"I didn't know Auntie Larissa was dating Monsieur Leopold," Estelle Borier-Delancy confronted her cousins, "how come you didn't tell?" Estelle, two years older and sixteen, was tall with a fae like beauty, sporting beautiful bronze hair and bluish purple eyes. She resembled her grandmother, Antiope, the most out of all the woman's nineteen grandchildren. Her special eyes, trademark of the Borier family, were gifted with the ability to see magic itself. That's why many spell-crafters and curse-breakers came from the Borier family, as they were uniquely able to see the tendrils of magic that spells and curses were made up of.
"Yeah," Freya, the girl's younger sister pouted, "I put money on him dating Jenny's sister. It would have been nice to know." The blonde gave her cousins a rather cross look, her silvery blue eyes pinning them with her harsh stare.
"We won't apologize for respecting our mother's wishes," Damian answered firmly, facing Freya's silver eyes with his own jade ones, "but we will apologize for the hurt you are feeling because of that decision. I understand it is frustrating, and we are sorry to have put you in such a position."
"I will never get over this boy's maturity," Euphemia laughed in good nature, "he's a breath of fresh air."
"I feel like we should be offended," James mumbled to Sirius, who immediately agreed with his brother. Euphemia was definitely directing that subtle critique to them.
"You're too mature," the fifteen year old girl threw her hands up in frustration, "I can't be mad at you for very long."
"Do you like him?" Isaac, the only boy of the Borier-Delancy children, inquired, "he's okay in school, but he can be very different outside of the classroom."
"He's a nice guy," Victor shrugged, "doesn't mean I haven't struggled to accept him as my mother's boyfriend. I thought it was cool in the beginning, but as they got closer, it got really weird."
"Sucks," Boaz Cartier sympathized with Victor, "how long has this been going on?"
"Since last year," Layla answers this time, "though I'm not exactly sure when they started dating. All I know is that Maman is happy. And if she's happy with him, why should I care? All three of us liked him as a teacher before, so why should that change now that he's dating our Mom?"
"Seems as if they've finally come to terms with the situation," Lyra commented, a blonde brow raised, "good."
"Speaking of him being a teacher," Boaz redirected the conversation, "Izzy, he'll be your teacher come next year. Now's the chance to get on his good side!"
"That's exactly my plan," Izzy sarcastically responded, "I'm going to dedicate my time to win over the notoriously easy to get along with teacher, and expend precious energy in brown nosing. Definitely sounds like an excellent idea brother mine."
"That's my boy!" Lillian cheered, "wait, they're both my boys? Which one should I be supporting? The one with the epic retort, or the one who just got all his bravado torn away?"
"I don't know Lils," Daniel sighed, "if you're going to decide though, please keep it to yourself. The less noise, the less those weird Blacks will look at us."
"They're still staring?" Lillian was surprised, "I thought they gave up ages ago."
As the two siblings had noticed, the Black family was carefully observing the Delancy siblings, desperate for any connection they could possibly make with Larissa Greengrass.
"What if we marry Regulus off to one of the Greengrass girls?" Walburga suggested, "the younger one would probably be better, as the older of the two sisters seems not be too pleased with her older sister."
"Not a bad suggestion," Orion considered his wife's words, "we wouldn't have much of another option if we want to connect our two families. Besides, there has yet to be a marriage into the Greengrass family. It could be fresh, yet pure blood. The match is so perfect, I can't believe we hadn't seen it earlier."
"Think of amenities to offer Lord Greengrass," Arcturus instructed his son, "I'd like to obtain a deal as soon as we're out of here. The girl seems to be about four years Regulus' junior. A betrothal would likely be the best contract to offer, with wedding months after graduation."
"A wedding," Melania sighed dreamily, "it's been awhile since we've had one in our family. I hope to see our Regulus as a husband soon. He's of excellent stock, so even if the Greengrass contract won't work out, I'm sure there are other eligible pureblood girls waiting for his hand."
