December 26, 1944
Friday Morning
"Welcome back to Carrow Castle, Harry," Corene said with a wonderful, grace-filled curtsey that looked entirely too perfect for somebody their age; another word that Harry would use as was normal with Corene, was robotic, as he knew vague details about the Muggle machines from his time. "My Grandmother that you're specifically looking to meet should be awake and ready to meet within the next hour. Would you like to spend that time waiting for her with my parents, or would you prefer another activity?"
Harry shrugged and looked around the familiar, private parlour room that he'd used to enter her familial home the last time he'd visited. Nothing looked different or out of place and everything looked as expensive as it previously did.
"What were you thinking for an activity if we waited to speak with your parents until after we spoke with your grandmother?" Harry eventually asked, his eyes focusing back on Corene as he approached her with a smile and his arm already waiting for one of hers to loop through it.
"We could go for a walk of the grounds as the exterior was recently washed and renovated, which would provide a good viewing experience. If that doesn't please you, we could visit the interior garden or the interior courtyard that you previously saw, the museum my father has put together or we could simply enjoy a warm drink in front of a warmer fire," Corene cocked her head at him when she finished speaking, her eyes blinking lazily as she waited for his answer with a near-blank expression on her face.
Harry realised that he missed Corene's smile when he saw her usual stoic look, but he recognised that she was kind enough to grace him with it in the first place. It wasn't the usual half-effort smile or slightly raised lips, he had gotten to see her real, beautiful smile that was all too often, hidden. He hoped that once the issue with her family was resolved, so too could the issue of her hidden emotions be dealt with.
It wasn't right that somebody as kind as her was so outwardly without expression.
"We can do whatever you'd like, I'm the guest, yeah?" Harry positioned himself right next to her, smiling widely down at Corene as he waited for her to choose.
Elaine and Corene, related as he now knew them to be, couldn't be more opposite in his eyes. With Elaine, he didn't enjoy letting her choose anything and everything that mattered as she so typically did. Harry knew that Elaine enjoyed being in control, that she hated being told what to do by all those who she saw as beneath her - which was nearly everybody except for him and a select few close 'friends' like Corene or Emilene - and ultimately strived towards complete control of everything… hence her lust for the position of Minister.
Corene was the opposite, hence her question.
"As you mentioned, you are our guest. It should be you that dictates our schedule and destination, but as you've said that I could do it, why don't we head towards the fireplace?" Corene didn't wait for him to answer and looped her arm through his waiting one, her facial expressions morphing into the Corene version of happiness; her lips rose and her cheeks slightly coloured. "Hot chocolate and casual, polite discussion has always been very enjoyable. You remember the significance, don't you?"
"That's when you said you were really my friend and that it wasn't Elaine using me through you, I didn't forget," Harry shook his head as the two of them started walking, a grin on his face as he recalled the precise evening they'd talked. "If anything, that memory is one of my favourites since I came out of hiding, nobody else enjoyed a hot chocolate with me in the dead of night complete with snacks and all in a cleaned, abandoned room at the top of Hogwarts."
"That was oddly specific, Harry. If one read into what you just said too much, they would conclude that you have spent time in the late evening with others, only not with hot chocolate and snacks," Corene said, raising an eyebrow as she side-eyed him on their journey.
He didn't know exactly what to say until he saw her smile. She was either kidding around with him, or she didn't expect an answer. If it were the latter option, he was happy that she picked up on his hesitance. There had been other evenings where he'd spoken with people in the dead hours of the day… or night, but they weren't nearly as enjoyable.
"We should make those hot chocolate evenings more common than once a year," He eventually settled on saying, continuing when Corene nodded once very minorly. "Speaking of that, do you have the same cookies and that same mixture from last year? I know it probably sounds dumb, but those were the best-tasting treacle tarts I've ever tried."
"My standards are towards that of a professional in all regards, as you know by now, Harry. Could you really think that I would settle on something without the effort put forth, especially if that lack of effort was coming from my personal house-elf?" Corene arched a brow this time, her cocked head and shorter height making the visual far less threatening than he first thought when he initially met her.
Then again, that lack of danger could also come from the fact that he now knew it was impossible for her to do anything to him so long as there was any form of reparation that could be pressed. If it didn't happen by him, it would come from Elaine… that was likely far worse in Corene's eyes, based on how long she'd worked with the other girl.
