84) Agree?

"This is madness," Eileen commented vehemently as she looked at him, her words carrying a tone of disbelief.

"How could you even agree to it?" she asked Severus, her expression revealed her inability to comprehend what led him to accept the proposed arrangement. This was ridiculous in her opinion.

"I didn't have much option on my side," Severus replied calmly, taking a sip of his tea as he observed his mother's reaction. Just as he had anticipated, she was taking the situation poorly. Maybe he should have told her earlier.

"I was coming to terms with the whole contract thing with Francesca. And then you decided to blow it up and enrope two Black girls, a veela girl also. Did your common sense leave you?" Eileen asked sarcastically, her words laced with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. The sudden turn of events had evidently caught her off guard.

She was to have four daughters-in-law now. Four of them. Merlin help her. It was ridiculous. Eileen mused. A mix of exasperation and resignation colored her thoughts as she contemplated the growing familial ties and alliances. The situation had indeed taken an unexpected and overwhelming turn.

"Narcissa is a good friend, and she would have died if I didn't say yes. Apolline is well. I had to step up to take responsibility because if I don't, somehow the whole thing will blow up on me. The only one saddled on me is Bellatrix," Severus replied calmly. It was ridiculous to him too. However he was not going to panic. He had to remain calm at the moment. Inwardly he was panicking.

The situation with him was destined to be etched on the pages of history. There was nothing he could do but be himself and act composed, navigating the complex tapestry of relationships, alliances, and responsibilities that had intertwined with his own destiny. Lord Chaos had surely given him one hell of a life.

"Saddled. Make sure that your future wife never hears that," Eileen commented dryly, injecting a touch of humor into the conversation despite the weightiness of the situation.

"Well, I won't. But seriously, what could go bad?" Severus pondered slowly. He had read harem stories on Webnovel, Fanfiction, Wattpad, Space Velocity and many more sites. They made it look easy.

"You should ask what wouldn't go bad with it?" Eileen responded in disbelief. Surely, her son didn't think that a situation resembling a harem with multiple girls was going to end up well. The skepticism in her tone told the potential pitfalls of the complex arrangements. He was digging his own grave.

"Marriage is an enormous responsibility. It's not just about romantic feelings; it involves time, emotional energy, and understanding the partner's needs. You might be optimistic for the whole thing, but jealousy is a common human emotion. Balancing the attention and ensuring that all partners feel valued can be challenging. It might lead to conflicts and hurt feelings." Eileen explained to her son.

Severus knew that. He knew it was going to be a long work. The whole thing wasn't something practical at first glance. But the situation he was in, he had no option but to persevere.

"I see your point, but if everyone is on board and understanding..." Severus trailed on. Surely they could somewhere meet and agree on something.

"It's not just about everyone agreeing initially. People change, expectations shift, and what works at first might become complicated later. Imagine the strain on your emotional well-being trying to keep everyone content. Marriage is about building a deep, meaningful connection. Having multiple partners will dilute the intimacy and connection you could have in a monogamous relationship. I haven't added the whole lecture on inheritance, social stigmas, communication problems, jilted feelings...." Eileen trailed on. Her son was smart enough to understand it.

"I don't have any option but to go with the whole thing," Severus replied softly. She would understand it. She had to.

"Is this due to the fear of that dark lord?" Eileen asked with a pensive sigh. She was aware of the circumstances under which he had agreed to the arrangement; he had confided in her about it. She was afraid, angry, and tensed alike.

"What do you think of the name Death Eaters?" Severus inquired softly. He wanted her to know now. She was too unaware of everything.

"It's stupid. Something made by a child," Eileen replied, her tone expressing her disdain for the name and dismissing it as an immature creation. Her straightforward assessment echoed a sentiment shared by many who found the moniker lacking in sophistication and gravitas. Most people found it funny.

"Yet his followers call themselves it with no problems. Such is his power," Severus remarked. He had to acknowledge the influence and control wielded by the dark wizard and the unwavering loyalty of those who willingly adopted the ominous title of Death Eaters.

"I don't understand what you are saying," Eileen asked curiously. The intricacies of the conversation seemed to elude her. She wanted to seek clarification on the meaning behind Severus's words. What did he meant by those words?

"I am a mortal man just like all others. It takes one killing curse or any lucky shot from someone to kill me. I am no God or a wizard protected by fate itself. I am but a man. A man with strengths and weaknesses alike. A man who needs people around him in his path to success. If I do something, those people will be targeted. Something which I won't tolerate," Severus admitted softly, his words carrying a mixture of vulnerability and determination.

It was the reason he had been cold with everyone in his previous life. Attaching people with yourselves hurts when something happens to them because of you. He couldn't take someone suffering for him or his actions. He was okay being the cold dungeon bat.

