Of Apples and Oranges

IV: i: Bridesmaid

"A toast to my family, my friends!"

Wine glasses clinked, announcing the time of dining as Argentum's speech had ended.

The dinner table in his grandmother's home was extended almost two-fold for all of the family. Argentum Creste sat at the head with his newly wedded wife, Chantelle Creste, to the right. On the right side of the table sat Pearl Creste, Aurum Creste, Quilliam Peeper, and Argentum's uncle, Emerald Creste. The left sat Chantelle's parents, Cameron and Cassandra Chandeliere, and her maternal grandparents, Henry and Henrietta Chevalier.

Chantelle's side of the family seemed almost freakishly pale as if they were vampires. Cassandra Chandelier was snow white and tried to hide it with excessive foundation and blush, but her v-neck gave it away. Cameron avoided this by wearing a turtleneck. Henry and Henrietta with all of their sags and wrinkles looked to be on their deathbed anyway.

It had been a while since Aurum had seen her uncle. He lived in France and the last time she saw him, she was starting Beauxbatons. Her grandmother had once told her Emerald looked just like her father but with his mother's brown eyes which eventually passed down to Aurum somehow. If Emerald really did look like her father, Ruby Creste must have been a very handsome and upstanding man. Emerald had a chiseled, shaved face with a chestnut pompadour. He was always a welcome sight.

The wedding had been a small one in the backyard. No attention needed drawn to it. Same for the reception which they now attended. The guests, besides the newlyweds, Aurum, and her grandmother, had no idea as to why the wedding was so small, but no risks could be taken with Voldemort on the loose and Argentum with the Dark Mark.

"I'm just so happy we could finally meet each other." Cassandra started the conversation. "If you don't mind, Argentum, what happened to your parents? Chantelle never told me."

Chantelle widened her eyes and looked at Argentum with fear he might say something rash.

Argentum cleared his throat and did not respond, choosing to ignore the question and take a slice of roast pig from the center of the table. He filled his plate with other items from around the table cooked and brought by the members around the table and began eating in silence.

Cassandra nodded thoughtfully, biting her lip. She must have figured out she might have to mind her business.

"So how was this year at Hogwarts, Aura? Did you like it fine?" Emerald asked, chewing some of the roast. "I remember when your father and I caused so much trouble up and down those halls." he reminisced in his wine goblet. "I guess you guys have a new set of twins though, eh?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good at the start." Aurum mumbled. She didn't want to bring up the ending for reasons such as Argentum's explosive temper, Argentum's explosive temper, and Argentum's explosive temper.

"Well, what happened?" Emerald was taken aback. Apparently there was no chaos at the school besides what was happening in the outside world during his years.

"It was fine. They had a fine year, Em." Pearl told her son.

"Je ne sais pas why you married this man, mon Channie." Henry harrumphed, making his rather large, white mustache bounce on his upper lip. He pointed with his fork at Aurum. "He's so petite and feminine."

"Erm, sir, I'm Argentum's little sister, Aurum. He's sitting over there." Aurum pointed at Argentum for the old man. She had to bite her cheeks afterwards to keep from laughing.

There was a clatter on the table as Henry dropped his utensils in shock. He stared at Argentum with big eyes. "That's even worse! Sacré Dieu! He needs some meat on his bones!"

"Father, please." Cassandra scoffed at his profanity. "Not at the table."

Aurum felt like shrinking in her seat as the Chandeliere's began arguing very hotly in French. Chantelle tried to speak up, but their loud voices drowned her out. Aurum wanted to ask what they were saying, but preferred to stay out of their business. All she could hear from them was the one English sentence the mother spoke, "Eye! His eye, what's wrong with it?"

Interrupting them, a crash much like an earthquake shaking the ground in the upstairs stirred the house. Aurum leapt up from her seat. Her grandmother began to rise, but Aurum put a hand on her shoulder.

"Please, gramma, let me." Aurum offered, trying not to sound worried.

Quilliam rose from his seat, gesturing for her to lead the way. He didn't have to say anything to note that he wanted to come with.

The twosome tiptoed upstairs with Quilliam following close behind Aurum. There were only two bedrooms and a bathroom around the corner of the stairs. The loud noise seemed to come from the first, Aurum's. In fact, she could now hear her rooster, Dragon, crowing loudly.

Hurriedly, Aurum rushed to her bedroom. When she turned on a lamp light by the door, a cloaked figure gasped. It apparated away, but not before Quilliam could latch on. It was some time before they came back.

Quilliam had an arm around and held a wand up to the man's neck. The cloak's hood had been dropped and the figure was now revealed to be a very gruff and scruffy looking man whom neither recognized. There was a peculiar scar on his face which looked as if someone had dragged a wand across it twice. The only thing they could tell about him was that he was a Death Eater.

"Looks like I've had to pay a return visit to your humble abode, Ms. Creste," the man said, his voice like sandpaper.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure who you are." Aurum held her wand up to the man, but hers was far more shakier than Quilliam's.

The very hairy man pointed at Aurum's stomach. "Who do you think gave you that bite?"

Aurum's eyes gleamed yellow with fury and suddenly she found herself jumping at the man, only to start floating towards the ceiling of the room. She had gotten so close to the man who caused her and by that way, her friends for having to put up with it, such strife in her years at Hogwarts and now she was regrettably unable to return the favor.

Argentum found himself strolling into his little sister's bedroom, nonchalantly twirling his wand about and even whistling a song from an old sitcom. He gave his sister a wide smirk. Aurum struggled from his magical grasp, but it was inescapable.

"Fenrir Greyback. How nice to finally meet you again." Argentum looked him up and down. "I suppose some scars never heal." Argentum looked down at his wand which was very much sharpened at the end. "I'm never going to forget what you did to my sister."

"Our Lord has called upon you, Creste. He requires your assistance getting into the Ministry of Magic." Fenrir barked, ignoring Argentum's suave hostility. "I need you to come with me."

"Tell him to send me Malfoy or Crabbe. Seniors, obviously. I don't talk to kids. You should also know I don't take orders from mutts." Argentum smirked, adjusting his glasses and then putting his hands in his pockets.

"If I wasn't being held by this psychopath, I'd come over there and squash you like a bug." Fenrir growled.

"Oh? And what has poor, shy, defenseless Quilliam Jameson Peeper done to you?" Argentum pouted, likely knowing of his friend's insanity and purely teasing.

"He's one of the most sadistic people I've ever met, and I know Bellatrix Lestrange." Fenrir glared at Argentum for his perceived ignorance. Quilliam remained silent.

"Taught him well, didn't I?" Argentum wiped a mock tear from the eye he still had. He quickly became serious. "Quill, go deliver Voldemort this pup." Argentum pushed Fenrir's chest, almost knocking the man into Quilliam.

The two apparated out and Aurum was relieved of her position on the roof. She landed on the bed softly.

"I'm telling gramma." Aurum stated with a deep, serious voice.

Argentum howled with laughter. He wiped an actual tear from his eye, he was laughing so hard.

"No, you're not."