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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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 Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:47 am
Must have been the devil who changed my mind...
Must have been the wind blowing, not me crying...
Half the joy of leaving was the space I left behind...
Now I'm back, angel-headed, hollow-eyed...
Placed myself at the eye of the storm;
Just didn't see the signpost to scorn.
The blue sky wrinkled through my tears...
Then darkness grounded all my fears!
I gave him my sugar, he switched it for salt!
Should have seen him coming; that's always my fault!
Rocks for my pillow and sand for my bed...
For better or worse I left him for dead.  ∂ є ѕ ∂ є м σ η α
α я ѕ є η ι α
ℓ ι ℓ ℓ α η т ι η є
ƒσямєя ѕℓутнєяιη │ ρυяєвℓσσ∂ │ мσтнєя σƒ тняєє
Desdemona was beginning to suspect the boy was pureblood. He certainly wasn't muggle, he wouldn't have made it to their door if so, and she doubted any mudbloods would be even aware of who they were, never mind get a hold of their address. He was either pureblood, she decided, or halfblood raised in a pureblood household. Which meant either blood traitors, taken in by purebloods, or someone's b*****d child raised by the more decent side of the family. At least he wasn't grinning at her like an idiot. She was more patient than her husband but even she had her limits. Suddenly the word 'b*****d' flashed in her mind a second time, the minute the name 'Julius Lillantine' escaped his mouth. She regarded the boy in an entirely different light. Or shadow, depending on your opinion of dear Julius.
Her husband's twin had always been the respective wildcard of the family. If Callius had been quiet and withdrawn as a teenager, Julius had been cocky and outgoing. If Callius spent all his time studying or ordering around younger Slytherins because he was a prefect, Julius was guaranteed to be picking fights or playing Quidditch and probably breaking someone's nose if he lost. The term 'self control' had been utterly foreign to him. If she was Callius's first everything, well, Bellamy may have been Julius's first and his last but was certainly not his sole in-between. Julius never knew when to keep his mouth shut, and had never really cared what anyone thought of him if he called someone a mudblood in public or beat up a younger student when he should have been in class. She'd almost pitied Bellamy. Almost. At least Callius was predictable, relatively easy to subdue if he was angry. Julius... had not been someone you wanted to make angry.
And here was a boy asking about him, with the same nose, mouth, ears, even shape of the eyes if not the color, the height as well... Before her understanding had been muddied, like pond water, but now it was crystal clear. There was only one reason a boy of that age would come knocking asking after a Julius Lillantine after all these years. "I'm very sorry," she said slowly. "I'm afraid Julius was my brother in law, but he died seven years ago, along with his wife. But please," she stepped aside, skirt rustling, "Come in if you like. Any relation of Julius... would be welcome here." Her tone was slightly questioning, but her eyes were bright. Ain't it lonesome, ain't it sad?
I was the only happiness he ever had!
By the Indian River the vows were said...
In a red devil's dress I was wed!
Cat cat bone, cat cat cat bone...
He sang, "Ships in the ocean, rocks in the sea,
Dark haired woman made a fool outta me!"
I left my man asleep to drown and ran without looking back around.
Ring the bells of mercy, send the sinner man home...
The keys to the kingdom are lost and gone!
And I'm left to die alone; all these girls grown old now..
All that long hair in the grave realize what's done is done...
It's far too late for anyone to be saved.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:26 pm
 Do you really wanna be like them?
Do you really wanna be another trend?
Do you wanna be part of that crowd?
Cause I don't ever wanna
I don't ever wanna be
 ════════════════════════
poolq uʍouʞu∩ |ᛗ| ɹǝʞɐɯǝlqnoɹ⊥ puɐ ɹǝʇsʞuɐɹԀ |ᛗ| ıuɯnl∀ ɹopuıɟɟʎɹ⅁
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Luke blinked as he heard the news. Julius was dead, along with his wife. Seven years ago he had been recently introduced to Hogwarts, and his baby brother had been born. He didn't even know how to feel about hearing his biological father was deceased. So, there were no answers from his biological father. But perhaps Julius's relations, or well, his relations, could shed some light. Which, if Desdemona was his father's sister in law, then she was probably married to Julius's brother. Making her Luke's aunt. That certainly was different. Luke straightened up a bit more, hoping he radiated some sort of confidence while inside he was just chasing question after question. He nodded at her invitation however and stepped inside. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that Julius had died. I well, I came because I was hoping to find some answers,and no one but him and probably his family would be able to answer them."
He swallowed nervously before plunging forward. "I did some digging into some old records from when I was a child, and came up with his name. It was on a birth certificate and records relinquishing me to the state. I do apologize if I seem to be intruding though. I just had to know where my family came from. Old fashioned curiosity, I guess." He smirked a bit awkwardly, hoping that broke the ice a bit. He certainly felt like he was on pins and needles. He hadn't felt this off since that awkward phase with Steffi, and considering how hard-headed he had been, he was still surprised that she put up with him some days. However, he doubted that the explanation would ease any concerns, so he decided to just say it. "I'm well, I'm his son."
════════════════════════Location: Lillantine Estate
Thinking: I'm here...
Taken By: Steffi Theresia
OOC:
    
You, don't wanna be just like you
What I'm sayin' is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
You, don't wanna be you
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Diamond Wales Vice Captain
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:17 pm
Must have been the devil who changed my mind...
Must have been the wind blowing, not me crying...
Half the joy of leaving was the space I left behind...
Now I'm back, angel-headed, hollow-eyed...
Placed myself at the eye of the storm;
Just didn't see the signpost to scorn.
The blue sky wrinkled through my tears...
Then darkness grounded all my fears!
I gave him my sugar, he switched it for salt!
Should have seen him coming; that's always my fault!
Rocks for my pillow and sand for my bed...
For better or worse I left him for dead. ∂ є ѕ ∂ є м σ η α
α я ѕ є η ι α
ℓ ι ℓ ℓ α η т ι η є
ƒσямєя ѕℓутнєяιη │ ρυяєвℓσσ∂ │ мσтнєя σƒ тняєє
Desdemona nodded, inside on the verge of laughing. What would Callius think to hear that Julius's son, of all people, had paid them a visit today? He wouldn't be able to think, most likely, he'd just stand there and stare, and there were few things she liked more than getting that sort of reaction out of her husband. She carefully closed the door behind the boy, Luke, as he had introduced himself, as he stepped inside. Nalson was, now that she thought about, most certainly an old pureblooded name, but it wasn't British. Scandinavian, maybe? If he had their surname he almost certainly had to be adopted by them, unless Julius had somehow managed to shack up with a Nalson some years back, and she doubted it. Too much risk of scandal. Her brother in law might have talked the talk of not dallying with the filth, but she very much doubted he'd been that picky about who he let into his bed. She'd certainly seen him looking at known halfbloods, even mudbloods when they were in school, regardless of house, so long as they had pretty face. He'd always seemed to like blonde hair and green eyes, not necessarily together on the same face after he'd met Bellamy. Give the man credit for mostly sticking to one type, she supposed.