"Wait," Corene said, her timing perfect as an elf appeared right beside her with its mouth already open. "Not in English."
That was all it took for the elf to go off in French, its pronunciation as perfect as Corene's seemed to be when she responded a few times to it rapidly. It sounded really fancy, sort of like Fleur but different, rougher maybe. Whatever the reason for their difference in speaking, it wasn't at all like Sarah or her family when they spoke Greek.
"You have my apologies for that, Harry. My father gives instructions to all house-elves that they're not to speak in English, only French, when the news they're conveying is important. Now that I'm aware of what my father wished for me to know, I can share it with you, as it's not something that pertains to the security of my family," Corene guided him around a bend when she paused for a breath, speaking again only once the two were on a straightaway. "Grindelwald has launched an attack on the Muggles forces with nearly the entirety of his Magical forces. They're currently doing massive amounts of damage and will continue to do so until our Aurors and those of our allies can converge on that location."
"So the conflict isn't stopped anymore, huh?" Harry asked, shaking his head and pursing his lips when he realised the peace that'd awkwardly fallen upon them was destroyed.
"No. There won't be peace until one side is completely destroyed, my father says. I'm likely to agree based on the sheer differences in values," Corene nodded towards an ornate door when they turned another corner. "We can speak further about Grindelwald and other happenings in recent times if you'd like to, but only once we're inside that room with our hot chocolate in hand."
"You want to tackle the Elaine plan first, I'm guessing?" Harry said tentatively, hoping he could accurately see where Corene's mind was headed.
As it turned out, for once, he predicted her correctly.
"If we were to come up with a plan for that discussion as well as a time and day with which she'll have mostly free, I would be very appreciative and secure. I'm aware that with your presence, she'll likely be far more at ease and less likely to get angry, which I'm thankful for, but a portion of me still can't help but think of Elaine's anger upon the revelation," Corene paused at the door a meer second after she'd finished speaking, an eyebrow raised as she looked between him and it.
He got the message quickly, not that he needed it, and leaned forward to open the door. One minute later, with the pair of them seated and a hot, steaming cup of hot chocolate in their hands, Corene restarted the serious portion of their conversation. The niceties, as pleasant as they were, no longer had a place in their speaking.
"I would like to speak with Elaine tomorrow or the day after, if at all possible. I'm aware that her schedule isn't entirely known by you, nor is it known by me, but should you request that she stay behind for a day on a matter of importance, perhaps one that could be life-changing - you see my point, yes?" Corene asked, her hands folded in her lap as she patiently stared at him upon finishing with her words.
"Yes, I see your point, but what makes you think she'll listen to me that easily? If it's too important for her to reschedule, like a meeting with the newest Chief Advisor to the Minister or somebody else in a strong position, she wouldn't put that on hold regardless of what I say… you should also tell me why you want Elaine to know as soon as tomorrow. The last thing I can remember is you talking about not rushing it and telling her when it seems like a good time," Harry wasn't suspicious regarding Corene as he knew there wasn't any real reason to be, but he was genuinely curious about her shift in importance. "Is tonight or tomorrow morning a good time?"
Corene dipped her head once to signify that yes, yes it was. "It would be smart to tell her now, yes. My grandmother is still long for this world as all Magicals are, but she has recently been struggling with thoughts of her other familial relations. I cannot lie to her any more than I can lie to my parents and as such, I spoke with her about Elaine regarding anything she could wish to know."
Harry put two and two together, nodding as he did so. "She wants to meet her after everything you said?"
"Yes," Corene said simply, taking a long draw from her hot chocolate and squeaking when it seemed to burn her mouth despite how still she remained; Aster would usually jump about and wave his hand at his mouth as if that could help.
"Does she know that Elaine can be… difficult or pressing when she talks with people?" Harry asked as he set down his mug, allowing it to cool itself off in the colder portion of the castle they'd gone to.
"I mentioned to my Grandmother many times that Elaine can be difficult, bold and volatile. In response to that, she mentioned that a majority of those traits were typical in the Gaunt side of her family as a result of close inbreeding as well as specific ones such as volatility being born long before the inbreeding brought upon other negative genes," Corene cast a cooling charm - wandlessly - before taking a second sip, the satisfied smile that followed was enough to make Harry smile too. "I can say that she seems more interested in Elaine than I thought she would, which is as great a worry to me as you can suspect."
