Regency in Diagon Alley [Theodore Nott | Harry Potter AU]

Chapter Three

"Would you be breaking fast here, my Lady?" Rose asked as her lady continued to stare at the bronze orrery; the gears all turning in sync to show the movement of the planets and its moons as they revolve around the sun. Anyone new to the Marchioness of Grimmauld Place's tower would be enamored by the ancient gadgetry to study the stars: telescopes, maps, books, the orrery, and charts, and the walls which Regulus have commissioned to be painted resembling the night sky but instead of black, it was painted with a hue resembling sapphires, and glittered with silver and gold to represent the stars. Rose was no exception and would sometimes be scolded by the Dowager's Maid-in-Waiting for gawking in the room whenever she brings her lady's tea.

When Carina showed no sign of acknowledging her or realizing that she was no longer alone in the room, Rose grew concern, her mind went into a debate whether she should approach her lady that was looking into the moving spheres that represented the planets. She has decided, even if the Dowager's own maid-in-waiting were to give her a good scolding if she were caught, she was to approach her lady without asking permission –

The sound of loud footsteps caught Rose's attention.

The duke's voice echoed all the way to the tower, yet it still did not wake Carina from her trance.

"Carina, the maids said that you were not in bed this morning, don't tell me that you spent all night up here!" Regulus emerged from the door; he was startled with the sight of Rose standing there while Carina stared at the orrery. "Is something the matter?"

"I do not know, your Grace. I was shocked to find my lady missing from bed, so I went here to check, I found her in this state. Should I get a Healer?" Rose asked.

"Not yet, unless it is something severe," Regulus approached Carina and placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl flinch and was woken from her trance. "My dear, what is the matter? Is there something wrong?"

Carina opened her mouth to reply but saw her maid standing at the corner with a look of concern. "Did someone die? Is it Grandmother?"

Regulus sighed. "There is no need for a Healer, Rose. And if you please prepare her dress for the day so she may join me and the Dowager to break fast."

"Yes, your Grace," Rose curtsied. "My Lady," she referred to Carina then left.

Regulus waited until Rose closed the door upon descending the stairs before he took the stool and sat across Carina and ask, "you have been out of character since the presentation yesterday. What happened? What did the Enchantress say?"

"It is nothing for you to worry about, Uncle Regulus," Carina said, trying her best to sound her usual self, but the hoarseness of her voice due to her sleepless night gave it away, along with the odd situation she was found earlier. Staring into the moving depictions of the planets.

"The thing is, my dear, I do worry, and it will not help me if you don't tell me what troubles you."

Carina wanted to tell someone – anyone – but she knew better than to share what the Enchantress told her. It was considered bad luck, especially when people tend to manipulate the future to their favor. Taking every little thing into an interpretation just so they could best fate, but no one can force fate, and every witch and wizard knows that. Still, there are those who tries to outsmart the Enchantress, one was the Dowager who was already eating her meal having grown tired of waiting for Regulus and Carina to come down.

The fortune given to her by the Enchantress was not even fortune if she were asked, but a warning. She may not have taken Divination in school, unlike Harry, Ron, and Roman who claimed it was just a bollocks class, she has experienced being read by Professor Trelawney. Since she came of age, the woman started going on and on about the Grim following her wherever she went. At first Carina thought it was funny that Trelawny would make an effort to bump into her and start giving her good luck charms to ward off the grim ("A four-leaf clover? Honestly, it is all rubbish!" Hermione raised a brow. "She gave me a rabbit's foot the other day. Roman did me a favor in burying it in the forest... but I do love the acorn, though," Carina said, raising the good luck charm). Then, those instances began to annoy her, especially after learning about what the Grim was, and its relation to her family. Direct family. Then there was the thing about storms, she doubted anything good would come with a storm.