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58.53% A Bend in Time / Chapter 717: Mulciber Matchmaking Ⅱ

Chapter 717: Mulciber Matchmaking Ⅱ

Waiting at the floo hearth is the handsome figure of Mulciber Sr. despite his years. The still somewhat golden hair is elegantly pulled back showcasing attractive features that caused many a witch's hearts to flutter and yearn for the tender affections of the proud pureblood. Dressed immaculately, and set to impress, he coolly peers at his firstborn, who had been cast off for his existence as that of a squib.

Mulciber Sr. suppresses a sneer, but his lips still lightly curl with a bit of disdain. "You are late," he crisply remarked to his firstborn.

"We both know that I am not," Peregrine matter-of-factly countered. "In fact, I am early," and gestured to the golden pocket watch that he had removed from his waistcoat. "There are still five minutes left until the hour."

Mulciber Sr. eyes flicker with some measure of approval, before turning to the floo hearth. "I elected to floo considering your lack of MAGIC," Mucliber Sr. said as though he had acted out of kindness rather than interest. "You may proceed first," he magnanimously gestured to the fireplace.

"Thank you for your consideration, Father," Peregrine drily said, before stepping forth up the mantelpiece and removing sparkling dust, Floo Powder. Tossing the sparling power into the hearth, the flames begin to roar and rise turning green. "Benedict Greengrass Manor," he said, before stepping into the flames and whirling away. The sensation was akin to being flushed down the drain with countless twists and turns as voices and faces appear only to instantly vanish.

By the time, Peregrine emerged he had been to feel a bit faint as he emerged into the exquisitely styled manor. Taking a moment to steady himself, Peregrine pressed a hand to lean against the mantel for a moment, before taking a deep breath and stepping back. His father would appear any moment, and he could not afford any show of weakness before him.

Straightening up, Peregrine turned away and began to take in the sight before him. The great hall was elegantly furnished in tasteful colors ranging from greens to earthy tones. The Persian carpet had exquisite gold thread embroidery that of hawks in flight. A subtle hint to the Veela heritage that this Greengrass branch possessed.

A soft cough garners Peregrine's attention pulling his gaze towards an older house elf with salt-peppered eyebrows. The male house elves face is lined with some wrinkles and deep honey-colored eyes. The male house elf's ears are bat-like with a tiny golden earing at the tip of one ear as a fashion statement. The house elf wears a silk white house elf tunic, a dark blue coat with embroidered golden hawks on the back, and a pair of comfortable, but fine leather sandals.

Before Peregrine can speak, the hearth roars behind him with green flames as the figure of Mulciber Sr. confidently emerged from the flames. With a faint murmur, the soot disappears from his person as he fixes his calculating gaze upon the house elf. "Elf, lead us," he ordered as he stepped forward to be led by the house elf.

"Jarrey leads the way for the Mulciber father and son," muttered the house elf with a proper bow before leading the way to the nearby parlor room where the Greengrass family awaits.

Peregrine follows closely after his father and the house elf as he studies the elegant home that had many decorations of golden hawks in flight and some French taste in décor. Not overly lavish, but tasteful in its décor with a hint of warmth. He did not have many memories of the Greengrass family, but he did recall meeting the beautiful, but elderly matriarch with hawk-like eyes in his childhood. There was something wild about her that did not resemble anything remotely akin to that of a witch, but then again, she was a Veela.

The tasteful cream-colored doors to the parlor door swing open as Jarrey bows to the Greengrass household that is already seated within the parlor. "Elder Mistress, Jarrey presents the Mulciber father and son," and steps aside with a flourish. Mulciber Sr. confidently enters the parlor room followed by Peregrine.

For there seated in the middle of the parlor room is a moon bright skinned elderly woman with bright, hypnotic hawk-like eyes, and white golden hair that fans out beautiful despite a lack of wind, the matriarch of this Greengrass branch, Ethel Greengrass. Sitting on her left side is her eldest grandson, Mordecai, a somewhat pudgy wizard with very short hair, but still as delicate looking as his younger brother. And seated on the matriarch's right side is her younger grandson, Benedict with light-colored floppy fair, warm hazel eyes, and delicate looking much like all the men of this Greengrass branch.

Sitting further back in a corner of the parlor are the two wives of both brothers, Phyllis and Constance. Phyllis, the wife of Mordecai is a good-looking middle-aged woman with a cleft chin. She eagerly flutters her fan in her hand as she was eager to tie one of her daughters to another pureblood family and member of the sacred 28 families, the Mulciber's. Surely, it would be her beloved daughter, Edna, since Rosie was a mere SQUIB.

Seated at her mother's side is the beautiful, but arrogant, and currently sullen-faced Edna. She had no desire whatsoever to marry a SQUIB! She had plenty of suitors and she would not marry beneath herself! If the SQUIB wanted to marry then let him marry her lesser sister, a SQUIB as well!