I guess she hasn't changed her mind about telling Elaine of their mutual blood, it's all thanks to her grandma probably applying pressure just like Elaine does.
"We can speak with her tonight, I'll back you up in whatever you need so that everything stays peaceful. I promise," Harry was satisfied and he hoped that Corene saw how sure he was too because he didn't see much reason to continue discussing it.
Nothing would change what happened when they spoke with Elaine and further discussions related to that or the planning of it would only cause more stress. Grindelwald, that was much the same as Elaine, as nothing they spoke about would change. There wasn't much of a reason to talk about him either, not after that brief recap of the update she'd gotten, as the battle was still ongoing and the results would take a while to come in.
Really, as far as Harry could see for the next ten minutes, he was free from thinking about everything save for the hot chocolate in his hands and his friend seated next to him.
"I guess this is where I meet with your parents now, huh?" Harry asked with a nervous chuckle as he rubbed at his neck, the gesture one that was typical of him that he'd still yet to break.
"It is," Corene confirmed, her hands deftly straightening out his shirt and collar from when he'd sat down in the room they'd enjoyed their hot chocolate in half an hour earlier. "You look very handsome and presentable, my parents will take you seriously on account of that. Never forget that presentation matters in these types of events."
There wasn't any chance of that, not so far as he was concerned. It was some of the soundest advice he'd been given since he'd been blasted to the past.
"Will you be knocking now, or would you prefer that I announce our entrance?" Corene asked, her lips raised just a smidge with what he assumed to be amusement.
"I'll do it," He said after a second or so, not wanting to respond immediately so that he didn't seem nervous - he wasn't nervous, not at all - to his friend; he took a breath, stepped forward and hit the door a few times with his knuckles. "Lord and Lady Carrow, It's Harry Peverell, I'm here with Corene."
He very nearly called himself 'Heir' Peverell, but he refrained. It was what they liked, he knew that since they were one of the families that enjoyed hanging on to the old titles and older ways, but it wasn't anything he liked. Not only that, he hoped that using his first name would make them see him in a friendlier light - it was that same line of thinking that had him mention Corene rather than 'Scion' Carrow as her official title was.
No sound greeted them, but the door was then audibly unlocked a split-second before it opened, revealing the older couple seated behind a large, expensive-looking desk. As soon as eye contact was made by the two pairs, Lord Carrow greeted them all the while his wife smiled disarmingly.
"Welcome back to our home, Harry. My wife and I are as glad as our Cori seems to be that you have decided to visit, the reasons therein only make it all the more valuable to us that your time here is pleasant," Lord Carrow motioned towards two large, padded chairs that looked nearly as comfortable as his own. "Please, take a seat alongside my daughter so that we can discuss this contract we find ourselves bound together in."
Harry thanked the man with a look and motioned for Corene to sit first, going so far as to sit only once she was comfortable. As soon as he did so and looked back over towards the older Carrow couple, he was greeted with a peculiar look from the Lady Carrow - that same intrusive feeling made itself known when she looked at him, but it seemed weaker since last he visited.
"May I?" Harry asked, hoping to start the conversation and end the awkward, silent gazes that the Carrows seemed to enjoy giving.
Lord Carrow nodded once, that being all that Harry needed to begin speaking.
"Corene was around to help me regarding the letter that was written and I don't have any questions related to it save for the obvious one about a partnership upon the conclusion of our currently unequal one. Would we extend our non-interference or write something new up entirely?" Harry knew it was a lot all at once, but he didn't want this to drag on as most Purebloods seemed to enjoy.
He was here to relax Corene's family, extend their friendship and meet with Grandma Carrow. Any idle discussions or friendly ones were nice, but he had much to do this Yule in comparison to the last. The fact that Elaine was using the entirety of hers to her benefit that he could visually see and occasionally hear about from the girl herself only furthered his urge to end these conversations quickly now that he was in one of them.
That relaxing bit of time earlier was still worth it… it got me closer to Corene, it definitely wasn't a waste of time.
