Chapter 26: Meeting

Marlene had never replied to his letter, the one in which he'd hinted, albeit vaguely, that something significant had shifted in his life at the beginning of summer. It wasn't a complete surprise. She often traveled abroad with her family during the holidays, and replies from her were rare even in the best of times. Amelia, on the other hand, had sent a brief but pointed response: they would talk at Hogwarts, and such personal matters were best discussed face to face, not committed to parchment. That, at least, had felt like something solid, a promise rather than a dismissal.

Lily had been the only one to truly respond with warmth and intention. Her letter wasn't long, but it carried all the care and eagerness he had hoped for. They had made plans to meet in Diagon Alley when her parents brought her to shop for school supplies, a week before September. When Rick spoke to his parents about inviting her to stay the final week of summer at the Manor, he expected resistance, but surprisingly, both had agreed without much hesitation. Dorea, especially, had been enthusiastic. She was more than ready to meet the girl who had stolen her son's heart, and who, from all accounts, might actually be able to keep pace with his absurdly fast mind. Beneath all that maternal curiosity, however, was something deeper: a desire to understand the person who, simply by existing in Rick's life, had helped him begin to heal.

The Lady Potter, after spending extensive time with Rick, quickly came to recognize the sheer depth of his intellect. His curiosity was contagious, and she found herself learning alongside him in ways she hadn't anticipated. Her potion making, already exemplary, improved dramatically as she absorbed new principles from his experimental mindset and their discussions on Muggle science. In fact, she'd even ventured into the Muggle world alone once or twice to find advanced chemistry books, although she usually preferred to go with him. Those trips had become something of a tradition between them, shared quests for knowledge, where she played the eager student and he the unconventional guide.

Eventually, their little duo expanded. Dorea and Rick brought Charlus into the fold, treating him to the same cultural baptism by Beatles and Bunsen burners. He'd fallen head over heels for the music, especially the Beatles, and bought every album he could get his hands on with the enthusiasm of a teenager discovering his first band. When they introduced him to Jaws, still playing in theaters, he was equally hooked. Charlus, ever the hands on sort, had declared with open admiration that Muggles had mastered the art of entertainment and, with a grin, suggested they make these outings a regular affair.

One cherished ritual the new Potter family embraced was flying together. Brooms, wind, open skies, no rules, no audience, just air and motion. They had been surprised, at first, to learn that Rick wasn't passionate about Quidditch. He didn't care for the competition or the strategy; it was the sensation of flight itself that he craved. The unshackled freedom. The silence above the world. They understood why, more than ever, after one solemn night when Charlus and Dorea apparated outside Wool's Orphanage.

Inside, they quietly toured the place that had once been Rick's entire world. The walls were faded, the floors creaked with the weight of old neglect, and the children's bedrooms were appallingly cramped, prison cells in all but name. Even Azkaban, in its miserable infamy, granted more space. There had been no escape for Rick in that place but up. Flying hadn't been a sport for him, it had been a sanctuary. His one reprieve. And in that moment, they understood why the sky would always matter more to him than any game ever could.

Charlus had wanted to buy Rick a new broom but was declined. Rick simply loved his Nimbus 1000 too much to get another even if it was not as good as the others on the market anymore. He had argued that he had enough skills to compensate for the lack of speed compared to newer models and that he would reconsider changing brooms the day Gryffindor didn't win the quidditch cup while he was on the team.

Both his parents were a bit stumped in how to bond with him outside of flying and muggle culture. Rick was doing very well on his own magic wise and he didn't really need their help in that regard. Dorea had potions so it wasn't as bad as Charlus who struggled a bit to find something he could do with his son. That is until one day he saw his son looking at a muggle fashion magazine. A female muggle fashion magazine.

"You're into fashion?" his father had asked.

"Not at all. I just like imagining how beautiful Lily would be in some outfits. Some are really intricate and I practice my transfiguration by trying to replicate them."