She very quietly murmured to Cady to go fetch some tea and led the way to the parlor. The boy was talking about answers, and she'd be more than happy to supply them. This was rapidly turning into the highlight of her day. Thank Merlin Callius wasn't home. He would have sent her off to talk to the boy himself, and probably have tried to spin it in an entirely different slant than she intended to. If people wanted the truth, why not give it to them? She doubted this boy would be running across the lands screaming to the heavens who his father was, at any rate. There were enough rumors about Julius already, what was a few more that were actually mostly true?
She narrowed her eyes to see her eldest already in the parlor, and quickly said, "Vander, out," before he had time to realize what was going on and lurk around to eavesdrop. He shot her an ugly look and Luke a suspicious one before she responded with one that fairly screamed "we'll discuss your behavior later" which made him avert his eyes and stalk out. She took a seat. "Please excuse my son, he's young and immature. No need to apologize... everyone wants to know where they come from, I'm sure." She looked a little surprised at his smirk, however; for a second she was fifteen and sitting with Callius and Julius in the Slytherin common room, Bellamy then Walsh lingering nearby and shooting her envious looks. She didn't know why the stupid girl had ever bothered being jealous of her- Julius had started courting her attentions barely a month later, so it wasn't as if her silly attempts to ensnare him hadn't worked.
She wouldn't have reacted with much surprise to Luke's confession if she hadn't checked herself. "Oh," she gasped out. "His son. We had no idea." She made sure to look very caught off guard, which wasn't that hard, since she still was, a bit, by that very familiar smirk. "I... well. Oh, tea. Thank you, Cady." Ordinarily she wouldn't have been so cordial to the elf, who promptly slunk off. but she didn't want the boy leaving in a huff before she had a chance to hear this tale. "You'd probably want to know," she injected the right amount of hesitation into her tone, gripping her tea cup a little too tightly, "Or, you have a right to know, anyways... You do have a half sister. Your father and his wife's daughter. She's eleven this year, I believe, going to Hogwarts in September. She lives with her mother's sister, unfortunately, so I can't introduce you two today. Violante Lillantine. I'll be sure to give you the address before you leave."
If Callius was here he'd want to kill her, she was positive, but this was far too fun. The last thing he'd want was his precious niece associating with her father's b*****d when she was already tainted by the blood traitor and the muggle she lived with. Oh, and she could just picture Cora Walsh's- that b***h- expression to finding this out. She'd probably go on some high horse rant about how she should have suspected, given Julius's reputation. The woman was so morally righteous Desdemona half expected her to die a martyr for justice. If only. She glanced at Luke. "Tea?" she offered, before taking a small sip of her own. "You can ask any questions you'd like, and I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability. I knew your father for most of my time at Hogwarts, and after, since I did end up marrying his twin." She shrugged delicately. Ain't it lonesome, ain't it sad?
I was the only happiness he ever had!
By the Indian River the vows were said...
In a red devil's dress I was wed!
Cat cat bone, cat cat cat bone...
He sang, "Ships in the ocean, rocks in the sea,
Dark haired woman made a fool outta me!"
I left my man asleep to drown and ran without looking back around.
Ring the bells of mercy, send the sinner man home...
The keys to the kingdom are lost and gone!
And I'm left to die alone; all these girls grown old now..
All that long hair in the grave realize what's done is done...
It's far too late for anyone to be saved.
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 3:23 pm
Do you really wanna be like them?
Do you really wanna be another trend?
Do you wanna be part of that crowd?
Cause I don't ever wanna
I don't ever wanna be
════════════════════════
poolq uʍouʞu∩ |ᛗ| ɹǝʞɐɯǝlqnoɹ⊥ puɐ ɹǝʇsʞuɐɹԀ |ᛗ| ıuɯnl∀ ɹopuıɟɟʎɹ⅁
════════════════════════
Luke followed behind, his eyes only taking in enough to definitely point to the fact that yes, this had to be a pureblood family. Which confirmed one thing in his mind. Whatever his adopted uncle's thoughts, he was no mudblood. Which got him to suddenly thinking about ways he could repay him for all of Roald's actions against him. The unsteady smirk strengthened a bit before he shrugged a bit about the immaturity part. He surely wasn't a saint, especially when he was that age. His housemates could attest to that readily. "I'm pretty sure that everyone was young and immature at that age, madam. I surely wasn't. And well, I honestly didn't know how you, your husband, or even my father would react to having some kid just show up on your doorstep with no explanation beyond having a piece of paper that states they're related." Luke only looked back to where Vander had disappeared for a moment or two, trying to see if he could perhaps pick out anything familiar about his features. He hadn't really gotten a good look, and for all he knew, he took after his mother's side of the family more.
Her surprise was a bit funny to the trickster's mind, but thankfully he was able to straighten his face back up from his smirk before it got much bigger. Yeah, that would be a bad first impression for sure. He took a seat as well, his gaze steady as he watched the older woman. At the declaration that he had a half sister, Luke just blinked. He had a sister? She just turned eleven? That made her only seven or eight years his junior. And the mention of her name sparked a memory of a bookstore, with a young girl who had been interested in talking to him because he was laughing about a book. Apparently irony was having fun with him before he realized anything could have been funny. "I would appreciate that, madam. Though half sister means that I'm not exactly legitimate. That's about normal for me." Now it made a lot of sense as to why he had been left at an orphanage, since it wasn't every day that pureblood families liked having bastards in their families. The Lillantines apparently were no exception, it seemed.
He nooded at her offer of tea and took a cup, grateful for something to do with his hands before he got it into his head to do something stupid. "Thank you." As she offered to provide him with what information she could about his father (he would have to track down his mother's family at some point. Who knew that you could give the mother's name to their son?), he had to think. He figured that she could answer the most basic of them all. "Well, what was he like?"
════════════════════════Location: Lillantine Estate
Thinking: I'm here...
Taken By: Steffi Theresia
OOC:
You, don't wanna be just like you
What I'm sayin' is
This is the anthem
Throw all your hands up
You, don't wanna be you
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Diamond Wales Vice Captain
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 4:26 pm
Must have been the devil who changed my mind...
Must have been the wind blowing, not me crying...
Half the joy of leaving was the space I left behind...
Now I'm back, angel-headed, hollow-eyed...
Placed myself at the eye of the storm;
Just didn't see the signpost to scorn.
The blue sky wrinkled through my tears...
Then darkness grounded all my fears!
I gave him my sugar, he switched it for salt!
Should have seen him coming; that's always my fault!