"Straight into it then. That's very admirable, boldness isn't something that often comes up when speaking about serious business between two families. Not when the ground is as uneven as we've both determined it to be," Lord Carrow said, blinking at Harry with the slightest of smiles on his face. "An alliance beyond our pact of non-interference should be signed before the conclusion of our current contract, just for the sake of us both. We could go over exactly what you'd like to see in the coming days, but the most important matters should be gone over in this first meeting. Would you like for our Cori to stay beside you, or do you value your privacy as well as that of your families enough that she, along with my Lady wife, should leave?"
Harry initially thought that both women leaving would be beneficial, but he eventually talked himself out of that. Corene, he trusted her more than he knew he should and as such, he would go all in just as he'd done with Elaine. If she were reporting everything they did which he sincerely doubted at this point, then he deserved to fail in containing her; he'd done a bang on job of it so far anyhow.
"They can stay, I don't mind," Harry said, looking over from Corene to Lady Carrow, the latter's eyes instantly causing that feeling of prodding.
Reckon I'll have to get to the bottom of that too if we're playing all of our important cards here.
It was especially weird considering that sense didn't feel remotely similar to Elaine's mind-magic did, nor did it feel like Fleur's allure or anything else that he'd felt. All he knew, was that it was unique to her and those dark eyes that she shared with Corene.
"Merci, Harry," Lady Carrow said, her eyes appearing a shade darker for all of a second until he blinked and saw that they remained the same as they'd always been.
"Thank you for allowing us to stay," Corene said a few seconds later, one of her hands brushing his in such a way that her parents wouldn't be able to see.
He figured that was good for his safety considering how larger and stoic Papa Carrow seemed.
"Let us begin with the obvious, then. Our current contract from centuries ago should be mutually deemed outdated and as such, destroyed for the sake of a newer one, yes?" Lord Carrow said, his elbows firmly propped upon the table with his hands clasped around one another as he looked Harry dead in the eyes, the latter's eye contact with Lady Carrow now a thing of the past.
Harry nodded a few times. "It's old and while it could be beneficial for my family, I'd rather not have you all in such a bad position. There's no reason for your family to fear mine, especially if mine could do whatever it wished towards yours - the last bit about the potential to take a daughter or son of your house to wed to ours without needing explicit permission seems a bit barbaric."
"I'm glad to hear that our family has nothing to fear from yours, even if my Cori has already said as much," Lord Carrow indicated over to Corene with his eyes, a slightly larger smile that didn't spread across the rest of his face coming to his lips. "Our Cori has spoken highly of you, your manners and your strength of character as well as that of your true magical power since your friendship was affirmed months ago. It's thanks to the friendship you two have with one another that we revealed this so soon."
"Strength of character?" Harry asked with a glance over at Corene, those words being used by her only hours earlier.
"You've proven yourself to be a kind young man more so than near any other we've met at Ministry events. Some of those you mentioned during your previous trip to our home, Reinhard and Aster I believe the boys were… even they lack in maturity in comparison to those from our generation," Lord Carrow motioned over to Corene, the way she sat so demurely and prettily; the point the older man was trying to make was well made. "Our Cori is a perfect example of the youth in our days and you're manners aren't far off. All that separates the pair of you is the friendly, outgoing nature you possess, Harry."
Harry couldn't help but let loose a small smile when the older man used his first name. He knew he'd given Lord Carrow permission, but up until that point the man hadn't used it. For whatever reason, he had persisted the initial conversation with a degree of formality that Harry didn't want. It wasn't just to go against the typical Pureblood practices either, rather, the point in ignoring it was because of their friendship.
"Thank you, Lord Carrow. I'm glad that Corene speaks so highly of me and as you said, she's very nice. I couldn't think of a better friend to have, especially when her family is just as kind to me - it's why I near-instantly decided to have this dealt with after reading the letter. To get down to the business end of that too, I was hoping we could agree upon terms that would see us as close to family as possible?" Harry ended with a question, maintaining eye contact with the man across from him.
It was a hard thing to do, but Harry knew that any insecurity would likely be seen as a weakness on his end, even in dealings as informal as theirs had started to become. That wouldn't help in any discussion, least of all one meant to ally him with the family he was currently saving from potential issues if he left the contract unattended.
