Chapter 597 - Frank Conversation’s Ⅲ

The two of them at this point had wandered out into a corridor and found a secluded area with a bench. Gesturing to Tiffany to have a seat first, Tiffany snorts at Sirius's unusual gentlemen's actions but does as requested, while Sirius with great pomp and flourish sits down next to Tiffany.

"So, are you going to tell me what this Bride of Death is all about?" Sirius genuinely curiously asked. "Because I remember the Deathly Hallows, but I don't remember Death getting married at the end of the tale as being a part of it."

"If I must," Tiffany sighed in resignation as she fidgeted with her robes. "Once a long time ago-."

"Those are always the best kind of stories," Sirius interrupted.

"Do you want me to tell the story or not?" Tiffany crossly snapped as Sirius made a zipping up motion with his hand. Suspiciously eyeing Sirius for a moment, she finally continues, "As I was saying, once a long time ago not long after the world of the spirits and magic had begun to split, a beautiful witch was born. She was the daughter of a great wizard and said to be the most beautiful woman the world had ever seen. Many desired her even the Spirits themselves, and so a great War was waged for her hand.

After many years at long last, a mighty warrior arose and claimed victory. The victor most triumphantly claimed his bride, but on the eve of their wedding night, he passed away most mysteriously. Many suspected a foul play, but not a single trace of poison, magic, or that of a deadly wound could be found on his body.

Tragically, all too quickly the warrior's death was forgotten as another groom arose to purse the lovely bride. But once more on the eve of the wedding night, the groom mysteriously perished. Curious and enraged the family members of the second groom organized a third wedding party and waited for the murderer to reveal themselves.

With the trap set, the family members of the second groom hid and kept a careful watch over the bride. It was the witching hour when they saw a dark shadow enter through the hall and come to a halt before the to be the third groom. Those hidden felt such a chill of fear that they were unable to move, it was as though their very souls were being drawn out of their bodies.

The dark shadow hovered over the third groom's body, before departing. Left behind was a still, empty-like husk of the groom just as the first two grooms. None of those hidden dared raise their wands, but they hid in terror as they watched the shadow depart from the wedding hall. After that those present swore that Death itself had claimed the bride for his own. Everyone present fled, and the beautiful witch was abandoned in terror for who would be so foolish to wed the living bride of Death?"

"Well, that's stupid," Sirius commented.

Tiffany arches her brow at him as he shrugs and adds, "Well, I mean, it happened a long time ago, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the witch or her father who did it. I mean, they were both powerful, weren't they? And lastly, that really sounds like a Dementor and not Death itself."

Tiffany blinks rapidly and in a stunned voice replies, "I guess so," before bursting into laughter. "Only you, Sirius, would hear that tale, and emerge with that response."

Sirius sniffs delicately as if insulted, before glancing away and saying, "So does that happen a lot?"

Tiffany clenches her robes in her hand as she stiffly lied, "No, I haven't been left alone since my betrothal was renounced. This was the first time."

"Huh," Sirius said as he scratched his chin in thought. "So, what can be done?"

"Nothing," Tiffany sighed, "not unless someone is crazy enough to marry me."

"Oh, is that all?" Sirius exclaimed. "I thought it would be something more difficult like defeating a dragon with one's bare hands."

Tiffany's lips crinkle into a smile as she shakes her head unable to keep her solemn expression. "I truly don't know how a Gryffindor like you was born into the Black family household."

"I was switched at birth," Sirius shamelessly replied causing another twinkle of laugher to emerge from Tiffany until she, at last, was left breathless.

Catching her breath, Tiffany peeks up at between her eyelashes. "Thanks," Tiffany somewhat shyly and disgruntled said.

"For what?" Sirius impishly teased.

Tiffany snorts and nudges him with her elbow causing Sirius to wince. "Fine, your welcome," Sirius mumbled as he rubbed the spot, he had been violently poked at.

Rising to her feet, Tiffany brushes her robes back into place and asks, "How do I look?"

Sirius glances up at Tiffany, and for a moment, his heart skips a beat at seeing a lovely, mischievous face like that of an adorable fox. Blinking his eyes in confusion, he stammers, "F-Fine."

"No need for dramatics, Sirius," Tiffany huffed. "I get that often enough from Terry."

"Well, Terry is a dramatic sort of fellow," Sirius mumbled as he shook himself out of his stupor. Just what was that?!

"Mm, well, I best be going," Tiffany said. "I wouldn't want to worry Silvia and Bethanie any more than I already surely have."

"Yeah. Oh wait!" Sirius said as he jumped to his feet. "Er, you haven't seen Peter, have you? I was looking for him, and I thought he might have gone to see his girlfriend, Crowley."

Tiffany pursed her lips prettily in thought causing Sirius for some unknown reason to stare at her lips. "Not that I can remember, but Crowley had already left the common room area by the time I left. If they are around, it's probably in the library area or out on the lawn. It's getting late and near curfew, they wouldn't have gone too far."

"Right," Sirius said, before rising to his feet and dragging his gaze from Tiffany's lips. "Er, well I best get back to the tower!" Before hurrying away without even offering to escort Tiffany back to the Slytherin corridor.

"Well that was rude," Tiffany muttered to herself feeling a trace of unexpected disappointment. What did she expect? She was a Bride of Death, after all.

Carefully holding her wand in hand, Tiffany returned to the corridors only to find the three boys still tied on the ground. All three boys frantically begin to squirm having spotted her as a very pretty, gentle smile appears on her face. "Gentlemen, I feel that it is in both of our best interests for me to teach you a lesson on how to treat a Lady. Shall we commence?"

And Sirius was not the only child brought up in a slightly darker pureblood home. Most people tended to forget that Tiffany's mother had been a Selwyn before marriage. And the Selwyn's were the kind of enemies that one did not make lightly. They tended to have vicious, bloody tendencies.

Later that evening, Madam Pomfrey was baffled to find that a trio of sixth years had somehow managed to peel off the entire layer of skin off each other's back. Not that it was difficult to repair as they would only need blood replenishing potions, and a skin grafting potion. But still, it was most of unusual of bets, and the skin had been removed evenly which took a great amount of skill. However, she did her duty, and healed the boys only making note to report the incident to the Head of Houses. Perchance, this was some sort of new trend among boys. And if so, it was something to keep an eye on.