Charlus had taken a look out of curiosity and nearly choked on his tea at how scandalous some of the dresses were. Which, naturally, made him imagine his wife in them. And once that thought took root, he found he rather liked the idea. Grinning like a teenager, he began transfiguring outfits, combining elements from various designs to create something uniquely stunning. It wasn't long before Rick joined in with equal enthusiasm, and what began as a fleeting interest became an impromptu design session.

Father and son sat side by side, discussing fashion with the intensity usually reserved for war strategies or potion theory. They debated cuts, color palettes, and magical fabric applications with the kind of seriousness that made Tipsy nearly drop a tray in shock. Charlus gave Rick pointers on structural transfiguration, how to manipulate fabric's weight and flow, while Rick shared enchantments and rune arrays for practicality, defense, and aesthetic enhancements. It wasn't just bonding, it was a magical fashion masterclass disguised as family fun.

Dorea had not believed her ears when Tipsy informed her that both the men in her life were running late for lunch because they were, apparently, "making dresses" in Rick's room. At first, she'd laughed outright, surely she'd misheard, or Tipsy had confused a spell name. But as curiosity gnawed at her, she climbed the stairs, half expecting some sort of prank. What she found instead stopped her dead in the doorway: her husband and her son utterly engrossed in what could only be described as a high level fashion transfiguration session. Fabric floated mid air, enchanted needles stitched of their own accord, and two of the most brilliant wizards she knew were deep in debate over neckline cut and thigh slits. For a moment, Dorea genuinely wondered if she had stepped into an alternate dimension, or if the world had simply gone mad in the most bizarrely charming way.

"You think your mother would look good in it?" Charlus had asked while looking at a very low cut dress on one side revealing a lot of left leg and which showed lots of cleavage.

"You could dress her in a dragon dung bag and she would make it look good. She's that beautiful."

"True."

"I don't think she would wear it though. Way too..."

"Indecent."

"I was going to say sexy. Honestly, unless it's home and you're the only one around, I don't see her wearing it."

"Fine by me if I'm the only one who can enjoy how gorgeous your mother is. Less bodies to take care of." had joked Charlus.

From the entrance of the bedroom, Dorea had rolled her eyes in theatrical exasperation, but the delighted smile stretching across her face gave her away completely. It wasn't just a smirk, it was the kind of grin that crept into your soul and bloomed, stubborn and radiant. Without a word, she slipped back downstairs and told Tipsy to summon her boys for lunch.

When they appeared, full of laughter and slightly disheveled, she offered no explanation for the glint in her eyes or the curve of her lips. That moment, that bizarre and wonderful scene of magical couture chaos, was hers to treasure. Not because of the dresses or the debates about satin versus silk, but because it was the first time she had seen Charlus and Rick connect so effortlessly. A shared, ridiculous, utterly personal experience born not from obligation, but from affection. And that meant more to her than any title or tradition. She didn't need to hear the word "mum" to know her son loved her. It was in the way he smiled at her now, in the trust he offered without realizing. That was enough. For now.

When the last week of August began, Dorea flooed to the Leaky Cauldron to meet with the Evans family, who had accepted hers and Charlus's invitation for lunch at Potter Manor. Since Lily had never met Dorea in person, Rick had sensibly advised her to bring Morrigan along, his familiar was distinctive enough to confirm her identity on sight.

Rick himself couldn't go alone to meet Lily's parents; he was, after all, just a teenage boy in their eyes, and trust isn't easily handed out to strangers, especially where daughters are concerned. Dorea, on the other hand, was a vision of composed charm: elegant, beautiful, and possessing the kind of natural poise that turned heads and settled nerves.

She had only been waiting a handful of minutes when Morrigan shifted on her shoulder and let out a sharp, purposeful caw, her intelligent eyes fixed on the entrance to Diagon Alley. Dorea followed her gaze, and there they were. A girl with rich dark red hair and the most striking green eyes Dorea had ever seen, eyes that practically glowed with life. Behind her came a man, slightly shorter than Charlus, with blond hair and the exact same emerald eyes. At his side was a woman with similarly dark auburn hair and crystalline blue eyes, so much like Lily that they could have passed for sisters.