"If you would like a contract doing just that, I'm sure we could come to terms. It may take longer than I initially planned for this Yule visit of yours, however, so I would propose that we mention only the points that matter most from each of us; I'll go first and make mention that the occasional marriage should be encouraged," Lord Carrow raised one hand when his wife looked ready to argue with him, and when she remained silent he spared her a smile before continuing. "No enforcement or kidnap-like clause that our previous one had, no. This would be purely for the sake of strengthening ties between our families."
"I'd be fine with it if there's really no way to enforce it… I'd like to ensure our families can't reveal information to outside sources unless given leave to do so. I know there's magic to enforce the truth, but the costs I've read of them are," Harry finished there, letting his final words hang in the air as his first offer was given; it was potentially the most important one he could think of on account of the information residing inside of his head.
Merlin, if they got closer to him and decided to aid his cause more than any other, the likelihood that he shared the lack of any other Peverells existing were extremely high. Beyond that, the 'seer' ability that Elaine makes mention of him would likely be revealed in-part to the Carrows depending on their level of loyalty.
He felt horrible as his mind drifted, but he was shaken from that line of thinking by Lord Carrow firmly nodding.
"My wife and I thought a deed of secrecy would be on the table from your side of these talks, though we suspected it would come later rather than enter our talks as your first point. It is agreeable nonetheless and as we continue with our time together growing ever shorter, let us each bring to the table the other two most important pieces of our respective families; Security in all aspects of the word and the Galleon-Blanket agreement."
"Forgive me, Lord Carrow, but I've never heard about that second request. I'm all for the mutual security agreement, especially if it prevents any withholding of information or moving against one another. Sorry if that sounds like I don't trust you, I just… value the safety and privacy of my home, a lot," Harry concluded by looking exclusively over to Corene, the only Carrow thus far who had been to his home.
He hoped that her father's love for history and her mother's love for her family would reveal his point easily enough.
"Security would be all-encompassing, yes," Lord Carrow said at once, easily recognising that response of Harry's as he moved on to the question the latter posed. "Galleon-Blanket agreement is when two families agree to economically rescue one another in times of mutual bankrupcy. It is a smart agreement to have in place in the event that your family or mine fall seriously short in their endeavours."
So I give them a few thousand Galleons or more if they lose everything and they'd do the same for me. It seems smart enough, especially since they're the ones with businesses and political power.
"We can do that, definitely. I'm surprised the older agreement didn't have something similar written in them even if the term 'Galleon' wasn't used yet," Harry shook his head in befuddlement and after righting his head, noticed a glance from Lady Carrow. It wasn't rude, that familiar sense of the back of his mind was present but weak and… he realised that it was his turn since he'd agreed with their terms; he spoke a few seconds later. "Wizengamot voting, the ability to call on one-another for support in proposing bills and the like would be helpful. In that same fashion, since we're including the non-interference, I would like having a mutually owned house-elf that could act as a messenger between our two families."
House-elves couldn't lie to their orders, allegedly. If that were true, one owned by the two families together would surely be a strong resource. It wouldn't be able to purposefully work against either side and while they weren't the smartest at times, they were definitely far more loyal than you're average magical person was.
"I agree, thus far, with both points that you are suggesting, Harry," Lord Carrow said, standing up from his seat and extending his hand readily enough.
"You are more ambitious and politically-minded than first we thought, Heir Peverell. Our Cori was not lying when she said that you have done very well in adapting to this new time. It is a good thing, I think, especially with the recent conflicts - a powerful, well-spoken and good-meaning Heir like yourself is what will aid in the rebuilding," Lady Carrow said to him, a weirdness about her as she mentioned 'rebuilding.'
"I'm glad I can help with whatever's needed of me," Harry said with a polite, charming smile as he stood up and shook Lord Carrow's hand before he lifted one of Lady Carrow's to kiss the back of; he felt horribly awkward doing that, especially as Elaine had drilled it into his mind for the traditional people, thus making him do it to her nearly a hundred times. "I won't keep Corene for too much longer, sorry for stealing her away the day after Yule."
"You are not stealing her, on the contrary, you are making her happier and more smile-filled than she usually is. It is a wonderful thing for the pair of us to see, now go and enjoy your evening - you are welcome here, always, Harry Peverell," Lady Carrow responded, answering for her and her husband as she waved him away with one flick of her hand.
