looked between their shocked faces, firstly Cissy who was on the verge of crying and then Bellatrix, who rightly believed she'd been deceived by her conniving mother.

"Did she know?" asked Bellatrix with restraint. "All we received was the letter stating we'd be forced to marry." She came to the edge of her chair. "Why didn't she tell us!" she shouted.

All this time since even before the holidays, their mother had them believe there was no choice on the matter, that by her and Lord Blacks' will, they'd be condemned to marry!

Bellatrix wasn't happy about this, not happy at all as she slipped out from the chair.

"Sit down Bellatrix!" snapped Arcturus. "We're not done. You can attack your mother later."

He pointed back to the chair, giving his finger a flick in emphasis.

"Don't go Bella," came Cissy's voice. "She's probably out with Walburga at one of those rally things."

Bellatrix turned back from the door. "Who was the guest that just arrived them?" she asked with a frown. "And what rally?"

She'd heard nothing about a rally.

"That someone for me," explained Arcturus, dismissing it. "But what's this about a rally? I wasn't invited."

And was Lord Black.

"I asked Kreacher where they were going," chirped Cissy from her chair. "It's like you said Bellatrix, I was nice to him."

"Why did you ask in the first place?" said Bellatrix as she returned to her chair, not bothering to correct her mistake on who had said it. "I just assumed it was their social stuff."

Cissy seemed eager to explain. "Well, I thought the same too but when Walburga was talking with Orion after dinner, I overheard them. They were inside the library."

It wasn't clear if they were actually reading something, but since the door was on the way to Cissy's room she'd had a listen. "You were downstairs trying to check the wards," she added to Bellatrix, seeing that she was confused as to when this had happened. "I heard something about making a good impression and that Orion didn't want to go. Walburga was furious with him."

Cissy wiggled her brows. She loved a bit a gossip.

"And the wards are fine now," said Arcturus. He gestured Cissy go on, just wanting to make sure they knew the ward were fine.

"And that I hurried away to my room," finished Cissy. "So I asked Kreacher later on and he told me - was there anything else about the arrangements?" she added lightly.

Bellatrix straightened too.

"Oh, no. That bit was about Lord Gaunt," said Arcturus as he reached for a card that had been sent to him. "I knew he'd been to see a house over by Thornhill Park and he seemed to have liked it, so."

Arcturus held the card in his hand, it couldn't hurt as he presented it to Bellatrix. "His address," he supplied as she took it. "Should you wish to write and what have you."

"I will," she said as she brought the card to her lap. "Thank you." Bellatrix bowed her head, feeling a smile play across her lips.

"I would suggest though that you refrain from visiting directly," added Arcturus, not insinuating anything as Bellatrix understood. "He didn't technically give me the address and since we don't know him well…" Arcturus frowned softly. "He is clearly not without his own set of troubles."

They didn't want a repeat of what happened last time.

"Of course, it might be best to wait till Hogwarts," said Bellatrix, fiddling with the card between her fingers. "May we be excused?" she asked.

Arcturus said 'yes yes' and waved them off. "Take care in town today," he called as the pair slipped through the door. "It'll be… busy."

They'd gone, leaving Arcturus to grumble in his chair as they hurried to their rooms. "I'll need to write too," he murmured, having hoped like Bellatrix that Harry would come forward. "It's as I feared."

Lord Gaunt wasn't at all as he appeared. He'd had a difficult past, one which haunted him still no matter where he went or who he saw.

Arcturus hoped in time that things would get better for him.

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