Rocks for my pillow and sand for my bed...
For better or worse I left him for dead. ∂ є ѕ ∂ є м σ η α
α я ѕ є η ι α
ℓ ι ℓ ℓ α η т ι η є
ƒσямєя ѕℓутнєяιη │ ρυяєвℓσσ∂ │ мσтнєя σƒ тняєє
Desdemona watched the smirk grow a little before the boy shrugged off her son's rudeness. Yes. Definitely Julius's son. Sometimes she saw some of Julius in Vander, though Callius would never admit it. Just like she saw some of Callius in Antigone, though her husband never showed any particular interest in his middle child. She remembered when the girl had been born, and in her husband's defense, it had been a rather ugly infant, and he hadn't so much as looked at if after it'd been announced it'd been a girl. He'd given her an 'are you happy now' look and left, but Desdemona hadn't been very heartbroken. He'd reacted just as she expected to, and she'd never cried about it or felt guilty over any of it. There just wasn't much point. But her thoughts didn't stay on her daughter for long- Antigone really didn't matter much, after all, at least not right now. "Boys will be boys," she agreed distantly, before focusing again. "And family is family, regardless. I can hardly vouch for my husband or his late brother's reaction, but you're still my nephew by blood, despite the... circumstances."
She was hardly about to throw him out after all, and besides her own opinions on plenty of other matters, she didn't find the idea of illegitimate children all that shocking or embarrassing. She wouldn't necessarily want this all over the papers, of course, and she'd probably feel very differently if the boy had asked for Callius, but she didn't feel any more repulsion to be sitting across from him than she did anyone else, though her view of everyone other than herself was low enough already. What was it to her, it wasn't her husband's b*****d son. At least Callius was faithful. She knew him. He didn't have it in him to see someone on the side. He'd been mortified enough when his brother's flings would come out into the open, never mind have the gall to have any of his own. Besides, she'd very warily kept an eye out for any signs of him straying or an affair since they'd been married, and especially after she'd had his children. Maybe she didn't feel what most people would consider love for her husband, but he was still her husband, and she'd destroy anyone who thought they could undermine what she was to him.
She was pleased that she'd managed to surprise him by the revelation that he had a half sister. Of course he wasn't legitimate, silly boy. If he had been he'd never have had to be adopted in the first place. Julius had been quite put out when his daughter had been born, well, a daughter after all. More shocked than resigned like Callius has been at Antigone's birth, and certainly envious of them and Vander. His wife hadn't been, but she hadn't understood, poor, stupid thing. Maybe Julius had assumed he'd only spawn boys after his b*****d had turned out male. Men were ridiculous like that, always so assured that things would go their way every time because they were men. She didn't really pity Luke, but she was busy trying to figure out exactly how old Julius would have been when the boy's mother, whoever it had been, had gotten pregnant. She bit her lip for a moment, trying to estimate it, and then she had it. "I don't know how much it would mean to you, or if it would mean anything, but he wasn't married when you were born," she said. She told him because she could; she doubted he'd be glad that at least he hadn't been the result of an affair while his father was married. Bastards probably didn't care much about that sort of thing.
Engaged to be married, yes. Married, no. She wondered if he'd told Bellamy when he'd signed his rights to the child away. Could she possibly have been kept in the dark about it the whole time? She tried to imagine what the other woman might have done in reaction to that. Pitched a fit, most likely. Maybe had a b*****d herself out of revenge. But obviously that hadn't happened, so perhaps he had never told her, or if he had, it'd been much, much later, after they were married, when, according to what she'd heard, his temper was usually the one to flare far more often than hers.
The question 'what was he like' was hardly hard to answer. She knew exactly what Julius had been like, she'd practically grown up with him, and she hadn't had the biased view of his wife or his brother. She'd seen him for what he was. Scared. He'd always been scared- Callius had been dutiful and eager to please their parents, especially their father, but Julius had been scared. She might have been scared, too, if she'd had Alpheus Lillantine as her father. He'd always been a nasty piece of work, even in her opinion. No one had been sorry to see him go, his sons least of all, even Callius, who'd idolized him. She was sure Julius only showed up to the funeral to pay his respects to his mother.
But she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Luke that, not because she thought she should spare him, but because it seemed like revealing a little too much, though she wasn't one for sugarcoating. She was a Lillantine too, and though she put herself first she still acknowledged that the family's best interests were important. Let Cora Walsh tell him about the weakness of Julius Lillantine. If she'd even seen it. "He was a Slytherin and a bit wild," she said instead. "He liked to play by his own rules." She smiled thinly at what came next. "Even if meant cheating. He adored quidditch and any sort of competition where he could prove himself. He was very, very blunt, and a terrible liar. My husband was always the calmer, more rational twin, I'm afraid. Julius could be hotheaded, and he didn't think things through. He was somewhat of a bully to his housemates and the younger students during our school days. He got himself into a lot of trouble because he wasn't one to censor his tongue or his actions. He didn't like to apologize, and he didn't like to admit he was wrong. He had a lot of pride, more in himself than in his family. He could be arrogant, and he could be selfish, but he could be very charming as well. Charismatic is probably the word for it. He always had a lot of friends. He hated to share anything, even a surname. He had a notorious temper, as did his wife, Violante's mother. They tended to clash over that."
She fought to keep her somber, serious expression from flickering into a hint of a wicked smile. "You have his height and his facial features, if not his hair and eyes. I assume you get those from your mother. He was dark haired, with strange colored eyes- grayish blue, if I'm not mistaken." Ain't it lonesome, ain't it sad?
I was the only happiness he ever had!
By the Indian River the vows were said...
In a red devil's dress I was wed!
Cat cat bone, cat cat cat bone...
He sang, "Ships in the ocean, rocks in the sea,
Dark haired woman made a fool outta me!"
I left my man asleep to drown and ran without looking back around.
Ring the bells of mercy, send the sinner man home...
The keys to the kingdom are lost and gone!
And I'm left to die alone; all these girls grown old now..
All that long hair in the grave realize what's done is done...
It's far too late for anyone to be saved.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 3:50 pm
Must have been the devil who changed my mind...
Must have been the wind blowing, not me crying...
Half the joy of leaving was the space I left behind...
Now I'm back, angel-headed, hollow-eyed...
Placed myself at the eye of the storm;
Just didn't see the signpost to scorn.
The blue sky wrinkled through my tears...
Then darkness grounded all my fears!
I gave him my sugar, he switched it for salt!
Should have seen him coming; that's always my fault!
Rocks for my pillow and sand for my bed...