Her eyes upon meeting his finally relayed the strength he had felt from them earlier in the year. There was something about her specifically, unless he'd missed it from Corene when he… come to think of it, he didn't often look her in the eyes. Elaine was the one that cared a lot for eye contact in a conversation while Corene was always happy to speak with her head staring straight ahead.
"Thank you," Harry managed to say before Corene and he made their exit, the girl already having looped her arm through his without any feeling on his end of it. "I guess we're free for the evening then, huh?"
Corene nodded once. "It would seem like that's the case. If you don't mind I would like to present a difficulty in that plan, one that would last roughly ten minutes."
Harry blinked at Corene a few times before shrugging and waving her the go-ahead with his other, freehand. "I don't mind… what is it?"
"I would like to change into a more formal state of dress, as I do believe my grandmother won't be entirely pleased if she sees me with someone of your stature while I'm in a casual gown. It wouldn't be a long-lasting task on my end, not with the house-elves available to help me in grooming my hair and tying up the many strings in the back," Corene pointed towards a door that was at the very end of the hallway they were currently in. "That room would most assuredly be enjoyable for you if you'd like to wait in it. Should you rather sit outside of my room while I'm redressing, I can take you up the flight of stairs and to the third door on the right."
"I'll go see what that room's about so I'm not lingering outside of your room while you're getting dressed. That'd be a bit weird, I think," Harry said with a grin as he dipped his head like the Muggles did in film… if only he had a good angled hat like they did, and made his way towards the aforementioned door.
Corene watched him go up until the point that he entered the room, and once he did so, there was little else he could know of her movement. She was gone as soon as the door closed behind him, enfolding him in darkness before a series of torches lit themselves all throughout the room.
He had to admit, as nerveracking as the initial darkness had been, the torches all lighting themselves had been very wicked. That wickedness only really came about three or so seconds after the light did, when he figured out what they were rather than the first thought that came to his mind about fire spells being cast at him from every direction.
Once that was all dealt with and he could look around with issue, he saw the numerous busts the started from the very opposite side of the room, under a portrait and ended only a few meters from his current spot in the room. The painting, it wasn't a wizarding one, there wasn't any chance of that based on how old it looked. As for the bust, it most certainly looked as if it were made for the person painted above it which meant it was also potentially hundreds of years old.
As he looked around more and more, turning around to see the other side of the room that went on far longer than the exterior would have you believe, he saw relics with writing he couldn't read all around him. Some looked just as old as the busts, save for the ones closest to him, while other pieces were nought but fragments with nothing else on them.
"It is a good collection, the Carrow family possesses, no?" Came a startlingly familiar voice right behind him.
He couldn't help it when he jumped forward and turned towards the source, even if his ears registered that the person wasn't a threat to him currently. It was nearly impossible for them to be remotely dangerous to him with the current agreement still in place.
"Lady Carrow," Harry said immediately, dipping his head and looking away from her eyes once he was respectful, favouring the many artefacts around them. "I'd say it's one of the largest, possibly second largest, I've ever seen. There's so much in here that looks… it's indescribable."
"Your family has a larger one, Cori told us," Lady Carrow said, her voice getting closer as she stepped towards him. "The old ways say it's impolite to use my first name, so please do call me Iry, as that is still more personal than Lady Carrow is."
"I'd be glad to let you and your husband see it, I could probably give the tour myself since I've been inside of it so many times. You were kind enough to show me yours, after all - thank you too, L- Iry… I'm sorry if I sort of stumbled in here too, I was, or rather, I'm wai-" Harry stopped when Lady Carrow, or Iry as he could now call her, shook her head.
"Cori directed you inside of this room, I saw as much and decided to visit alongside you in the event that you were equally as interested in the old times as our family is. I'm sure my daughter, as smart as she is, knew I would see you enter and as a result, would be compelled to speak with you," Iry shook her head and pointed at the closest bust. "He was Cori's great-great grandfat-t- ther . It was only recently that he passed, a year before you came out I think, and it was for that reason that his bust joins that of his fathers - pardon my tangent, I am unsure of how I should appropriately bring up the topic that Corene was hoping I'd mention."
That struck Harry as odd.
Then again, he shouldn't have been too surprised considering it was Corene. She was always thinking and it was incredibly likely if not the exact reason that her mother was here currently speaking with him, that she saw Harry's deliberate attempts to avoid eye contact with the older woman. Corene was likely privy to the knowledge that he'd lost his temper with Elaine for getting into his mind and as such, was likely hoping for her mother to speak with him about her 'attempts', if they could be called as much.
