An Unusual Circumstance Ⅲ

The ticking of the clock is loud especially after the silence that fell upon the cottage after the brief, but futile attempt at small talk. Andromeda's gray eyes are steel-like as she says, "As we are done with pleasantries, let us be candid with each other, Rodolphus. Just what is the reason for your unexpected visit to our humble home? It is not out of fondness nor can I be convinced this is an attempt to reconnect our two families considering that my sister, Bellatrix is no longer with us. And we both know far too well that you shared my belated sister's-."

Andromeda's voice broke for a second in old grief. "We both know what Bellatrix's views were on my elopement with my husband. She was far from pleased to the extent that hired an assassin! And we both know that you did little to dissuade her or attempt to persuade her otherwise!"

"I shall not deny the past," Rodolphus candidly answered, "nor will I deny my own beliefs. Be as that may be, it was not I who sought out your blood, but rather Bellatrix. As much as I found your elopement distasteful at that time, I would not have raised a hand against you, Andromeda. Though I believed your choice poorly made as it was slighted your father and mother. Regardless, you are still very much a Black and for that reason alone I would never have sought you out at that time."

Looking a bit more convinced, Andromeda nods her head in understanding and acceptance of the reply. Her brother-in-law was many things, but a liar was not one of them. And for all his faults, Rodolphus had genuinely cared for Bellatrix. Sadly, her sister, Bellatrix merely wed as was her duty, and never returned her husband's affections. The proof lay in the indisputable fact that after all their years of marriage, Bellatrix had not become pregnant with a child.

Andromeda had known her older sister, Bellatrix better than anyone. Bellatrix could never be forced to do anything she did not wish even by their own father and mother. And so, if Bellatrix did not wish to have a child with her husband, Rodolphus, she would have ensured to never become pregnant by him.

That and well, Andromeda despite having left wizarding society at that time; she had still heard the rumors from associates, who still returned her letters despite her elopement. In the letters, there were suggestions that Bellatrix was fascinated and paid remarkably close attention to a dark wizard that she and her husband followed. There were even unspoken suggestions that Bellatrix bore a deep romantic infatuation for that dark wizard. In retrospect, they were likely true, and whether anything came out of it only two parties would know the truth, Bellatrix, and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange.

Seeing his wife having fallen into a thoughtful silence, Ted's mellow voice is a bit more stern than usual when he says, "Please don't mind my blunt asking, but why exactly are you here?" At her husband's words, Andromeda collects herself out of her thoughts and turns expectantly towards her brother-in-law awaiting a reply.

Rodolphus carefully reaches into the folds of his robes and removes a dark, blue bottled potion that is carefully sealed. Andromeda lets out a soft gasp in recognition of the potion as Rodolphus carefully places it on a nearby stand. Ted looks on in blank confusion at the potion and waits for his wife or his "brother-in-law" to explain.

After a lapse of silence, Ted finally asks out loud, "Well, just what is the potion that is so shocking?"

"It is the 'Surculus Potio Germen,'" Andromeda replied with awe and disbelief still evidently heard in her voice.

"Which means what exactly?" Ted drily further inquired as he was not familiar with the potion.

"It roughly means the seedling potion," Andromeda quietly explained as she turned her gray eyes solemnly towards her brother-in-law. "Rodolphus, do you know what it is that you are asking of my husband and me? Even more pressing, should we accept, the child will be raised in the household of a muggleborn wizard."

"Wait, just a minute?!" Ted loudly exclaimed in confusion. "What child?!"

"Allow me to explain-," Rodolphus paused, before painfully saying, "-brother-in-law."

Ted mouth flops open for a moment, before snapping shut. He turns to gaze at his wife in disbelief, but she maintains her gray eyes on the figure before them. Taking his cue from his wife, he hurriedly returns his gaze towards their brother-in-law with curiosity and speculation.

"Surculus Potio Germen," Rodolphus elucidated, "is an extremely rare potion to come by as the ingredients are nearly impossible to come by. That being said, the potion, in essence, carries a wizard's seed." He paused not wanting to further elaborate on the subject.

"A wizard's seed?" Ted repeated with incredulity, before glancing at his wife.

Andromeda lets out a soft sigh and pats her husband's hand. "The potion was created in ancient times for widowed warriors," she solemnly explained. "These warriors typically were the last of their line and knew that only death awaited them in battle. The potion will never work on those that are unwed nor unmated neither if their spouse or mate still lives. For the potion to work, a life-bond must have existed and having been broken prematurely by Death never having been completed to its fullest extent. In essence, it is a widower without any kin to continue the family lineage."

"Right," Ted muttered under his breath in disbelief but continued to listen. Having been raised in a muggle home, there were plenty of things that still shocked him to learn about the wizarding world. At this point, he frankly could believe almost anything.

"These widowed warriors would seek out the nearest female kin of their former mate or spouse," Andromeda expounded as a startling realization slowly began to dawn in Ted's eyes. "At times, the female kin were far too young, then an alternative was sought in a virginal maiden or even in that of a married female. Notwithstanding, if the family or wedded couple accepted the request of the widowed warrior, the resulting child would be raised with the family or wedded couple, and the widowed warrior would ensure to leave the means to raise the child to adulthood to continue the widowed warriors family line."

Ted sputtered in disbelief and raised his voice. "You mean to tell me," he paused to point at his so-called brother-in-law, "that he wants you, Dromeda to carry a child for him to continue his family lineage?!"

"Yes," Andromeda solemnly answered.

Ted ran his hand through his fair hair and muttered to himself, "I bloody hell can't believe it!" He turned his face to glare at the unperturbed wizard. "And you, still have the audacity to come into our home to make such a request of my wife and me!"

"Ted," Andromeda firmly said in a tone of voice that only a wife can use on her husband.

Ted unhappily falls silent and scowls fiercely at Rodolphus Lestrange. He was going to kill this so-called brother-in-law of his! He would never truly understand the purebloods! NEVER! (Actually, that was a lie. Ironically, thanks to his in-laws especially his brother-in-law, Lucius Malfoy, he found that that the purebloods were fair and honorable in their own strange way. Oh, they were definitely BIASED but they were really not that bad.)