Dorea took it all in with a swift, practiced glance and, inwardly, allowed herself a satisfied smirk. Her son had excellent taste. That said, admiration did not equate to leniency. No girl, no matter how pretty or polite, would be exempt from a proper maternal vetting. Dating her son came with scrutiny attached, and Dorea fully intended to administer it... with style.

Her son's familiar cawed again and Lily looked around until she found it.

"Morrigan!"

Lily was very pleased to see the familiar, which took flight and landed on the arm she had offered it. After scratching the bird lovingly, she looked up to see a beautiful and regal black hair woman making her way towards her.

"Hello, ma'am. You must be Rick's guardian?"

"I am. Dorea Potter, nice to meet you and your parents, Lily." greeted Dorea with a smile.

"Po.. This is my mother Rose and my father Luke Evans." Lily quickly swallowed the shock and her question on the tip of her tongue before introducing her parents.

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs Potter." said Rose and offered her hand for a handshake right before her husband did the same.

"Likewise, though I thought Rick's last name was Wald? Not Potter."

That question echoed in Lily's own thoughts. Rick had written to her earlier that summer saying he'd found somewhere to stay, but had kept things vague, only mentioning that he was with his parents. Never in her wildest guesses had she imagined those parents would be none other than the Lord and Lady Potter. The weight of that revelation hit her all at once: the family, the title, the name. She blinked, trying to process it, still reeling from the idea. And, as if the universe wanted to add one last absurd cherry on top of her confusion sundae, a single dreadful thought slipped in, Please, Merlin, don't let James be there too.

"Rick is an orphan, dad. Remember?"

"It's in fact the muggle name the orphanage he stayed at gave him." Dorea explained.

"Magical have both a muggle and magical name?" inquired Luke, a bit confused.

"Not at all. It's a bit of a complicated story. He had a birth name but since no one knew it when he arrived at the Orphanage they gave him a new one. I'll explain more in a more private setting. Speaking of, do you have everything Lily needs for her year at Hogwarts?"

"We do, we just finished shopping. We got a bit early to Diagon Alley to make sure we wouldn't need to go back after lunch." explained Rose.

"Perfect then. Lunch together is still on the table?"

"Certainly, Mrs Potter." answered Luke.

"Then please follow me outside. My husband is waiting there for us."

"We're not taking the floo?" asked a curious Lily.

"We didn't know if your parents ever travelled that way so we're going to aparate back to the Manor. Way safer."

As Dorea led the way outside, Rose and Luke exchanged a look of wide eyed disbelief. Both silently mouthed the word 'manor' as if it were a foreign language they'd just realized they could vaguely understand. Their daughter, meanwhile, strode ahead with the calm assurance of someone entirely unfazed, likely because nothing Rick did could surprise her anymore. Outside, Dorea stood beside a tall, distinguished looking man with dirty blonde hair and a bearing that instantly reminded Lily of Rick. Her brain leapt into motion, drawing lines between features and gestures, piecing together truths unspoken. She said nothing, choosing silence not out of fear, but respect. It wasn't her story to tell, it was Rick's, and hers to understand when he was ready to share.

"This is Rose and Luke Evans, dear. Lily's parents."

"Hello, I'm Charlus Potter. Nice to meet you." the Lord greeted jovially just like his wife as done a few moments earlier. "Please, let me take care of that."

Charlus pulled out his wand and shrunk all the supplies the Evans family had bought before putting everything in a small leather pouch that he gave to Luke.

"Wow, that's neat."

"That's magic for you, dad." said Lily with an amused smile.

"What now?" asked her mother. "You said we will... aparate?"

"Yes. It's..."

"A bit like teleportation in Star Trek, mom. Except well... you feel a bit nauseous for a moment on arrival but it passes quickly." Lily explained in muggle terms instead of the magical explanation that Charlus was going to give.

"Teleportation?! Let's go."

"Of course you'd be interested, Luke." Rose said, rolling her eyes at her husband's attitude. The man had fallen in love with science fiction a few years earlier, especially with Star Trek.

