"A ball? In my home? Those are all vampires."
As the mother and daughter finished their meal, Nolan entered the room with a steaming pot of tea.
"This has plenty of sugar in it," he said, pouring Eve a generous cup. "I think you could use some, Eve."
Angela, sitting across the table, watched the scene unfold with amusement. "How thoughtful of him," she teased, smirking as she sipped her own tea.
Eve's cheeks burned, but she obediently accepted the sweetened tea. The warmth spread through her body, but what truly made her feel soft and light inside was Nolan's quiet attentiveness.
Being spoiled by someone you love… was delightful. And witches, it seemed, were no exception to that rule.
As Nolan refilled Angela's cup, Eve took the chance to ask, "So, are these vampires your guests?"
Nolan blinked, then shook his head. "Guests? No. The Von Draugr family holds a much higher status in the dark world than you might think. You may have noticed how people address Felicia—'Grand Duchess Felicia.' In vampire society, 'Grand Duke' is the highest title of nobility. To put it in Muggle terms, she's the equivalent of a Prime Minister."
"A Prime Minister?" Eve echoed in surprise.
"Vampires don't play politics the way humans do. Our hierarchy is maintained through bloodlines. The Von Draugr family stands at the pinnacle of vampire lineage—just like the Borginarts and the Von Schaars. Many minor families and rogue vampires are considered our vassals."
He reached out, wiping away a crumb from the corner of Eve's lips with his handkerchief. Then, with silent precision, he refilled her teacup.
"So no, they aren't guests," Nolan continued. "They're subordinates. Every month, on this night, they gather at the Randall Gorge for a banquet to report on their affairs. Sometimes Felicia attends, sometimes she doesn't. She dislikes such gatherings. And so do I."
His voice turned dry. "Many of them try to ingratiate themselves with me. Others… are desperate humans hoping to beg for a drop of our blood. Believe me, it's nothing like the social events at Hogwarts."
Angela, however, didn't seem the least bit bothered. She leaned back, stretching luxuriously. "Oh, but they were so charming! I was practically the center of attention last night. So many dashing gentlemen asked me to dance. Though, I did refuse them all. They looked terribly disappointed."
Nolan's lips curled slightly. "That's because they know Eve is destined to become the new bride of the Von Draugr family. Naturally, they'd want to get on your good side."
Eve nearly choked on her tea. "W-when did I ever say I was becoming your bride?!"
Angela only laughed, clearly enjoying her daughter's flustered state.
After the meal, Nolan helped Eve to her feet. But the moment his hand brushed her arm, she jumped, suddenly hyper-aware of his presence.
"You really don't have to be this careful with me," she said quickly. "I'm not that sore! Don't forget—I'm not just a witch, I'm also a Chaser! I do physical training all the time. I'm used to getting bruised."
Nolan's expression darkened. "If I ever see you get knocked off your broom by a Bludger again, I'm going to rip Marcus Flint apart."
Eve gaped at him. "H-hey! That's not fair! You can't just take away my Quidditch fun!"
"Fun?" Nolan's tone was unimpressed.
"Yes! Getting hit by a Bludger is part of Quidditch! It makes the game exciting! Don't you know that?"
"No, actually. I don't."
Eve rolled her eyes. "That's because you have no sense of thrill. You always avoid danger."
As he carried her bridal-style back to her room, Eve kicked her feet playfully, tracing circles against his chest with a fingertip.
"So, what's on the agenda today?" she asked, her voice light.
Nolan glanced down at her, his voice soft but firm. "You aren't doing anything, little witch."
"Hey! I'm not fragile! We could study spells, or maybe you could teach me Ancient Runes? We need to pick electives soon, you know. I bet you can't wait for that, can you?"
At Hogwarts, students started taking electives in their third year. The options included Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, Divination, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures.
Eve grinned. "What are you choosing, Nolan? I think Care of Magical Creatures sounds fun."
Nolan suddenly stopped walking, a look of pure disgust crossing his face. "Are you insane?"
Eve blinked. "Huh?"
"I am a magical creature," Nolan deadpanned. "So is almost everyone in this manor. Do you really think we need your protection?"
Eve let out an awkward cough. "Right. Forgot about that."
She quickly scrambled for another option. "Uh… how about Divination?"
Nolan's expression grew even colder. "Don't pick Divination."
Eve frowned. "Why not? It sounds interesting."
"It's not magic," Nolan said flatly. "It's something else. Something… more primal than spellwork or wandlore. If you ask me, Hogwarts should never have included it in the curriculum. It's not something you can learn just by reading books and practicing spells."
His voice carried a rare note of seriousness.
For some reason, it sent a shiver down Eve's spine.
Nolan carried Eve back to her room and gently placed her on the soft bed.
"Muggle Studies isn't that interesting either," he remarked as he pulled the blankets over her. "Muggle novels teach us far more about them than wasting time analyzing a wizard's prejudice."
Eve counted on her fingers. "So that leaves Ancient Runes and Arithmancy? Those are probably the hardest electives. I bet very few people take them."
Nolan leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "That just makes them perfect for us, doesn't it?"
Eve's lips curled into a small smile, but then she noticed Nolan straightening up. "Where are you going?"
"You should stay here and rest," Nolan tapped her lightly on the forehead. "You've been awake since last night. You must be exhausted."
Eve tried to sit up, but he effortlessly pushed her back down and tucked the covers around her.
"Professor McGonagall arranged for me to have a tutor. I'm starting Apparition lessons."
Eve gasped, eyes widening in awe. "You're already learning Apparition?! That's amazing! If you master it, you'll be able to go anywhere you want in an instant!"
Nolan gave a small shrug. He thought about telling her that it wasn't as easy as she imagined.
He had only started learning Apparition three days ago—a direct result of what happened in Ireland. That incident made it clear that he couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Originally, Professor McGonagall had intended to teach him herself, but the elderly witch had been completely swamped ever since the discovery of Noble Bloodline Elixir.
The Daily Prophet wanted an exclusive interview with her. The Ministry of Magic was desperate to obtain every bit of research on this "new" magic. Meanwhile, the transfiguration experts in the wizarding world were already experimenting, trying to expand and develop the Noble Bloodline Elixir further.
With so many demands on her time, McGonagall simply couldn't spare a moment to personally train her most promising student—even if he was a Slytherin.
As for Professor Flitwick? The highly respected, tiny wizard had seemingly vanished. Some said he was traveling, while others whispered rumors that he had gone to Germany for some reason.
Nolan didn't know whether the rumors were true.
All he knew was that Flitwick was nowhere to be found in England.
With no other option, McGonagall introduced him to an old friend—a veteran witch of great prestige.
She was seventy-three years old, a former Auror, and one of the few who had survived the era of Voldemort.
…
That day, in Hildrey Village, an old woman named Perona sat in a wooden rocking chair, sipping her afternoon tea.
She enjoyed sitting outside on sunny days, letting the warmth of summer soak into her skin as she admired the crystal-clear lake stretching out before her.
It was peaceful.
Then—with a loud crack—someone appeared beside her.
A teenage boy, fourteen or fifteen years old, stood there.
He had black hair, striking red eyes, and an unfairly handsome face.
In one hand, he held a rather strange-looking felt hat.
Perona raised an eyebrow and took a long, slow sip of her tea.
She knew exactly who this boy was.
And she also knew why he had come.