Perseus had not been to the world cup since he brought his boys in sixty six. England didn't even make it into the finals but all of his sons had impressed the new up and coming dark lord so he decided to reward them. They had left the witches at home since his heir, Paris, had finally gotten his wife pregnant. He looked fondly down at an old photograph he kept on his desk. Before his sons were killed by an Order counter attack on Diagon Alley. Sucking his teeth, he tosses the frame into the drawer so he didn't have to be reminded of the disappointment.

Poppy ended up being useless, if only Petal had magic. His oldest sister was always the sweetest of all his sisters. They were all gone now, he was the last. Although, he supposed Petal's grandson did end up with magic. Perseus had seen him on the platform when he accompanied his grandchildren in the seventies. Those unfortunate ears were unmistakable. It was too bad the boy, Benji Finnick, chose the wrong side. Not that he would ever acknowledge him.

"Husband." Poppy's voice was raspy when he entered his wife's chamber, not bothering to hide his disgust. Petal, the squib, had five strong healthy children and his first wife gave him six but his useless niece had only given him daughters.

"Revelio Uterio!" He did not bother to greet his wife, just waved his wand to find a pleasing green glow over her stomach. She would be confined to her chambers for the rest of the pregnancy and he would inform the elves that she was forbidden to use magic.

"It will be a boy." The way her face lit up in happiness made him cringe, Poppy had been beautiful when they first married. Her long list of failures aged her in a way that his first wife never experienced. She was too pale and thin, as if all those mistakes she birthed had sucked the life and magic from her.

"I will be bringing Melody back with us once we return from the cup." He spoke mostly to himself, what did his wife care if his mistress was moved back into the castle.

"I'm pregnant with your heir, husband." Poppy frowned, her voice subdued. "Does she need to stay in the family wing? She's alw-"

"She will be in my chambers." Perseus cut off her complaints, his magic lashing out in annoyance. "I doubt she will even notice you."

"Father!" Primrose rushed into the room, a bright smile on her thin face.

"Enough with your chatter." He waved a hand, already prepared for his wife to fail him once again. If only his oldest living child had a cock or maybe if Petr- no, he would not think of the blood traitor. It was too late, already disowned and living in the colonies with no memory of his family or magic. "Where is your sister?"

"In the receiving room, Father." The young child smiled up at him hopefully, what she wanted he hadn't a clue but he moved around her to leave the room.

Pansy Parkinson was sitting in one of the orange overstuffed wingback chairs with a silver book in hand, looking just as a lady of breeding should. Quiet, beautiful, and waiting for directions. While he was annoyed that she had ignored his orders to be sorted into the only proper house, with the way she read there was little chance of her going anywhere but Ravenclaw. At least it wasn't Hufflepuff. He would get a very good price for her, he thought to himself while he studied her figure. Though, best not to sign anything too binding in the event Poppy failed again.

If only she had been a wizard, he would have invested more into the girl. Her tutors claimed she was smart and well behaved, took to her lessons well. She was, however, still a witch and much too soft to shoulder the mantle of their name and house. His reports from the school informed him she was the top student, some wizards would not appreciate having a wife smarter than them but she was a Parkinson. They would have to accept that her blood would be superior to whoever he decided to marry her too. Avery had sent a few inquiring owls, wondering about his plans for her but he knew that Malfoy had a son in her year. Lucius had not been subtle at the last gathering but his Black wife had too much influence.

"Father." Pansy curtsied, showing just the right amount of deference while looking at him blankly. If he cared enough, he would have wondered when she had stopped looking at him like her sister. "Prim, come."

The tent was already assembled when the portkey arrived directly on Lord's Row. There had been some pushback about having to reserve a place with the muggles who owned the land. Barty may have been part of the Sacred Twenty Eight but he was naive if he believed that his fellow lords would debase themselves to actually speak to the muggles. It had been arranged that one of Bagman's assistants would arrange everything for them.

"I have a meeting." Perseus didn't bother to waste time on explaining the importance of their good behavior. It was expected of them. "I will meet you before the match begins. Do not disappoint me."

The podium was close by and Melody was waiting for him, he looked her over critically. Nineteen years old and very pretty, too bad she assumed their arrangement would lead to a marriage. While she was a pureblood, she had been born of an ill timed affair and raised with foreign relatives to hide the shame. He wondered if any of the living Blacks even remembered that their disgraced heir had a bastard running around. It wasn't like they allowed her to appear on their family tree or even take their name.

