𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟒
"Ow," Harry hissed as Hermione pressed on the disinfectant on his cheek. The girl rolled her eyes and pressed more. The ravenette winced.
"If you didn't have a temper of a teaspoon, you wouldn't be hurt!" Hermione scolded her best friend, patching his face with a band-aid.
"I thought Ron's the one with the range of a teaspoon?" Harry said with mild bitterness.
"He didn't cause a news scattering threat through out London!" She blankly said, ending the rebuke.
Harry grumbled under his breath. Hermione sighed turning away to the window that over looked the Maximus Manor. This was the first time she was here. In Greece, no lease. It was different than France and Britain. The air was more crisp and clearer. The trees were dense and open not to mention the manor being built on the water. Three manors were connected by bridges. The centre was a big green house. She liked it here.
A knock on the door snapped the pair from their own worlds. Rhory peaked his head through the door, his almost silver hair was distinguishable. He smiled seeing the pair. He entered the room, closing the door behind him.
"Hello," He greeted, standing near the door.
"Hey, Rhory." Harry greeted still bitter with Hermione.
The brunette glared at her best friend having detected the tone. Rhory watched amused as the pair fought with their eyes. He lets them fight it out a while before Hermione turned to him.
"How may we help you?" She said with a tone of politeness.
"Rosie and I were hoping to run you lot along Athens. You're friends are coming around, am I right?" Rhory told them.
"We're going around Athens?" Hermione visibly beamed.
Rhory admires her look of jubilation and nodded. "Yes, we use to go camping every summer but Deo and the oldies are getting jobs."
"That makes sense." Harry mumbled, fiddling with the gauze on his wrist."
"We will be leave when the rest arrives, is that fine? We're spending lunch by the pier."
"Sure," Hermione answered for Harry. "Thank you for telling us, Rhory."
"No worries. Just don't...murder each other anymore."
Meanwhile as the trio up in the manor was conversing casually, downstairs in the kitchen. Rosendo and Cassian were planning the other's murder plan. Calypso could only watch with her father, uncle, cousin, and friends.
"Are they always like this?" Theodore asked, chewing his breakfast, which was blueberry pancakes.
Calypso sighed. "We're much worse. This is their maximum."
Sirius was about to make a pun but Remus shoved him a garlic bread, effectively silencing the dog.
"Really? I feel like they could go worse." Blaise hummed, as the sound of Rosendo cursing his brother in Greek.
"Their worst was tossing Malachi down a cliff." Calypso said after swallowing her watermelon piece. Neville would be disappointed if she didn't eat her fruits.
"What's our worse?" Draco thought out loud.
"Plan my son's deathbed." Remus said, remembering the time they talked openly about Harry's funeral while the said boy was there snoring away.
"No, there's much worst." Sirius interrupted as the sound of Cassian smacking his brother with a heavy book. "Remember the time you little gremlins planned on helping spitfire with a biological hazard?"
"Ah, a virus. Good times." Blaise said with a faux nostalgia look on his face.
"That was two months ago." Theodore deadpanned, staring at one of his best friends.
"Rose, please, we're not letting them re-enact a Greek play!" Cassian sighed exasperatedly. He was close to committing fratricide.
"They're like greek gods! Think about the entertainment!" Rose said half-serious.
Cassian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lili, tell me wise words why I shouldn't commit murder right now."
"There's no books in Azkaban." Surprisingly, it was Calypso and Sirius that replied in unison.
"Fair enough." The blue-eyed teen sighed, raising his head to glare at his little brother.
"Hey—" Reagan caught himself from further saying anything as Rosendo bolted out the room. The only Hellenes in the room frowned seeing his best friend with a mischievous smile exit the room.
"Ah! Reagan! I was hoping to catch up with you." Sirius said, startling the teen.
Blaise and Draco snickered among themselves as Theodore smirked. Remus rolled his eyes at the dramatic marauder. Calypso sighed knowing well she can't help him.
"Sirius," Reagan greeted, afraid to swallow down his fear.
