The sound of approaching footsteps causes the conversations in the parlor to come to an end. Master Linnaeus accompanied by Reginald and Severus entered the parlor room. "The three of you seem to be enjoying yourselves," Master Linnaeus observed with no measure of small relief.
"Yes, a most enjoyable conversation," Georgine vehemently agreed with the statement. So delightful was their conversation that she had easily convinced the elder parselmouth to continue corresponding with her in the future.
"There is much to do at Hogwarts, we truly must be going," Master Linnaeus excused himself and his companion. "Master Marwah, if you will."
Rising to his feet, Vaibhav Marwah thanked them in an accented English. "I am most grateful for your time and accepting my presence without prior invitation." He bowed to them in gratitude before straightening. "Shesha," he called out to his familiar.
With great reluctance, Shesha slithers across the table with her head drooping. She sadly slithers up her master's arm and onto his shoulders. She lets out a sad dejected sniff.
"It would seem that you have won, Shesha's heart, young snake speaker," Vaibhav Marwah warmly said in parselmouth.
"Shesha is a wonderful familiar to have," Rowan gladly returned the compliment. "Ji Marwah is a most fortunate of wizards."
Switching back into English, Rowan with great courtesy bows to Master Linnaeus. "Thank you for your presence, Master Linnaeus, and for fulfilling my abrupt request to privately visit with Master Marwah."
"It was no trouble at all," Master Linnaeus insisted, before bowing to the Prince family. "We shall take our leave," he excused himself and his companion.
Clasping his hands together, Vaibhav Marwah bows to them. "Namaste," while Shesha sadly hisses goodbye and slithers into the satchel on her master's back. Shesha was most sad and would ignore her master for the rest of the day until she was coaxed with a tasty bowl of frogs and rats for dinner.
The two men stride down the hall leaving the four Prince family members. Seeing the expression of her brother, Georgine Shooed the two children out of the parlor. "Run along, you two," with a wave of her hand.
Rowan and Severus exchanged a pointed look, but they did as they were told. Their footsteps are swift and hurried and all too soon they are gone. Leaving only Georgine and Reginald alone in the parlor.
Sitting back down at the parlor table, Georgine says, "Do not make me hurt my neck, Reginald, do have a seat."
Refusing to sit down, Reginald crisply asks, "What did the parselmouth want?"
"He was curious if you must know," Georgine nibbled on a piece of tea cake. "Master Marwah's children and grandchildren did not inherit the gift. Though his grandfather was a parselmouth, who has long since passed from this world. Master Marwah merely wished to meet with and speak with fellow parselmouth."
"Then what is that?" Reginald irritably indicated to the transformed pendants and talismans on the table. Some are in pieces, others are whole, including a statue and a ruby-red dagger.
"A thoughtful kindness," Georgine delicately sniffed and turned her nose up at her brother, "and the passing of wisdom to the younger generation," before delicately taking a bite of the chocolate cookie, and setting the rest aside.
Seeing that he will not receive a direct response until he sits down, Reginald pointedly sits down in Rowan's former seat. "No more roundabouts, Georgine, explain."
"It is merely the six rites of shat-karma," Georgia elegantly pointed with her fingers to the pendants and talisman on the table.
"The six rites of shat-karma?"
"Sometimes you are wholly ignorant of the world, brother," Georgine clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "You think too much like the wizards of the West and ignore what complex magic has to be offered by the rest of the world," causing Reginald to stiffen at the insult.
"Magic to other cultures is not light or dark nor good or evil, but merely a tool to be used," Georgine huffed. "Yet in the West, power is to be feared. I would say the wizards of the East understand that power is neither good nor bad but rather it is the adept who determines the course of action."
"I know that much," Reginald irritably snapped. "Do not take me for a fool, Georgine."
"Then do not allow your gaze to be clouded, Reginald," Georgine snapped back. "The elder parselmouth truly bore Rowan, no ill will. Yet the one descended from the same forefather has unashamedly attacked us!"
Reginald falls silent and does not immediately speak. "I shall take your word for it, Georgine," he speedily rose to his feet and departed from the parlor without so much as another word.
Sighing to herself, Georgine reaches over to touch the transfigured beautiful black flower. "Vahikarnam," she whispered as her finger trembled, before snatching her hand back as if burned.
Once, they had eagerly learned together all the wonders and mystique that magic had to show. They had fallen in love. And in the end, there was nothing to show left but ashes and dust.
Shoving her chair back, Georgine departs without looking back, fleeing from the ghosts of the past. Behind her the items remain on the table in a haunting manner until they are cleared away by Tadbey. The items will be stored and used by the house elves for their own purposes since they could sense the intent of the magic of the foreign parselmouth and it was benevolent.
Upstairs in Severus's bedroom, Rowan and Severus sit on his bed overlooking their new class schedules for the new school year. "Let us see, we both have ancient studies on Monday and part of the afternoon off at least for me since I have tutoring in the afternoon," Rowan frowned.
"Well, I have potions alchemy on Monday afternoon," Severus frowned. "Although," he paused to peer over his twin sister's shoulder. "Tuesday morning you have the morning open along with tutoring and then we both have alchemy in the afternoon."
"Well, you have Herbology, Wednesday morning," Rowan countered, before glancing down back at her schedule. "Wednesday morning, I have Ancient Runes, and part of the afternoon open with tutoring in the evening. Thankfully I have Thursday and Friday off from tutoring."
"I have N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration Wednesday and Thursday morning," Severus made a wry face. "At least James and Sirius will be there with me."
Relieved that she wasn't stuck in N.E.W.T. level transfiguration, Rowan murmurs, "Thursday morning, I have spagyric alchemy in the morning, and Gobbledegook in the afternoon same as you."
"Well, it's a relief to only have one class period on Thursday," Severus keenly said, before glancing at their Friday Schedule. "We are open all morning, but after lunch, we have lessons with Dumbledore all afternoon until dinnertime."
Rowan winces at the idea of a class that would be several hours long on the longest day of the week, Friday. Still, it could be infinitely worse. In retrospect, their class load was rather light when in comparison to last year. And if they could survive being Prefects and tutoring, then they could survive this year.
Fidgeting and unable to bear his curiosity any longer, Severus blurts out the question that is on his mind. "So, what did the parselmouth want?"
"He was curious," Rowan responded and reemphasized her answer much to Severu's look of disbelief. 'He had only ever met one other parselmouth in his lifetime, his grandfather."
"Really that is all?" Severus dubiously inquired.
Well, his cobra, Shesha is awfully sweet," Rowan fondly smiled in remembrance.
Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Severus shoos Rowan off his bed. "I have things to do."
"Uh, huh," Rowan arched her brow but allowed herself to be kicked out of Severus's room. There was little doubt in her mind about what he was going to do. He was going to write to Lily as always. Talk about clingy.