Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

58

“Blaise, my dearest son” she greeted but made no move to hug him, not that Eliza would have let her anywhere close. Mrs Zabini could pretend to be picture perfect all she wanted, but it was easy to spot the missing warmth in her cold eyes.

“I thought you were meant to be coming home for Yule?” she asked with a shark like grin, cold and unsettling.

“Mother” Blaise said and Eliza squeezed his hand as it sounded like he almost choked on the world “I did inform you I was staying with Eliza and her family this Yule”

“Yes” she said disdainfully, wrinkling her nose as she glanced first at Eliza and then back at Remus and Sirius “I heard you were associating yourself with such-

She cut herself off and forced a wider smile “Nevertheless your step-father wants you home this summer, I’ve let you throw your tantrum for long enough”

Oh what Eliza would give to kill the woman. Or maybe not kill, maybe just slightly maim.

She felt Blaise tense beside her, saw him square his shoulders as he met his mother’s eyes

“No”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” the woman practically snarled before trying to compose herself, returning to her false poised dignity “I told you to come home”

“I think you’ll find Lady Zabini” came Remus’ calm voice as he and Sirius looped around so they were both stood behind Blaise. Eliza smiled smugly up at the woman as Sirius wrapped his arms around the both of them and Remus smiled with all the false pleasantry and patience of a man who’d had to sit through a Hogwarts Staff meeting.

“I think you’ll find Blaise is coming home” Remus said “He’s coming home with us”

Mrs Zabini scoffed, and she could have been considered the most beautiful woman in the world until that masquerade fell away. Her face twisted, eyes sharpened, and she was still beautiful yes, but Eliza could see why Blaise had always seen her as a monster over a mother.

“Blaise put an end to this foolishness right now, I raised you better than this-

“You didn’t” Blaise cut in. Blaise was usually the smooth talker of the group, it was jarring to hear his voice sound so ragged – raw “You didn’t raise me, you just taught me to look after myself. So that’s what I’m doing” he finished and took a step back so he was even closer to Remus and Sirius.

Mrs Zabini let out a near on growl, evidently not caring about the spectators that were casting their eyes over their strange little group “You are my son and I demand that you come home, it’s my legal right-”

“Well actually” Sirius chimed in brightly, mischief shining in his eyes “I think you’ll find that Blaise is seventeen and as such legally an adult”

“Which means he doesn’t have to listen to any of your demands” Eliza finally chimed in, a shit-eating grin on her face.

“I will disown you” Lady Zabini hissed out, hand clenching and unclenching around her wand and Eliza smirked when she felt Blaise shift beside her, his usual swagger returning as he rose an eyebrow in challenge.

“You could try” he said liltingly “but I am your only heir – and we both know what happened to Alistair, mother. How do you think that would hold up, legally?” he finished with a cutting smile.

A tense silence settled over their whole group, until eventually Mrs Zabini let out a loud huff. She stalked away, stiletto heels tapping furiously against the pavement as she strutted towards the apparition point. She didn’t once look back.