"It's about time you showed up!" were the first words out of my Grand'mère's mouth the moment she saw us exiting our cars in front of her house. After a lengthy argument between the entire family the other night, it had been decided that we would go by slower transportation to France rather than bombard the Parisian floo network with our arrival.
"It's technically rude to use floo network when your party is over four people," Ed said in a tone that spoke for itself as he nudged the bridge of his glasses up his nose.
"No one asked, Ed," Damion retorted with a single sigh as he watched Theo take another glass of Elder wine from a passing house elf and hand it to me.
"It's not like big families listen to stupid rules like that anyway" Theo added in an undertone while I took the glass quietly from him.
"Imagine what the Weasleys would do without floo network."
To my disbelief, I saw my father snort at my comment before taking a drink from his glass. That left a bad taste in my mouth.
Fast-forward to arriving in Paris, Grand'mère had her uniformed elves ransack our cars and take our things to our respective rooms.
"I don't want to share a room with Ed. Anyone but Ed," Theo warned to the retreating house elf with his duffle bag. Either the elf was deaf, or he just didn't care what my brother had to say to him, as he didn't take note of my brother's comment.
"French, Theo, they speak french," Damion said in an attempt to sound smothering. Theo managed to give his older brother a smarting stare before racing off after the elf, saying French profanities that made my mother straighten up, shocked.
The rest of us children on the other hand snickered and barely managed to keep straight faces while my mother rushed off after the sounds of her deplorable son.
Thankfully for Grand'mère and more so Theo, our grandmother was one of the elderly type who needed hearing aids and yet refused to make the purchase.
So she was spared that fiasco as she braced herself on the railing to come down her marble steps toward us. Only, Damion raced up to stop her and lend her his arm instead.
"Always a good boy, you were, Damion. Terrible French, but good boy" She said with a pat on his arm as he led her down the stairs.
"We can't all be perfect, Grand'mère."
"That is up to interpretation, mon chéri. Now you two," She turned on Ed and I looking on innocently by the car. "This house is about to be packed with family, all of which seemed eager to get on my last nerve. I expect all of you," she turned to Ed with a keen stare that made him smile meekly to the ground, "to take up all their time socially so that I don't have to listen to another complaint of needing money or what have you-"
"They're not still after you for your money, are they Mamen?" My mother asked, appearing a bit disheveled with a line of concern at her brow by the door of the house. Theo was standing behind her, rubbing his right cheek that was noticeably pink.
She obviously didn't hit him hard enough, as elements of his characteristic smirk was still present on his face.
My grand'mère merely laughed at my mother, as if she had said something truly funny. It almost sounded degrading.
"Really Emmeline, I never thought you to be so naive. Who doesn't want money?" She then turned to my father who had up to this point been dictating what the elves should take to where, closed the trunk with a definite slam and looked up to my grandmother without another sound. It was his eyes that gave him away.
It didn't make sense why but I could read that my father was one of those my grand'mère had hinted too. But why would my father need money?
Célia arrived with her mother, Charlotte, and father, Gaël, a few hours after we arrived and had gotten settled. I knew it was Célia the moment she walked into the wood-paneled hall and called out a jolly "Joyeux Noël Américains!!"
"Américans my foot! What's with the late arrival?" Theo called down from the stairwell first while I ran down the stairs to bear hug my cousin.
"Theodard! You've gotten so tall!" Charlotte, Célia's mother, called up at the sight of my brother. She dropped her coat onto a waiting house elf behind her and waved my brother down.
"Let me see you up close. Gaël, doesn't he look like Louis? I could have sworn-"
"I highly doubt Theo looks like our old pool boy, Mamen," Célia chuckled before releasing me from my hug.
"Can't imagine what that would imply..." Ed muttered by the wall, surprising all of us. Ed had a knack for walking in and out of places without people being aware. Gaël, Célia's father, was of a similar disposition to my brother and so joined him on the wall and promptly left the socializing to the others.
"I heard you've left Beauxbatons, Mon Chou. Don't tell me Madame Maxime scared you away."
"I didn't leave by choice," I muttered with a warning gaze just as my parents walked in with my grand'mère leading the way. Célia gave me a cryptic look before turning to my parents with a docile smile that masked her intrigue over which parent screwed me over.
It didn't take long to figure out.
"Darious! When was the last time you came to Paris?" Charlotte asked, ever so happy to see a new face. "I thought you found the French deploring!"
"Oh please, Charlotte, don't be blunt," Her husband called from the wall to deaf ears. Ed was having a hard time suppressing a smile as he watched his father look around uncomfortably at the jab.
