𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐘𝐌𝐈𝐀 || 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒

"I would like to read the next chapter," Lady Lestrange asked, raising her hand, and Miss Prince handed her the book when she saw that no one objected.

"Chapter eleven: Trauma."

"And I don't like that anymore," groaned Risto worriedly as Severus nodded in agreement.

They all ate like it was nothing, he seemed to be the only one who minded eating dead animals whose fur hadn't even been removed. The worst thing was that most of them were rodents, and to top it all off, the lion who thought he was a snake was still at Hogwarts as if nothing had happened.

"And to my misfortune I had to start reading from your point of view," Lady Lestrange countered, snorting as she interrupted her reading.

"The title of the chapter isn't about him, is it?" Rabastan questioned, eyeing his sister-in-law warily.

If it was, there was no way Bellatrix was going to like that.

"It's not about him," Adhara denied, leaning against Lord Slytherin's shoulder, "it's about me," she added, intertwining her hand with that of her distracted partner. "Take that face off, Imo. They were going to find out sooner or later."

Hadrian noticed his boyfriend's conflicted expression and all he could think of to distract him was to rise from his seat, under the gaze of the entire Great Hall, and sit down next to him as he intertwined their hands together and gave him a reassuring smile.

That action undoubtedly puzzled many, especially his family, but it didn't take long for them to join the dots.

They were a good match from the point of view of the current Lady Potter and the Evens women, yet Lord Potter, his son, and Mr. Evans could not help but frown at them, thinking otherwise. It was not long since they had met their son and grandson and yet already someone was snatching him from their arms. That was unfair from their point of view, and had it not been for Lady Potter and the Evans women watching them in warning, they would have had Hadrian back by now.

"Lady Lestrange, please continue," Adhara asked without looking up.

They'd all find out by the end of the reading...

And by then there would be nothing they could do to stop it.

"Aren't you going to eat, heir Burke?" Adhara questioned, watching him with boredom in her blue eyes.

"I'm not hungry," he replied, averting his gaze, that look beginning to give him goosebumps.

"Is that so? But yesterday at dinner you ate almost nothing," she commented with concern in her voice.