The Luckiest Man on Earth

The Luckiest Man on Earth

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and no trademark infringement is intended or implied - not to say that I would not like to but please do not sue.

Chapter 11: We

The Galitsin Estate: Outside of Paris:

Natalya apparated just outside the wards of her childhood home. She was in a daze. She had not wanted to go home to Wiltshire. She wasn’t sure if she felt up to seeing her husband. In desperation, Natalya went to the only place she could think of – home. She walked through the gates and made her way to the imposing chateaux.

“It’s little missy,” said the old house elf with a smile of greeting when Natalya knocked on the door a few minutes later.

“Hello Igor,” said Natalya with a gentle smile. The house elf led her into the sitting room eagerly.

“The mistress is in here having her late afternoon tea,” said Igor with an anxious smile. “Can I get little missy something to eat?”

Natalya thought longingly of the sweet lemon tarts of her childhood. She hesitantly asked the house elf if they still made them. Igor smiled, nodded and popped away to get her a plate. Natalya took a deep breath and went into the drawing room. To her relief, her mother was alone.

“My goodness,id hid her mother coolly as she saw her youngest daughter appear through the door. “What do I owe this unexpected pleasure, Natasha?”

“I just wanted to see you,” said Natalya weakly. Her mother had always intimidated her. Even her unexpected appearance hadn’t fazed her mother.

“Likely story,” said Lydia Galitsin deBurgh. “It’s that disreputable rake you married, isn’t it?”

“No,” said Natalya weakly. Her mother was disconcertingly perceptive sometimes.

“Hmmm,” said Lydia with a snort of disbelief. She eyed her pale daughter then handed her a cup of tea. The women sat in the beautiful sitting room and sipped tea silently for a few moments.

“How is my lovely grandson,” asked Lydia a moment later. “Can you asked The Rake if Marcus can spend the summer here in Paris with me, Natasha? I must admit I like to see him around. Now that he is graduated, he will have time to spend with his old grandmother.”

“Maman,” said Natalya with a tentative look. “I have news about Marcus. He has met a girl.”

“Really,” said Lydia with a shrewd look at her daughter. “And what is this witch like? Is she a pureblood? Is she from a good family? I must admit, Natasha, I was hoping to introduce him to some lovely witches here in Paris.”

“Her name is Katherine Bell,” said Natalya nervously. “She is very close to a pureblood and her family is quite nice. Before you say anything else maman, Marcus is quite attached to her. They are to be married.”

“I know,” said Lydia coolly. “Honestly Natasha, when were you going to tell me? Did the Rake forbid you to?”

“I am sorry,” said Natalya as she lowered her eyes. “I was afraid to. You see the circumstances are not exactly ideal.”

“Natasha,” said her mother with a slight smile. “Your son is far more courageous than you will ever be. Marcus owled me to tell me about his engagement shortly after he performed the binding ritual. I know that the girl is expecting my first great grandchild.”

“Are you displeased,” asked Natalya with trepidation and surprise.

“With my only grandbaby?” said Lydia with a hint of outrage. “Never!”

Natalya eyed her mother with surprise. She had been a very strict mother but when it came to Marcus, her mother was putty in his hands. Her sister, Tamara and herself had been terrified of upsetting their mother. On the other hand, Marcus had never been scared of his grand-mere. Lydia was an indulgent, affectionate grandmother.

“The wedding is on June 24th, is it not?” asked Lydia with a raised eyebrow. Natalya nodded. “I think I’ll give Katie my mother’s pearls as a wedding gift. Do you think she’ll like them?”

Natalya nodded in surprise. Her grandmother’s pearls were the rare shade of black, perfectly matched and priceless.

“I wonder if Marcus and Katie would like to spend part of the summer with me here,” said Lydia complacently. “Speaking of your Rake, Why exactly are you here? Your sister has gone to St. Tropez with one of her playthings.”

“I…” stuttered Natalya.

“So,” said Lydia briskly. “You finally caught that Rake with one of his whores, have you?”

“Yes,” whispered Natalya.

“Surely you knew The Rake was unfaithful,” said Lydia sardonically.

“Maman,” said Natalya tiredly. “Just say it.”