Sirius smiled, guiding him out just as Rhory and the other two appeared with visible sympathy written on their expressions.
"He's dead." Harry casually said, sitting beside Draco, stealing a blueberry.
"Sirius can't hurt a fly, much less the boy dating his daughter." Remus said with a shrug and drinking his coffee.
"That's not reassuring." Theodore commented.
"Did you guys agree on something?" Rhory steered the conversation, asking his older brother.
"We happened to agree on something." Cassian sighed, sitting down on his usual seat which was next to Remus.
"And?" Rhory drawled. It wasn't no secret that Rosendo and Cassian were always feuding. The brunette having a boisterous personality while the blue-eyed boy had a more mellow personality. They were meant to disagree in every aspect.
"We visit the temple of Athena." The Knights beamed at this. "Then we have lunch by the usual restaurant near the pier. Maybe—just maybe we can bring them to the Graeci Alley."
"Do you need parental supervision?" Remus asked having heard the amount of question they will get if they don't have an adult.
Cassian paused. "I thought...you and lord black are tagging along?"
Remus nodded in understanding. "I'm quite packed with Dora and Sirius will have a meeting this afternoon in Gringotts."
"Oh, don't worry, we have Anastasia to join us." Cassian assured the older man.
"You have a date with Dora?" Draco sniffed.
Remus raised an eyebrow.
Draco shrugged. "You have a thing for Blacks."
Calypso nodded as testament. Remus rolled his eyes at the other pair working in tandem.
"Pups, Mooney! The rest of the gang is here. You might need medical necessities. Ron and Neville got stuck."
"It's puberty." Theodore said. Draco nodded.
"Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots." Hermione sighed, moving her book away from her face.
"I'm an idiot." Calypso said to herself while sipping her glass of apple juice.
That afternoon. Everyone gathered in front go the Maximus Forte. Remus had instructed Harry to not die, and Sirius had threatened his daughter to not loose a limb. The best parenting 101. After the bidding of goodbyes, the large group of friends were now giving Cassian a migraine.
Who could've known they were a whole cult?
There was his sister, she was quiet like always. Harry, telling his friends to be nice and to shut up. Hermione who was civil. Draco, being the only one who stuck out which his blonde hair. Blaise, the tallest among them. Theodore was beside Calypso judging his friends. Ron was also tall with that bright red hair of his. Neville was proudly tall as Theodore, and is civil as Hermione. That wasn't the end.
Rain and River where there too with their friend Ginny and little Astoria, along with her sister who was standing with Hermione, Daphne. Nevan and Sohan joined in with Reagan having to brief them with the bullshit they will be hearing. Add to that, Odysseus was here too with Ianthe. He had the audacity to leave Xanthos out of spite.
Thank God. Cassian doesn't want to commit murder because that blonde egotistical mini-tyrant could actually make him commit genocide.
Add the icing on the top. Anastasia was here. He was sure he had it in the bag.
"I'm leashing you." Reagan threatened his little brother Nevan who rolled his eyes.
"No one is leashing anyone." Sohan said with a timid tone.
"I don't oppose." Anastasia hummed, pulling out a leash. Literally.
Calypso sighed seeing the death wish her older brother was considering. She, Rhory, and Harry placed a comforting hand on his back. He will need it. All of it.
"Okay, Knights, line up!" Harry commanded. Amusingly, those who aren't knights, watched in awe as all thirteen knights and soldiers lined up in a clean line.
"Is that better?" Harry mused watching as Neville and Rain fall in line.
"Thank you, harry, so much stress." Cassian said and muttered to himself at the end.
"That is one organized clan." Anastasia mumbled to Rosendo who nodded along watching as the knight conversed with their eyes.
"They act like soldier rather than children." Nevan commented to his brother.
"They're cool, you're just bitter." Sohan intoned to his brother.
"Everyone ready?" Anastasia called out, raising her hand to gather their attention to her.
"Yup!" "Yes!" Ready..."