For better or worse I left him for dead. ∂ є ѕ ∂ є м σ η α
α я ѕ є η ι α
ℓ ι ℓ ℓ α η т ι η є
ƒσямєя ѕℓутнєяιη │ ρυяєвℓσσ∂ │ мσтнєя σƒ тняєє
Desdemona was on a mission, partly because she was bored, partly because of the two of them, her husband was the one further encased in denial, and partly because she wasn't getting any younger and her eldest son certainly wasn't getting any more charming. Callius flinched when it came to the facts regarding their children; Desdemona did not. As it stood now, the bloodline was in dire straits. There were three children, and the hope was that all three would marry and reproduce in quick order to ensure that the next generation had strength in numbers, if nothing else. In order for a marriage to happen, there had to be some sort of courtship. In order for there to be a courtship, there had to be someone to be courted.
Vander was the named heir, and had been since his birth. Desdemona was not stupid. Her son was hardly the type to be sweeping some young, sweet thing off her feet. Her son was a scrawny twelve going on thirteen year old with few to no friends and a complete and utter lack of charisma, as well as a nasty temper to boot. That might change in the future, but they could not pin everything on chance and the meager hope that he might actually succeed in finding 'love'. Quite frankly, she wasn't entirely sure the boy was capable of any sort of intense emotion that was not violent anger. She'd tried- reluctantly- to cultivate some sort of mother-son bond with him before. He hated her, and she couldn't really blame him. Still, you would have thought he was old enough to at least not show it by now, but nooo. Of course not. Gods forbid any male in this family learn how to mask their emotions without looking entirely apathetic. Why did she have to be the face of public relations?
Still, she was his mother, and as Callius would put it, it was her role to steer him in the right direction when it came to marriage. She had the feeling her husband thought she could simply throw a dart at a board and it would land on some entirely suitable pureblooded girl. If only. There wasn't exactly a field of selection to choose from, and it made matters even worse once you stated to really narrow things down. If Vander had been a meek, affable child this would have been a lot easier. He had not been, and he wasn't really a child anymore, and that was a problem, because Desdemona suspected a teenage boy who wouldn't listen to a word that came out of her mouth was going to be a lot worse than a small boy who wouldn't listen to a word that came out of her mouth. All she had to say was 'now she looks like a suitable match' and she'd never hear the end of it. Which was why she wasn't going to say anything on the matter to her son, not a word. She was going to write a letter. Not to him, of course, he'd burn it as soon as he saw her writing and not his father's, and probably hex the poor owl while he was at it.
No, she was going to send a letter to someone- or someones else entirely. Technically, she should be discussing this with Callius first, but legitimate discussions with equal representation on both sides of an issue in the Lillantine household were few and far between and tended to end badly for everyone involved. Which was why Desdemona had come to the brilliant conclusion of 'there should not be a discussion'. "Callius, love?" she called sweetly, pausing outside the closed study door. She listened. Scratch of a quill meant he was writing and writing meant he was so out of it she could have burned the place down around his ears and he wouldn't notice until his quill began to singe. He gave a noncommittal reply back. She didn't bother opening the door. "Would you mind terribly if I wrote the Averys?" More writing sounds. She was going to take that as a no, and also a sign that he wasn't very interested in what she was writing them about. Oh well. She liked to surprise him anyways. There should be surprise in a marriage, shouldn't there? Kept people on their toes.
Desdemona wandered into the parlor, stoked the fire so her fingers wouldn't go numb before she could start, and sat down to do some writing of her own. Ain't it lonesome, ain't it sad?
I was the only happiness he ever had!
By the Indian River the vows were said...
In a red devil's dress I was wed!
Cat cat bone, cat cat cat bone...
He sang, "Ships in the ocean, rocks in the sea,
Dark haired woman made a fool outta me!"
I left my man asleep to drown and ran without looking back around.
Ring the bells of mercy, send the sinner man home...
The keys to the kingdom are lost and gone!
And I'm left to die alone; all these girls grown old now..
All that long hair in the grave realize what's done is done...
It's far too late for anyone to be saved.
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 9:40 am
-A Response from the Desk of Robert Carlson Avery the First- Dear Mrs. Lillantine,
It is my great pleasure to hear from you Mrs. Lillantine as it sounds as if you are in good health and spirits, though, I hope your husband's health is quite well as usually I would think things of such importance as the future of your eldest son and the heir of the Lillantine family is something he, himself, would wish to contact me regarding instead of yourself. As it is, I am quite pleased to hear that your son Evander has chosen to speak of our lovely Wendy Chaisty in such high regard to both your husband and yourself. I quite agree that a match between the two may prove beneficial to both our families.
However, I should note, while you obviously would have proper concerns about the acceptability of the match considering Evander's important standing within the family as heir, Wendy holds great importance to my family, myself, and my wife. It may be the sake of my old age and always having a particular attachment to the children of my family; however, Wendy is of course quite precious to me, none the less. I am unaware how much you do know of Miss Wendy Chaisty or what your son may have said in her regard; however, I hope you understand she is a quite talented young woman, who rightfully deserves the proper provisions for her future, and the proper opportunity to hone and cultivate her talents and skills to blossom into a proper woman as we all hope for any young lady of any notable family to do. Thus, of course, the matter is quite a proposition, even if in passing interest, but I shall respect your request in considering any of your husband and your proposals with the utmost seriousness and respect regarding Miss Chaisty.
I do quite agree that mere written correspondence would far from properly suffice in such a matter and a meeting between both of our families is quite overdue. Regardless of if the match is found suitable or not, I feel a meeting of any sort may prove useful to both our families. Tea at the Lillantine Estate this Sunday would work quite well for my wife and myself. I, of course, look forward to your response.
Respectfully,
Robert Carlson Avery the First
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:53 pm
 xxxxxxxC A L L I U S and D E S D E M O N A Anyone who visited the Lillantine household would quickly realize it was not a home full of laughter, or warmth, or love. Most of that assessment could be gleaned from how quiet it was. Things echoed; creaked and groaned as if to lighten the tension. In the basement, there was a steady dripping noise and a low murmur, on the first floor, a sacred sort of silence that made footfall sound rude and profane and anything more than quiet conversation vulgar. The second floor whispered and muttered to itself, and the third floor whistled and hummed very, very softly. In the parlor, you could have heard a pin drop. At the top of a tiny stairwell that was half-secret and near enough to the parlor to pick up the occasional snippet of conversation if the doors weren't fully closed, the only thing that could be heard was the steady breathing of a small boy, who had situated himself in what was as close a perfect position to eavesdrop as ever. He was very proud of himself. The stairwell reeked of smugness.
One house elf, named Florrie, with a sharp look in her eyes, lingered by the entrance, waiting for the guests to arrive, to lead them into the parlor as soon as she let them in. The Lillantine house elves were hardened little things, half because of the family they dealt with on a regular basis, half because Desdemona Lillantine did not have the patience for stammering, a lack of eye contact, and constant apologies or excuses. Somehow this equated to them being fiercely loyal to her, maybe because she'd given them the authority to discipline the children as they saw fit if she nor her husband were around. It was a necessary precaution given the mere existence of one Evander Lillantine, who, if he hadn't had a healthy mix of disdainful spite and wariness of the house elves, would have been entirely out of control whenever the adult humans left.