“I told you so,” said Lydia with a hint of sadness. “My girl, you just wouldn’t listen to me. You were blinded by youth and passion. And by a handsome man who gave you promises I knew he could never keep. Where is The Rake now?”

“His name is Aurelius,” said Natalya with a sigh.

“I will call him whatever I want Natasha,” said Lydia coolly. “He stole my daughter away from me.”

“I went willingly,” said Natalya with defiance. “And I knew about the other women. He loves me best.”

“You still love him,” said Lydia softly.

“Yes,” whispered Natalya. “Always.”

“But your heart hurts, so you came to me, my girl,” said Lydia as her face softened. She touched her daughter’s face gently.

“Yes,” said Natalya. She looked into her mother’s eyes.

“You are a grown woman now,” said Lydia with a determined look. “Do you want to teach that Rake of yours a lesson?”

Natalya slowly nodded.

“I have a few suggestions,” said Lydia with a small smile. “You did know my dear that your father was prone to stray on occasion?”

“What?” said Natalya with shock.

“He was an Irish rogue,” said Lydia with a far away affectionate smile.

“Just like Aurelius is my rake,” said Natalya softly.

“Touché,” said Lydia lightly. “You must make that Rake of yours jealous. I wager that you have never been unfaithful to him, have you my girl?”

“Never,” said Natalya with outrage.

“Not even with that delicious looking cousin of his, Lucius Malfoy?” asked her mother slyly.

“Merlin no,” squeaked Natalya. “I have to admit he is very good looking but he just scares me.”

“A pity,” said Lydia shrewdly. “If the Rake thought you slept with Lucius, he would go crazy. Just as well, we don’t want matters escalating towards homicide, do we? You should chose a young, good looking man.”

Natalya’s treacherous mind leapt to a mental picture of a sweaty, muscular Rhys Bell.

“You want me to sleep with another man?” asked a shocked Natalya.

Lydia eyed her sweet younger daughter and sighed. “My dear Natasha, the Rake just has to believe that you are sleeping with another man. When he confronts you, remind him that what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.”

“He won’t divorce me, will he?” asked Natalya timidly.

“Natasha,” said Lydia with a snort of laughter. “He cannot afford to divorce you, child. This scare will bring him to heel.”

“Do you think it will work?” asked Natalya. Her heart felt lighter as she sat there in afternoon sun with her mother. They talked some more about her father and the ways of wicked good looking men. Their cups of tea were replaced by glasses of wine.

“Were you ever unfaithful to Papa?” asked Natalya with a frown.

“My child,” said Lydia with twinkling dark eyes. “Do you really want me to answer that question?” She looked out to the gardens and at the gardener with a small secret smile.

Natalya looked at the gardener too with a puzzled look on her face then she blushed. For as long as she could remember, the gardeners on the estate were young handsome men who for some reason did not do that much gardening. The house elves did most of the work.

“Merlin,” gasped Natalya as her mother laughed.

“Oh Natasha,” said Lydia a few hours later, “If only your sister would just stop screwing those muggle boys and marry a nice wizard!”

“Maman!” gasped Natalya as she choked with laughter. When she finally decided to go home, she had to floo because she was a little tipsy.

The Slytherin Dungeons:

Marcus eyed his supply of firewhiskey with a critical look. He moved the keg of mead to the corner of the fireplace.

“I think you have enough,” said Adrian with a shake of his head. “After all, we do not want to get completely plastered, do we?”

“Tarquin said he’s bringing some more of that fine scotch and Derrick said he’s bringing tequila,” said Terry with a sigh as he arranged chairs. “Ade, don’t let me drink tequila.”

“Trust me,” said Adrian with an eyeroll. “After that last time, I promise. Merlin, you just get smashed on that stuff, mate.”

“I still can’t remember a single thing after I had those five shots,” said Terry with a frown. “Adrian, I still don’t believe you.”

“I swear,” said Adrian with a snicker. “You were all over Woody. He had his tongue down your throat. You are lucky that I am your best mate. I dragged you away before something terrible happened.”

“Like Woody waking up in our room,” said Marcus with a grimace of distaste. All three Slytherins shuddered.

“Merlin Marcus,” said Terry with a wince. “You would have fucking killed me.”

“I still can’t believe that half the school isn’t aware that Woody flies for both teams,” said Marcus with puzzlement.

