When Pandora came back to Lestrange Manor, she was prepared for the worst. She expected Tobias to wait for her and to take her away or that her mother would immediately send her away to him. She hoped that they would let her spend at least few weeks at home before the wedding. A thought of being Tobias' wife, of touching him and kissing him, sleeping with him was dreadful. Mostly because of the fact that he was her cousin.
Surprisingly, when she came back home, her parents greeted her warmthly and didn't even mention Tobias' name. Pandora felt like it was some kind of a trap. They didn't even brought up the subject of her marriage during dinner.
She felt like she wouldn't fall asleep like that, though. She decided to visit her mother in her boudoir before going to sleep.
"Mom?", she knocked to the door and opened it gently.
"Come in, my child", Priscilla smiled at her, "Actually, I've wanted to talk to you"
"Yeah, that's what I thought...", Pandora sighed and closed the door behind her, "I want to know when it's going to happen"
"You mean the wedding?", her mother asked.
"Yes"
"It's not going to happen", Priscilla pursed her lips and came back to brushing her hair. "What?", Pandora's eyes opened wide.
Was it a dream?!
"Ah, sit down, my dear", Mrs Lestrange pointed at the armchair next to her and Pandora sat there, trying to hide her inner happiness, "You won't believe what happened", her mother lowered her voice.
"Well, tell me"
"Terrible, terrible case of Dragon Pox!"
"Oh", Pandora gasped. That was rather shocking, "You mean he..."
"No, he didn't die. But he's at St Mungo's and they're treating him there... They say that it's unusual for a young man to have such a severe case of it... One of the Healers claims that it has to be some kind of a curse. Well, I don't know what to think about that but Tobias graduated from Durmstrang after all, I bet he's got many dangerous friends"
"So... The wedding is rescheduled?", Pandora asked and lowered her head once again. She didn't even feel bad about wishing her cousin death.
"No, my dear. Tobias' skin is green and his whole body is covered in nasty pockmarks. Most of them won't disappear", her mother whispered, "I've been having many conversations with your father and we both think that you shouldn't marry him"
Pandora smiled widely and hugged her mother tightly.
"Oh, Dora... Ouch", her mother chuckled, "I don't know if you should be cheerful because of your cousin's disease"
"I'm sorry, mother", Pandora let her go and fixed her hair, "Who will I marry then?"
"I don't know yet. We'll look for a right one, worry not", Priscilla pinched her daughter's cheek and smiled at her, "You're a pretty and talented witch, it shouldn't be hard"
"But mother, please. Let me choose this time"
"Oh, of course. As long as his blood is pure"
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