The Last Man on Earth

The Last Man on Earth

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and am merely taking them out for a good time. No one will be harmed permanently.

Chapter 52: Thus Begins the Dinner Party from Hell:

Flint Manor: Sunday Night

Natalya Flint gave her husband a bright smile after he escorted the Bell family into the drawing room. Aurelius handed out drinks as Natalya brightly chatted about the lovely weather they were having. Rowan Bell introduced his family to the Flints. Natalya kept the conversation going. Eventually the sad expression on Isolde Bell’s face managed to pierce Natalya’s bright façade.

“I’m sorry,” said Natalya. “Are you one of those people that likes rain? I don’t. It makes my hair go frizzy. When I moved to England after I married Aurelius, I had to spend hours at the hair stylist.”

“Where are you from originally,” asked Rowan Bell trying to make an effort.

“Paris,” said Natalya. “I grew up in a magical village just outside Versailles.\"

“Your name sounds more Russian,” said Rowan quizzically.

“My parents fled Russia after the Revolution when the magical government collapsed just like the Muggle one did. With the chaos and the worry about the Muggles finding out about us, my grandparents left,” said Natalya with a laugh. “Luckily with all their galleons intact and jewelry sewn into their clothes. My grandfather knew that the bank inside the Hermitage would be overrun and it was. So he transferred his money to Switzerland. Imagine, the Bolsheviks have been displaying all those riches for years thinking they belonged to the Romanovs when they were actually the property of several magical Russian families.”

“It sounded like it was dangerous,” said Isolde with a weak smile.

“Oh no,” said Natalya. “It was very romantic, I think. Grandfather used to tell tales about having to pass as a muggle while they tried to get out of Russia. They had to flee through Crimea traveling on a muggle transport. They couldn’t use magical means because no one was sure if the muggles knew about us or not. Plus they had to pass as POOR muggles.”

“It must have been very trying,” said Owen Bell dryly. He was a tall blond, blue eyed man of about 28 years old. He and his brother exchanged a look. Rhys Bell resembled his father more than his brother. He was tall with dark brown hair. He had his father’s greeny blue eyes like his sister, Katie.

“I understand that your wife recently had a child,” said Aurelius smoothly. “My congratulations. It was a boy?”

“Yes,” said Owen. He unthawed a little. His eyes lit up as he described his son, Rowan. “My wife was unable to be here. Our son was not feeling quite the thing.”

“Thank-you for coming none the less,” said Aurelius. He and Rowan Bell exchanged a speaking glance. “I believe dinner is ready. Would everyone like to follow me into the dining room.”

The party sat down to dinner. Isolde Bell jumped when the first course appeared in her plate quite unexpectedly.

“You have house elves,” said Isolde with surprise in her voice.

“Yes,” said Natalya. “But we do have a housekeeper. Her name is Mrs. Bodkin. She’s been with Aurelius’s family for ages. She did the cooking. She would get awfully insulted if she didn’t cook for guests. You missed Parker. He had an accident earlier in the day with a jarvey so he’s at St. Mungo’s. ”

“Parker?” asked Owen with a confused expression.

“The butler,” said Natalya brightly.

“You have muggle servants?” asked Rhys with a slight air of disbelief.

“Merlin no,” said Natalya. “They are magical. Both Parker and Mrs. Bodkin have been with the family for years. Their families live in the village just down the road. Most of the village isn’t magical but we never had trouble from them.”

“Except for the burnings two hundred years ago,” said Aurelius with a note of sarcasm and a roll of his eyes.

“They haven’t given the family trouble in years,” chided Natalya.

“For a reason,” said Aurelius. “The village does not trouble the manor. And the manor in turn does not trouble the village. It’s a fair exchange.”

“What do you do Owen,” asked Natalya as she turned the subject.

“I am an auror,” said Owen firmly.

“How interesting,” said Natalya with her eyes big. “Do you arrest wizards?”

“Occasionally,’ said Owen with a small smile. He unthawed a touch more.

“And what do you do Rhys,” said Natalya. She turned her dark eyes on the younger Bell.

“I play Quidditch for the Appleby Arrows reserve team,” said Rhys. “I am a chaser.”

“Oh,” said Natalya with a smile. “My son Marcus plays Quidditch too! He’s a chaser.”

Both Bell brothers stiffened.