“He is very discreet,” said Adrian. “Besides, I think he just goes for Quidditch boys. Like our Terry.”

“Oh well,” said Marcus with a shrug. “As long as he doesn’t look in my girl’s direction again for as long as he lives.”

“Say Marcus,” said Terry with a mischievous grin. “I wonder if all that tension between you two isn’t some twisted sexual obsession on Woody’s part?”

“Terry,” said Marcus sternly. “That’s not even a little bit funny.”

Adrian giggled in the background. Marcus glared at Terry. Then Marcus laughed.

“That mental image I just had is now going to haunt my dreams forever Higgs, thank you very much,” said Marcus with a grimace.

The boys laughed together as the rest of their mates trickled into their room. Several hours, an empty mead keg and several firewhiskey bottles later, the party was in full swing.

“Marcus,” said Alec with a smirk. “Where are the witches?”

“As a seventh year prefect MacIntyre, I do believe you know that women are not allowed in the dormitories,” said Marcus primly.

“That has never ever stopped you Marcus,” said Derrick with a snicker. “Not even in third year.”

“I’ve grown as a wizard,” said Marcus blandly. He was trying not to drink as much as his mates. He was failing.

“Admit it Flint,” said Tarquin Bole. The tall green-eyed Slytherin smirked at Marcus. “Your witch forbade you to have witches here. I hear those Gryffindork witches are demanding.”

“Please Tarquin,” said Marcus as he took a swig of his drink. “I really want to see my witch naked again, preferably tomorrow afternoon sometimes, so I do listen to her especially when it comes to other witches. Besides, no one compares to her.”

“Really,” said Terry. “After all those girls you have bedded, none compare to her?”

“Not even close,” said Marcus smugly.

“Ahhh,” said Alec sardonically as he raised his glass in salute. “True Love.”

“Yes, I do love her,” said Marcus with a grin. “But mates, the sex is absolutely bloody fantastic. I have the best now you all are stuck with the rest.”

“Bastard,” said Tarquin affectionately.

“Let’s play a game,” said Marcus with a twinkle in his eyes. “We are all friends here. I’ll go first. I’ll ask the person on my right a question I have always wanted to know in all our years together here at Hogwarts. If he doesn’t want to answer, he has to do a prescribed task by the end of the weekend and finish his drink.”

Marcus turned to Alec as Alec gave mock shudder.

“How much is that dowry you’ll be getting from your bride’s family,” asked Marcus as he sipped his drink nonchalantly.

“Two million galleons,” said Alec with a toss of his head.

“The truth MacIntyre,” said Marcus with an incredulous smirk.

“I am telling the truth,” protested Alec with a grin. “Want to see the parchments? I’ll go get them.”

“Holy Fuck,” said Adrian with a gasp as the boys choked on their drinks. “Does she have a sister?”

“Nope,” said Alec. He turned to Adrian with a glitter of mischief in his eyes. “Say Adrian, is it true that you have had Johnson and Spinnet at the same time? If so, who was the best?”

“At the same time, individually, you name it,” said Adrian with a shrug as the rest of the boys except two stared in amazement. “The best at what exactly? I can tell you that Spinnet has amazing tits.”

Adrian looked at Tarquin with a smirk. “So Tarquin old pal, are you really richer than Malfoy and Flint combined?”

“More or less,” said Tarquin with a frown. t det depends if you factor in the fluctuating galleon. Chris Warrington, did you really fuck Billy Bletchley while she was still going out with Marcus?”

“Kind of,” said Chris with an apprehensive look at Marcus.

“Don’t worry mate,” said Marcus complacently. “I’m just worried about you. Don’t you agree that she gave terrible head?”

“Yes,” said Chris with a shudder. “Teeth. Terry, did you really kiss Woody at that Ravenclaw Beltane Bash?”

“Apparently,” said Terry dryly as his mates looked at him in horror. “These questions are really personal.”

“They are meant to be that way,” said Marcus as he took a swig of scotch.

“So Derrick,” said Terry with a drunken smirk. “Have you ever slept with someone who was not a girl?”

“You mean a bloke, right?” asked Derrick with a frown. “Not a veela or a goblin.”