Cassian and Anastasia for the next hour was touring around little anarchist around Athens. Hermione had a notebook in hand with Draco holding a camera. Reagan would place inputs having lived there since he was little baby. It was difficult dragging a whole soccer team around, but Cassian was grateful with Harry controlling his own friends. Not so much with Anastasia, she leashed Nevan who was bemused. The literal angels were just the Greengrass sister, Odysseus and Ianthe, Theodore, and Calypso.
For once in his life, Cassian Maximus was grateful he has patience because of Rosendo.
"How are you holding up?" Calypso asked her older brother as she took pictures with the camera, they gifted her a year ago.
"Stressful," Cassian mumbled, fixing his white polo.
"You're doing great." She assured her brother by giving him a side hug.
She turned to her friends, watching them run around the Temple of Athena. The ruins of it at least. She smiled as Harry and Ron help Rosendo re-enact a play. Their only audience was a laughing Blaise and an amused Neville. Theodore was with Ginny, Rain, River and Sohan. The four of them were talking animatedly. Anastasia was with Nevan and Reagan. That leaves Odysseus with Daphne and Astoria who was playing with Ianthe. Rhory was somewhere around, probably lost.
"Is this what Amadeo see when he's with us?" Cassian asked himself as he ignored his own brother's singing in the distant.
"Times two," Calypso hummed, giving him no less the truth.
"At least they're having fun," The orphan mumbled, fixing his shades.
"You left me!" There goes the lost boy. Rhory appeared behind them with a foul expression. "Traitors."
"Survival of the fittest, Angelus." Cassian drawled, leaning on the temple's many columns.
"I'm your brother," Hissed the lilac blonde.
"Still applies." The youngest among them hummed with a tone of teasing.
Rhory rolled his eyes but didn't move from his spot. "At least this is better than camping."
"True..." Both replied.
"Yo! Cass, we need lunch! Sohan needs to drink his medication." Reagan called over from his spot.
Cassian gave him an 'ok' hand sign before turning to collect the pubescent teenagers, and thankfully, Harry was one step ahead as he began dragging all his friend to the exit. Soon enough, everyone was seated in two separated tables in the same Restaurant Reagan took Calypso to.
The staff and chefs were very grateful with the lively atmosphere their restaurant had gain, no less that the teenagers keep gasping in awe at the food they received.
"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione hissed, tossing her friend a napkin.
"What?" Ron asked raising his shoulders. His mouth full of food. "It's good food."
"You should put more," Sohan told his new friend, Draco, pointing to the pepper shaker. "It usually adds more flavour...at least that's what mother had told me..."
Seeing his new friend unsure of his own opinion. Draco did what he was told and mixed his salad before taking a bite. He nodded his head relieving Sohan from his shy tendencies. It was good salad.
"Here," Daphne swatted Odysseus hand. She had been watching him throughout dinner. He was barely touching his food; all his focus was on his four-year-old sister who needed help with her food. She gently moved Ianthe's plate and began cutting the food for her.
"Thank you, Daphne." Odysseus genuinely said, turning to his food.
Across them, Astoria was watching with smirk on her face. Nevan was beside her also having the same expression.
Calypso blinked at how they're carefully planning out someone's destiny in front of food.
"I don't like that smirk." She said. Reagan, who was beside her, looked to where she was looking and laughed lightly before saying. "Let them scheme."
"No—not today, satan." Rhory said dragging away Rosendo from making a comment about their sisters relationship.
"But Rors!"
"Make one fucking comment." Cassian threatened as Anastasia pulled him away from Rosendo. "You and Lucian are nauseating to look at."
Rosendo gasped. "How dare you!"
"Cassian! Switzerland!" Anastasia reminded her half-brother's half-brother.
"Should we stop them?" Theodore asked to no one in particular. He watched as Rosendo use Rhory as a human shield.
"Nah," River and Blaise at the same time, swallowing their desert.
"Just pray for them," Rain mumbled, blissfully ignoring everyone.
"Harry, please, stop crying over the food." Luna sighed, patting down her fellow god's back.
"It's so good, Lu."