In the parlor, you could have cut the tension with a knife. Both husband and wife seemed to be refusing to look at one another, though Desdemona seemed almost serene. Callius had initially been furious with her for writing the Averys about such a thing. He'd settled down after she'd pointed out with the slightest hint of triumph that she'd told him before hand, and he hadn't said a word about it. There'd been more bickering about their eldest than ever before, mostly relating to his age, his maturity, his probable reaction if their meeting with the Averys ended on a positive note... There had been a lot of bickering, period, but both were currently determined to put on a calm exterior for what was coming. M R . and M R S . L I L L A N T I N E
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:16 pm
  ______________________________________________________
The Family Head and The Matriarch
______________________________________________________ Robert Carlson Avery (the first)
Former Slytherin
Class of 1970
Wand: Inflexible and Smooth//12 4/5 inches//
xxxxxxPadauk wood//Dragon Heartstring Core
Jane Cathaline Avery
Former Slytherin
Class of 1971
Wand: Inflexible and Decorated//10 1/8 inches//
Elm//Hippogriff Talon Core
Robert Carlson Avery had been made aware back in the summer that both Wendy and the heir of the Lillantine family, Evander Lillantine, had gone to the Yule Ball together. His grandson David had pointed out the occurance, which had mostly gone unnoticed to the head of the Avery clan as he was far more focused on how to handle the Ravenclaw grandson. David was a good decision as heir in being sure the family was continually overlooked by the ministry in their activities, but Robert had the added concern of being sure the boy kept a level head which even if the child was almost legally an adult at 17 and was far more mature and serious than Robert's other grandsons, it did not mean David wasn't free from his occasional bouts of lack of foresight. Wendy, instead, was never a particularly big concern for Robert or his wife as she was exactly what she should be in regards to manners and behavior-or any that the two had ever witnessed from the girl-so the event had been mostly overlooked. Or it had been until the letter from Desdemona Lillantine. Robert and Jane followed the house-elves into the parlor where Callius and Desdemona sat, neither looking at each other. Jane Avery raised a brow briefly at her husband before Robert spoke, "Mr. and Mrs. Lillantine, a pleasure to see you both. And, may I be the first to personally, thank-you both for the invitation to your home." He nodded his head slightly to both of them after he spoke, waiting for them to invite himself and his wife to sit, and also curious if they (or as Robert suspected-Desdemona) chose to directly approach their topic of business. Robert was patient enough it did not concern him much either approach the Lillantines chose to take. And, Desdemona had already acted rather direct when confronting the issue of a possible match between her son and Wendy as Desdemona had felt it pressing enough to contact them by owl when and how she did.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:11 pm
xxxxxxx C A L L I U S and D E S D E M O N A They're so old, was Desdemona's first thought, which was about as shallow and childish as she could at times be. Of course, she and Callius had encountered the Averys before, but now seeing the pair of them up close, she realized how much older they in fact were than her and her husband. It was certainly a vanity boost for her. She was forty and Callius forty one, and both looked fairly young and healthy for their ages... if a touch on the pale side. She smiled politely and said, "Please, sit, one of the elves should be in with tea presently."
Callius rose to shake Robert's hand. "The feeling is mutual; we're thrilled to have guests- we so rarely get them." This had more to do with the majority of the neighbors being considered beneath their notice than anything else, but Callius Lillantine managed to make it sound like a Shakespearean tragedy. His pale eyes flickered from Robert to Jane and back again as he sat back down. These were not the idiots he worked with or, the the tittering house wives and fussing society matrons Desdemona was used to putting up with whole fantasizing about spiking the lemonade. They were going to have to tread carefully. Himself, he wasn't worried about, Desdemona- she suffered from a lack of restraint on occasion. He was still mortified she'd been so direct in the wording of her letter, but then again, when the woman wanted something, she was used to getting it and not having to spend much time asking.
Desdemona would have loved to launch into the main reason for this meeting right off the bat, but Callius might just kill her right then and there if she did. He was most likely still going to be sulking about how she'd tricked him into letting her write them when this was over. Maybe she'd take Cyrus out for the rest of the day after this- he was in the middle of a growth spurt and needed to be fitted for new clothes. Vander's hand me downs were not an option. Besides, the older boy would happily torch his entire wardrobe before seeing his younger brother in anything of his. And of course, Lillantines did not need to bother with cast offs. Maybe they weren't quite as wealthy as they used to be, but they still decidedly had money to spare.
She knew Callius was going to put it on her to start conversation; his idea of a test. She privately thought her husband's test would be a lot more effective if he wasn't so obvious in them. Perhaps she'd actually be wary of him then; faking it could be such a chore. "How is the rest of your family?" she asked brightly. "Well, I hope? I know you have a few besides Miss Chaisty in Hogwarts currently. Are they enjoying their time in school?" Oh, she knew about the 'few in Hogwarts'. A male heir in training or something like that in Ravenclaw- rather weak backup, in her opinion- and a girl in Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff. Callius had swore when he'd read Antigone's letter about being sorted into Ravenclaw, and he rarely cursed. If it had been Hufflepuff, she would not have wanted to be in the same room as him. Then again, Vander claimed the father of said boy and girl was a squib, so what did anyone expect? When you allowed the defective to reproduce, the results could be... disturbing.