“Yes,” said Terry with an eyeroll.

“Then the answer is yes,” said Derrick with a smirk as Terry choked on his drink.

“Now Marcus, its back to you,” said Derrick as he ignored Terry. “How long did Bell make you wait before she let you shag her? How many dates did you two have before you did the deed?”

“None,” said Marcus with a wicked smile. It was Derrick’s turn to choke on his drink.

“You mean…no date at all?” said Derrick with amazement.

“I met her one night outside on the Pitch and twenty minutes later…” said Marcus as he shrugged eloquently. His mates goggled at him as Adrian rolled his eyes.

“Yes, yes, yes,” said Adrian with a snort. “I’ve heard it all before. All he did was kiss her a few times and he had her knickers off in twenty bloody minutes..blah…blah..blah.”

“Jealous,” said Marcus with a raised eyebrow.

“A little,” admitted Adrian as he drank his whiskey. “Marcus, Katie Bell is wickedly hot. Before you choke me, I swear I will never lay a finger on her long gorgeous legs or those lovely pert breasts or her-“

“Shut up Pucey,” said Marcus through gritted teeth.

“Twenty minutes,” said Alec with awe. “I never thought that Katie Bell would do such a thing.”

“Neither did she,” said Marcus with relish. Marcus turned to Alec and gave a wicked smile. “What was Nora like in bed?” asked Marcus.

“Ahhh,” said Alec lightly. “She didn’t like beds. She preferred the shower. Nora was incredible. She was my first, you know. My only for a long time.”

“Really,” said Marcus sofwithwith a hint of surprise. “Did you love her?”

“Of course I did,” said Alec with a snort. “She was my first love after all.”

“Do you still love her,” asked Marcus lowly and intently.

“I think,” said Alec with his head tilted as he thought about Marcus’s question. “That I love the idea of her. She is just so elegant and smart. Now that I am being forced into this betrothal, I think I’m clinging to the whole melodramatic ideal of her.”

“Like she’s embodying all the angst over the whole situation,” added Terry softly.

“Exactly,” said Alec as he took a thoughtful sip of his drink. “I keep idealizing the whole relationship. I forget that she annoyed me sometimes with her whole cheerful façade. She liked to ignore certain aspects of our relationship like the whole half blood situation because it was unpleasant. Nora hated unpleasant things. She hated my family. She called them creepy. Hey, I know they’re strange but they are my family. I love them. Besides she should talk. Her grandparents are actual muggles! I don’t think that we would have worked things out anyway but I am still clinging to her. It annoys me.”

“Let her go mate,” said Adrian softly. “Sometimes it is better to just face the future and get it over with. Come to an arrangement with your future wife. Have an open marriage or something.”

“Keep a mistress or two,” said Alec with a quirked eyebrow. “Marcus, do you plan on keeping a mistress?’

“I plan on keeping my balls exactly where they are, thank you very much,” said Marcus with a snort. “Katie promised that she’ll kill me slowly if I even dared to think about it.”

“Since you asked me more than one very personal question,” said Alec with an intense gaze. “Can I ask you a question?”

Marcus nodded as he poured Alec and himself another drink.

“Is Katie Bell expecting your child in the near future,” asked Alec shrewdly.

“Yes,” said Marcus quietly as his mates looked at him without surprise, Marcus noted to himself. “We are going to have a baby in late January.”

“How do you feel about it, really,” asked Alec.

“I was initially shocked and more than a little apprehensive,” said Marcus. “Now, I am just waiting for our life together to start. I realized it yesterday as I was packing up the broom shed for the last time. I was thinking about Katie and I was going through some things in my head that we needed to discuss and it hit me. I was thinking about the future in terms of Katie and me rather than just myself. Somewhere along the way my life became a matter of we rather than me. And did you know what?”

“What?” asked Terry softly.

“I have never been so happy in my entire life,” said Marcus seriously.

“To True Love,” said Terry as he raised his glass. That toast broke the tension and the Slytherin boys continued to drink and laugh far into the night.



Author’s Note: Hey, I’m sorry for the lack of smuttage. But have no fear, dear readers. I will make up for it for it in the next few chapters. Just when you think you know where I am headed, I will twist the other way. Just a warning. See my livejournal for updates and hints.