New Year Gathering Ⅱ

Seeing that everyone was occupied and not wanting to tarry any longer, Walburga's skirts swish around her. She briskly moves forward only to hear a loud honk from the front yard. Stopping in front of the grand doors, she pats her hair and clothes down to ensure nothing is out of place. With a collected air, she pulls the doors open as a cold influx of winter air pours in.

Walburga refrains from shivering, but her every breath leaves small clouds in the frosty air. Two vehicles pull smoothly into the clean driveway with the lead a shiny waxed gray C-A-R. She instantly recognized the vehicle as belonging to her niece's husband, Edward "Ted" Tonks. The fair-haired muggleborn wizard waves to her as he exits from the driver's side showing off his calm and kind demeanor. He hurries over to the front passenger side to aid her niece out of the muggle vehicle.

Every bit a beauty as her mother, the dark brown-haired Andromeda emerged from within. Her gray eyes flash revealing her gentler and more relaxed features than that of her sister, Bellatrix. Walburga's eyes sadden for a moment recalling the startling resemblance between her niece and her departed sister, Bellatrix. Her niece just like her two younger brothers had been taken far too early from this world especially Alphard, who had not even left behind wild seedlings to continue his line.

Walburga suppresses a pained sigh and returns her attention to the vehicle before her. The side passenger doors open to reveal four of the invited guests. Walburga clamps her hands together at spotting a plain-looking witch emerge from the car. The plain witch had a mole on her pointy chin but had startling sleek dark raven hair and familiar gray-colored eyes. A thick, warm shawl is wrapped around Annis Black's arms which she nervously adjusts as she peeks in astonishment at the grandiose grounds.

Annis Black nervously pats down her shiny dark hair. She'd bought a sleek hair smoothing potion from Indira Grymm's shop. And though Annis Black wasn't no beauty, she was quite proud of her luscious long dark hair. It was her one source of vanity if you will.

"Stop that and move out of the way," a gruff voice impatiently said from behind her.

Annis hastily moved aside to allow her older brother to emerge from behind her. Emerging into the light Eaton Black stepped out of the car revealing rugged features and the trademark yellow eyes of their hag mother. Despite his mother being a hag, he still carried the height and build of the Black family members.

From the other side of the car, two younger dark-haired men emerged, the eldest Thurman, and the youngest Harmon. Unlike their father, Eaton, they had inherited their aunt's and grandfather's startling gray-colored eyes. The young middle-aged men although tall and sturdy had rather handsome features that were easily recognizable and marked them as members belonging to the Black household.

Thurman and Harmon were both married, but they had married regular muggles, but according to their Dad, they were something called squibs, apparently people who could understand or even see magic, but couldn't cast it. Which they could believe since they had never performed anything magical in their life but unlike the rest of the villagers, they had been able to see magical fairies and other similar creatures in the woodlands. After being made fun of by the other village children as young children, the two of them had quickly learned to keep their mouths shut about anything that might be magical.

They weren't wholly ignorant about magic since their grandmother had been a hag and their aunt Annis took more after their grandmother's side. Oh, they knew the family lore from their dad and aunt, but it was more of a family lore. Not had they never seen magic beyond some of the neighbor's sneaky magic spells or the accidental magic of the neighbor's kids which they never commented on. And though the magical world existed it had never intruded upon their lives until just recently.

Apparently, war with giants had begun and their family and village were in danger. It was something impossible to believe yet the pureblood Black household had summoned them. Thurman and Harmon hadn't wanted to come for they had heard the stories of their great-great-grandfather Eduardus Limette Black, who was disowned for marrying a squib their great-great-grandmother. However, their dad had stood his ground and now here they were with their dad and aunt Annis.

It wasn't all that bad since, during the car ride, they had chatted to their somewhat distantly related cousin Andromeda and her husband, Ted Tonks, a good lad by their standards. Cousin Andromeda was a pureblood witch, but Ted Tonks was a muggleborn wizard which meant he was born to normal parents while still having magic. Apparently, they had a little lass, but she was off with the rest of the Black children. The young couple promised to visit them and their families in their local village, which would be a good way to explain to their wives and children that they had a magical extended family. And their Aunt Annis wasn't well, exactly, fully human thanks to their grandmother, their Da's mum.

Thruman and Harmon despite being a great deal taller than their dad and aunt tactfully remained standing behind them. Their attention is pulled away to the sleek elegant black vehicle with the insignia of a double R. The two of them gawked and admired the elegance and lavish posh of the renowned vehicle brand.

From the driver and the back passenger side two dark-haired handsome men emerge. The elder was in the back, while the younger of the two was in his mid to late twenties. Even from a distance, the startling gray eyes of them can be noticed as the younger of the two hurries over to the driver's passenger. With care, Marcel aids his grandfather, Marius out of the car. A wrinkled hand holding a cane emerges followed by a white-haired head and wrinkled face. Yet despite the passage of time, a glint of determination fills the steely gray eyes of Marius Black.

Marius Black lets out a loud sigh as a bit of moisture can be seen in his eyes as he stares longing at the entrance. His dearest wish had at long last been fulfilled. He could finally return home. He was home.

His son, Marius Jr. comes to a halt next to him. His face is stiff and cold resembling much that of his uncle, Marius's brother, Pollux. "Father, we don't have to be here," Marius Jr. stiffly said. "We have no further need for them."

"Mm, the times are changing my son," Marius croaked. "And one day you may need them more than you think."

Marius Jr. scowls at his father's eternal optimism. Instead, he schools his features into a cool, polite distant smile. Should his father's wretched family attempt to use him again, he would show them just what the muggle world was capable of.

Marcel, a bit more similar to his grandfather than his father sighs at his father's antics. His father was acting like they were about to go to war. However, based on grandfather's tales, the Black family was incredibly wealthy sufficient to make their wealth seem like chump change. That and well, he wanted a family for his son.

His grandmother, mother, and wife had all perished in a tragic automobile accident shortly after the birth of his only son, Marcellus. They had been out shopping and, on their way, back a drunk driver had stuck them in a head-on collision. All three women had instantly perished leaving his grandfather, father, and himself bereave of their wives. It certainly did not help that either side of the family had no siblings or close relatives.

Marcel was rightly concerned that if should anything happen to his father, grandfather, or himself, his son, Marcellus would be left an orphan. He could not risk that he wanted to take. No, he wanted his son to grow up safe and sound in the arms of his family. And far more importantly, Marcel had been informed that there were several cousins that were similar in age to his son, Marcellus. For his son's sake, he was more than willing to put down his pride and get along with their estranged family.