Regulus watched his family discuss his fate, not once even considering his feelings. Is this why Sirius grew so jaded with their family? Did he too feel this horrible feeling in his gut? He was only in his fourth year, and Leanne Greengrass was in her first. Even if they ended up choosing Gloria, his own grade mate, it still wouldn't be fair, as he was completely unattracted to her. He felt horrible for thinking this, he was a good pureblood boy, but was this truly just?
The brother-in-laws finally pull themselves together, and get back to their threatening of Leopold.
"Larissa is like a sister to me," Ansel threatened, his bulky German (really half-Russian) self towering over Leopold, "if even a sliver of a crack appears on her heart because of you, they won't be able to pry you from my grasp."
Leopold was suddenly understanding the warning that Jacob Scamander had given him. The Delancys could be pleasant enough, but mess with one of their own, and you were digging your own grave.
"Now, now," Ajax Abello-Delancy smirked, "we wouldn't want you to go to prison for the hypothetical vermin that would break Rissa's heart. We'd simply get him put in prison. I'm a rather dab hand at forging and even better at acting. I can frame a person for any crime in my sleep. Should he hurt my cousin, I wi-"
"That jerk is as smug as ever," Guenevive fumed, before calming down, "at least it's on Rissa's behalf this time."
"Abello certainly grew up well," Serena nudged her sister, teasing grin on her face, "are you sure he's not attractive at all?"
"His pretty face isn't the problem," Guenevive got all frazzled, her face puffing up in anger, "it's his horrible arrogance that bothers me."
"Daddy!" Dorea Abello-Delancy tramples into Ajax's feet mid threat, blonde hair ruffled and out of it's pigtails, "Lucas is being mean. He pulled my hair and said my bows were stupid and for babies." Ajax instantly stops his threat to Leopold, his entire being dedicated to his daughter
"Get your kid under control Connor," Ajax hissed at his brother-in-law, bending down to fix Dorea's hair, "it's alright Dorea. I'm sure Lucas didn't mean to hurt your feelings. He's just feeling insecure because you're so pretty today. Seven year olds have a hard time regulating their emotions."
"Is no one else amused at how he stopped mid-threat to re-tie his daughter's hair?" Marlene asked her friends, "it's such iconic behavior."
"More like good dad behavior," Lily countered, "but yes, it is rather funny."
"But I'm seven," Dorea protested, her big brown eyes welling with tears, "and I can regitate my emotions."
"Regulate," Ajax corrected, wiping his daughter's tears away gently, "and you're just more emotionally in tune. Studies do show that girls have a higher emotional intelligence, love. Basically, it means that you're better at knowing your feelings. I'm sure Lucas will apologize soon."
"Why is he talking to the kid as if she's an adult?" Leanne questioned her cousin's husband's parenting skills, "is he stupid?"
"No," Guenivive instantly rose to the man's defense, ignoring her sibling's giggles behind her, "he's parenting her excellently thank you very much. If he speaks to her maturely, then she'll have a better vocabulary as a teen and adult. I'm sorry you couldn't comprehend that little cousin."
"I'm sorry for having an opinion," Leanne sneered, "but thanks for the unnecessary lecture. Save your words for someone who cares."
"I'll go talk to him now," Connor promised his little niece, "do you want to come with me?"
"Okay," Dorea hesitantly took her uncle's offered hand, and left to go find Lucas Beaumont.
"Where was I?" Ajax wondered aloud, before recalling where he'd left his threat, "should you hurt my cousin Monsieur Arquette, I will have you tossed to England's dementors. Step carefully my friend."
Leopold was thoroughly frightened by the younger man. He was almost thirty four, six years younger than his own forty, yet he was casually threatening him with a blank face. Larissa had said that Ajax was a gentle soul! This soul was not gentle!
"Chill out Ajax," Daniel rolled his eyes, "we're here to fell the guy out, not send him running. Rissa would never forgive us if we chased away the person she's chosen."