"My Lord." She said demurely once he was in front of her, all simpering smiles as if she were happy to see him. "I have missed you."

"I know." Nearing a century and he could still please his women, he allowed her to grasp his arm to lead her inside.

Every luxury was afforded to them and he could feel the privacy spells lock in place once the silk curtains closed behind them. He was displeased to know he was one of the first to arrive but he quickly made his way to his assigned table. Some of the other Lords were already mingling but he needed a drink. He left Melody to serve him, as most of the other wives and mistresses did. Rarely, did a Lord actually bring his own wife to one of the gatherings; what with the way the other wizards liked to share. Perseus found the practice distasteful. Although, Melody had been around for nearly two years...

"Perseus!" The minister was all smiles, acting like they were the best of friends. Pureblood he may be but he was a grasping little urchin. As if he could have ever won without his galleons and influence. The only one who had sunk his fingers deeper into the current minister was Lucius. Fudge didn't take a shit without Malfoy's explicit permission. "This must be your lovely wife! I had heard you have da-"

"That's Melody Crabbe." Mulciber interrupted the minister's stupidity but Perseus ignored them both to impatiently stare at the bartender. Useless.

"Right well." Fudge cleared his throat, his cheeks turning pink. However, he was a politician and powered through. "I've actually been meaning to speak to you about the donation for Centaur Land Expansion Charity. It appears that some families weren't able to meet their expected contribution. I've been trying to appeal to their...philanthropic nature but Nott, in particular, had remained silent."

"People are following the lead of a cripple?" Mulciber laughed obnoxiously while Perseus just watched the minister with a sneer. Did they forget that Thaddeus Nott was his son in law? No matter, his daughter had done her duty and Nott paid the price for his insolence.

"Why don't we ask Ogden?" Perseus glanced behind the minister to see the man walking beside his last living grandson.

Theodore had his mother's ears and eyes, which brought back memories of the sister he married. However, his grandson did not have his first wife's spirit. Reports stated that he was middling in classes, just average in just about everything. He didn't play quidditch or join any clubs, just lazed in the greenhouses playing with dirt. His grandson didn't even attempt to watch out for his own aunt, in fact he avoided his daughter in their classes. Perhaps, Thaddeus was right, milquetoast.

"Minister, Mulciber." Ogden nodded to them briefly before meeting his eyes with anger. "Perseus, I assumed it's been quite a time since you've seen your grandson. Theo, say hello to your grandfather."

"H-hello, Grandfather." Perseus had to give the lad credit he only stumbled for a moment from the little shove Ogden gave him. His gaze was unwavering while he bowed respectfully.

"Theodore, you've grown since your mother last brought you to visit." His smile grew a touch more genuine at the way his grandson paled at the mention of his late mother.

"My mother died when I was four." His grandson's voice cracked before he cleared his throat. "Fell down the stairs."

"I'm aware."

There was a stifling silence while he watched Theodore Nott come to some kind of conclusion in his mind. Perseus enjoyed the way pain flashed in his eyes briefly before he schooled his features. Good, better than he expected at least. Thaddeus would come to regret the day he thought he could spill Parkinson blood with impunity. Being confined to his bed in debilitating pain was only the beginning. She wasn't even his favorite child but she was his blood. His oldest daughter had been named after his beloved sister, Petal. It was unfortunate they looked nothing alike. Paris definitely would have chosen her over that insipid Macmillian chit.

The Minister was quick to make a retreat after Ogden forced Theodore away to greet other heirs around his own age. Mulciber still loitered like bad potion fumes but he thought that had more to do with Melody's dress than any need to speak to him. His mistress was doing a good job at keeping his drink full once the bartender finally brought over the bottle he wanted. Elves could do a better job but they were not nearly as pleasing to look at.

Although, he did like the uniforms his oldest living daughter had come up with. Much more tasteful than old tea cozies and linen. While it did satisfy some of his sadistic tendencies to see them in soiled clothing, the uniforms made them slightly more tolerable. His personal elf was even faster in duties when he was rewarded with a trip to the old wardrobes. If only Pansy had been born a wizard. He would have named him Demetrius.