This new life had changed him. Changed him for better or worst. It was really odd for him nowadays. He was having girls stacked on his life. He was happy and blessed with wealth, girls and good people. But something didn't feel good despite all that. He missed those days of solitude.

"He won't kill you. He couldn't," Eileen proclaimed, attempting to reassure her son. She held onto the belief that the Dark Lord, for reasons perhaps known only to him, wouldn't choose to end Severus's life. He couldn't do so. Not without repercussions.

"I am only a means for him. What is the guarantee that he would let me live after he gains ownership of Slytherin house? What guarantee is there that he wouldn't kill me after gaining Lordship to commit life theft of House Dawn? There are too many things left in the equation," Severus expressed sadly with a sigh. The shadows of doubt loomed over the path ahead. There was no certainty on his resume now.

_________________________________________________

Bellatrix snarled angrily as she listened to her mother's words, the tension in the room escalating with each passing moment.

"But he's a half-blood!" Bellatrix vehemently spoke, her disdain for Severus's blood status evident in the fervor of her words. The revelation had ignited a fierce reaction in her heart.

"His Muggle blood descends from Herpo the Foul and the Dawn Family. Moreover he is Lord of Romanov family through his father. Chances are that his father was a squib along the line," Druella spoke, introducing a perspective that sought to reconcile Severus's lineage with the complexities of wizarding blood. She had to make her daughter understand. It was bad enough with Narcissa's situation. Now Bellatrix, her wildest daughter was thrown into the mix too.

"Is he really descended from Herpo the Foul?" Bellatrix asked curiously. The revelation about Severus's lineage shifted her perspective. If he was indeed descended from a figure with a dark reputation, it appeared to align with her own inclinations towards the darker aspects of magic. The Romanovs were pretty violent family too.

"Yes. Apparently, Herpo the Foul was the uncle of Salazar Slytherin. There are portraits of them too in the secondary Dawn Manor," Cygnus replied with a smile, sharing the additional information that further connected Severus's lineage to the darker aspects of wizarding history.

It pained Cygnus and Druella to manipulate Bellatrix, their own daughter. But it was the Dark Lord's order. There was nothing they could do other than to follow it. They couldn't show discontent with his orders.

"Do they talk?" Bellatrix asked excitedly. The idea of engaging in conversation with Salazar Slytherin and Herpo the Foul allured her.

"They do," Cygnus replied with a smile. Inwardly, he felt a twinge of discomfort at the recollection of the hissing conversations that had transpired in the presence of the ancient portraits. The memories were going to haunt him for some time.

"Well. At least this makes him more interesting than Rudolphous," Bellatrix commented dryly. Her curiosity was piqued, the prospect of being the lady of a House with such mysterious and dark connections intrigued her.

"It does," Druella said with a laugh. Narcissa's letters had served as a source of comfort and reassurance, portraying Severus as a kind and smart young man. The knowledge that there was some positivity in her daughter's life brought a sense of relief to Druella today. The only weird thing in her daughter's life was going to be sharing a man with her own sister. The complex dynamics and entanglements of the proposed arrangement were not lost on Druella. Atleast they weren't marrying their own cousin, Druella thought dryly on certain practices of her family.

"Does Cissy know?" Bellatrix asked curiously. Narcissa had always envisioned herself as some sort of heroine of a romantic drama. Now, her own sister was going to steal her man. Bellatrix felt guilty for it. How would she even share a man with her sister? It was going to be so weird.

At her mother's nod for disapproval, she groaned loudly.

"Merlin! She's going to be so bad about it. Damn! My sister is going to be my sister wife now." Bellatrix said with a groan.

Druella was about to reprimand her for her crude words but was stopped by Cygnus' nod. They slowly left her room together, leaving Bellatrix to ponder on the whole thing.

Once Druella and Cygnus exited the room, a solitary tear traced its path down Cygnus's cheek—a rare display of emotion. Druella, with a gentle touch, wiped away her husband's tear, their shared emotions reflecting the weight of the decisions they were forced to make under the influence of the Dark Lord's orders.

"I failed as a father, Druella. I failed," Cygnus confessed slowly, the weight of his perceived failure echoing in his words. The complexities of loyalty, family, and duty seemed to converge, leaving Cygnus grappling with the burden of decisions made in the shadows of the Dark Lord's influence. He had failed in all of them.

Druella could only hold her emotionally stricken husband, the silent support speaking volumes in the face of their shared turmoil. The weight of the situation pressed upon her, and though tears threatened to break free, she steeled herself, recognizing the necessity of strength for both of them. She had to stay strong for everyone of them. She had to!