Chapter 53: Chapter 51: Get Some Fresh Air...
When Leo's eyes landed on the Black sisters, he noticed their stunning looks and some resemblance to one another, though each had a different temperament as they observed him curiously.
Stare~ silence~
Stare~ cough~
Noticing the silent staring between Leo and the Black sisters, Eileen broke the tension with a deliberate cough.
"Leo, this is Bellatrix Black, my junior during my studies at Hogwarts. And behind her are Andromeda Black and Narcissa Black, Bella's sisters."
After catching Leo's attention, Eileen introduced Bellatrix and her sisters to him with a smile.
"Oh... I see. Welcome to Cauldron & Charm. I'm Leo Morningstar."
With a smile, Leo welcomed the Black sisters to Cauldron & Charm Apothecary and introduced himself to them.
Seeing Leo take the initiative to introduce himself, the Black sisters hurriedly followed suit, introducing themselves with noble etiquette.
"Eileen, you can take some time off. Since your friends have visited, how about a day off?"
With a nod, acknowledging the Black sisters' greetings, Leo turned to look at Eileen, who was in high spirits, and offered her a day off so she could catch up with her friends.
Since she had been away from the wizarding world for a long time, and by the happy expression on her face, it was clear she wanted to reconnect with the Black sisters.
"____"
"No... no... Leo, today is our shop's first day, and the reception has been really good. I can't afford to rest now, especially during peak business hours."
Hearing Leo's offer, Eileen felt warmth in her heart, but she quickly rejected it, explaining that the shop had received a great response from customers and that she didn't want to take a break during such a busy time.
So, she couldn't afford to take a break now when the shop was at its busiest hour.
"Nah... I'll take care of it. You go, take some rest, and catch up with your friends."
Seeing Eileen hesitate and seem unwilling to take time off, Leo shook his head and insisted she take a break. He assured her he would handle the business in her absence.
Following Leo's lead, Mavis, Kitsune, and Setsura also urged Eileen to take some rest while Leo managed the shop in the meantime.
Sigh~
With a defeated sigh, Eileen reluctantly took the day off and led the Black sisters, along with Kejoro and Wakana, to the resting room.
Resting Room...
This was a space where employees could rest for a while or meet with guests who came to visit them.
After settling down on the couch, Wakana brewed tea for the guests, while Kejoro went to the small kitchen in the room, taking some cookies from one of the shelves and placing them on the table for the guests to enjoy.
"Thank you."
With a polite nod, Narcissa took one of the cookies, which looked a little darker than other cookies she had eaten, with chocolate toppings on it.
Following her, Andromeda also picked up a cookie, observing it curiously.
Among the Black sisters, Andromeda was the one with a hobby of cooking in her spare time when she felt bored.
The cookies before her caught her attention because, instead of being the usual golden-brown, these were a darker brown, with chocolate toppings, and smaller and leaner than the cookies she typically baked or ate.
Crack~
Umm~
"It's really good. I love it!"
After taking a bite, Narcissa was genuinely shocked by how flavorful the cookie was.
"____"
Crack~
'Wow... it really has a rich flavor.'
Seeing her little sister's reaction, happily enjoying the cookies, Andromeda raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Among the sisters, Narcissa was the pickiest eater, unlike herself or Bellatrix.
"Do you want more? I'm happy you like it."
Noticing Narcissa eagerly emptying her plate of cookies, Kejoro offered her some more.
She had been practicing baking these cookies under the guidance of Wakana and Leo.
And now, seeing someone enjoying the cookies she baked made Kejoro very happy, and her impression of the three sisters improved.
Narcissa accepted more cookies gladly—after all, who could resist the temptation of darkness-coated sweetness?
"Senior, what happened to you? Why did you suddenly elope with a Muggle?"
After a stretch of silence, Bellatrix finally broke it, looking at Eileen with evident concern.
Eileen was one of the few people Bellatrix had admired when she first joined Hogwarts as a regular Slytherin.
During Eileen's time as a prefect, she had helped and looked out for Bellatrix, leaving a lasting impression.
Sigh~
With a deep sigh, Eileen began recounting her tragic story.
She explained how she was betrayed by her jealous brother, who forced her into signing a marriage contract with a Muggle in exchange for money.
She also shared how, after her brother's death, her ex-husband began to treat her harshly, abusing her emotionally and physically.
The abuse extended even to their son, Severus, once he discovered that Severus was a wizard.
Thud~
Hearing the full, heartbreaking story, Bellatrix slammed the desk before her, causing the plates of cookies to rattle.
"Damn that bastard! If he were alive, I'd curse him with a hundred Crucios before letting him die!"
Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, and she fumed with anger, recalling John Prince, the shameless man who had once tried to hit on her at a pureblood gathering party.
She had fiercely put him in his place in the guise of a dance, making him avoid her at all costs afterward.
But to think that someone as seemingly comical as John Prince had concocted such a sinister plan against his own sister left her shocked.
'Even John was capable of something like that. What if...?'
Her thoughts spiraled into the frightening possibility of her own family forcing her into a marriage against her will.
Shook~
Bellatrix quickly shook off the terrifying thought, not wanting to linger on it.
"Don't worry. It's all in the past now. Severus and I were saved by Leo. He took us in and provided us with a safe and comfortable home,"
Eileen said softly, looking at Bellatrix with a touched expression.
"____"
Hearing Eileen's words, coupled with her small smile and slightly reddened ears, Bellatrix was momentarily speechless.
She could sense there was more to the story than Eileen was letting on.
"Sister, I wanted to ask... is Mr. Leo Morningstar truly connected to the mythical Morningstar family?"
After a brief hesitation, Bellatrix asked the question that had been nagging at her ever since she heard Leo's last name.
"What are you..."
Eileen began to ask in confusion, but before she could finish, a flood of information suddenly appeared in her mind about the Morningstar family.
Even though Eileen had only remembered it recently, it felt as if this information had been a part of her for ages.
'Wait... why didn't I think of this before? The Morningstar family... there's only one. No one would dare impersonate a member of the Morningstar family, not with the fear of being hunted down by them or the goblins.'
Eileen's eyes widened in realization as fragmented memories about the Morningstar family came rushing back.
For some inexplicable reason, she hadn't pieced it together earlier, even though Leo had clearly introduced himself as a Morningstar.
"Yes, you're right. Leo is the head of the Morningstar family,"
Wakana said casually as she passed steaming cups of tea to the stunned trio and Eileen.
"And we are his wives."
The air in the room froze for a moment as the Black sisters processed what Wakana had just said.
Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa stared at Wakana, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
Even Eileen, who had been slowly putting the pieces together, seemed to lose her composure.
'It seems the information card Leo used is working perfectly,'
Wakana thought with quiet satisfaction, noting their stunned expressions.
After a Few Hours...
After having a long conversation, catching up on their lives, Eileen and Bellatrix, along with her sisters, stepped out of the resting room.
"I still can't believe the heir of Slytherin harbors such grand ambitions,"
Eileen said, a note of shock in her voice. Though she had read about the Death Eaters' exploits in the Daily Prophet, hearing firsthand accounts from a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight like Bellatrix gave it a much heavier weight.
Sigh...
"Yeah, things in the family aren't great either,"
Andromeda admitted with a defeated sigh.
"The elders seem drawn to the Slytherin heir's ambition and want to follow him, hoping to achieve glory."
Her sullen expression betrayed her true feelings—she was clearly unhappy with the direction her family was heading.
When they reached the main hall, they saw Leo busy at work, handing a carefully packed potion to a customer.
"Thank you for your purchase. That will be 45 Galleons,"
Leo said with a professional smile.
The customer nodded, paid the sum, and left with the package.
"Thank you for your purchase. That will be 15 Galleons,"
Leo repeated for the next customer before noticing Eileen and the Black sisters approaching.
"Take a walk and get some fresh air. I'll handle the shop for the rest of the day,"
Leo said, meeting Eileen's gaze with a gentle expression.
"No, I'm good,"
Eileen replied with a smile, shaking her head.
Without hesitation, she resumed managing the business, freeing Leo from his duties.
Leo, now free, turned to the Black sisters with his signature warm smile.
"You're welcome to visit us here or at the Morningstar mansion anytime. I think Eileen would love to spend more time with her friends like she did today."
"Sure, we will!"
Narcissa replied eagerly, her eyes sparkling with excitement before Bellatrix could speak.
Chuckle...
Watching Narcissa's enthusiastic response, Andromeda chuckled softly while Bellatrix's brow twitched.
Despite her usual poise, Narcissa's excitement was hard to contain.
"Thank you, Lord Morningstar, for inviting us. We will certainly visit your mansion soon,"
Bellatrix said with a small bow, her tone formal and respectful.
"There's no need to be so formal,"
Leo said, shaking his head with a soft laugh.
"Just call me Leo."
With that, the Black sisters bid farewell to Leo, Eileen, and the others at the shop.
Carrying a few packages of potions they had purchased, they exited Cauldron & Charm Apothecary, already looking forward to their next visit.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
I hope you guys enjoying the story.
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