"Perseus." Lucius invited himself to the table with that infuriating smirk.

"Lucius." He nodded his head and Melody rushed to fill another glass for the blond who gave her a long look. Unlike most of the other Lords, Lucius Malfoy was bound to his wife in fidelity so he left his family out of the meetings. According to reports he also coddled his only heir, it might be a waste to sell Pansy if Draco Malfoy was the best option.

"I ran into your lovely daughters." Lucius drawled, looking far too superior for a man whose son was constantly beaten by his daughter in grades. "Such manners, I had to talk Narcissa out of stealing them away."

"Yes." He nodded, feeling a little pleased with himself. While he didn't invest time into his living children like he did with his first marriage, he did not allow their training and education to be found lacking.

"I have to ask, how did your oldest manage to attend all her classes last year?" The blond lowered his voice and leaned forward.

His question caught Perseus off guard, what did he mean? Thinking back, he cursed himself for forgetting his journal in his office. There was no way he could summon his elf to retrieve it, that would be showing a weakness. He remembered briefly glancing at the reports of the class standing and even less time on the actual grades for her classes. Pansy was number one and that was all that mattered. Now that he thought about it, she was taking muggle studies but he also noted ancient ruins and arithmancy. He would be having words with his sneaky daughter.

"Family secrets, I'm afraid." Perseus barely missed a beat while he internally cursed the girl. "My children are trained to prioritize their studies and duties, I'm sure you understand."

"Of course." The smile on Lucius' face was completely false, there was a rage in his eyes at the slight in the older lord's statement. "I've decided to award my heir with seats in the top box for being the top wizard in his year. Severus tells me he'll be a prefect along with your daughter next year. Then head students together, I'm sure they will be spending a lot of time together."

"The halfbreed's praises are entirely unnecessary." Perseus sneered, remembering the half goblin who had the audacity to stop him in the streets to compliment his daughter. If only she had been sorted into Slytherin, at least that Snape boy was half pure. "Her performance speaks to her breeding, I would expect nothing less."

"Yes, my wife actually invited your oldest to sit with us in the top box." The blond took a long drink, his clear eyes studying his reaction. He wouldn't get one. "She's always wanted a daughter so I'm afraid she's found herself quite attached after only just meeting Miss. Parkinson."

"Very well." He conceded, it wouldn't hurt to allow his eldest living child to be seen and show the values of Parkinson blood.

Once he got his vague permission, Lucius easily moved on to polite topics. He barely mentioned Nott and the other families' refusal to pay out their promised...contributions. It was not only the charity they had set up when they decided Fudge would be the perfect puppet but also a certain discretionary fund. Cassius Malfoy was elected to manage it nearly a century ago. With the rise of Grindelwald, young English lords needed untraceable galleons for bribes and alibis to cover up their crimes. Muggle baiting was still a spot of fun they enjoyed after a few drinks and protecting themselves from the consequences was expensive.

The gathering became tedious quickly, some quibbling wizards loudly discussed second and third sons who were available. All the while trying to catch his eye. As if he would allow such inferior specimens to invade his family. The next lord would come from him, even if he had to marry again. Poppy was only a little older than Pansy when he pulled her from Hogwarts to do her duty. He would give his wife another year before he moved on to younger presuits. Perseus was still in his prime at nearly one hundred years old.

Breaking glass broke him from his musings.

"Shite." Melody cursed quietly from his side, he turned slowly to look down at the hem of his robes that puddled at his feet. She met his eyes fearfully once the amber liquid soaked into the fabric and there was a hush around the room as people watched on.

"Noodles." He called out while not breaking eye contact with his mistress. Perseus did not care why she had dropped the bottle, only that he was inconvenienced by it. When the elf arrived at his side, he did not even look down at it. "Bring me my spare blue Valencio robes."

"I'm sorry." Melody finally looked away at the hulking wizard who stood just a little too close to his mistress. Mulciber grinned at him, as if he won something. Just for that, Yaxley would be going home with a new whore.

Perseus vanished his soiled robes, leaving him a clean fitted suit. While in his youth he had enjoyed going nude, like tradition. In his advanced years, even warming charms had left him chilly. His elf returned with the required robes, bowing meekly. It did not take him long to find the elder Yaxley in the crowd. Once he was dressed the other wizards continued on as if they had not been waiting for him to explode. How silly did they think he was? He would never give them the satisfaction.