“I expect that’s why Marcus likes your sister Katie so much,” said Natalya oblivious to the tension running high in the room. “She plays Quidditch as well. And she’s tall. Marcus likes tall girls. All this year, it’s all he wrote home about - Katie this and Katie that. At Yule, he dragged me to jewelry store and made me help him pick out a gift for her.”

Natalya face broke into a wistful smile and she continued, “He’s was so anxious to get it right. In the end, he chose a necklace in your sister’s House colors – ruby and gold. The necklace reminded me of something my father said to me once. He said: who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. Marcus said those words described Katie perfectly.”

Rowan Bell’s face was clouded when Natalya began to artlessly talk but his face cleared when he heard her finish her story.

“My father told me that proverb as well,” said Isolde Bell softly. She turned to Natalya and said,” That was a very nice thing your son said about my daughter.”

“Not surprising,” said Aurelius carefully. “Marcus is very much in love with your daughter. I have seen the way he looks at her when he thinks no one can see him.”

“And I have seen the way she looks at him as well,” said Rowan pensively.

“Katie is very young,” said Rhys stubbornly.

“Yes,” said Owen as he looked down at his plate.

“I wish we could have met under more ideal conditions,” said Aurelius with a determined look at the Bells. “ A year or so in the future after Katie graduated would have been better and less traumatic for us all. But the circumstances are what they are.”

“The baby,” said Isolde as she closed her eyes.

“Yes,” said Natalya with a pensive look out of the window into the gardens. She turned and said to Isolde, “I wish I didn’t have to give Marcus up to your daughter quite so soon. He’s my only child, you know. When he started writing about her, a part of me knew. He’s never written about a girl before. After we bought the necklace, I knew this girl was stealing him away and all I could do was watch. I am sorry about what I said in the Infirmary. Marcus scolded me for it, you know. He’s quite protective of her.”

“Yes,” said Rowan with a slight frown. “Fortune hunting.”

Natalya flushed and said sincerely, “I am sorry.”

“There are people that are going to accuse Katie of it, you know,” said Rhys with a frown.

“True,” said Aurelius with a shrug.

“Especially with the baby,” said Owen.

“As long as we know the truth,” said Aurelius. “It’s all that matters.”

“What is the truth?” said Owen.

“My son was going to marry your sister regardless,” said Aurelius. “He’s stubborn and headstrong. When Marcus decided to do something he usually sees it through.”

“He failed his NEWTS,” said Rhys with a raised eyebrow.

“He skipped his NEWTS because he wanted to play one more year of Quidditch,” said Aurelius with a long-suffering sigh. “He was bound and determined. I was not pleased.”

“I was going to ask before we came here how Marcus was going to support my sister,” said Owen dryly. He looked around the large tastefully luxurious room with a small grin. “But I can see that objection is moot.”

“I took the liberty of announcing the engagement in the Sunday Prophet,” said Aurelius smoothly.

“What?” said Isolde with shock.

“Seeing as they are already magically betrothed,” said Rowan with a glance at his wife. “I think that liberty is not that awful.”

“But,” said Isolde. “We haven’t told anybody but our family.”

“As have I,” said Aurelius.

“They are really going to be married,” said Isolde a touch incredulously. “It’s moving so fast.”

“I think the sooner they are wed the better,” said Aurelius.

“Yes,” said Rowan Bell. Isolde gasped but nodded.

“The best date would be June 26th,” said Natalya. “I have checked and there is no other major wedding that weekend. The weekend after is the Greengrass wedding. The next weekend after is the MacIntyre wedding. Seeing as Marcus is going to be in that wedding party, I would say that would be a bad weekend for him. I really should tell him that Alec MacIntyre’s mother needs a robe fitting soon. And maybe that he is in the wedding party. Did you know that the MacIntyres are planning that wedding without any input from the two getting married? It seems that Alec is trying to pretend it isn’t really happening. And the bride, let’s not get started on that subject. At least that’s what his mother told me last week.”

“That’s a week after school lets out,” said Isolde with the beginnings of panic.

“I know,” said Natalya. “I had several books and planning guides owled to the manor this morning. After dinner, we can look through them. After all, the engagement ball is to be held in Hogsmeade the week end before Hogwarts gets out at the Inn.”

“Engagement Ball?” said Isolde weakly.

“Don’t worry,” said Natalya comfortingly. “Aurelius already assured me that we have a rather large budget for both events and plenty of help. After all, it’s the end of April now so that gives us two months. We should have everything done in time. Your biggest worry is the wedding robe.”