"Shall we go?"

All Evans nodded at Dorea's question. Rose and Lily were grabbed by Dorea while Luke was grabbed by Charlus.

"Take a deep breath and hold it." the pureblood witch advised.

The Evans did as instructed and, with a loud bang and a sensation not unlike being yanked through a rubber tube, vanished from Diagon Alley and reappeared on the pristine, sunlit grounds of Potter Manor. The sudden change in pressure and scenery left Lily briefly disoriented, though thanks to the queasiness training that came with first and second year flying lessons, she recovered quickly, just a little winded. Her parents, however, were another matter entirely. Rose stumbled forward like the floor had betrayed her, and Luke actually lurched sideways into Charlus, who caught him with the reflexes of a seasoned duelist. Both looked as though they'd just been ejected from a malfunctioning rollercoaster.

"Oh god."

"That was awful."

"Deep breaths. Take deep breaths." Charlus told them and gave them some space.

After several minutes of deep breathing and quietly muttered oaths about never doing that again, Lily's parents finally steadied themselves. Dorea, ever the gracious host, offered her arm to Rose with a touch of pride, while Charlus guided Luke forward with a reassuring pat on the back. As they crossed the threshold of Potter Manor, both Muggle parents couldn't help but gawk at the towering ceilings, floating candles, and grand tapestries that adorned the entrance hall. Their awe was palpable, and just a little amusing to their hosts.

Dorea, clearly enjoying the moment, called out briskly, "Tipsy!"

"Tell Corvus we are home with our guests."

"Tipsy will, Mistress."

'Corvus?' Lily wondered then explained to her parents what Tipsy was. "She's a House elf. They're like... the best butlers and maids in the world."

"Why are they dressed with rags?" her father asked with a frown.

"It's... part of their culture. They are a subservient species who love to serve and in their culture owning clothes is shameful. I know. I thought the same way when I discovered their existence. It still doesn't sit well with me."

"Ah, yes, Corvus warned us that non magical people would see the elves as slaves. None are treated that way in this family, I assure you." Charlus said.

"The rags are... a bit weird." Rose admitted.

"Corvus thinks the same. He had tried all summer to get around that."

"What do you mean?"

"Giving elves clothes is firing them for their jobs." Rick explained as he got down the stairs. "I've been trying to make them wear proper clothes by making them believe it's the house uniform and as such does not belong to them but it's a slow process. They're scared I'm tricking them. I'm close to convincing Tipsy however."

"Rick!" Lily forgot all propriety and hugged fiercely her secret boyfriend.

"Mr. Evans, Mrs. Evans, it's nice to finally meet you."

"The feeling is shared. Lily had been talking about you for years." Rose said as she shook Rick's hand.

"Probably complaining of how stupid I am half the time." he joked while shaking Luke's.

"Pretty much." the man answered with a smirk.

"Dad!"

"I'm just saying, love."

"Just don't say anything!"

Everyone went to the living room and took a seat, couples next to each other.

"Mrs Potter, you called Rick 'Corvus' multiple times now. Is it—"

"His real name? It is!" Dorea replied with pride.

"Considering he looks like a mix of you and your husband would I be wrong to think he's your son?"

"Not at all." answered Charlus.

Thus began the quiet, miraculous tale of a family once fractured and now made whole. Lily had thrown her arms around Rick the moment it fully hit her, he had found his parents. Real, living, breathing people who loved him. The hug was tight, fierce, and full of joy.

With a quick whisper, "We'll talk later", she pulled back just in time for Cookie, the elf in charge of the kitchen, to pop in with a bow and announce that lunch was served.

The meal was long, elegant, and surprisingly easy. Conversation flowed effortlessly between the Potters and the Evanses, helped in no small part by the fact that Charlus and Dorea had been slowly acclimating to Muggle culture thanks to Rick's determined efforts over the summer. The two couples found common ground not only in their mutual concern for their children, but in shared interests, literature, music, and the occasional eye roll at the more absurd parts of their respective worlds.