"Deploring? I'd never say such a thing about you Charlotte," My father said in recovery to disbelieving ears.
Seeing her favorite niece, my mother came over and gave Célia bise before looking her up and down with interest.
"Beautiful as always, Célia," my mother cooed in an affectionate manner that made Célia smile. "What have you been up to this year?
"Nothing much. I got a new place which I'm sure my mother has told you about."
"Are you talking about me, CeCe?" Charlotte turned from Damion, who had taken up the role of guarding my grand'mère, and came up to us with new interest. "Honestly Emmeline, this girl can't seem to say one nice thing about her Mamen," Charlotte complained as she joined our circle.
"Only nice things, Charlotte. Your daughter mentioned moving," My mother filled in kindly. Charlotte's expression brightened at the topic.
"Oh yes, a perfectly reasonable thing you'd hear for her age, wouldn't you say? And yet she won't tell me a thing!"
"What are you on about, Mamen?" Célia exclaimed in false exasperation. We matched a knowing look before she added, "I told her that I found a nice apartment and she thinks I made a secret deal under the table!"
"Well why would I believe otherwise? It's not just any apartment! It's off the Rue de Varenne!"
Both my mother and I inhaled automatically and just stared at Célia unabashed. While Célia rolled her eyes and mouthed a curse under her breath, Charlotte understood our reaction completely.
Simply put, Rue de Varenne is one of those streets all tourists want to walk by during the summer season. You are in the heart of Paris and only a short walk from all the main attractions the city has to offer.
You could only imagine the price tag on one of those flats.
Célia was saved from answering any more questions by Damion who came in to pester her in welcome. Grand'mère on the other hand was calling us all for dinner.
My mother's other cousin, Annette, arrived with her husband Remy and their three boys Jules, Laurent, and Arthur during dinner, leading the house into chaos. The family, like ours, was known for the chaos brought on by their sons, all identical in looks and close in age. They all had that similar spark that Theo had seemed to inherit through the family line. No surprise, they adored Theo, and followed him everywhere he went. So when Grand'mère shooed them off to go play during dinner, Theo led the way out with the boys following after.
After the hellos were signaled and the triad of boys evaporated from the room, coffee was ordered for the table and Annette situated herself between my mother, Célia, Gaël, and myself.
"I can't remember the last time I saw you, Emmeline, let alone your children!" Annette began as the rest of us made room for her at the table. Annette worked in the French ministry, but my mother had always figured she wanted to marry up in rank. When that didn't happen, she settled at her work and hasn't changed her life much since- though Annette swears her job has made her life unbelievably busy. So busy in fact that she rarely sees anyone outside the family much anymore.
"Well we've been so busy, As I'm sure you've heard," My mother replied with a smile. She brushed back a few strands of blonde hair, letting them slide back into place like a cascade of waves.
"I've always thought a trip to the states would be a fun excuse to avoid working," Annette replied readily. "Maybe then I would be able to get us both out of work, what say you, Gaël?"
I watched Gaël stretch back in his chair like a cat in the sun. His daughter was watching him with the enchantment only daughters gave their fathers.
"I'd say you'd have to speak to my wife about any travel plans. Last I tried a surprise expedition, I nearly lost my cigar privileges."
"Mamen needs to lighten up sometimes," Célia explained to the others with a glance toward her mother across the table in the midst of a conversation with Damion and my father. Ed sat in the middle of both conversations at the table, starring off in thought. "It would do her good to see the states."
"Well then, just send me a date and I will plan accommodations accordingly. I'm sure my children would be happy to have you all," My mother said politely. I knew from experience that my mother hated when family invited themselves to our house. It was something all European relations are stereotyped to pull if you are an American with such family ties. They expect to stay at your house when they come to the states but the moment you step foot in their country it's to the hotel with you or in our case, stay at Grand'mère's.
On second thought, maybe I too didn't like family inviting themselves over.
Annette's hazel eyes turned from my mother to me and she smiled. But it wasn't a truly kind smile. For a moment I thought my thoughts had read across my face, but then she spoke.
"Ava is looking more like Amélie every time I see her." She laughed oddly, while I raised a brow toward Célia who was as perplexed by this odd phrasing of her aunt's.
"You act as if we've all see you Tante each year," Célia said with a clever raise in her brow that made her father give her a warning nudge to the side. My mother hide her smile behind her coffee cup.
"I was going to add," Annette said, ignoring her niece's comment, "that I was hoping to see you, Ava, in your Beauxbatons blue when your grand'mère told us the news." From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother stilled her hand on her cup.
