The Good Slytherin

Chapter Fourteen: Eurydice

Eurydice's heels clicked against the parquet floor as Sedgwick led her into massive entrance of Archwood Manor. Dressed smartly in an effort to impress, she was about to meet her future in-laws and already she was ridiculously nervous and breaking into a cold sweat. Sedgwick, however, grinned euphorically and looked far calmer all things considered.

"Not nervous, are you?" he whispered in her ear.

Eurydice made a small moan and he squeezed her arm reassuringly.

"Really, her bark is worse than her bite."

If only that were true. Sedgwick's mother had a nasty reputation among some of the staff at Gordon & Hollings, and though Eurydice herself had never properly met her, Hyperia had made her presence known in other ways. In fact, she was the most vociferous in the opposition Eurydice and Sedgwick's engagement. But this changed only a week before when the Gordons suddenly consented to the marriage.

She decided not to question her stroke of good fortune.

Ahead, Sedgwick's older brother waited for them with a wry look on his face. "Mum and Dad are in the drawing room," Sebastian said, arms folded.

"Come to see the festivities?" Sedgwick asked with a raise of the eyebrow.

Festivities? This didn't help with Eurydice's nerves. No, not one bit.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sebastian answered, narrowing his gaze on Eurydice. For a brief moment she would have sworn there was a flicker of disdain.

"Is your wife here too?"

"Miranda's in the other room with the kids."

As if on cue, there was a small crash followed by the wail of a toddler.

"If you two will excuse me, I have to go clean that up." Sebastian then disappeared into an adjacent room.

"Here we go then."

If she wasn't so nervous or if Sedgwick wasn't leading quickly away, she would have taken the time to examine the paintings that lined the hallway--it was an art historian's dream. But soon the cavernous drawing room was opening up before her and there sat Sedgwick's parents. It was too late to turn back.

Now Eurydice knew where Sedgwick got his coloring. Hyperia sat rigidly in her wing chair as if lording over the room, silver blonde hair pulled back tightly and her thin lips pursed. She was a small woman and her cold pale eyes bored in to Eurydice as she entered, giving the distinct impression that her future mother-in-law was still quite skeptical over the wedding. Desmond, a stout man with horned rimmed glasses, stood quietly in the background and barely gave Eurydice a flicker of recognition, even though she worked for him.

She could sense that this already wasn't going well and she hung back awkwardly waiting for Sedgwick to introduce her, eyes darting around the room in the meantime. One thing she did notice were the falcons everywhere--in the tapestry, the family crest over the fireplace, and the stone carving around the mantel . . .

"Mother, this is Eurydice."

Flashing them a bright smile, she was eager to give this her best shot.

"Come here, girl."

Eurydice cautiously came forward and sat when Hyperia motioned to the nearby sofa. Sedgwick still hovered about and a grey tabby cat slithered between the legs of the wing chair.

Should she say something? Thank them for inviting her? A house elf appeared with a massive silver tea tray and she began to relax a little.

"Tell me, Eurydice. How long have you worked for Gordon & Hollings?"

"Almost six years."

The house elf passed Hyperia a cup and she began to raise it to her thin lips when she turned to Sedgwick, "Do ask your brother if he wants tea."

As Sedgwick jauntily obeyed and strode out of the room, a shot of panic ran through Eurydice. Don't leave me, she wanted to cry after him. She tried not to look too alarmed now that she was alone with the parents.

Hyperia carried on. "My husband tells me that you work in Acquisitions?"

"I also do appraising." Eurydice could see that her hands were shaking a little as she reached for her teacup.

"Where does your family live?"

"Cambridgeshire."

"What does your father do?"

"He's a writer."

"And your mother?"

"Artist."

"Where were your parents sorted in while at Hogwarts?"

"Ravenclaw."

"And you were in Slytherin?" she asked incredulously.

"I was. Two years behind Sedgwick."

Hyperia didn't seem too keen on her answers. Small creases began to appear along her brow. "And your family is pureblood?"

Eurydice was used to having her lineage examined after seven years in Slytherin. And though she wasn't surprised by Hyperia's question, she was quickly realizing that this confirmed what she had long suspected--that the Gordons were one of those families. No matter, she had gone through worse with the likes of the Malfoys and the Blacks looking down their noses at her whilst in Slytherin. If fact, Hyperia looked a bit like a Malfoy . . .

"Yes, we're purebloods," Eurydice finally answered. "We can trace the Thorpes back to the fourteenth century."

Some relief appeared on the witch's pale face and Desmond gave a small grunt of approval. "That is good news indeed," said Hyperia. "I daresay too many respectable families are ruined by mudbloods these days."

There was a voice in the back of Eurydice's head that immediately launched into a tirade. How on earth could she sit there and quietly accept such racist language from her future mother-in-law? The same voice called her a hypocrite while another voice soothingly reminded her that she loved Sedgwick and she could glaze over this small issue. Racists or not, the Gordons were a powerful Wizarding family and it helped to have them as allies.

And where the hell was Sedgwick anyway. The grilling carried on and he was still not back from fetching Sebastian. She could hear a couple of muffled wails from down the hall. How long she was going to have to brave this alone?

Desmond finally spoke. "And you have a sister, don't you?"

Eurydice nearly choked on her tea, her mind flashing back to the scene in the Leaky Cauldron a few weeks before. She certainly wished she didn't have a sister. Had Sedgwick told them she had a sister? "Er, yes. Her name is Delphinia."

Hyperia's face contorted into a thin smile. "Now Eurydice, tell me about your sister."