But Dorea, always curious and unable to help herself, eventually leaned forward and asked, her tone deceptively casual:

"Corvus told me you put a man on the moon. At first I dismissed it as a joke, but ever since I've been discovering muggle culture I have wondered more and more about it. Is it true?"

"It is!" Luke replied happily. "It was one of the most important moments of humankind. The news made the tour of the world. We're far away from visiting other planets but it is a big first step."

"Amazing." Dorea whispered to herself. To the side Rick shared a knowing smile with Lily.

After dinner, the group naturally split off into their own comfortable pairings. Lily and Rick slipped into Dorea's potions lab, the door closing behind them with the quiet finality of two people eager for a moment alone. Luke, having taken a shine to both Quidditch and Ogden's Old Firewhisky during the meal, followed Charlus to his study, where the two men launched into an animated discussion that would likely blur the lines between sport and spirited drink. As for Rose and Dorea, they made their way to the greenhouse, an elegant glass structure glowing in the late afternoon light, where the scent of blooming hellebores and warm tea leaves welcomed them like old friends.

"You looked quite close with your son despite... What happened." Rose started.

"It's all him. He's so accepting and open to others that it was easy to bond. It had been quite difficult at first of course but we talked, drew lines. Respecting them helped a great lot. The fact that we like the same thing helped too. It's been a bit more difficult for Charlus. He's more of a doing kind of man than a scholar, the opposite of Corvus but they found their own way to bond." answered Dorea with a knowing smile.

"What kind of activity?"

"Designing dresses for me." the pureblood witch replied with mirth.

"... Dresses?" Rose was suddenly confused.

Dorea nodded slowly with a proud and smug smile at the corner of her lips. "Dresses."

"Oh, I need to hear this."

While their mothers swapped mildly mortifying tales over tea, Lily and Rick had found their own version of reunion, tangled in each other's arms in the privacy of Dorea's lab, kissing like the world had gone quiet around them. It was messy, breathless, and utterly unapologetic, two months' worth of longing poured into a single, desperate embrace. When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested against each other's, their breaths shallow and rapid, hearts hammering in sync like a well practiced spell. Whatever walls they'd built during the summer had crumbled completely in that moment of closeness.

"We better distance ourselves a bit because I'm not sure I will stop at just a kiss next." he whispered, his lips so close to hers he could feel her breath.

"Good idea." she whispered back.

They both sat on matching stools a few feet apart, the atmosphere between them still crackling with the residue of their earlier kiss, part exhilaration, part restraint. Rick, ever the tactician when it came to redirecting tension, leaned forward with a grin that barely masked his excitement.

"You were right with your calculations. I carved the appropriate runes on a turntable and it worked perfectly!"

"I want to see it and the runes."

"It's in the parlor, my parents decided to put it there to listen to either classical or the Beatles."

"The Beatles? They know who they are?!"

"Yeah. I brought mom to a music shop and the owner made us listen to 'yesterday.' She fell in love. Not as hard as my dad though. He bought all their albums in one go."

"Purebloods discovering muggle culture. I thought you had coached them for my parents but they're interested in it."

"Yes. After I showed my mother that spray drying gave better results she reluctantly agreed to learn chemistry and from there bit by bit I initiated them to muggle culture."

"How did you... Meet them in the first place?"

"Well, the money I got from the sale of items from the Room of Requirement?"

"Yes?"

"I used it for an inheritance test at gringotts. I wanted to see if my theory was true about muggle born being descendants of squibs. I got arrested by the goblins under suspicion of fraud. They thought I was passing as their son. They called my parents who rushed to the bank and we met like that. Mom was the one who knew who I was on the spot. She has the same gift as I do, though not as developed. That and the inheritance test doesn't lie."

"And you just accepted it?"

"Of course not. I just had her word that I was her son. I know that I'm going along with lots of things but that was too much."

"How did she convince you?"

"Unbreakable vow."

"Wow!" Lily exclaimed with eyes as big as saucers. "That's... the best way to prove she said the truth."

"She didn't even hesitate. Afterwards we went into a private room and they told me who I was."

