Looking at the extremely luxurious party happening at the moment, Asterion couldn't help but think that these people were dancing and eating cake while their countries were burning. It was ironic, given that they were elected to represent the rights of the population.
Bringing the champagne glass to his lips, he tilted it back, drinking the beverage in one go. The alcohol, as always, had no effect on him; it only served as a simple relaxation.
"We meet again, Lord Black." Hearing the clamorous and graceful voice beside him, Asterion turned to see the French First Lady approaching.
From the little time he had spent with the woman, he already had an idea of her personality and character. Apolline Delacour was a woman with an almost insatiable hunger for power. But he didn't dislike such people; after all, ambition was never a bad thing, regardless of one's ideals. The desire to be something more was shared by all humanity.
"Madame Delacour." Despite what he was thinking, Asterion greeted the woman with all possible courtesy.Coming dangerously close to Asterion, Apolline smiled gracefully at the renowned British Special Grade Wizard. Being a half-Veela, she could sense the colossal amount of magical energy simmering beneath that perfect body. Even standing there, in a discreet corner of the party, he was still the center of everyone's attention. No one could ignore him, almost like a sun making everyone gravitate around him.
And as a half-Veela, a race that fed on the magic of their partner to strengthen themselves, Asterion was like an unbelievably delicious cake to Apolline. She couldn't control herself very well around him, which was usually the opposite; it was men who couldn't control themselves around her. And that was because she was a half-Veela. If it were her mother, a full-blooded Veela, she would probably have jumped on him a long time ago.
Ignoring the almost hungry look of the married woman, Asterion suddenly asked a question, surprising Apolline.
"In your eyes, as a half-Veela, how do you see the world?" His calm voice reached her ears, and his eyes, the most beautiful she had ever seen, looked directly at her.
Apolline was stunned for a moment; she never imagined she would hear such a question from anyone, especially from a wizard, particularly one so extremely powerful.
Hesitating for the first time, Apolline looked directly into those red eyes and replied sincerely, with a touch of self-deprecation. "A cold and cruel world. Although I am half-human, no one really sees me as human; I am just a half-breed in the eyes of all the wizards and witches in the world."
"Do you see yourself as human?" Asterion asked again, once more leaving Apolline stunned by the nature of the question.
"Yes." After a brief pause, Apolline responded firmly.
"If you believe that, then you are human. You don't need anyone saying otherwise. Caring about what others say makes you weak and vulnerable." Asterion spoke, his voice calm and even indifferent, yet for some reason, it made Apolline bite her lips, looking at him with a very complex expression.
"Why am I not twenty years younger…" Apolline murmured to herself, looking at the young man with a touch of passion growing in her eyes. Now she understood her youngest daughter,
Gabrielle; it wasn't just the magical energy attracting her, but his character and personality were equally unique.
Seeing the increasingly heated gaze of the married woman, Asterion's lips twitched abnormally. He had just stated the obvious and didn't understand why she was looking at him like a lovesick maiden.
"Your husband doesn't seem to mind you being surrounded by other men."
Asterion skillfully changed the subject, feeling that the atmosphere around him was becoming increasingly ambiguous, especially the expression on the French First Lady's face. It was not an expression a married woman should show another man.
Placing a gloved hand on his arm, Apolline laughed gracefully and responded with a subtle flirt. "We have a rather open relationship."
"French." Asterion couldn't help but snort, understanding the essence of the relationship between the French Minister of Magic and his wife.
Apolline merely laughed at Asterion's snort, finding it incredibly cute that he reacted that way.
Suddenly, Apolline noticed the Russian Minister of Magic, Dmitri Ivanov, approaching with two glasses of champagne.
"I won't bother you any longer, Lord Black." As a mature woman, Apolline almost immediately understood what was happening and bid farewell with an elegant smile, leaving with a deliberate sway of her hips. She laughed over her shoulder, seeing Asterion's gaze on her backside.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Asterion couldn't help but curse how beautiful Apolline was. Even with Baskerville, he was still subtly fascinated by the charm of the half-Veela.
"Knyaz Black." Ivanov greeted Asterion and handed him a glass of champagne.
Asterion didn't mind Ivanov's use of the high Russian noble term; in a sense, he was indeed a prince.
"Minister Ivanov." Asterion politely greeted the Russian Minister of Magic in return. Although Ivanov appeared to be a large and brainless individual, the Black heir knew that to remain at the top of the snake pit that was Russia, brute strength alone wouldn't suffice for Ivanov to survive in that cold country.
At the same time, Asterion could feel discreet glances falling upon him and the Russian Minister of Magic.
"I'll be direct, Knyaz Black," Ivanov said, his tone serious and formal. "I believe that an alliance between our countries is in our mutual interests."
The words of the Russian Minister of Magic truly surprised Asterion. He blinked a few times, trying to understand if he had heard the Russian Minister of Magic correctly. Asterion's brain was working at full speed, trying to comprehend the consequences of such actions at such a public event.
"You are indeed direct, Minister Ivanov." As Asterion was about to respond, he heard the voice of another man approaching. Seeing who had arrived, Ivanov's face darkened almost instantly.
Benjamin Thorne, President of MACUSA.
Looking at both Special Grade wizards, Asterion felt like a puzzle had been completed in his mind.
Russia and the United States.
After the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, present-day Russia was now more fragmented than ever and without allies, especially in Europe, where everyone hated the socialist regime.
The United States naturally didn't want its old mortal enemy to recover so quickly and ally with England.
Still, Asterion was curious. The United States was currently recovering from the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War; if another war happened, the people would definitely be furious with the state.
"I don't think it's any of your business, Benjamin." The Russian Minister spoke rudely, not bothering to show a bit of respect for the MACUSA leader.
"Still holding a grudge about our fight, Ivanov?" The MACUSA President's smile remained unchanged in the face of the Russian Minister's words.
"Grudge? You should be the one holding a grudge; after all, your wife certainly remembers me. Since you couldn't satisfy her." Ivanov spoke with a sarcastic smile, his voice intentionally loud, making sure everyone heard his words very clearly.
The smile on Benjamin's face disappeared at his old rival's words. "Ex-wife, and you were a coward for going after my wife."
With the words of the MACUSA President, a tense atmosphere began to settle over the party hall. The other Ministers of Magic from other countries watched the show with smiles, interested in the argument between the two Special Grade Wizards.
-------
Author's Thoughts: Please don't be offended if I write something from your respective country, this fanfic is fiction and that's it.
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
P-atreon.com/HPSCB
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 109 – Party (2), Chapter 110 - Back To Hogwarts (1), Chapter 111 - Back To Hogwarts (2), Chapter 112 – New Students (1), Chapter 113 – New Students (2), Chapter 114 – Ophelia (1), Chapter 115 – Ophelia (2), Chapter 116 – Doubts (1), Chapter 117 – Humbug (1), Chapter 118 - Ophelia's Mother (1), Chapter 119 - I Decided to Seduce Daphne (1), Chapter 120 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (1), Chapter 121 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (2), Chapter 122 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (3), Chapter 123 - Arrival of the Twelve Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry (4), Chapter 124 - Conspiracy In Progress (1), Chapter 125 - Conspiracy In Progress (2), Chapter 126 - Ophelia, Narcissa And Andromeda (1), Chapter 127 - Ophelia, Narcissa And Andromeda (2).