𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖞||𝖉𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖑𝖋𝖔𝖞

XXIII

A/N

The picture above shows how I see Maven Riddle.

-

Bella gulped and tried to calm her breathing as Draco walked out of the room to greet her. He reappeared a minute later, Astoria Greengrass clutching his arm. She wore a glamorous dark-blue gown and looked stunning. Draco had a blank look on his face, although she had a smile on her lips. He didn't seem to be bothered in the least.

"Ahh, Astoria", the Dark Lord spoke, looking at her while she sat down beside Draco. 

She made a small bow, "My Lord", she said before gently bringing her head back up.

The Dark Lord went on to say how brilliant it was that Draco and Bella were engaged even though they had already claimed that they would not marry anyone. Bella was perplexed as to why the food hadn't arrived yet, and it seemed as though Maven had read her mind. 

He commonly asked, "Father, are we expecting anyone else?"

Bella believed he was a Leiligmens and wished she could be an Occlumens to stop him and Draco from reading her thoughts. She noticed Maven didn't address him as 'My Lord .' He didn't even bow when he spoke to him. The Dark Lord did not respond, and the front door swung open once more. Someone had just walked in the door.

Bella lifted her eyes to see her Grandfather entering the large dining room. He, too, had a long white beard, but he wasn't quite as tall as Dumbledore. He was a short and round man. He stepped closer to the table, his hands were heavy with rings, and his robes trailed behind him.

The Dark Lord stood up to welcome him, much to Bella's surprise. Her Grandfather still bowed to him and addressed him as 'My Lord.'

While he greeted the Dark Lord, Adrian leaned over to Bella, "who is he?"

"My grandfather", she said and sighed at her grandfather's attendance.

"He is going to make you move your seat", she whispered back quickly. Adrian got the message and he and Theo moved one seat down before Bella's grandfather walked to their side of the table. No wonder how he got the letters so fast from Madam Pomfrey, he was already here.

He stopped beside Maven, who got up and greeted him kindly. Bella frowned and then stood up when Maven sat. She 'kissed' him at each side of the cheek and then sat down. This couldn't get any worse, she thought.

Then the food appeared. The table was filled with different kinds of food that probably took the house-elves a lot of time to prepare. She watched as Astoria whispered things in Draco's ear, she watched his reaction and she watched the little smile that acquired on his lips.

She turned her attention to Maven who was talking to the Dark Lord, she listened carefully. Then Draco joined as Astoria talked with Narcissa. Lucius looked annoyed that he sat so far down the table with Theodore and Adrian. Theo and Adrian were good friends at school and had no problem starting a conversation.

"Bella, what do you know about our famous Golden Trio? Do you know where they left to?", the Dark Lord asked. 

She swallowed the little food she had in her mouth. She didn't know, all she knew was that Hermione had managed to send Lorenzo an owl and that they had been gone for weeks now. 

"I have no information about them, I cannot remember having many interactions with any of them", she said, she looked over at Maven beside her. He was following her every move, he didn't have those kind eyes she saw earlier, they were replaced with the same cold ones his father had. His face was now very serious and blank, same with Draco.