Right as Harry opened his mouth to respond to Iry, the careful pattering of slow and deliberate steps reached his ears. It was immediately loud and at the same time, as recognisable as Corene's mother's voice had been; there was only one person who was as deliberate in their motions and quiet as the one approaching was… it helped that she was expected back within ten minutes.
"Harry, Mother," Corene said, her voice sounding a bit rushed and breathy to his ears. "If you're ready, Harry, my grandmother would like to speak with you."
"Cori," Iry said, her eyes seeking out Harry shortly thereafter. "It was a pleasure to see your interest in history, I look forward to speaking with you this evening should you linger in our home."
Like that, Corene's mother made her exit and Corene moved closer to him. He could see that her face showed the slightest of blushes, it was so subtle that he half wondered if it was the make-up that witches put on their cheeks, but when he saw her moving her usually still fingers on her further hand, he assumed she had felt uncomfortable. He wasn't her what about, but he'd be keeping watch.
Iry had just about been ready to let something slip to him, after all.
"She's ready for us? I thought she wouldn't be here until the evening?" Harry asked after a few more seconds of silence, Corene staring at the nearest bust until he did so, at which point she turned her attention over to him.
"My parents and I thought the same as you, which is why I made mention of it, but she's arrived earlier than her words had indicated. I imagine that was her attempt to catch my family off-guard, as she assumes we've been slacking off in the care of our home recently thanks to the invasion of Grindelwald. As you remember, my family is heavily invested in seeing him defeated thanks to our heritage," Corene motioned towards a variant of the French flag Harry had never seen before, one with objects in the middle. "Regardless of the reason that she's decided to arrive so early, are you ready to speak with her? I'll warn you in advance that she does seem to be in an aggravated mood, thus I suspect attempts to coerce her train of thinking in relation to Elaine should you attempt to do so will end in failure."
Was that a hint, or was Corene just shooting a what-if scenario off the top of her head?
Harry wasn't sure, but he took the initiative this time and looped one of her arms through his. As soon as that was done and the two were making their exit from the Carrow's museum, he spoke. "I'll take that into consideration," He said with a grin before nodding for her to take over the direction that they walked as he continued on in his speaking. "I don't think I'll try anything like that, but I do want to sort of gauge how she is. Elaine, you know that she can be temperamental at the best of times so it wouldn't be great if the two got into an argument should they meet anytime soon - I know, you didn't plan that out since we've still yet to speak with Elaine, but I was just saying… Merlin, I never thought about it, but what about your Dad, Mum?"
"Elaine would likely avoid arguing with my grandmother as a result of her age and the knowledge she could likely gain from her. You're familiar with Elaine bonding herself to older members of society, Professor Slughorn as an example, in the hopes of gaining a good relationship with them," Corene seemed to make a face that was somewhere between conflicted and impressed, though those expressions were based on her emotional range rather than the typical persons, so room for error had to be taken heavily into consideration.
"That's good, yeah, that's really good. Your Grandma and Elaine not arguing, I should clarify. What about your parents though? Or the rest of your family? Is it only you and your grandmother that know about your relatives in the" Harry paused to look around before whispering, "Gaunt family?"
"My Grandfather that's married to my Grandmother is aware, as are his parents on account of them needing to be for the marriage to get approved. Aside from the four of them and myself, I don't personally believe anybody else in my family is aware of our other relatives. I could be wrong, my father keeps his hand close to his chest all too often, but those are my beliefs," Corene abruptly came to a halt and turned towards him, her eyes roaming the entirety of his body without any care as to what he thought about that.
It was weird, initially. After that burst of awkwardness, he shook his head and asked Corene just what she was doing. He knew she wasn't checking him out that blatantly, not with her personality or the fact that he was dating Elaine.
"I'm checking the state of your clothing. My Grandmother isn't fond of wrinkles, nor is my father due to that quirk being passed onto him. It's the reason that I often straighten out your clothing whenever I notice any imperfections - it wouldn't do, having your first meeting be immediately relegated to a position of low-importance on account of your manner of dress," Corene finished and then stepped towards him, her dainty, warm hands fixing any 'imperfection' that she found.