Seated next to Edna is the wife of Benedict, Constance, a rather young-looking French witch despite her age. Her golden hair is neatly pulled up from her fair features and bright cerulean-colored eyes. A gentle smile on her face as she patted the hand of the youngest daughter of her brother-in-law, Mordecai, Rosie.

The youngest girl, Rosie, was sweet and kind even with her condition of being a Squib. Constance herself adored the sweet girl as did her son and four daughters. She was not the only one as her husband, Benedict, and her great-mother-in-law were also fond of the girl. That is also, why her husband, Benedict had firmly declared he would be present at the betrothal proposal lest his elder brother sell of his youngest daughter like a piece of flesh. That and her great-grandmother-in-law would not permit it as well.

Constance squeezes Rosie's hand causing the pale faced girl to flash her a faint smile. Rosie attempts to smile at her Aunt Constance's efforts to cheer her up. However, she felt uneasy at today's meeting. Why only some time ago she had felt nothing but relief at learning that Damian Mulciber had perished. She still remembered with horror and dread that vile day when he had attempted to force himself upon her only to be saved by her dear cousin, Terry. A mischievous fiend at times, but he was always kind to her.

Rosie dearly cared for her cousin and she had been fraught with worry afterward, but Terry had promised her that nothing would come of it. She did not know what Terry said that day to Damian Mulciber, but indeed nothing had come of that horrible day. After all these years, she thought she would never marry and that was not a terrible thing. She thought she might make a fine governess someday and Terry would surely take her in once he married and had children. It was a fine plan for the future to have up until now.

Rosie raises her gaze and flinches slightly at seeing the figure standing behind the elder Mulciber. For a moment, her heart falters, before she recovers herself, this was not Damian, but Peregrine Mulciber. The two brothers certainly resembled each other, both handsome and golden-haired. However, unlike Damian, there was no cruelty visible on Peregrine's face.

A squib, they had said, Rosie recalled as she further calmed down and studied the younger Mulciber. Not much was known about him except that he was a self-made wizard, who was employed at Gringotts. He shouldn't be that bad, but then again, appearances can be deceiving. Uncertain, she tightened her grip on her aunt's hand and waited apprehensively for that was to be discussed. One way or another, she or her older sister's future would be decided that day.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
EsliEsma EsliEsma

Matchmaking still exists to this day in various parts of the world. What may seem as outlandish to most of us is not to other cultures.

Chapter 718: Mulciber Matchmaking Ⅲ

Having formally announced the Mulciber father and son, the house elf, Jarrey loudly says, "Jarrey shall promptly bring in the tea and the canapés," before vanishing with a loud pop.

Mulciber Sr. pays the house elf no mind as he tilts his head in a formal bow. "It is the Mulciber households honor to be permitted to visit with the Greengrass Matriarch," Mulciber Sr. smoothly said with Peregrine bowing in agreement.

"Take a seat," Ethel Greengrass curtly muttered with a flick of her smooth, unaged hand.

Mordecai shifts in his seat a bit displeased by his grandmother's curtness, but he does not dare speak up. He knew that he would only arouse his grandmother's ire and cause the betrothal to fall through. He must carefully bind his tongue until the end if he wished for the match to be successful!

"Disgraceful," Ethel bluntly said as Mulciber Sr. took a seat and Peregrine alongside him, but with a wide breach between the two of them.

"What is, Matriarch?" Mulciber Sr. feigned innocence.

"Your youngest son is not even buried and not dead even a month, and yet here you stand before with the audacity to request a betrothal with my house!" Ethel hissed as her hypnotic gaze grew more intense and dangerous.

"It is precisely because of that," Mulciber Sr. fearlessly countered. "My youngest son lays dead not even of age, and the Mulciber family is far and few in between. I will not permit our lineage to be erased from history. And so here I come to request a marriage for the eldest of my sons, Peregrine, a squib."

"A squib?" Ethel suspiciously asked as she studied the young man seated as far as possible as he can from his father on the stylish settee. Her grandson, Benedict had investigated the squib prior to the meeting and he only had good things to say about him. Mm, perhaps, he was not like his father, but that did not mean she would give in so easily.

"Yes, I know a terrible failing," Mulciber Sr. said with a bit of visible humiliation on his face. "However, I know that your descendants, who have married squibs still produce witches and wizards even those daughters that were classified as squibs themselves."

"True," Ethel acknowledged. "However, I am not the Bell family patriarch, who foolishly tied and condemned his only daughter, Meredith Bell to a lifetime of violence at the hand of a merciless brute."

"Grandmother!" Mordecai blurted aghast. "That is mere heresy! And besides another family's personal matters are not for us to subject and criticize!"

Ethel sends her eldest grandson a sharp look, which causes him to sit down with a thump. Mordecai's mouth snaps shut automatically having been well trained by his grandmother in his youth. Even now, he couldn't escape his upbringing and still felt his behind sting painfully from the smacks he received at the hand of his grandmother when he behaved poorly.

Seeing that an emotional confrontation is about to commence, Benedict changes the subject. "Jarrey, where are that tea and canapés?" He called out to the house elf.