"I've heard your son, Corban, has been lonely." Perseus said casually after he walked across the pavilion with Melody rushing to follow. Mulciber had disappeared into the rabble in disappointment. "Have you met the lovely Melody Crabbe?"

"No, I have not had the pleasure." Corvus licked his dry lips, not hiding the way his eyes raked over her form appreciatively. "I'm sure Avery Hall would be happy to host you, Miss Crabbe."

"I-" Melody opened her mouth, looking as though she would be violently ill but Perseus grasped her arm tightly to hold her in place. "I would be honored."

"As her father is currently on the run from the ministry..." The aged lord let his voice carry over the crowd and the young witch at his side started to shake. "I will have to stand in his stead, you understand."

There was a round of raucous laughter at the not so subtle dig. When Melody had returned to Britain, it was nearly forgotten that she was the product of her mother tempting a young heir at a summer festival. If they had been caught by their family they might have been able to quietly marry but it had been a Prewitt who found them. Twenty three year old Greselda Crabbe had been sent to France in shame while Sirius went on to his fourth year of Hogwarts, completely oblivious.

"Run from the ministry?" Fudge's voice cut through the laughter, his confusion evident.

"No no no." Melody whimpered at his side, knowing that she would never have a respectable marriage after the gathering. Crabbe's weren't known for their intelligence but he was a bit surprised it took her so long to realize it. What had they been teaching the girl in France?

"Oh, yes." Perseus let his mouth fall into a small, derisive frown. "We all remember the reputation Sirius Black had in school?"

The minister sputtered while the other lords laughed around him. His soon to be former mistress at his side looked to the floor with tears in her eyes. Corvus slithered forward so he could stand at her other side, whispering something in her ear that made her shake violently. Perseus was never rough with his mistresses or wives, he treated them well. His wives lived a life of luxury with their every need met by an elf while his mistresses lived in a lavish townhouse in London. It was too bad, Melody had been the most agreeable mistress he had had in nearly half a century. Too bad, she was starting to get ideas because he kept her around for his wife's failed pregnancies.

"It is nearly time." Lord Prewitt cut through the excited chatter, a disapproving frown on his face. His wife was by his side, studying Melody with a sympathetic expression. She had been the one who had alerted the entire party to her parents rutting in the garden after all.

"You'll show Corvus a wonderful time, won't you, pet?" Perseus whispered silkily into Melody's ear once the lords started to disperse. His smile widened when she let out a little sob, served her right for being so clumsy. Did these witches think they were indispensable?

"Please, Perseus." Melody quietly pleaded when Curvus wrapped his bony hand around her arm.

"You'll enjoy her company." He ignored her, turning to the Lord who was two decades younger than him but obviously didn't age as well. "I'll send an owl to further discuss arrangements."

Corban joined them in his auror robes, looking over his father and Melody with a disgusted twist of his lips. He didn't voice his dissatisfaction, only took the witch from his father to lead her away, probably to their tent. He didn't care much and was quite eager to forget all about the girl. The minister wanted to walk the grounds with the more affluent lords before the match and he had to meet up with the other politicians. While it was good to be seen and keep the connections to the other lords affable, it was tedious.

Perseus was the oldest of the lords in attendance so the others showed him his due deference. Although Algie Longbottom was moments away from being cursed in the back. The odious little swine kept trying to shove his inept nephew in his face. The boy was fat and nearly a squib, could barely control his wand. If rumors were to be believed, he was using his fathers. Which just goes to show that families needed to be more careful in accepting half bloods. Augusta Turpin's grandmother was a halfbreed, while she was powerful she was not gifted with intelligence. Even the most ignorant first year would know that using their father's wand when he was still alive would have middling results.

"-talk about my mum!" A weasley little redhead had the audacity to point his wand at his children.

Pansy stood protectively in front of his youngest child, facing off with three other children her age. They were all scruffy, dressed as vagabond muggles of all things. However, his eldest child's dress made him pause. Those were not the robes she wore when he left for the gathering. The dramatic cut showed the witch she was growing into and would not be out of place even if they were...odd. She had a hand on the inside of her flared sleeves, probably holding onto her wand. Smart girl.

There would be hell to pay for whoever whelped the little bastard who dared raise a wand to someone with his blood.