The day had begun as any usual day for Antonio Olario. He had woken up early in the morning, freshened himself, prepared some breakfast, and then picked up the newspaper.
And the duo of Death Eaters pinned to the wall was the first thing staring into his face. His eyes narrowed as he read the news. It took him a couple of minutes to read and digest it. As he read through the article, his brows furrowed and an expression of contemplation settled on his face. Like most people, his thoughts too first went towards Dumbledore. The word 'Justice' engraved upon the wall, Dumbledore's declaration to seek justice for his students, and then this incident, it could not really be a coincidence.
But Antonio was not someone who jumped too quickly to conclusions. Although his instinct was pointing towards Dumbledore, he would wait for some solid evidence or for more facts to come out.
But if he assumed for a moment that it truly was Dumbledore who had killed the Death Eaters, then a big question emerged. What were Dumbledore's intentions now?
The previous time Dumbledore had made that declaration, Antonio had been in doubt. He was not sure if Dumbledore had genuinely meant those words or if he had simply been bluffing his way out of a difficult situation. Given the perilous situation Dumbledore had been in, fooling the world such words might have been a realistic situation. And even now he would not be sure of Dumbledore's intention.
Dumbledore was not a simple or straightforward man. From what Antonio understood of him, based both on the information of this life and his past life, Dumbledore was a very complex man.
Thus, Antonio could not expect any action from that man to be simple. Hidden agendas, manipulative tendencies, and unstated goals were features he naturally associated with Dumbledore. And Antonio was not ready to accept Dumbledore's killing of Death Eaters at face value. He was not going to be so sure of the man. If his action did not really contain any hidden motive and if Dumbledore really had decided on firmly opposing the death eaters, then Antonio would be very happy but till the time Antonio confirmed Dumbledore's true intention, he would always search for his true motive.
Antonio finished his breakfast and picked up a book to read. He had a couple of days free to himself before something major came up, and he had decided to reward himself with a much deserved rest.
Or maybe not, because at that exact moment, he felt the familiar tugging of the wards of the Olario Manor.
He took a deep breath, definitely not in annoyance, and allowed the said person to enter the manor. A couple of minutes later, Bellatrix Black stepped into the main hall of the Olario Manor.
"Good morning, Lord Olario," she greeted as she took her seat at the dining table. The dining table was placed directly in front of the sofa on which he was sitting with his book open on his lap.
"Good morning, Miss Black," he greeted with a smile. He was about to offer her some breakfast, but that was not needed.
Without any hesitation, Bellatrix took a plate and started serving herself some breakfast.
"I assume you have had your breakfast," she said as she looked at the minuscule amount of food left on the table. "And what are you reading?"
Antonio closed his book and placed it on the side table.
Advanced Wards, Keystones and Family Magic was the title written on the cover.
"Family magic?" Bellatrix questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," Antonio nodded.
"Are you planning to set up your family magic?" she asked.
"Why not?" Antonio responded.
"You should," Bellatrix agreed. "Now that you are an esteemed member of the council, a seat holder of the Wizengamot, you must have a family magic. And though it may not affect you much, it will greatly benefit your upcoming generations."
Antonio nodded. Though he had plans to make family magic effective for himself too, he did not mention anything about it.
"Now that I think of it, do you have any plans for your upcoming generations?" she questioned in an almost weird tone.
"What do you even mean by plans for upcoming generations?" Antonio asked with a confused face.
"You know… plans to get married, get settled, produce babies," she said, an almost visible blush creeping onto her face. "Setting up your own family."
Antonio was a little dumbfounded seeing this strange reaction from Bellatrix. He had sensed in their earlier interactions that Bellatrix was attracted to him, but this reaction indicated things were more serious than he had expected. He had never thought it to be more than fleeting feelings.
"For that purpose," he replied with a teasing grin, "I need to find a bride first. Do you not think so?"
Bellatrix nodded, then asked, "Do you have someone in mind?"
Antonio looked thoughtful, and Bellatrix had her ears perked.
"I might have," he said. "You know, even you could be a great choice."
"What are you saying?" Bellatrix stammered in shock, almost spilling the food from her mouth.
"Relax," Antonio chuckled, cutting Bellatrix off. "I am just joking."
Bellatrix took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. She lowered her head and busied herself with her breakfast, not speaking for the next few minutes. Antonio, meanwhile, continued to observe her with an amused expression.
"What are you staring at?" she questioned as she finally raised her head.
"Nothing," he shook his head. "You have already marked this as your second home. I do not sit with this much confidence at my own dining table."
With his earlier comments about her being a great option and now this remark, Antonio was having fun teasing her.
"What useless things are you spewing?" she muttered in an annoyed voice, but the redness on her cheeks told a different story.
"Come with me," she said, getting up from her seat.
"Where?" Antonio questioned.
"I have almost learned the golem spell," she replied. "Help me in giving it a few final touches."
"Okay!" Antonio sighed helplessly. There went his desire for a day of rest.
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