Florrie came in with tea and left as quickly as she had entered. Desdemona poured it; first for her husband, as was good and proper. He murmured a quiet thank you which may or may not have been his idea of a peace offering towards her. She proceeded to pour for the Averys and finally herself. It was a bit drafty in the room, though she was fairly used to it by now. At least the tea was excellent, and hot. M R . and M R S . L I L L A N T I N E
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:21 am
______________________________________________________
The Family Head and The Matriarch
______________________________________________________ Robert Carlson Avery (the first)
Former Slytherin
Class of 1970
Wand: Inflexible and Smooth//12 4/5 inches//
xxxxxxPadauk wood//Dragon Heartstring Core
Jane Cathaline Avery
Former Slytherin
Class of 1971
Wand: Inflexible and Decorated//10 1/8 inches//
Elm//Hippogriff Talon Core
Jane glanced to her husband and raised a brow when Desdemona invited them to both sit. Robert nodded ever so slightly, remaining standing as Callius rose to shake his hand, and Jane sat down. Robert smiled at Callius greetings, gripping the man's hand firmly before taking his seat and said, "Yes, unfortunately the Lillantine family doesn't have the numbers of close family ties like the Averys do. Granted, I hardly count any of my many children or grandchildren visiting truly guests. After all the Avery Manor is their home just as much as my own." He leaned back in the chair he said and his brownish green eyes narrowed as he watched the silent exchange between the Lillantines. Meanwhile Jane smiling ever so tactfully held out a hand to her husband who he took as if it was second nature, the two presenting a unified front of sorts. The Lillantine's may have more to offer in many ways of the proposal considering Evander was the heir of the family and it was well known that the Chaisty family was very much considered a dead branch of the Avery family tree. Or it would die with Wendy if she didn't go on to marry respectfully and have children from that union. Either way the Chaisty name was not one to continue. However, the Chaisty family did have a remarkably pure bloodline one of the oldest that could be traced in England, even if it was argued that the Chaisty family would be one of the poorer old families if it hadn't been for the union between Jane Cathaline Chaisty and Robert Carlson Avery. The Avery family, though pure, lacked the concrete proof of their purity to same age and could only claim it for the past three hundred years or so, a good three centuries younger than the Chaisty branch claimed, but the Avery family had been wiser with their money, able to maneuver their wealth and adapt as needed. Wendy had both that family heritage and the resources of the Avery family. Robert smiled serenely as Desdemona approached the subject of the rest of his family in the overly bright tone and then the inquiry regarding the few others in the family currently attending Hogwarts. "Actually there is only two others at the moment," Robert corrected, "My youngest's son and her eldest daughter. Her youngest child and the newest addition to our family has a several years to go before she will also be attending Hogwarts, but I'm sure Leah will settle into life at the school just as well if not better than her older siblings, David and Cathaline."
He raised a brow ever so slightly at Desdemona and then glanced to Callius, "However, while Wendy is very much an Avery just as David and Cathaline are in that she does have the main branch's resources to provide for her and cultivate her future and talents properly, she in fact carries the noble name of my wife's family. I'm sure you are well aware that would mean that Wendy is owed a proper inheritance as the last of the Chasity line. After all, Mrs. Lillantine, the request you made at your husband's urging is regarding the Chaisty's family future far more than the Avery family and its line," Robert concluded, before squeezing the hand of his wife and pausing for a moment to raise a brow in challenge to Callius as Jane began to pour some tea for herself and her husband, stirring in sugar for her husband as if it was as natural to the woman as breathing. Robert continued after his pause to Callius, "I'm sure you and your wife do not care to hear the doting of an old man on a beloved child in his family. So, I will be as blunt as I'm sure you'd rather me be, Mr. Lillantine. Did you chose to have your wife contact my wife and I regarding the matter of Miss Chaisty purely on the personal virtues, your wife has said your son extols, or is it for the potential capital and social investment a union between your son and Wendy would be for your family and its future?"Jane picked up her own cup of tea and took a small sip, hiding her smirk at her husband's question. Only a fool would have seriously thought that Desdemona had properly consulted her husband regarding the proposal. And of course, Desdemona was several decades too young in Jane's opinion to even hope to properly come out on even remotely even footing when it came to a proposal regarding even a branch family member. As for Callius, well, Jane barely considered the man worth mention in the equation as obviously his wife had one upped him. Or was the man too blinded by his own arrogance to see that? One of the reasons the Avery family survived both wizarding world without any more than an occasional whisper about where they sided and never enough grounds to ever hold a raid on their manor, was Jane and Robert Avery were absolutely sure to be a united front. There were always times when the disagreed, but when one acted or spoke (and usually, as it should be, it was Robert who did so) the voice held not only the strength and power of the speaker, but also the spouse and leading down to the very youngest member of the family tree. The two had seen in their youth at Hogwarts the wisdom of grafting the weaker Chaisty family to the more resourceful rich Avery family and after the early death of Robert's eldest brother it only served to solidify the strength. Indeed, Jane thought, Callius and Desdemona were far over their heads when it came to this little proposal.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:55 pm
xxxxxxx C A L L I U S and D E S D E M O N A Callius was quick to notice the contrasts between him and Desdemona and the Averys. He tended to prefer to let Desdemona do the majority of the talking when they had company, because it gave him a chance to study people, and her a chance to spar. At this point he was well aware that she looked forward to any sort of debate or even simple conversation with the same eagerness a mercenary would have for a coming war. It was a competition for her, to see if she could outdo herself, and usually amusing for him. But this was important, this was about their heir, and that meant he was going to have to grin and bear it. He couldn't afford to be aloof, and Desdemona couldn't afford to run things as a one woman show. He was still annoyed with her, but he could put it aside for now. They were capable of working together. Sometimes. "It must be so satisfying," he said calmly, "To see the younger generations growing up right before your eyes." As you slowly wither away, was what he would have liked to add, the small size of the Lillantine clan being a sore subject with him.
Desdemona glanced over at him carefully, and he smiled- actually smiled. She looked taken aback for a moment, before a small smile lit up her features in return. They were just as capable of communicating through nothing more than looks as they were fighting. Desdemona straightened in her seat, spine rigid, since she hadn't exactly been slouching to begin with. Now she knew the plan. She might not like him at the moment, but she rather liked it. Two old bats, she inwardly sneered, acting like they weren't on their last legs. Being so spiteful on the inside was only going to distract her, but gods above it was like play nice with her damnable parents again. But she'd extended the invitation, and she knew what she wanted out of this. If they thought they could dismiss her husband entirely and play her for a foolish little tart who'd overstepped herself, they were painfully mistaken.
"Of course she will," she replied easily. "Children are remarkably adaptable." Her blue-green eyed gaze didn't leave Robert Avery's face as she listened to him address both her and her husband more directly. Oh, was this a gauntlet being thrown down. Dear me, whatever shall we do? she thought sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Had she been ten years younger, she would have. 'Respect your elders' was never quite something she'd gotten the hang of.
Callius tilted his head very slightly to one side. "I'm well aware that if your wife's line does not have the monetary resources to provide a proper inheritance to Miss Chaisty, we would be expected to supply one, as gracious future in laws. I see no problem with it. It's only the generous thing to do." He waited patiently over the course of the pause. Men like Avery liked to take their time with things. "On the contrary, I find it reassuring to hear that young Wendy has such concerned guardians with her best interests in mind. Indifference would be alarming, given the circumstances." At the final question posed, Callius looked over to Jane Avery, whom he was sure was hiding the expression of a much less dignified woman behind that cup of tea.
"To be blunt in return, Mr. Avery, my son does not frequently speak highly of others. He prefers to keep to himself whilst in the company of the majority of his current peers, which I cannot entirely fault him for. The fact that he mentioned Miss Chaisty by name was itself a surprise to us, as was his... well, I suppose you could call it boldness on his part in accompanying her to a formal school event. If I'm to speak plainly here, it speaks volumes that he would compliment her, in regard to any feelings between the two." He smiled thinly. And if Avery thought he was about to get him to haphazardly reveal he hadn't quite authorized Desdemona's actions, he was an idiot. "To speak even plainer, feelings and personal virtues are not my primary concern when it comes to a potential marriage. I would be very pleased to know my son would be marrying someone he in some capacity cares for and is compatible with. I would be even more pleased to know that he is marrying someone with a substantial lineage and a certain amount of, as you put it, capital. My wife is his mother; you'll have to excuse her more... softer feelings on the matter."