"I know, shh, I know,"
After lunch, Cassian let them reign free in the magical shopping district. To enter the magical part in Athens. You had to walk between two tall pillars to see a birdbath. With a simple access of just placing the tip of a wand on the water, the wards falls into a curtain like movement, granting access to everyone magical.
"Look," Daphne said, dragging Hermione and Anastasia to a bookstore where a new novel was displayed.
"Lils, faster!" Anastasia grappled on Calypso who had Ianthe perching on her hip.
Calypso chuckled as her bookworm best friend and roommate gushed over the new novel while Anastasia was drooling over a new book collection. She looked down to Ianthe who had fallen asleep on her. She decided her blonde friend need a break from the over joyous toddler and took her from him.
Deciding that they will take a while in the bookstore, Calypso began weaving through the crowd, scanning bookshelves to see if anything piqued her interest. A section about history took her interest immediately and she entered than row only to bump into someone.
Her reflex remains superior as she placed her hand on Ianthe's head from colliding with the person's shoulder.
"Sorry," She apologized in Greek.
"It fine—" The male, she bumped into, stopped just as they both raised their head to hear him out.
Calypso blinked. The boy in front of her was frozen.
Was mars bright tonight?
"Sorry, again..." Calypso mumbled swerving to avoid the last person she wanted to see.
But luck seems to stray. "Wait!"
The girl stopped in her tracks. She had turn soft for humans. Oddly, she blamed Harry for it. She turned around and tilted her head.
The newspapers didn't do him justice. Ambrose Maximus looked ethereal. He was contrasting her in so many ways. He was living and breathing life. She was living and surviving life. His silver eyes were brighter, it put so many stars to shame. How could've know? He held himself with such a humble stance he could be mistaken as a carefree teen on his summer vacation.
He scared her. He was so bright. So alive. Full of life. She was afraid if she connects herself with this ball of supernova, she'll kill his fire.
"Are you perhaps, Calypso Black?" He asked. His voice was also the epitome of a sunshine.
"Yes?" Calypso said it more like a question than a statement.
"I'm sorry to startle you," He sheepishly said, rubbing the back of his neck. Then she spotted it. His wrist was covered with a gauze, a visible patch of blood was seen. Her eyes narrowed.
"It's fine...if I may I ask your name?" Calypso acted innocently, tilting her head.
"Oh!" He beamed. "I'm Ambrose Maximus."
"Ambrose? Immortality? Such an ambitious name." Calypso couldn't help but tease.
"Oh," He breath out. "My parents are..." He faltered a bit. "Yeah, they're ambitious people."
"So, how may I help you?" She asked shifting Ianthe on her right.
"Oh right! Uh, well, I was hoping if I can get a hold of Cassian Maximus?" Ambrose kindly asked.
"Ah." Calypso bit her tongue before providing a kind smile. "He's my half-brother. How can we help?"
"Oh! That's great. You see...uh...my father...is his father? I'm adopted..." Ambrose cringed at how he stammered. "Good merlins, I'm sorry for being too straight forward. That's all how I can confront it. I've been trying to find connections to find my real family...there are plethora of new papers regarding Amara Le Roy...y'know?
Calypso smiled at his rant. He kept ranting. "I was planning to sent him an owl, but I didn't know where he lives, nor what school he goes too...I was...you know, planning if he can help me find my real family...if they're still alive."
The goddess of Balance inwardly sighed. Be noble. Be kind. Repeat.
"I'm actually with my brother right now...and friends. We're in a shopping venture. Would you like to meet Cassian?" Calypso offered, being the kind Slytherin she is. Ambrose visible brightened up that reminded her of a golden retriever.
"If you don't mind?" Ambrose mumbled in greek, switching languages quickly.
"I'll be honest with you." she spoke in the same language. "He's about to blow a gasket. My half-brother Rosendo if driving him down a wall. I'm sure the whole plaza would hear murder."
Ambrose laughed, finally breaking the ice.
"Let's go then?" Calypso jerked her head to the exit. She didn't wait for a reply as she began exiting the door. She caught Anastasia's gaze and smiled before leaving casually.
