As Daphne saw her brother stuck in the adult conversation, she grabbed his hand to drag him away from their mother's pestering hands.
"You need me to save you, huh," said Daphne with a mocking smile as they reached the archway that opened up to the ballroom. Susan and Astoria were right on their toes as they entered the ballroom, and all four looked up in awe at the grand decorations on the ceiling.
There was a story painted on the ceiling, along with gold decor and luxurious chandeliers; the paintings were made up of Greek gods. You could see Apollo in several of the paintings. He had his bow in the darker ones, fighting against an unknown threat, while in others he appeared with his lyre.
"That's such a pretty ceiling," Susan said with awe, and the other children just nodded to her words, unconsciously agreeing to their friend's words.
"I wonder what the story is about," questioned Astoria as her eyes were stuck on the bow in the man's hand. "It's about Apollo; I believe he was known as the Greek sun god and the god of healing, but I'm not sure," Eden said while he looked down at Astoria to answer her question.
"Well, he sure is pretty!" Daphne said this as she elbowed Susan, who was still staring at the ceiling.
As Susan was going to question her friend, they got interrupted by a group of people. "He sure is; Apollo was not only the god of the sun or healing, but also of music, prophecies, archery, beauty, and much more," a beautiful lady said as she entered the hall with a young boy beside her and another family still walking a bit behind them.
The group of four got startled as a voice suddenly broke them out of their awe.
"Oh, sorry, where are my manners?" "I'm Mrs. Zabini, and this is my son, Blaise." "I think you are close in age." She introduced her and her son, who was the same age as Daphne and Susan. "I can see why you would get enamored by this ceiling," Mrs. Zabini said as she looked up at the ceiling.
"I take it that your mother is still quite the believer?" Mrs. Zabini spoke as she locked eyes with Eden.
"Our mother, ma'am?" questioned Eden.
"Yes, your mother was always a believer; even when she was at Hogwarts, she used to perform those "family rituals," claiming that they strengthened the family magics." She said as she looked at Daphne, then Astoria, and later Susan, but when her eyes landed on Susan, her face got a look of confusion on it.
"You knew our mother?" Astoria asked in curiosity.
"Oh, if I knew her, she and I have a long history of..." Mrs. Zabini said while snickering as if she were going to share the history between her and their mother, but alas, she got cut off by the person in question.
"CASSANDRA!" The hurried yell of the Greengrass family's matriarch came toward the small group. Mrs. Zabini simply turned around and greeted her friend as if she didn't just plan to reveal her whole past to her fetuses. "Why hello, my lady" Cassandra said, smiling charmingly at her best friend.
"What did you do?" Marlène asked, "What do you mean, my dearest?" "I was only complimenting your ceiling and telling the little ones about Apollo," Cassandra answered with an innocent smile as she looked down at Daphne. "Isn't that right, sweetie?"
"Yeah, we were admiring the ceiling and wondered who the man was," answered Daphne as Cassandra gave their mom a cheeky look as if to say, "I told you so."
"Fine, but don't go overboard," She said as she gave her friend a look and then turned her head down to the little boy beside her; by looks, she could tell that he was around the same age as her two oldest children, and she said, "And I take it that this cutie here is Blaise?"
"Yes, ma'ma." Blaise replied shyly as he looked up at the newcomer." Oh? Such a polite young man you are, Cassandra, did you finally do something right?" She huffed as she laughed at her friend's puzzled expression.
"Marlène, do you remember sixth year in the Quidditch locker room?" Mrs. Zabini threatened, and by the end of the sentence you could see the color draining from Lady Greengrass's face as she slowly stopped giggling.
"I thought so," Cassandra said as she smiled at the children present, amused by their confusion.