Chapter 38

Damn you and your bloody optimism Yetao."

Hu Yetao glanced over at his mate and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. They were just about to walk into the designated meeting room at Xiu Silong Estate for Oscar's official Board inquiry. The meeting was being held in the Board Chair's personal estate home, which managed to comfort Hu Yetao a little; he sensed that the man had a soft spot for his mate and he hoped Silong would try his utmost to protect Oscar from a guilty sentence.

Hu Yetao swallowed and tried not to think about what would happen if Oscar was found guilty, he'd been avoiding envisioning such a thing as it was all too horrible to comprehend. He would have to watch them execute his mate before being dragged off and forced to live out the remainder of his life with some other Alpha. A part of him couldn't believe he'd aligned himself with a group of people who seemed so uncaring and sadistic - and yet another part of him knew he wouldn't change being Oscar's mate for anything.

This past week had shown him just how well-suited they were for each other and that, despite going through a tremendously difficult situation, they were still somehow able to overcome the strain and tension, and their relationship was all the stronger for it.

"Optimism is the only weapon you have sometimes," Hu Yetao muttered in response, eyeing the deep blue double doors at the end of the hall.

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor," Oscar replied but his tone was lacking its taste

Hu Yetao stopped them just before the doors, ignoring the small house-elf who had been leading them and who was now glaring at the delay.

"It's going to be fine," Hu Yetao said firmly, reaching up to grip Oscar's chin with his fingers and turning his face towards him. Whatever Hu Yetao was feeling, he knew he had to try to remain calm and confident - for Oscar's sake. It was his mate's life on the line, not his. Oscar had the most to lose, the most to fear. "I won't leave your side in there," Hu Yetao promised.

Oscar swallowed and nodded, and Hu Yetao could see the warring emotions in his eyes; fear and anxiety, and struggling to rein it all in in a true Wang manner. Oscar had stopped trying to shut Hu Yetao out after that first day, but he still had problems freely acknowledging what it was he was feeling. Hu Yetao had come to realize that Oscar was scared to show any vulnerability in fear of it changing Hu Yetao's opinion of him, or of appearing weak to his mate. The combination of being an Alpha and a Wang was an emotionally stunting mix, and although it could be utterly frustrating, Hu Yetao also couldn't help but find it endearing too.

"Have you ever known me to lose?" Hu Yetao added lightly, forcing a smile.

That seemed to snap Oscar out of his mounting haze of panic and he took Hu Yetao's hand in his and squeezed it. "What could go wrong with the Boy-Who-Lived on my side, right?"

Hu Yetao smiled encouragingly before turning to the house-elf and giving him a nod to show that they were ready to proceed.

The little elf, clad only in two washcloths held up by a thin piece of pink rope, opened the doors with a snap of his bony fingers.

Hu Yetao took a deep breath and let it out slowly as they walked forward, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. It was a much smaller group this time that was gathered before the Board. No children were present and almost all of the assembly were in their cat form, but seated and still, just the odd twitch and flicker of a long tail disturbing the stillness.

Hu Yetao spotted Shui Xian seated in a chair off to the side, her pale blonde head held high and expression focussed. There was a large, elegant cat standing next to her which Hu Yetao could only assume was Xiaocheng. There were two empty chairs set up in front of the Board who were sat behind a long black desk in the center of the rather cold room.

Hu Yetao lifted his chin and moved forward beside Oscar, who at a glance was cool and composed, only his tight hold on Hu Yetao's hand giving him away to be anything other than perfectly poised.

They took their seats in the two chairs and nodded in greeting at the silently observing Board.

Xiu Silong cleared his throat and shifted some parchment in front of him. He raised somber eyes to Hu Yetao and Oscar. "I wish it was under more agreeable circumstances that we meet again gentlemen, but as a serious accusation has been brought forth we must of course investigate its legitimacy."

"Of course," Oscar accepted steadily, gaze unwavering.

Silong nodded at him and glanced down at the documents in front of him. "Now, the student in question who was attacked is not one of our clan and so we cannot question him with regards to this matter."

"I spoke to him sir," Hu Yetao interjected as respectfully as he could. "Without revealing the truth behind my interest of course."

Silong looked up. "And?"

"He couldn't remember much of the attack, only that it was most likely a spell that knocked him out first and not physical force."

"But no details on the actual attacker?" Yong Dong asked.

Hu Yetao shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not."

Silong sighed heavily. "I must ask if you have any evidence at all of this attack being carried out by anyone other than young Mr. Wang."

Hu Yetao shared a look with his mate and Oscar turned to the Board Chair.

"We don't have physical evidence or a witness to the attack, but we do have someone whom we suspect," he stated.

"And who is that?" Ying Ting asked, quill poised over his parchment.

Oscar glanced at Hu Yetao before continuing in a strong voice. "Zheng Naixin."

There were some low rumblings from the gathered clan and Hu Yetao had to force himself to keep his gaze facing front; he knew Naixin's parents were most likely present.

The Board members all seemed to be taken off-guard by this statement, some of them glancing at each other with raised brows or frowns of disbelief.

"And what makes you think it was Miss Zheng?" Su Miake finally asked with narrowed eyes, one hand resting atop her pregnant stomach, thumb rubbing in unconscious circles.

"I was originally promised to her," Oscar explained clearly. "She has always been obvious about her attraction to me and often spoke fondly of our future life together. It was clear that she was pleased with the arrangement."

The Board all looked to Hu Yetao for a moment and Hu Yetao could see their minds working through this new information.

"Naixin, along with the rest of my house-mates, knew of my regard for Hu Yetao. I began to spend time with him and I believe she knew of my intentions and that her place by my side was suddenly at risk."

"And so you think that she - is a fit of anger and revenge - attacked a student so that it appeared as though you had done it?" Luo Kan asked skeptically. "Would she not have simply attacked Mr. Yetao instead?"

Hu Yetao remembered Luo Kan from the last meeting; he'd been the young, horrible Board member who had demanded that Hu Yetao be Obliviated.

"You do not simply kill off Hu Yetao," Oscar replied, a slight smirk quirking his lips and causing Hu Yetao to be amazed by his calm demeanor. "If the Dark Lord couldn't do it then a seventeen-year-old girl certainly wasn't going to achieve it." Hu Yetao's expression turned serious once more. "Naixin is one of the very few at Hogwarts who knows of our kind and would know exactly how to implicate me."

"I was told that the victim, this… Kazuma," Mr. Ying Ting said, glancing down at the parchment in front of him, "had assaulted Mr. Yetao only the day before he was attacked. It would seem that you, Mr. Wang, have the more likely motive."

Oscar staunchly held Mr. Ying Ting's gaze. "When the news of Kazuma's assault on Hu Yetao spread through Slytherin's house, I believe that's when Naixin saw her chance."

"May I ask a question Mr. Silong?" Hu Yetao interrupted, looking to the Board Chair.

"You may."