The House of Gaunt

Chapter 23

"Pass more lobster, Charlotte?" The mother of my dad asks my mom.

"Of course."

Yup, she got her way. Maximiliano and I are the only ones not eating, we hate seafood. This is the most awkward dinner I've sat in. Gormlaith just keeps throwing passive-aggressive insults at my mom. I'm close to getting up and leaving, I know my brothers are too.

I'm seated in the middle of Augustus and Kenji, let me tell you it's not fun. Kenji keeps 'accidentally' throwing lobster shells at me, and Augustus is giant. He's bloody tall, just like Michael, so his elbows are pretty close to my nose. In front of me is Maximiliano, in the middle of Raphaella and Alvara. I bet he's having a jolly god time.

"So, tell me, Charlotte, why did you raise your kids to not like such fine food like lobster?" Yup, that's it. I look up to Maximiliano and he looks up at the same time, and like we had twin telepathy, we stand up.

"Excuse us. Mom, dinner was lovely, you've truly outdone yourself." I speak up.

"Thank you, Mom, really, spectacular." Maximiliano says and follows me. "I'm bloody done." I whisper to him, but in the distance, I hear her complaints, what an irritating voice she has!

We immediately head towards the stairs that lead to the East Wing. "That woman is bloody terrible with Mom." He tells me and I scoff. "Horrible is an understatement, Maximiliano. I do not know what her problem is! Mum is the sweetest and best hostess there is. I mean, not to brag, but she's bloody amazing. Gormlaith is the problem, that bloody awful woman."

We finally make it to Maxi's room and I plop down on the bed. "I have an idea." I tell him.

"Maddie, whatever you're thinking, please don't." Boring git.

"It's not even bad. I was just thinking we could slip pecans on her dessert." He plops on the bed as well.

"Mum will get blamed." I hate that he's right. "I guess." I answer. And then his door is brutally opened, we both jump from the bed. Only to see Michael and Matt.

"She's leaving." They both tell us.

"Really?" Maxi and I say in unison.

"Really." They affirm us at the same time.

We all whoop and I throw my arms in the air, I feel a pair of arms hug me and twirl me in the air.

When I'm put down, I realise it's Michael, it had to be the bloody giant. "Let's sleepover tonight." Matthew says.

"Oh, I remember that!" Michael says. When we were much younger, one night of the week we would all go to this room at the far end of the East wing, it had to bunk beds, perfect for the four of us. Matt would take the bottom bed, and Michael the top one. I would take the top one as well, and Maxi would sleep at the bottom one since he thinks he'll fall.

"Let's do it! We could play wizard's chess!" I say. "I'm in." My twin replies.

"Perfect, it'll be our celebration. But first, let's go be hypocrites and bid her a farewell. Look sad, you three!" Matt tells us.

-°-

After looking as sad as ever, Gormlaith left. She said she had a 'lovely' time, but just couldn't stay the whole week, so she had to go back to the States. Yeah right.

My brothers and I went to the room with bunk beds and we played wizard's chess until one in the morning.

After that, we attempted to play quidditch, but we were laughing a bit too hard, somebody could hear us, so we went to the stables. I took Jewel out for a ride, and my brothers just rode random horses.

"You know what we should do?" I speak up while we were riding back to the stables.

"What?" Michael replies. "We should break into Greengrass manor and scare Astoria." I finish.

"You come up with the stupidest ideas at three in the morning, Madelyn." Maxi says and I laugh.

"I say we do it." Matthew says. "Really?" Michael, Maxi and I say in unison.

"Why the hell not?" He says.

-°-

We arrive at my dad's study, after having four laughing attacks, and I grab the floo powder.

"Get in everybody!" Matthew whispers.

"I'll do the honors." I say. "Greengrass Manor!" I whisper-yell, and we're gone.

We appear at the living room, and luckily, I know my entire way around this manor. "Lumos maxima!" Light erupts from Matthew's wand. He's seventeen, he can now use magic outside of school!"

"Can I have your wand?" I ask him. "What? No!" He says. "Then how will I lead the way?" He rolls his eyes and gives it to me.

"Follow me, idiots that I don't hate at the moment."

We arrive to our dear cousin's room. I silently open the door and see her peacefully sleeping. Let's ruin that.

We all gather around her bed and Matthew counts down with his fingers.

1

2

3

We all scream in her ear and she wakes right up looking freaked out, I'm surprised she didn't yell. No, she does something worse.

She slaps Michael right across his face. "What the fuck?!" He says. "It's us, Astoria, look around!"

"Shoot Michael, sorry for slapping you. But you sacred me! And you were the closest!"

"Whatever! Go to sleep aggressive woman!" Michael starts heading towards the door and I follow him. "Obliviate." I hear Matthew utter. HUH?

"Matthew what the hell?" I say.

"Sh, Madelyn. It's better this way. She won't snitch and she'll go right back to sleep."

Is this legal? I think we just committed several crimes.

-°-

We are now peacefully laying in bunk beds, laughing our asses off. I love this, nothing feels better than a good laugh at four in the morning!

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Updated! Hope you enjoy as much as I did writing it!! Thank you for reading <3

-Alexa