"It's a shame," Annette continued, "that you chose to leave so shortly after arriving." She was looking at me, as was everyone else in the conversation including Ed, except my mother. She had taken a special interest to her drink.
Of course she used me as an excuse for leaving Beauxbatons. Couldn't have said the truth if her life depended on it, could she?
Maybe that was why Célia brought up my school change earlier... She knew I loved the school. Why would I leave it?
I played off a wistful smile at the accusation and sat up in my chair like a good little girl.
"What can I say? Madame Maxime was too much for me."
That seemed to do it for Annette, as she scoffed and shook her head in a manner that said more than I dare perceive. "Americans," she muttered in a derogatory tone that the rest of us did not repeat.
"You know," Gaël began in an attempt to change subjects, " I hear Hogwarts is a wonderful school. Do you enjoy it there, Ava?" I smiled warmly to him but Annette had a response before I.
"Oh yes, Hogwarts has only good light on it at the moment. What with the British ministry taking over it after that boy dying there last year-"
"I didn't realize you would be so upset over my daughter's transfer, Annette," My mother responded sharply in a false sense of politeness. But her tone warned Annette to back down.
She didn't of course.
My mother and Annette were the same in many ways (in particular their smart attributes about them) but due to life circumstances, had ended in different paths. One with a massive inheritance and a fancy name under her and the other working a desk job at the ministry with too little pay and a husband too meek to say anything other than "yes dear" and "no dear".
My bias on who I prefer in this relationship may be a bit too obvious here, but what do you expect from me? I am my mother's daughter.
Annette turned to my mother with complete focus, her coffee long forgotten on its saucer.
"To be frank Emmeline, We all have a problem with your daughter's untimely exchange in schools," she motioned to the others around her. On the other side of the table, my grand'mère was looking curiously over at us. Charlotte remained obliviously attached to my father and Damion's conversation about who knows what.
"Hogwarts has turned into a target for many dark rumors, the like of which I wouldn't dare say aloud-"
"Then don't," my mother cut in sharply. Her mouth was in a tight line and I saw behind my mother's eyes a rage that was only so close to being unleashed on her cousin.
"We are here to celebrate Christmas. I don't want to hear you complain about why I choose to send my children where they currently are. Darious and I know what's best and so I suggest you learn to accept it. You don't see me arguing over how you raise your sons!"
"Oh but that's different!" Annette exclaimed in a voice that raised in both volume and outrage. Now the other side of the table was turning in their seats.
"My sons aren't placed in a school run by death eaters!"
The table erupted simultaneously. My mother bleached, Célia gasped and covered her mouth while her father pulled back from the table.
Charlotte was standing up to hear whatever was to come next while my father looked absolutely outraged and had been in the process of standing up hadn't Damion stopped him halfway.
It was my grand'mère who stopped the feud entirely.
"I will not have such unsocialized conversations at my table. Apologize. The pair of you."
My mother, who had regained her composure in mar moments, slowly turned her head toward Annette whose face was still beet red. She was exasperated and one look at her told us the likelihood of apologizing. There was a cousin feud between my mother and Annette that made apologizing to one and another fruitless.
"I won't apologize for speaking the truth."
"Then you are not welcome here. Get your children and leave, Annette." I was surprised by how cold my grand'mère's tone had gotten in moments. Ed seemed to feel the same way as he motioned to say something only to be stopped by Damion shaking his head in warning.
Annette left without another word with her children and husband (who hadn't a clue why they had to leave moments after arriving as he had missed the whole drama from finishing a work call outside) in tow.
Their exit prompted an unsaid stillness to the house that crushed any previous holiday joy. But in true Fountaine fashion, what was done about it?
Nothing.
Hello there,
So I actually wrote this chapter to be way longer but it would be too much to put it all here. So I plan to post the second part as a new chapter tomorrow for you guys. It's just a continuation and hopefully it will get us all back into the roll of things.
For understanding on my end, I joined a new school program that is pretty intense and has made it harder to write. But I want to make this clear to all of you.
No matter what, I am way too invested in Ava and what she has planned to ever drop this story. I could be gone from writing for a bit but I will always come back.
I know as readers that sucks to hear so what I would recommend especially if you like to binge read, is to put this in your library or wherever so that you at least can always come back to this story. And when you check back on it whenever, it should have enough chapters to binge through.
I know for me, that means I will get less votes and reads on here for a little while. But I'm okay with that. Because in the end of the day, I'm writing this story as something for myself to enjoy and if others like it, I am really happy for them. But it doesn't have to be the case.
With Love,
-WG-