{Greengrass Manor}

{24th August 1989}

Daphne looked at herself in the mirror.

A pale-blonde, blue-eyed girl looked back. Dressed in black and green robes, with a bright green bow adoring her forehead... Daphne felt ridiculous. It almost made her scoff, the way that her mother had over-dressed her for what was essentially a glorified meet-and-greet.

Once again, she was to play the part of a 'prim and proper princess.'

Cold, emotionless, and elegant. A perfect noble woman.

As the Greengrass Heiress, Daphne had spent most of her life preparing for things like this– it was a lot of work, but she took pride in it. And since Greengrass was the unofficial leader of the Neutral party, it was only natural that they sent an invitation out to a new House.

And not just any new House, no.

The first new 'Ancient and Noble House' in over a century.... House Brooke.

Daphne just hoped that Heir Brooke was better than Heir Malfoy.

That meeting had been a nightmare– she didn't know what was wrong with that boy, but it was like no one had told him how to behave in a public setting.

He acted like... like a child.

'And he calls himself an heir.'

CRACK!

It had been a ways away, but Daphne recognized the distinct sound of apparition.

"Daphne! Astoria! Our guests are here," her father bellowed.

Daphne made her way to the living room to see her mother and father, Azalea and Cygnus Greengrass, waiting by the front door. They had dressed up all the same, but the Lord and Lady Greengrass had a presence to them that she just didn't have yet.

Daphne would get there eventually.

Astoria, on the other hand, looked quite silly with such a frilly dress on her tiny frame. In her honest opinion, her sister was just too cute to be a heiress.

"Alright, they're here. Be sure to act in a way that makes Greengrass proud."

"Of course, father." Daphne replied.

"Okay daddy!" Astoria beamed, giving father a... salute.

Well, even if her father demanded that they had a pristine record regarding their public appearances, he was far too fond of Astoria to admonish her. 

After three knocks, the door swung open.

"Welcome, Lady Brooke, Heir Brooke," Lord Greengrass started, "to Greengrass Manor."

"Thank you for having us, Lord Greengrass, Lady Greengrass."

"No problem at all. Come in, come in," Cygnus replied. "I'm honestly surprised that you were able to come on such short notice. With just a week left till Hogwarts and all."

"It wasn't too much of a hassle."

Daphne took in the sight of the Brookes.

Blonde, green eyed, and powerful– Lady Brooke reminded Daphne of her mother, but she begrudgingly had to admit that Lady Brooke was 'more.' More prominent, not in looks, but in the way she commanded a room.

And Heir Brooke, well... he was not what she expected.

Daphne wasn't sure what she was expecting, really, but she thought that he might just be another Draco, or that he might be someone like her– someone who was doing their best to act the part before they fully took on the role.

But Matteo Brooke just... was.

He was only two years her senior, but Daphne could tell from the way he walked that he exuded confidence. It didn't seem to be over done, either.

She was reminded of her father.

"–Greengrass? Heiress Greengrass?"

'Ack!' Daphne eyes widened, horror-struck. 'Of everything I could’ve done, I zoned out!'

Everyone was staring at her!

Daphne was mortified. She was going to die, surely.

"Yes, Heir Brooke?"

"Would you be willing to give me a tour of the estate?"

Daphne glanced at her father. He nodded.

"That should be doable," she answered.

"Can I join? Can I? Can I?" her sister pleaded.

Daphne had to hold back a wince. Astoria was far too excitable, far too eager.

"I don't see why not," Matteo mused. Daphne was just glad that Heir Brooke didn't take offense from Astoria's antics, and merely found them amusing.

The tour was a simple affair.

The Greengrasses specialized in plants and potions, and Daphne did her best to show her guest what made Greengrass 'Greengrass,' all while trying to keep him entertained. Astoria had abandoned them less than three minutes in.

Daphne did find herself wondering about House Brooke after a while, however.

"If I dare ask, what does House Brooke specialize in?"

"Magic," he said simply.

Daphne blinked. "Was... was that supposed to be a joke, Heir Brooke?"

