TPS Part 15: Susan's Dancing

It seemed like luck was on Onyx's side, almost as if he planned it, as the next song was a slow gentle one. Onyx let out a small chuckle as he saw Susan's cheeks redden but he paid it no mind. He got in close and wrapped his arms around her for the slow dance. "So, you and MacMillan huh? Never really saw that coming."

Onyx could only guess what kind of face she was pulling as she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head down on his shoulder. "Oh him? No, we kind of grew up together. There's nothing there. I find myself wondering more about you and Moon to be honest."

Onyx leaned his head into hers "Well she's one of the few snakes I have a bit of respect for and trust in. But you know, I didn't ask to dance with you to discuss Moon here.." Susan let out a giggle "No I guess not." They stayed silent for a little bit, just enjoying the closeness and the slow rhythm.

When the song was over, Onyx was about to stop and lead her over to get some drinks but Susan just didn't stop dancing. She kept the rhythm even though the music had stopped playing. He noticed that some of the guests started looking at the pair but it didn't matter. Onyx let her keep swaying for as long as she wished. Halfway into the next song which wasn't as slow tempo, she seemed to realize what was up and took a step back.

Holding back a wide grin, Onyx looked at the redhead. She looked down at the floor to hide her embarrassment, but couldn't hide her cheeks which rivalled her hair in tone. Onyx took hold of one of her hands and started leading her away from the dance floor and over to the table where most of the young ones had gathered. The snack table.

Once they arrived he noticed a very obvious glare coming from little Ernie and so he made a theatrical move which ended up with him kissing her knuckles. "Thank you for allowing me to take up some of your time. I hope you enjoyed it as much an I did, perhaps we can do this again?" Susan nodded but didn't talk. It was enough for him as he sat down next to Neville and grabbed some snacks.

He had a few dances with other people. One with Chang, one with Abbott and three with his little sister. But Susan got his final dance for the night as well, this time a bit more up tempo. After the final song, he found his family and they went through the floo to get home.

The rest of the break wasn't really that exciting. He spent a lot of time with the little cubs. It seems his mother had a kind of system. With each litter of cubs, she separated them into categories. The one or two with a lot of potential was kept for the next generation. The one with the least, was released into one of the forests where she would usually take one or two magical foxes for expanding the gene pool. That was how she found Rufus' mate after all. The ones in the middle were properly cared for until it was time to hand them over to various magical pet shops around Europe.

Every now and then someone who wanted to attempt to bond with a new-born came along, for an especially large fee of course, and sometimes they succeeded but often they simply had to accept that the foxes weren't interested in them. As many seasons had come and gone, he now properly looked at the new magical species and wondered how they had come so far in a few generations.

The foxes weren't as large as they once were, their ears had grown taller, their tail had grown spikier. The colour of their fur had become a dark red and there were no longer any white parts, they had gone grey. Their legs and ears were a complete black. The claws and teeth were retractable but when fully out they far exceeded the length and sharpness of normal foxes. The tail was the most interesting part as it seemed to have a swirl of the colours to it. Their magical properties had become a lot clearer as well. Rufus' traits shone through still, but the speed of these little ones was astounding.

Onyx couldn't be completely sure on how smart they had become but they had no problem understanding him before he even spoke to them. They could tell his intention and was always glad to see him. Best part about it all was how playful and cuddly they had become.

Due to their vast difference to ordinary foxes, the family had begun marketing them as Umbras, from the latin word for shadow. It was a clear hit in France as the demand increased a lot. As soon as the traits had truly settled, they'd start a second farm for them to expand their business but for now this was enough.

In the middle of his thoughts, Rufus had sat down in his lap. Rufus, Onyx's trusty companion, was actually reaching his final years. Onyx had been told by his father that animals which weren't magical by nature but had a lot of magic inside them, got into trouble when they got older. So far, Onyx hadn't seen anything wrong with his little guy. But after what Draco and Blaise pulled, he'd start being a lot more careful with him.

He wanted Rufus to see him take his first girlfriend home, he wanted Rufus to see him graduate, he wanted Rufus to be there for his own baby one day..But Onyx knew Rufus probably wouldn't get to see two of those at least. As terrible as it might seem, Onyx quickly and easily put those thoughts away. Rufus could feel his emotions and had started snuggling with him to comfort, that always took away his negative emotions. Onyx kissed Rufus' little head, lifted him up and put him in his arms.

It was time to head over to Jimmy's. The rest of his vacation would probably be spent doing nothing but rehearsing wood properties and the appropriate runes. Onyx wondered if he could start making some rudimentary wands this summer at the rate they were going. He also wondered if he might be able to take the third year exam in Runes this year so he wouldn't have to later. That was a thought for a different day though, as he had to get ready for Jimmy's yelling.

Soon the vacation was over. He'd miss his family, though he'd probably see Jasper some time randomly in school for one reason or another, but he had been anticipating his return to school. He had heard of the court case Jasper had against Lucius Malfoy and the results were rather pleasing.

Although everyone knew he did it, nobody had any proof the writing on Draco Malfoy's back was Onyx's. So the only punishment was Malfoy's, and Zabini's of course. They would be handing over vast amounts of money in compensation along with a public apology. They would also be given a warning that Hogwarts wouldn't be taking them back if a similar occurrence appeared again.

Onyx was satisfied. Although things could have taken a dark turn, Rufus was now fine. Nothing had really happened but Malfoy had to be told that he couldn't do whatever he wanted.

Onyx had a few more tricks up his sleeve and would pull them out soon. Jasper had taught him a spell from the Family Tome after all. It was called Ignis Draconis, and with a little tweaking he got it to work properly for a small revenge plan as well as an offensive attack if necessary.