Chapter 172 - The Black Sisters! Part-1 (Patreon)

{Ballroom, Outside grounds, Greengrass Manor}

{31th Oct 1991} 

{Rigel's POV}

This is the night
All right
This is the night
This is the night

The song ended since it was a slow song; by the end of it, we were hugging and moving together slowly. As if awoken from a trance, Daphne looked at me and then nodded. The meaning behind that gesture was unclear to me, but when she started moving away from the dance floor, I followed her. 

"I'm gonna help Mother and Father with the arrangements; save me a dance for the end, okay? I'll see you in a bit..." She spoke as she started walking toward Adorabella.

Left to my own devices, I looked around the room, and instantly, several people stood out to me. I could go and dance with Astoria; I did promise her one. Narcissa looked miserable just sitting around while Lucius chatted with Fudge and other members of the Dark faction. Still, I choose to look for Andromeda. She and Ted were sitting around awkwardly while Sirius was putting on a show for Amelia. 

'Dancing is a good way to make a positive first impression, right?'

I walked over to their table; unsurprisingly, Sirius and Andromeda were the first ones to notice me approaching.

'So I can confirm that my mana sense is a Black Family trait. No wonder everyone from the Blacks was good at dueling; it directly eliminates the timing aspect of a duel.' I hummed as I approached them. After smiling in Sirius's direction, I turned to Andromeda and extended my hand, "May I have this dance?"

Andromeda smiled at me as she placed her right hand into my arms. I pulled her up and looked at Sirius, who was mouthing the words 'Bold' to me while wiggling his eyebrows. Ignoring the drama queen, I led Andromeda toward the dance floor. The song had changed to something that I hadn't heard. Its beat was a smidge faster than the previous two songs.

"How are you enjoying the night so far?" I questioned as I placed my left arm lightly around her waist. 

Andromeda didn't say anything at first, but after staring at me for a while, she finally spoke, "You do know that the Greengrass family has unofficially stated today that you are joining the Grey faction."

'Straight to business it is then...'

"Of course, not like I had any other plans. I don't actually like the leadership of the Dark Faction as of right now. Going to the Light would be too fast of a switch, and I'm not particularly a fan of Dumbledore either. That leaves us Grey..." I reasoned. Her sharp eyes remained locked onto the frame before she sighed and looked around.

"It's been a while since I have been to something like this... Sirius told me you want me to be the Regent for the Black votes?" She finally opened up.

"I mean, it was a simple suggestion. I haven't known Sirius for long, but he doesn't strike me as someone who would enjoy or particularly care for how those votes are used. You, on the other hand, have a unique insight into our world as both the princess of the House Black and an outcast." I felt her mana stiffen slightly at the end of my statement.

"With that knowledge and the amount of political info that must be dumped onto you in your training during your childhood, I'm pretty sure you are quite suited for this." I finished my reasoning with a soft squeeze of her waist.

She didn't reply for a while as we danced around the hall; there was much more distance between our bodies than when Daph and I were dancing. As I was worried that the reassuring squeeze was taken the wrong way, Andromeda looked into my eyes. The hard edge was gone as she looked at me with a soft smile.

"I see the resemblance, but still, I cannot see it." She spoke.

I looked confused, so she elaborated, "The madness, the gleam for power that I have seen in my father and mother's eyes. Even Sirius, as untouched by the craziness he was, had certain moments where his emotions got the best of him."

"Right, the infamous black madness," I replied. I had heard about it in canon, but the stories still seemed far-fetched.

"Oh, it was real. Believe me, it was one of the reasons I did the same ritual that I heard you did. Though you could have chosen a better partner than a Rowle, it still was a good decision." She smiled as the song came to an end.

"Stay sane, Rigel. And thank you... and stop fucking my sister. You both are going to ruin so many plans... and I don't want to lose another family member to a stupid honor duel," She whispered with a teasing smile as she started walking away. Her eyes stared at Narcissa, who was staring at us with a stoic look, but her mana was all over the place.

The conversation threw me off the loop. The concern in her eyes was real, so I guess there was more to her story than teenage rebellion. What would be an excellent way to learn more about it than by looking at the source?

I held eye contact with Narcissa for a few moments before I started walking around the hall. My eyes met Draco, and I circled around the ballroom with a cheerful wave at him. I sneaked out of the back gates and walked away from the crowded area.

I sensed multiple people following me; Narcissa wasn't a surprise, though Pansy, being one of them, was one. I guess she couldn't hold herself back as she saw her chance.

'Pansy has seen me with Rita, so I guess it won't be as bad.'

I thought as Narcissa closed the distance, her arms flying around my neck as her lips flew to my own. I sensed Pansy freezing in panic as she hid behind several bushes.

"Someone's eager?" I smiled as, after a couple of seconds, Narcissa pulled back; her eyes stared into my eyes for a moment before she pulled back and fell on her knees. As her hands snaked around the hems of my robes, I looked in Pansy's general direction.

'I wonder if Rita is around...'

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AN: Sorry about the late chap! I'm figuring out a new schedule as the evening time corresponding to Webnovel refresh time isn't working for me. How do you guys like a later update, around this time?