When nearly thirty seconds of that had passed leaving her satisfied and looking at him with a small smile on her face, he figured they were ready for their talk with her grandmother. It was about time and hopefully, some of those answers he'd been looking for, could be given by her. The fact that her name was the second to last entry in Slytherin's signature book, now only beaten by his, all but confirmed that she could provide some form of information to him.
There was the chance that she knew where the boy before her had gone off to in addition to the other information she could share, as the odds that they knew one another weren't completely unlikely.
"Do I look presentable? No more creases, wrinkles or any loose threads to have fixed?" Harry asked with a grin on his face, smiling when Corene ignored it and looked him over critically, going so far as to manoeuvre his arms in a way that wasn't like her; she wasn't touchy with anybody, so the seriousness of his meeting dawned on him even more than it already had with her looking so closely.
"You look handsome," Corene finally said, after withdrawing and holding her arm out again. "Allow me to speak first, so that I may introduce you. I'll put up privacy spells once I've done so."
"I'll follow your lead, she's your grandma," Harry said, a confident smile coming to his face fuelled by her compliment all the while his anxiety lessened.
Corene was with him, her grandma was interested in meeting and speaking with him and above all, questions that he'd had for over a year now could finally be answered - he tried to avoid thinking about the negative repercussions of this meeting, such as ones that involved Elaine becoming best friends with her grandmother.
It was only thanks to that one thought that made it to his mind as they walked towards the room that he thought of another, only the second that blitzed through his brain was infinitely more threatening. Not only would he be caught in a lie the likes of which Elaine would be incredibly angry over, his only truly hidden space wouldn't be quite so hidden any longer.
Corene's grandmother wanted to speak with Elaine. Corene's grandmother knew about Slytherin's private study and the spells it had within the confines of those walls; the evolving information from all of her precursors were icing on the cake, icing that Slytherin's home in the bowels of the school seemed to lack as a result of few ever discovering it.
"You seem worried," Corene observed, the two of them stopped only a few feet from the door that led to their destination. "Before we enter, is there anything that you would like to share with me? Should you discuss it with my grandmother at any magnitude, the likelihood that she'll tell me what you've said is incredibly high. My apologies if that's not what you were hoping for, I imagine I could withdraw from thi-"
"No. No, she's your grandmother. I'm not going to make you stop your time with her just because I want one less person knowing about this," Harry shook his head and exhaled. "I guess with the current agreement between our two families, it'd be really crazy of you to spread what I say, huh?"
Corene cocked her head at him - a very welcome, familiar gesture - and nodded once, one of her brows now arched at him as her eyes latched on to his with that same level of seriousness he was familiar with when interacting with her. "If I broke your confidence, I would be risking the well-being of my family, current and future. That you're my friend and said friendship would be destroyed is also a factor in my inability to act remotely against your interests."
Harry blinked a few times at how carefully she'd broken it down before he shrugged once. Her answer worked well enough for him even if it was given in an overly complex manner… one that was incredibly Corene-like. Happy that she was more like herself and happier still that she confirmed her trustworthiness, he began to withdraw his wand.
Not more than a few seconds later and with privacy spells up, he looked back into her eyes. He took that time to search for a feeling similar to that of her mothers, but he came up empty and with a shake of his head, started speaking. "I'm the last living member of House Peverell and I've found a room in Hogwarts that's similar to the Chamber Elaine has shown you."
Unlike Elaine when he revealed to her that his 'family' was gone, Corene showed no expression of surprise. Faux as Elaine's was considering that she knew he wasn't a Peverell in the first place, it had still been something he looked for.
"Elaine made a remark the previous night that made me think you were the sole member of House Peverell, but I thank you for confirming that fact. You don't need to worry, nobody else would have heard it since we were alone in the make-up room. As for that hidden away room, I suspected you had found something with how often you walked a specific path in the dungeons," Corene cocked her head to the other side then, an expression on her face that showed a lack of understanding, so he thought. "I'd like to see it when we're back if you'd be so inclined. As for its existence, I'll not say a word about it as you seem to be hinting towards."
Harry couldn't help the snort that came out of him, nor could he stop the feeling of weight being lifted off his shoulders. It felt good… telling other people about the room and a friend as close as Corene was that he was the only member of Hosue Peverell.