"Corvus."

"Yes, Corvus Matthew Potter."

"I bet you didn't take it well." said Lily with a smirk.

"I didn't, no. Especially when she's a Black."

"... Ah, hence the constellation name. Wow, you're related both to Potter and Black."

"Unfortunately. I'm still going by my original name. At least until we graduate."

"Why?"

"Officially because I don't want assholes to think I'm that good a wizard because I'm a pureblood."

"And not officially?"

"Because of the toe-rag." Rick smirked. "The longer he thinks he's the heir of house Potter, the harder the slap when he finds out he's not. That and well... if we're both Potter, it's going to be confusing real quick. When am I going to know if you're mad at me or at him? Hm?"

"Easy, you'll not get any kisses." she said sultry leaning forward.

Rick did the same, leaning in with an eager gleam in his eyes, and just as their lips were about to meet, fate, as always, had other plans. The door creaked open and in walked Dorea. She stopped in the doorway, one brow arched in aristocratic amusement as she caught them frozen mid lean like a portrait that had been charmed to blush. By the time Rose entered, both teenagers had separated with practiced nonchalance, each pretending to be far more interested in the ceiling than in the other's lips.

Dorea, composed matriarch, said nothing. But the smirk tugging at her lips and the sparkle in her eyes said everything. She would never let them live this down. Not ever.

After discussing at length Luke and Rose were convinced to let Lily stay for the rest of the week with the Potters. They would accompany her to King's Cross on the 1st of September. Before they left, Rose had a small talk with her daughter.

"Don't make me a grandmother too soon, alright?"

"Mom!" exclaimed a shocked Lily.

"You may have fooled your father but you can't fool me. I spent years listening to you talking about that boy with nothing but love in your eyes."

"I-... Was I that obvious?"

"Had you been, your father would have noticed. Anyway, I like him. Way better than your other friend from Spinner's end."

Before Lily could rise to the defense of her oldest friend, her mother offered a parting smirk, then turned and headed outside to join her husband. Charlus and Dorea, ever the polished hosts, escorted them both to the Leaky Cauldron with a quick, practiced Apparition, returning not long after with the same quiet grace, as if they'd merely stepped into another room and back.

"I'm counting on you to be a gentleman, Corvus. I better not find you in her room." the Lady of the house said as a tease but was disappointed when her son wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead he just raised an eyebrow as if saying 'Who do you take me for?' or 'What are you talking about?'. Even Lily had the same expression but for Rick. After all, if there was anyone who would sneak into the other's bedroom it was her.

Dorea ordered Rick to go with a tone that brooked no argument, then gracefully turned to lead Lily through the winding halls of the manor. She took her to a spacious guest bedroom situated on the far end of the family wing, a deliberate choice for privacy, decorum, and perhaps a hint of strategic separation. The walk was quiet for a moment, the soft click of heels on marble echoing down the corridor like punctuation to Dorea's swirling thoughts.

"Corvus had briefly said you and him were dating but didn't elaborate on it."

Mama bear Dorea emerged in full force, her regal composure sharpened by a protective edge as she began her gentle but unmistakable interrogation of Lily while they ascended the grand staircase. Her questions came wrapped in civility but carried the unmistakable weight of a mother evaluating a potential daughter in law, each one probing, subtle, and deliberate.

"Ever since Easter, ma'am." a nonplussed and confident Lily answered.

"And?"

"And?"

"Anything else you'd like to share?"

"That it was about time." the redhead said and explained herself when she got a look. "I've been in love with him since September 24th 1971, when he saved my life during a flying lesson. A student was trying to impress me by flying recklessly. I fell from my broom from thirty feet up and Rick caught me before I could hit the ground."

"... What do you think about his new situation?"

"I'm happy for him. He's always been lonely. When Marlene and I would take time to write to our families or spend time with them during the holidays, he always took everything in stride. Never allowing himself to think for a moment about the fact he had no one and found something else to do instead. Either flying or exploring the castle. It didn't mean he wasn't affected. I'm glad that now, when not in school, he's with people who love and care for him. I'm also glad that he won't be affected anymore by people using his status as an orphan to mock him and try to put him down out of jealousy."