"Call me Matteo," he responded, "and no, that wasn't a joke. Not really."

She narrowed her eyes. If that wasn't supposed to be a joke, then what could Matteo possibly mean by 'specializing in magic?'

"Remember that we’ve been isolated for 400 years," he started. "House Brooke doesn't own anything, it doesn't trade anything, it doesn't have any alliances. Our house has been focused on one thing and one thing only– combat potential."

"Combat potential?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes. Whether it's fighting other wizards, magical creatures, or even fighting muggles, mother is an expert at her craft. Most wouldn't hope to match her, and as heir Brooke, I strive to eventually be just as strong as her, if not stronger."

Daphne had never heard of a house specializing in something as abstract as 'combat potential,' but at the same time, she did not refute the idea. House Brooke had managed to survive on its own for 400 years– that in itself meant something.

"Did I hear right? You want to be just as strong as mommy~?"

Daphne turned to see Lady Brooke behind them, acting... she dared not say undignified, but Lady Brooke was... she was cooing at her son. Daphne's own mother and father were right behind her, with Astoria peeking from behind her mother's leg.

Daphne wondered what her parents thought of Lady Brooke's antics.

"Mother..." Matteo groaned. Daphne pitied the poor boy– she could not imagine what it must be like to have an Astoria for a mother.

"C'mon, Matty. Why don't we give the Greengrasses a show?" she jested.

"A duel?" Matteo asked, clearly unsure.

Daphne had to admit she was curious as to Matteo's combat prowess.

"I'll let you try 'that' if you win."

Matteo's gaze sharpened. "Deal!"

Daphne had no idea as to what 'that' was, but it seemed to be an excellent motivator.

They were going to witness a duel between mother and son.

The lot of them distanced themselves from Greengrass Manor. Daphne's mother, father, sister and Daphne herself watched as both Lady and Heir Brooke walked in two separate directions, before turning to face each other.

"On three," Lady Brooke declared.

They both drew their wands.

"One. Two. Three!"

Then they both slashed the air.

Spikes of dirt formed from Lady Brooke's feet, launching themselves at Matteo. Matteo had just barely gotten out a Protego– no, a shield spell that she did not recognize.

Lady Brooke then followed up with a torrent of water, to which Matteo somehow froze, broke, and then sent the fragments of ice back to Lady Brooke.

Before she was cut by her own reflected attack, however, the ice had melted– no, it had evaporated as Lady Brooke sent a cascade of white-hot flames towards her son.

Matteo then raised a wall of earth, letting the flames sail just over his head.

To which Lady Brooke responded with a Bombarda Maxima.

Daphne's breath hitched.

If she had been standing there, she would surely be dead.

Matteo, however, was undisturbed– before Lady Brooke's spell could land, the wall had been brought down, as well as the ground around Matteo– instead of blocking the spell, he had opted to sink everything below it.

There was an explosion off in the distance behind him.

Lady Brooke then responded with another cascade of flames, this one larger than the last, to which Matteo responded with... with Fiendfyre. Fiendfyre!

Her father had mentioned that spell once.

A powerful, dangerous dark spell that was, while not that hard to cast, it was much, much harder to stop, let alone control.

A sentient, ravenous flame of destruction. A flame that burned everything.

"Matteo! This is an exhibition match, that means no dark spells!"

Lady Brooke was sending spell after spell to bat the fire back, but it was to no avail– unless she were to cast a Fiendfyre herself, she would be hard pressed for a solution.

"That's not a real rule, mother! It's just a guideline!" Matteo hollered.

"A guideline that you should very much be following!" Camilla hollered back.

"Tch!"

Then with another wave of his wand, Matteo's Fiendfyre receded.

That was when Daphne realized that, from start to finish, neither Lady Brooke nor Heir Brooke had said a single spell aloud. Every single spell had been casted non-verbally.

Then Daphne remembered that Matteo was only 11.

He hadn't even started at Hogwarts yet.

"Let's stop there, sweetie," Lady Brooke conceded.