Ambrose elegantly followed, unbeknownst to him, his sister. He didn't judge her right away, her arms were covered in a cloth like gauze, and it reached up to her neck, what happened? She had some bruises and cuts that were newly healed, over that, she looked elegant either way. He watched her carefully, if she was Maximus Heir's half-sister, who was her father? All he knew is that he and the rightful heir had the same mother, just different fathers. So why did his stepfather banish his own blood son?
When they emerged from the crowd. The Infamous Black Death guided him to a male version of her, instead of silver eyes, he had the trademark blue-eyes of a Maximus. He seems to know him as his annoyed gaze turned indifferent. The brunet beside him seemed to also turn indifferent. Only the lilac blonde and Calypso seemed kind enough to give him a smile.
"Uh...hi." The faux heir greeted awkwardly.
Cassian caught his sister's gaze. Her eyes were telling him to be kind as to why he saw it immediately. His eyes flickered to the gauze that Ambrose had been habitually fiddling with.
"Hello," replied Cassian as he holds a bit of grudge. "Heir Maximus."
"Yeah...about that..." Ambrose felt like he was sick. The urge to scratch his wrist was strong but he refrained. "...I was hoping...if you'd..."
He seemed to pause in panic. The Le Roy siblings saw this.
"I was hoping you know that I'm not really their child? Well...hoping at least..." He intoned. "They told me my origins...with disclosed yours."
"What did they tell you?" Rhory asked, tilting his head. He noticed signs of self-harm, anxiety, and child abuse. He grew up watching Amadeo and Malachi pay several therapist for Rosendo and Cassian.
Ambrose nervously fiddled with his hands, scratching his skin. "Father told me a few years ago that I was adopted. Mother gave me only one hint on who's face I should look out for,...which is Cassian...she said I was you half-brother, us having the same mother...So, you can guess it was messy especially after the rumor's of you-know-who rising." Ambrose confessed. He felt like he needed to trust them. "He prevented me from going to school and started these...dark arts lesson. I promised I don't take it to heart. If you could just help me this one time to meet my real father, I will forever be indebt to you."
Rosendo covered his mouth immediately. "You don't want that to happen. We'll help you. I promise. We promise."
"Really!?" Ambrose visibly beamed.
They were reminded of a dog. A golden retriever yet again.
"Of course." Cassian told him. Who was he kidding? Amadeo and Malachi wasted their summers and winters searching for them. He would be betraying everything his morals stood for. Family is all and blood. "What are half-brother's for?"
"Lili! Neville bought a murderous plant!" Harry came yelling only to stop seeing Ambrose. He cleared his throat and offered a hand. "Sup, mate. Harry, nice to meet you."
"The murderous plan fucking ate my braids!" Blaise hissed stomping away a few twisted braids missing.
"I'm sorry, excuse me, I need to leash some teenagers." Cassian excused himself with a sigh.
"Lili!"
"Sorry, that's my idiot," Calypso grumbled, covering Ianthe's ears from the loud manly shrieking of Blaise.
"You guys sure are lively..." Ambrose chuckled, shaking Harry's hand.
"Biggest understatement, really." Rhory drawled.
Ambrose checked his wristwatch and sighed. "I'm here to take my leave. It was a miracle to see heiress black, please tell her I said thank you. And thank you for the help."
"Dude, just call her Calypso, she's family." Rosendo said, bumping shoulders.
"Huh?"
"They're all family," Harry pipped in. "Half siblings to be exact. I hate his guts though." He pointed to Rosendo who poked his tongue out.
"I wonder who my father is..." Ambrose thought out loud.
Rosendo, Rhory and Harry internally winced. They made eye contact before offering their own awkward version of a smile. If only this poor pawn knew.
"Oh yeah, I need to depart. It's nice to meet you all, I hope to get a letter." Ambrose beamed.
Harry squinted his eyes. He was visually impaired; he doesn't not want to worsen his condition.
Good lord. This year will be a ride.