That revelation made Dorea freeze mid step, the echo of her heels abruptly cut off as she turned sharply to face Lily. A flicker of fury danced behind her composed eyes, and though she tried to sculpt her features into a mask of regal indifference and polite curiosity, the storm beneath was unmistakable. Her jaw tightened, and her nostrils flared ever so slightly, the calm before the wrath of a mother learning just how cruel the world had been to her child.

"They did what? Who?"

"Purebloods from Slytherin mainly. Rick is the best wizard in our year and probably the best wizard up to two years above if not more. He doesn't care about blood status and he doesn't care about bigots, money or arrogant people. Of course that infuriates those people even more so they use the fact he's an orphan with no money to mock him and feel better about themselves."

"I would gladly take names if you have some."

"Avery, Mulciber, Rosier, Wilkes, Black..."

"Of course Black." muttered Dorea.

"From both sides."

"Both sides?"

"Both Regulus who's in Slytherin, especially when he's the team seeker and keep losing against Rick and his elder brother Sirius who's in Gryffindor."

"Ah, yes. Corvus had been quite displeased to learn he was related to my great nephew when we met."

"In Sirius' case... It's more out of solidarity for Potter than anything against Rick really. In the very rare cases when Sirius and Rick interact with each other and Potter is not there they get along... okay."

"Fleamont's son's name too was brought forward. In fact his reaction was even worse."

"Understandable, really. There are only two differences between Potter and the Slytherins. He's not a blood purist and he's loyal to his friends. Otherwise they have the same entitled, snobby and arrogant attitude. He's especially bad when he tries to humiliate Rick but gets humiliated instead because Rick doesn't care about what insults he has to say or because he outperforms him. Something which happens all the time."

Dorea nodded silently and resumed walking, her steps precise and unhurried. When they reached the guest room, Lily's breath caught. The space was grand, elegant without being ostentatious, refined without losing warmth. Tall windows let in soft natural light, and the furniture looked like it belonged in a wizarding version of a royal suite. It was easily more lavish than her bedroom at home, honestly, the entire room might've been larger than her family's entire downstairs floor. For a moment, she stood in quiet awe, not quite sure if she should curtsy or unpack.

"Now that I think about it. Charlus and I didn't think about your clothes."

"Neither did my parents, ma'am. I did, however."

Dorea raised an eyebrow in curiosity and Lily put a hand inside her jeans' pocket. She pulled out a small box which she put on the ground and tapped it with her wand. In an instant the box grew in size and revealed itself to be a trunk.

"Shrinking runes and feather light runes. I have all the clothes I need in there." Lily explained with a smirk.

"Clever girl."

"Oh, it was Rick who came up with it last year."

"It was clever of you to think ahead and prepare your trunk. Corvus and you planned for your stay didn't you?"

"We did. He didn't even have to try to convince me. I mean, between staying with my boyfriend or my harpy of a muggle sister... That was an easy choice."

"Not getting along with your sister?"

"We used to until we discovered I was a witch and she wasn't. She's jealous and bitter about it."

"Did you try to reconcile?" Dorea’s question was out of genuine interest.

"For years. I just gave up. I'm a witch. I was born a witch and if she doesn't like it then it's her problem. I'm not going to not use magic anymore for her sensibilities."

Lily received a brief but unmistakable nod of approval from Dorea before turning to unpack. The older witch exited the room with a measured expression and a mind full of evaluations. She couldn't deny that the girl had impressed her, well spoken, thoughtful, sharp, but the idea of her dating her son? That would take time. She wasn't voicing any objections, for now.

No need to spark conflict with Corvus when things were finally healing. But inwardly, she held onto her doubts like a shield, not out of malice, but caution. Love was too precious a thing to entrust lightly. Still, Dorea admitted to herself, she was willing to watch. To wait. And if Lily proved herself worthy of her son's heart, then perhaps, in time, she'd earn her place in Dorea's as well.