With a loud pop, Jarrey appears with a silver tray and says, "Jarrey is here!" And begins to serve tea and various other snacks. Jarrey happily goes about his business serving everyone in the parlor and giving time for tempers to cool. "Is that all, Master?"

"Yes, that will be all for the time being," Benedict instructed as Jarrey vanishes with a pop.

Taking a spoonful of sugar, Benedict leisurely swirls the sugar in his teacup with a faint smile on his face. In a pleasant tone of he begins to speak out loud. "Say, we do consider the marriage for the briefest of moments, Mulciber, what guarantees can you offer us that a daughter of our family would not be mistreated?"

Mulciber Sr. having expected this question politely takes a sip of his tea, before setting it down to answer. "I have already spoken to my son regarding this matter. The Mulciber ancestral home will be the residence of his wife and including that of my wife. I shall remove my physical presence permanently from the manor to one of the lesser proprieties for the entire duration of the marriage except for social events naturally," Mulciber arrogantly said.

Benedict's smile widens slightly much like that of Terry, Benedict resembled his son far too much for comfort. "Mm, then you are implying that either your son or the daughter of our house will perish early on?"

"What are you implying?" Mulciber coldly snapped.

"I imply nothing but that which you, Mulciber has said," Benedict said with a Cheshire cat-like smile.

Mortdecai opens his mouth to protest but a sharp glance from his grandmother, Ethel causes him to snap his mouth shut. With a please expression, Ethel sips at her tea as she waits for her precious hawkling to tear into the pureblood wizard. Her grandson, Benedict, and her great-grandson, Terry resembled her mate the most out of all her descendants. She always had a soft spot for the two of them in her Veela heart much like her deceased mate still possessed.

Mulciber Sr. silently reassesses the delicate, friendly smiling wizard before him. "Well, I suppose you caught me out," Mulciber Sr. relented causing Mordecai to stare at the pureblood utterly aghast. Mordecai wished to see his daughters wed not dead!

"Mm, well, I could not very well kill my son, but the girl would be no problem," Mordecai callously said as Ethel narrowed her eyes dangerously with a predatory hint to them. "Well, I suppose that is out of the question now, so let us be frank with each other. I require a broodmare to continue our lineage, I have no interest beyond that which will be of use to me."

Peregrine stiffens at his father's words but does his best to hide his anger. He reveals nothing except for his hand tightening around his teacup. Taking a sip to calm himself, he maintains a poker face and listens.

"Supposing we are still willing to give one of our own after that interesting debatable," Benedict plainly says, "We still hold the upper hand. Then let me lay out the cards, before you, Mulciber."

Benedict paused and pointed at Peregrine. "One, your son nor yourself nor anyone else will bring harm to a child descended of our household be it magical, physical, or any other means conceivable to a witch, wizard, or magical beings in existence. Secondly, from the day that this marriage takes place, you will never set forth a single foot in their household again."

Mulciber narrows his eyes and counters, "And what about social events? What will society say about a father barred from the ancestral home?!"

Benedict's lips twitch with a Cheshire smile. "Remember Mulciber it is you requesting our aid and not the other way around. And as you have stated before the fertility of the daughters of our house is well known and they do not lack for suitors."

A vein in Mulciber Sr.'s temple pulses with fury, but he cannot deny the words of Benedict Greengrass. "That is an outrageous request, Greengrass!" Mulciber Sr. roared. "I dislike being dismissed nor threatened, Greengrass, you would do well to remember that."

Benedict's Cheshire grin is not lost as he replies. "And you would do well to recall that this is Greengrass manor and not Mulciber Citadel."

Mulciber Sr. pauses for a moment to find that Ethel Greengrass is gazing at him with predatory eyes. Her face has begun to lengthen to resemble a cruel beak as the nails on her hand thicken into razor, sharp talons. She has yet to completely transform into a Veela, but she was a true Veela, and a Veela's wrath is legendary even capable of tearing a wizard from limb to limb.

Mulciber Sr. downs a cupful of his cooling tea to calm himself. However, before he can speak, his stomach begins to lurch most violently. Mortified and utterly humiliated, he rises to his feet and growls, "Where is the gentlemen's room?"

"Jarrey," Benedict called out, and instantly the house elf appeared with a pop. "Please show our guest to the NEAREST gentlemen's room, if you would?"

"Yes, sir," Jarrey answered in understanding at what his master was hinting at. It was best to take the long route and back after having subtly dosed Mulciber's tea with a laxative potion. It was too slow acting for Jarrey's taste, but it got the job done!

With a barely suppressed gleeful expression, Jarrey leads the way and through the manor followed by a paling Mulciber Sr. leaving Peregrine behind alone with the Greengrass family. Not that Mulciber Sr. cared right now as he very much was struggling not to have an accident and further humiliate himself. He would never live it down otherwise!


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
EsliEsma EsliEsma

I will admit it, I like Jarrey. For a house elf, he's got a certain sense of flair.

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