Desdemona had remained mute throughout the entire thing. Now she took another careful sip of her tea before lowering the cup, a mild look on her face, looking for all the world like a concerned mother who wanted only the best for her children. She desperately wanted to ask what other prospects for the girl the Averys considering; what other prospects did they have, really? As high and mighty and wonderfully burdened with age and wisdom as they were doing the best to come off as, they were, to be crude, stuck in the same boat as the Lillantines, at least when it came to making a match for the Chaisty girl, specifically. She was a branch family member, they were going to have to do something with her or squander a valuable resource, unless they planned on keeping her as a pet spinster of sorts. The girl's father was in Azkaban and her mother was dead- all she had to recommend her were her blood, her supposed charms and talents and the power of the Averys behind her. If not for them, she'd be nothing, a leaf in the wind. This wasn't their heir they were putting on display here, it was a pureblooded orphan. Just because Evander couldn't hope to do much better didn't mean Desdemona had to act like it. For all they knew her son was a prince compared to other boys his age. M R . and M R S . L I L L A N T I N E
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:50 pm
______________________________________________________
The Family Head and The Matriarch
______________________________________________________ Robert Carlson Avery (the first)
Former Slytherin
Class of 1970
Wand: Inflexible and Smooth//12 4/5 inches//
xxxxxxPadauk wood//Dragon Heartstring Core
Jane Cathaline Avery
Former Slytherin
Class of 1971
Wand: Inflexible and Decorated//10 1/8 inches//
Elm//Hippogriff Talon Core
"Yes, children are," Robert agreed, turning to look at Desdemona when she said that children were adaptable. He raised a brow and said with a small smile, "However, I have found after raising six of my own children and watching as their children age and over half now legal adults, that children do tend to have a certain remarkable stubbornness to them as well." Still smiling plesantly he took a sip of his tea as he listened to Callius's response regarding Wendy, Evander, and the potential of a match between the two. Neither he nor Jane said anything for a moment as they waited to see if Desdemona would offer after her husband any 'softer' feelings on the matter. Jane let out a small sigh and then set down her cup of tea and glanced to her husband with a raised brow and Robert nodded, "To be quite honest, Mr. and Mrs. Lillantine, to betroth Wendy would lose my husband and I a very precious insurance we have held in the girl." She paused and picked up her tea and said, "And her insurance would be the sake of the Avery's main line, which, of course, is my husband's handling. Dear?" She ended. Robert nodded and said, "While it is generous of you to offer to care for her financially and considering your son's apparently feelings and boldness of interest in Wendy, which is quite comforting to my heart, there is of course the matter of practicality that my wife and I are both concerned with. The Lillantine family is not the only one with an heir that will need to properly carry on their family's line and traditions. While, I rest assured that my grandson already has acceptable enough plans on how to carry on the bloodline of the Avery family, you both are well aware how..." he paused and raised a brow "...'accidents' do happen.""After all, the mother of the young woman my grandson David has taken to courting, died quite early," Robert said with a raised brow, "and life is always so perilous even normally... and we are quite aware of how limited the options of pureblood young women-of any sort-are at this point.""If an agreement was made in regards to a union of Wendy and your son, Evander, that would lose us a very valuable insurance that my wife and I have nurtured and cared for. I am flattered by your interest, Mr. Lillantine, and what we shall call boldness of your son's part in taking an interest in Wendy, but, I have always liked to have a few plans on the back-burner. Life is unexpected, after all." He raised a brow, "It is unlikely at this point, Miss Chaisty would need to serve the Avery family in such a capacity and I feel in many ways it would stifle her potential if she did, but she is a branch member and the needs of the main family come first. I am a careful man, I like insurance. Perhaps that is why the Avery family is one of the last old families to retain their wealth if not have increased it over the past fifty years."
Jane had watched her husband primarily as he explained the situation and the use of Wendy as an insurance. It was blunt but it was honest. Wendy and David weren't first cousins, they weren't all that closely related, in fact they were more distantly blood related than many pureblood matches have been over the years. The Lillantines surely had heard they had named a Ravenclaw as their heir of all things. Their youngest grandson at that. And it wasn't exactly a secret he had been dating a Gryffindor-pureblood but still a Gryffindor-for quite some time. There were plenty of reasons you would want a more reputable girl around just in case. And, Wendy was far more reliable than many pureblood girls to have as a 'back-up plan'.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 3:40 pm
xxxxxxx C A L L I U S and D E S D E M O N A Desdemona nodded in agreement, a small smile still on her face. Raising six of his own children... Over the course of her years, she'd learned that men rarely 'raised' their own children, and when they did, it tended to end badly for all involved. But six- if she'd had that many she would have seen no choice but to put herself out of her misery and a few of the offspring as well. Men had no concept of the blood and tears that went into motherhood. Then again, she didn't remember ever crying over her children, except for the fact that Vander's birth had had her screaming herself hoarse for nearly two days. Even then, he'd been determined to make her life as difficult as possible. "I'd just like for my son to be happy," she said calmly. "I have to admit I have a certain degree of bias when it comes to him. He is my firstborn."
Insurance? So they hoped to marry the girl off to her cousin, their heir, in the case of dire circumstances. How utterly farsighted of them. She hoped for the boy and the girl's sakes, if that proved to be the outcome, that they hadn't been raised as siblings. That might make married life a bit... strained. She took a sip of her tea to hide a briefly curling grin of amusement when she thought of how Callius had been so confident that Julius's girl, Violante, would be an excellent backup wife for Vander. After all, he'd said, they were only first cousins on one side. Perfectly legal under magical law- and even muggle law.
"I see," Callius replied evenly. "Yes, of course, preserving your line should be your main concern." Privately, he could relate on some level. One could never be too paranoid. Relax and the rug might be swept out from under you, especially when it came to reckless youths who tended to think with parts quite far from their heads. He would know, his twin having been one such impulsive young man. He'd fought for a marriage that had quite literally gone up in flames. If Callius had been a more humorous man, he might have let himself laugh about that at some point. Still. If Vander had gotten himself in lust with a Gryffindor, he would have taken steps, even if she was a pureblood. You let some values slip, the rest were quick to follow.
