Chapter 847 - Presentation Ball Ⅱ

The conversation between Rowan and the couple continues for some time. James listens in with interest and confusion before the young married couple escapes to the dance floor for a waltz. James watches the couple go with blatant curiosity. Rowan hides a smile at seeing James inquisitive nature as always. "You are curious, are you not, James?"

James flushes at being caught out, before ruefully shrugging. "Well, I don't recall meeting them before," his voice trailed off as he murmured under his breath, "and I definitely would have never forgotten meeting her."

"We met in our fourth year," Rowan explained as she drew him forward to walk through the crowd. "It was during the Triwizard tournament and Jean happened to be one of the participants. And if you must know, Apolline is Terry's third cousin."

"That explains plenty," James blurted out. "She's a Veela!"

"Hush," Rowan chided him as James lowered his tone of voice. "She is half-Veela much like Terry's great-aunt's and dearly departed grandfather were. Apolline's mother is just over there standing next to Terry's Veela grandmother if you would like to take a closer look."

James carefully turns his head to see an even more breathtaking woman than that of her daughter, Apolline. Even from a distance, James can feel a bit of attraction towards her. He almost missed her husband in his haste to turn away, but he spotted a handsome roguish-looking wizard proudly standing next to his wife. He takes a deep breath to bring himself back under control, before warily saying, "Is it just me, or are there is a lot of golden-haired and silver-haired women on that side of the ballroom?"

"Oh, you aren't mistaken," Rowan impishly replied. "Terry's great-grandmother, Ethel Greengrass gave birth to 6 daughters and only a single son. Each of those daughters gave birth to at least 3 to 4 daughters before bearing a son. Terry's grandfather, Nicodemus Greengrass was Ethel's only son. However, he died during an attack from Grindelwald. Thankfully, Nicodemus left behind 3 daughters, and two sons of which one of them is Terry's father, Benedict Greengrass. Not to mention that Terry happens to have four older sisters' if you must know and with the tradition of having several daughters before having a son, their Greengrass branch is the largest branch in existence."

"I can tell," James drily said, before frowning. "Wait, but I've never heard of so many Greengrass daughters attending Hogwarts!"

"Ah, well, according to Terry it is tradition for all females in their branch to attend Beauxbaton's, while all the boys attend Hogwarts. Although the mainline and other Greengrass branches daughters do attend Hogwarts, they are so few in number that even when combined together they are less than a tenth the size of Terry's branch."

Rowan pauses and smirks before gently tapping James on the shoulder with her fan and then gesturing with a flair of her fan into a direction in the distance. James glances over indicated by Rowan's fan. James blinks in bewilderment before they cloud with surprise at recognizing the dark-haired wizard with elegant features and startling gray eyes, Orion Black, Sirius's father. For a moment, James is lost for words and recalls the past.

Sirius and his father, Orion had parted on bad terms. Sirius never spoke to his father again as Orion abruptly passed away in 1979. There was never any chance to make any amends and his mother, Walburga only became only angrier and acrimonious with Sirius for having failed to even show up at his father's funeral. Sirius had been all but disowned, but from then on Walburga barred his entry into the family home. And worst of all, Regulus could not even stand to gaze at Sirius. Sirius had feigned indifference to his mother and younger brother's reaction by laughing it off.

Yet James knew how much the loss had hurt Sirius no matter how much he tried to feign otherwise. Sirius and his father, Orion had once been very close. However, if with time they only grew more estranged as Orion wanted Sirius to comport himself appropriately as the heir to the Black family fortune. Their relationship only become more fraught and tense until neither of them could speak to each other without anger and rancor.

Worst of all, it was Regulus's death that followed not long after causing Sirius to only grow more reckless and bolder. There were times when James had secretly wondered if Sirius did not secretly have a death wish. Far too late he understood his friend and the agony and despair Sirius must have felt at that time. He should have done more, but the past could not be changed. It was a bitter lesson filled with regret, guilt, and shame.

James is pulled out of his reverie at Rowan idly remarking, "Did you know that Orion Black and Stephen Flint have a severe dislike for each other since their youth at Hogwarts? I suppose we really should be grateful that Silvia fell for Terry and not Regulus. Merlin knows what would have happened, I am certain that Orion Black or Stephen Flint would have killed or disowned their children rather than become in-laws."

James chokes back a chuckle, before glancing in the direction of the dark-haired wizard that Orion Black was fiercely scowling at. Stephen Flint was an elegant wizard with blueish eyes and wore a glass spectacle over his left eye. The two purebloods were glaring at each other with such disdain that their wives were pointedly pulling them in opposite directions.

James knew that Sirius had it bad for Tiffany Topsey, but not to this degree. However, James couldn't exactly criticize Sirius, he had acted just as foolish with HIS Lily. He internally winces at the last thought, before gesturing to Rowan to move forward.

Rowan merely eyes him for a moment, before the two of them resume greeting more guests. The stream of guests begins to slow down when a tall, thin youth with a small goatee covering his weak chin approached them. The young man seemed to possess a cheerful demeanor as he smiled at them with a yellow-toothed smile. And yet his yellow-toothed smile that did not reach his eyes that were cold and unmoving.

Instinctively James did not like the wizard and leaned closer towards Rowan. Even more so as the youth's gaze lingered a tad too long for comfort on Rowan. James's face grew cold as he arched his brow at the youth.

"It is always a pŀėȧsurė to see you, Rowan Prince," Igor Karkaroff replied in an accented voice ignoring the primary escort of Rowan Prince, James Potter.

"Mm, Igor, did you know that Terry Greengrass and Delilah Pizzaro are both present in attendance tonight?" Rowan darkly smirked. "Why I do believe that the three of you have much to catch up on? They asked that I convey their eternal appreciation for you."

Igor pales dramatically causing his weak chin to tremble violently. "Er, excuse me," he hastily said, before fleeing to the safety of his parent's side. He should be safe there or at least that is what he thought. (But he really shouldn't have ever accepted the punch from the server without checking his drink first.)

Seeing Igor Karkaroff nearly trip in his haste, James drily asks, "So, I take there is a story there too?"

"He was rather unliked at Hogwarts including his own schoolmates by the end of the tournament," Rowan truthfully murmured.. "And well, Terry and Delilah Pizzaro especially do not like him. I am certain that they will corner him successfully at some point during the evening," that or they would put something in his punch…