Regency in Diagon Alley [Theodore Nott | Harry Potter AU]

Chapter Seventy

"Don't expect Silas would keep his word. He'll tell The Prophet of this story even if you release Aurelius from the deal," Blaise warned. It was late in the night, the solar was lit by the fireplace and the lamps, dinner was brought there, and any plans they had were cancelled to face the issue at hand. Carina has sent Viktor and Maisie in her stead to the soiree, and asked Charity and Sirius to stay over and watch the boys. Carina only said goodnight to Theo and Aurelius when the two boys were escorted to the room by Minty and Charity, and since then the door was closed.

Carina cradled her head in her hand. "Of course, he'll still sell the story to The Prophet. He's been biding his time, to find a way to get back on me. And now he's found a chance and there is no way he is going to let it slip from his grasps."

From where he sat in the round table, Roman said, "This would top Pucey's scandal, and we won't have anything to make the blow easier."

Theodore's brows furrowed in the mention of an old friend's name. "What do you mean Pucey's scandal?" he asked.

"Around three years ago," Blaise spoke. "Adrian got himself into a sticky situation."

"Sticky is an understatement," Carina scoffed. "He almost dragged us along with him to Azkaban for what he did." Turning to Theodore, who sat at her right side in the table, she told the story. "Adrian married a Muggle. There wouldn't have been any problem about it, if he had not broken every law that is under the Statue of Secrecy. He did not only expose himself as a wizard to the lady, he also exposed the magical world, and brought her here to Danu so I could grant them a special license and vouch for an immediate document of the marriage between Magical and Muggle."

"Why would Adrian do that? He knows that he can't tell the Muggle about his magic unless they were married." Theodore asked.

"The same bloody reason why you gave Danu to Carina," Roman shrugged. "Adrian was in love – is in love. And to top it all off, Adrian's wife is the sister of a Viscountess, supposedly promised to a Prince... so, I'm sure you could imagine all the trouble we went through to pull off a very sensitive matter."

He couldn't believe it, Adrian Pucey was married to a Muggle, and not only just a common Muggle, a woman of noble birth, promised to a Muggle prince. He could only imagine the chaos it brought, how Adrian protected his Muggle wife from the socialite, the Wizengamot, and his parents who were purists. A big joke on the Puceys, if Theodore was asked, first they backed out of the marriage between Carina and Adrian because of the issues of the name and dowry and the lands. If Adrian married Carina, then, all of his lands will be under the Black name and the Pucey family legacy would be lost. Now, Adrian's parents were facing one their greatest fears, which was being removed of the Sacred 28 as their son marries a Muggle. That is, if Adrian is smart enough to keep his family's rank in the socialite. Theodore did not doubt that, he knew Adrian since they were students in Hogwarts. His senior was cunning and resourceful, a Slytherin through and through, and he will be able to put him and his new wife in a position that no one could ever touch them.

He wanted to ask more about Pucey, even thought of one day visiting his him as well, but now was not the time. Right now, they needed something to make Silas eat his words.

"A matter that I wish not to go through, again." Carina sighed. "In fact, I don't want to go through any of this again." she muttered the last part.

Watching her, Theodore could feel the weight she was carrying on her shoulders and in her chest at the moment. There was no doubt that what happened five years ago, the scandal she faced and the work she put on to have it buried and fix her image and her legacy have done its damage on her, and the fear of not only having to go through it again but also have Theo be affected by it scared her.