"You must have put so much time and effort into the girl," he commented, very nearly sardonically. It was almost out of jealousy. If he'd been named the guardian of his brother's child, he could have had an insurance of his own. But she was ruined now. But back to the matter at hand. He couldn't be sure if the Averys were trying to worm their way out of this but still keep their options open, or if Robert Avery was seriously considering a match between the two and just testing the waters. He was inclined to think the latter. "Perhaps," he agreed, then fell silent for a few moments, thinking. Desdemona reached over and squeezed his hand, but her sharp nails left crescent moons all over his knuckles. Don't lose this, she was warning him. He squeezed her hand back almost lazily, but harder. I don't plan to.
"And perhaps I could propose a compromise of sorts," he finally said. "You remarked that you find your grandson's plans with his soon to be betrothed- let's hope, acceptable. There is no need to make anything public or even strictly official- Evander and Wendy are both young, after all, and children react very strangely to pressure at times. But if your heir's plans do come to fruition, and he does marry the girl he is currently pursuing, it would be unwise to have no other options for Miss Chaisty. We could have Evander and Wendy as an arrangement, but with the extrapolation that if she is needed for the good of the Avery clan, well, then the match could quietly be dissolved and you would have your heir a wife. Of course, I would require some forewarning if that does happen to be the case, so my wife is not planning a wedding that won't end up happening," he finished dryly. It wasn't perfect, but it was something. Their heir had to be sixteen or seventeen, presumably he'd be married in just a few years. M R . and M R S . L I L L A N T I N E
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The Forgotten Weasley Crew
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 6:13 pm
______________________________________________________
The Family Head and The Matriarch
______________________________________________________ Robert Carlson Avery (the first)
Former Slytherin
Class of 1970
Wand: Inflexible and Smooth//12 4/5 inches//
xxxxxxPadauk wood//Dragon Heartstring Core
Jane Cathaline Avery
Former Slytherin
Class of 1971
Wand: Inflexible and Decorated//10 1/8 inches//
Elm//Hippogriff Talon Core
As Desdemona nodded in agreement to Robert’s coments on raising children and then offering her thoughts on a certain degree of bais when it came to certain children, Jane smiled a polite, but genuine smile as she took another sip of her tea and glanced over to her husband who spoke for them both, “It is only natural to have our favorites, Mrs. Lillantine.” Robert’s favorite had always been his youngest, Cara. It was probably why he had always been a bit more indulgent and tolerant of her whims (such as marrying that squib of a husband of hers)-not that Robert Avery wouldn’t have dealt with certain whims that were completely unacceptable (like the horror of her actually seriously dating or hooking up with some halfblood or worse). When Callius began his carefully planned response and made the silent exchange of the Lillantine couple, Robert merely raised a brow and took a sip of his tea before finally setting down the cup and deciding to address the issue at hand properly. Fixing his gaze on Callius, Robert began steadily and bluntly, “If the arrangement lacked officialty and publicity as proper in such an arrangement, you or your son could easily escape the contract just as easily as Wendy could. Furthermore, if neither Evander nor Wendy were given the impression it was one that they could easily step out of and not expected of them, the children will naturally feel inclined to go forth and make their own plans accordingly. These plans could or could not go towards the proper betterment of our families and the legacy of the Chaisty family. As I said, children have a certain amount of impulsiveness and stubbornness in them and purebloods-of any sort-are becoming less and less. Statistically on numbers it would be more likely for Evander or Wendy to take interest in someone of lesser blood status than to actually take an interest in someone who is pureblooded.”The older man sighed, shaking his head sadly, before pausing and fixing his gaze on Callius again, “However… I think there is a way for you to relieve any reservations I may have in losing the insurance I have invested in with the raising of Miss Wendy Chaisty… My grandson, David, will not inherit the full responsibilities or the title of the head of the Avery Clan until he is twenty-five. I feel that he as well as myself and the Avery family do have enough time to see how David’s little Gryffindor experimentation plays out. Besides, considering the current state of the wizarding world it can be a liability if a family appears too steeped in ‘old-fashioned’ traditional values. A preference for purebloods is usually overlooked, a preference for purebloods of certain houses too long causes some people to look far closer into a family’s affairs than I am comfortable with in regards to my family.”Robert shrugged and gave a half smile to Callius before taking a sip of his then continuing, “Though, speaking of traditions, that brings me to my point and counter offer to you, Mr and Mrs Lillantine. You have your own recent upset about certain youth upturning tradition…” Robert paused and smirked a bit as he thought of their daughter, Antigone, who was placed in Ravenclaw. After all, he may have chosen a Ravenclaw as his family’s heir but David had practically begged the hat to put him in that house, instead of Slytherin like the hat was inclined to do, and the worst that could be said about a male Ravenclaw was he was only intelligent at best, but that was hardly that big of a fault. A female Ravencalw… it wasn’t as easy to overlook. A smart girl could be worrisome. Robert finally spoke aloud his thoughts in regards to Antigone, “To be blunt your daughter could serve as the insurance in the off case my grandson’s experiment fails terribly and he fails to produce a proper heir with the woman of his choosing. And of course, if and when a satisfactory heir is produced in David’s own fashion-with this girl of his- Antigone will be absolved of any and all commitments she would be obliged to the Avery family in exchange for the Avery family agreeing to promise Wendy Chaisty’s hand to your son, Evander, without a simple escape clause that you were willing to settle for, Mr. Lillantine.”
Robert paused with a smile before glancing to his wife who had looked the slightest bit surprise at how easily her husband had agreed to promising Wendy to the Lillantine family, though, when he had pressed on with the matter of using Anitgone Lillantine as their insurance instead Jane couldn’t help but smile slightly behind her cup of tea. It was actually an offer that was best for everyone. In the case of them, it would be problematic for them to find Wendy a respectable husband when she was older and no longer needed in the slightest for insurance-and even now it was difficult, especially as promising of an offer as the heir of a respectable family like the Lillantines. As for the Lillantines, they had revealed their desperation when Desdemona had first contacted them so bluntly, but Wendy was also quite a treasure for them. Not only was she pureblood, from a notable family, and a Slytherin, she was raised to be the epitome of a proper pureblood witch. And furthermore, she had the intelligence to be a proper wife to a future head of the family. And, she was an heir of sorts in her own right. It was quite a lovely arrangement, if you asked Jane. There was a reason the Avery family remained so strong and kept out of trouble with the ministry despite some darker rumors (which were of course likely all true): Robert Avery was wise, calculating, smart, and clever enough to make sure the family remained strong through the passage of time and into the future. Robert spoke up after a moment and said, “Are such terms agreeable, Mr and Mrs Lillantine? Or do you wish to consult your son regarding the matter first? However, I should stress, that this is the only time you will have such a generous offer from myself regarding the matter. If he has already shown favor towards Wendy, that is far more than he could hope for in regards to finding a wife he actually likes, finds desirable, and is compatible with in personality, that would be remotely close to the same standing as Miss Wendy Chaisty is.”
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