"But no one won!" he responded heatedly.

Lady Brooke let out a soft sigh. "Fine, we'll call it your win."

"Yes!" Matteo cheered.

"That... that was certainly impressive," her father said impassively, but she knew her father well enough to hear the awe and trepidation in his voice.

Daphne remembered one of her father's critical lessons– the one where she had been taught how to recognize different types of power. Daphne had to learn how to read the room, how to tell when someone relied on either social influence, political power, or their capital.

There was one type of power, though, that you didn't have to look all that hard for.

True power.

Lady Brooke was a brilliant witch in her own right, and Daphne was willing to bet that very few could stand against her... but her son was already strong enough to match her.

Matteo Brookes was a prodigy amongst prodigies.

She idly thought back to what Matteo had told her before.

"Our house had been focused on one thing and one thing only– combat potential."

It seemed that Heir Brooke could back up his words.

***

{Brooke Manor, Greater Manchester}

{24th August 1989}

"I think that went quite well," Matteo mused.

"You can be a little scary sometimes," Camilla chided.

He didn't refute her.

Matteo hadn't really seen a use for it at first, but since he could literally only master what he tried, he had long since acquired a mastery over 'politics.' Navigating Wizarding Britain's political scene came to Matteo as naturally as breathing.

It was a bit of a gamble to decline meeting with House Malfoy and House Potter, but at the same time, it had worked out for the best.

The duel had been an act– yes, the both of them had used powerful magic, but Matteo and Camilla had restricted themselves to what he called 'Brit Magic,' or what he secretly liked to call 'HP Magic.'

The two of them could be far more destructive than that.

Regardless, they had firmly cemented House Brooke's might into the mind of Lord Greengrass.

Without so much as spending a single Galleon, House Brooke was going to be sought after by the Neutral party, and in turn by both the Light and the Dark... and Matteo won't even have to go to any of the blasted parties they like to throw year round.

That was the image they wanted to present– aloof and powerful.

And after Lady Brooke's OWL and NEWT results are to be leaked in a few months time, the idea that House Brooke was not to be trifled with would only spread.

To his surprise, he had found manipulating the populace... rather enjoyable.

"So," Matteo started as he reached out and twisted Camilla's nipple, the Brooke matriarch letting out an "eep!" as she tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground. "What exactly was that back there, saying 'I'll let you try that?'" Matteo leaned in to the poor woman, a shiver going up her spine as she felt her deity's breath on her ear.

"Do you not already belong to me, mind, body, and soul?"

"I-It was just an act!" Camilla pleaded, her arousal growing, her pussy drooling as she was forced to submit before her master. "I-In public, you t-told me to... hah... you told me to act like your m-mother!"

"That might be true, but you still don't even have a form picked out yet, do you?"

Camilla's breath hitched. It was the first time she had 'failed' Matteo. When she had said that she was willing to become something akin to Nagini, a demi-human, if it would please her master... she meant it. She was going to, really. Except... Camilla still wasn't sure what she wanted to be yet.

And while Camilla knew that she could never truly fail Matteo, as her everything was already his, the idea of being punished by her deity was setting her pussy ablaze.

"I'm s-sorry...!"

Matteo scoffed. 'You degenerate of a woman...'

With a wave of his hand, Camilla's clothes vanished, replaced by an extremely elaborate, extremely tight rope. Her face planting into the floor, her ass facing up as the ropes held her in an extremely uncomfortable position, bordering on painful.

Her mouth gagged, her eyes blindfolded, Camilla squirmed in her restraints, moaning as the ropes dug into her tits and her pussy.

Camilla moaned in delight as she felt her deity's hands seep into her ass, spreading her ass cheeks wide. Panting as she felt Matteo's meaty member trailing up and down her ass crack, her asshole puckered in anticipation.

"We still have a few days before I go to school," Matteo said offhandedly, grinning, "so let's make the most of it."

***

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The next chapter, Father and Son, releases April 19th, 10:00AM (MDT)

Patreon is up to Chapter 22!