"Always the mediator," Marius Monet shook his head fondly, rocking his newborn daughter Gisele in his arms, "sorry about his enthusiasm Monsieur Arquette. Ajax has always been a wild card, even when we were still in school. His and Guenivive's rows were famous, the two of them at each other's throats for majority of their school years. Everyone but Daniel and my wife Lyra was surprised when they got together a year after graduating."
"Enemies to lovers," Elena Prewett smiled fondly, "how beautiful love is. It even creeps into the most hateful of places."
"No problem," Leopold finally found his voice, "I've already gotten the talk from Jacob Scamander. He warned me that you all would be much worse."
"Scamander?" Austin Borier inquired, perplexed at why the famous name was brought up, "what does Rissa have to do with the Scamanders?"
"They're friends," Leopold replied, slightly confused by their relationship himself, "at least I think they are. I know the kids are definitely friends with his kids. Layla stayed by them in the summer, and when we went to pick her up, he warned me not to hurt Larissa. Then he told me that if I thought he was bad, than the Delancys were going to be much worse."
"With all the threatening out of the way," Daniel grinned mischievously, "ought we show Rissa's date how we party?"
"You bet," his brother-in-laws grinned in turn, "Yule is never boring here."
"Before that," Leopold hastily interrupts, "I have something I need to say.
"I wish Damian could see this," Antiope wept quietly, "he'd be just as happy as I am to see our family happy and healthy."
"I miss him too," Clarene comforted her mother, "Daddy always did say that family is the most precious treasure one can posses. Let us cherish it while we still can."
"Cheers to that," Serena joined her older sister in comforting their mother, "Daddy would be proud of us all. Let's be happy in his memory, shall we?"
"We shall," Antiope smiled wetly at her daughter's, "we will always live to make the next day happier than the last."
"Before that," Leopold hastily interrupts, "I have something I need to say."
"Go on," Austin arched a brow, signaling the other brother-in-laws to listen, "we're listening."
"I'm going to ask Larissa to marry me," Leopold bluntly said, "tonight. I was going to wait a little longer, but I can sense that she's already figured me out. I thought I'd let you all know."
Silence occupied the little corner the men occupied, before Austin let out a cheer. The children, all sitting around a table, glanced at their rowdy uncle momentarily, before deciding that it was nothing too abnormal, and turned away.
"Go for it," Austin clapped Leopold on the back, "we've honestly just been messing with you-" at Ajax's pointed look, he added, "except for Ajax. Rissa's told us a lot about you, not by name, but we all liked you enough based on her stories. Mostly, we like that you make her feel safe and cherished. If you want to ask, you have our approval, though I doubt you care much for it regardless."
"Austin," Clarene called his name fondly, "he really is the best."
"I know she wants it," was all Leopold had to say in response. After his declaration, his, hopefully, cousins-to-be, took him to get drinks. Leopold had to say, when they weren't threatening him, they were incredibly entertaining.
"How was?" Larissa asked her boyfriend as they sat on her couch later that night. The triplets were already in bed, had been so for the last hour, and the two of them had only just gotten to get some alone time.
"It was nice," Leopold answered, "they're as fun and good-hearted as you said. That Ajax fellow was intimidating though. Totally softie when it came to his daughter, monster when it came to describing what he'd do if I broke your heart."
"You haven't and won't break it," Larissa squeezed his hand reassuringly, "all you've ever done is mend it."
"How romantic," Molly Weasley gushed to her husband, "look Arthur!"
"I see Molly," Arthur looked lovingly at her, "it's very romantic."
"Lovesick fool," the Prewett twins muttered under their breaths.
"I don't need to ask, do I?" Leopold suddenly says, looking at her with a certain look in his eyes, "you already know."
"You're a horrible secret keeper," Larissa whispered softly, "and my answer is yes. Let's get a nice good look at the pretty ring. I've only seen glances so far." Leopold pulled out the ring, a beautiful silver band with a stunning yellow topaz, Larissa's favorite jewel, in the center.
"I love you," the two say in unison, and Layla, who had snuck out of bed to get chocolate, smiles to herself. A new chapter of their lives had just opened.