“What about where we should hold the ceremony,” asked Isolde.

“Well Marcus is the Flint heir,” said Natalya. “The family trusts are quite adamant. It has to be held here on Flint grounds. We can have the wedding reception in the ballroom.”

“You have a ballroom,” said Owen with a snicker.

“Wait one second,” said Rhys with a frown. “Am I the only sane one here? Katie is far too young to be married even with the baby. And what this nonsense about a magical betrothal?”

“Marcus took it upon himself to use an old betrothal method used in medieval times,” said Aurelius with another sigh. “Both participants need only be over thirteen and consenting. Then he sealed the deal so to speak with ancient magic.”

“Does that mean what I think it means,” said Rhys with a glare at Aurelius.

“Yes,” said Aurelius with a searching look at Rhys Bell.

“Earth magic,” said Owen as he shared a searching glance with his brother.

“Bugger,” said Rhys with a scowl.

Hogwarts: The Slytherin Dungeons:

Katie and Marcus were lying in his bed. Their limbs were intertwined. Katie sighed contentedly.

“We haven’t done this in some time,” said Katie with a yawn. “I miss it.”

“What?” asked Marcus as he shifted as close as possible to Katie’s smooth soft skin.

“Made love for hours then lied together completely exhausted,” said Katie as she stroked his hair with an idle hand.

“We did take that break to eat,” pointed out Marcus as he stoked a hand down her bare back. “Good thing I know where the kitchens are.”

“I have to get back,” said Katie regretfully.

“No,” protested Marcus. “Stay.”

“I can’t,” said Katie as she rubbed her cheek against his stubbled chin. “MaGonagall said she’d be checking in on me tonight to see if I am all right.”

“Bugger,” said Marcus sulkily. “Does this mean we have to get up?”

“Later,” said Katie throatily as Marcus’s hands began to wander.

Just minutes before curfew, Marcus was licking the inside of Katie’s mouth as they said good night right outside of Gryffindor Tower. Katie tore her mouth away regretfully. Several wide eyed young Gryffindors had passed the oblivious couple on their way into the common room.

“Come back to my room,” coaxed Marcus in his bedroom voice.

“I can’t, you insatiable man,” said Katie with a laugh. Marcus shrugged as Katie regretfully let go of his hand as she went inside the common room. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

A glowing Katie drifted into the Gryffindor common room with a bright smile. She jumped when Fred said her name with a shout when he laid eyes on her.

“Katherine Isolde Bell,” said Fred with a frown. “How could you?”

“How could I what?” asked Katie innocently.

“Besides the fact you and Flint just educated the first and second years in the art of French kissing,” said Fred sarcastically. “Did you have to do it right in front of the picture?”

“For so long,” asked George.

“Well,” said Katie with a grin. “I couldn’t help myself. He has such wonderful lips.”

“Yuck,” said Wood. “I truly did not want to know that. By the way, Congratulations.”

“On what?” asked Katie.

“Your engagement,” said Fred as he tossed her the paper.

“I cannot believe Marcus’s father,” said Katie as she read the announcement. “I bet Marcus doesn’t know either.”

“That rock on your finger says he knows perfectly well that you two are engaged,” said George.

“Well yes,” said Katie dismissively. “But the announcement is a bit of a surprise.”

“Merlin Katie,” said a seventh year girl. “Let’s see it.”

A small crowd of Gryffindor girls clustered around Katie and oohed and ahhed over her ring in excitement.

“I expect that you are getting married after you’ve graduated,” said Oliver after the crowd dispersed.

“Hmmm,” said Katie vaguely. She steered the conversation away. “Where’s Lee?”

“Passed out upstairs,” said Fred with a frown.

“Got drunk,” said George.

“Why?’ asked Katie.

“A girl,” said Oliver quietly.

“Yes,” said Fred pointedly. “The love of his life just got engaged to another man.”

“What?” asked Katie. Her face flooded with a look of comprehension. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” said George.

“I didn’t know,” said Katie sadly.

Fred’s face cleared a bit as he saw the look of sadness in her eyes.

“I should talk to him tomorrow,” said Katie as she sighed and made her way up the stairs. “I’m tired, I‘ve had a very long day.”

When she got into her room, she found Alicia on her bed sobbing her eyes out. Katie made her way over to the bed and slung her arm around Ally and thought to herself that her day was not ended yet. Where was Angelina?