Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 31: A Classic Family Holiday

"It's about time you showed up!" were the first words out of my Grand'mère's mouth the moment she saw us exiting our cars in front of her house. After a lengthy argument between the entire family the other night, it had been decided that we would go by slower transportation to France rather than bombard the Parisian floo network with our arrival.

"It's technically rude to use floo network when your party is over four people," Ed said in a tone that spoke for itself as he nudged the bridge of his glasses up his nose.

"No one asked, Ed," Damion retorted with a single sigh as he watched Theo take another glass of Elder wine from a passing house elf and hand it to me.

"It's not like big families listen to stupid rules like that anyway" Theo added in an undertone while I took the glass quietly from him.

"Imagine what the Weasleys would do without floo network."

To my disbelief, I saw my father snort at my comment before taking a drink from his glass. That left a bad taste in my mouth.

Fast-forward to arriving in Paris, Grand'mère had her uniformed elves ransack our cars and take our things to our respective rooms.

"I don't want to share a room with Ed. Anyone but Ed," Theo warned to the retreating house elf with his duffle bag. Either the elf was deaf, or he just didn't care what my brother had to say to him, as he didn't take note of my brother's comment.

"French, Theo, they speak french," Damion said in an attempt to sound smothering. Theo managed to give his older brother a smarting stare before racing off after the elf, saying French profanities that made my mother straighten up, shocked.

The rest of us children on the other hand snickered and barely managed to keep straight faces while my mother rushed off after the sounds of her deplorable son.

Thankfully for Grand'mère and more so Theo, our grandmother was one of the elderly type who needed hearing aids and yet refused to make the purchase.

So she was spared that fiasco as she braced herself on the railing to come down her marble steps toward us. Only, Damion raced up to stop her and lend her his arm instead.

"Always a good boy, you were, Damion. Terrible French, but good boy" She said with a pat on his arm as he led her down the stairs.

"We can't all be perfect, Grand'mère."

"That is up to interpretation, mon chéri. Now you two," She turned on Ed and I looking on innocently by the car. "This house is about to be packed with family, all of which seemed eager to get on my last nerve. I expect all of you," she turned to Ed with a keen stare that made him smile meekly to the ground, "to take up all their time socially so that I don't have to listen to another complaint of needing money or what have you-"

"They're not still after you for your money, are they Mamen?" My mother asked, appearing a bit disheveled with a line of concern at her brow by the door of the house. Theo was standing behind her, rubbing his right cheek that was noticeably pink.

She obviously didn't hit him hard enough, as elements of his characteristic smirk was still present on his face.

My grand'mère merely laughed at my mother, as if she had said something truly funny. It almost sounded degrading.

"Really Emmeline, I never thought you to be so naive. Who doesn't want money?" She then turned to my father who had up to this point been dictating what the elves should take to where, closed the trunk with a definite slam and looked up to my grandmother without another sound. It was his eyes that gave him away.