Levens Hall

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas appeared in his fireplace and stepped out of the grate. He inhaled deeply. The air was warm and welcoming. It would appear his House Elf had been cooking. “I guess you received my trunk then Verney?” Nicolas called out into the house at large, assuming the elf would hear him. There was a sharp crack and Verney appeared in front of Nicolas.

“That I did Master.” Verney assured him.

“Well, I’m glad for that, did you put it in my room or my parent’s?” he enquired.

“In the master’s”

“That could be mine or my parent’s.” Nicolas retorted impatiently, withdrawing his wand and changing a few spells he had placed on the house before he left such that they would allow Cecily entrance. “I would like my trunk in my parent’s old room and could you prepare the guest room?” Nicolas enquired. Just as Verney was prepared to apparate again Nicolas added another thing, “Start the fire in the study as well please.”

“Yes master.” Verney said as he apparated to make the appropriate changes.
Nicolas smiled and glanced across the foyer of his home, it would seem nothing had changed in his absence. He looked up the grand staircase to the second floor and there were still the same paintings there that had hung there in his childhood. The home itself seemed a time capsule.

Nicolas moved into the room to the right of the foyer and noted that the living room hadn’t changed either, except that there was a Christmas tree up and he was forced to wonder if Verney prepared a Christmas for himself every year. Nicolas felt poorly for leaving Verney here for twelve years, but he had never bound him to the house. On many occasions he recalled recommending the elf leave and be with his family, however Nicolas was told countless times that he was Verney's family.

Nicolas knelt down and lit the fire for the family room, then he moved into the room on the opposite side of the foyer. The dining room too looked unchanged, which by this time was expected. He smiled at the china still in a cupboard behind the dining room table. He followed the door in the upper part of the room into the kitchen. There were fresh biscuits on a platter and a pot of tea prepared. He smirked, Verney was definitely expecting him to have company.

After a few more moments he stood by the foyers fireplace once again awaiting his guests’ arrival.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

Cecily spun in the grate form her parents home, seeing a few places she recognized before she whirled to a stop and stepped out of the green flames into Nicolas' home. She looked around her as she wordlessly scourgified her dress of any soot and the floor under her. Her green eyes fell on Nicolas, her lips quirked. "Hullo stranger," she grinned.

 

[Nicolas King]

"Hello Cecily." Nicolas replied with a bright smile, replacing the spell he had changed on his home and then offering to take Cecily's bags. "I've asked Verney to prepare a guest room for you, all the bed rooms are upstairs, would you like to go their before we do anything else?" he enquired, hoping the house elf was done what he had been asked to do. Granted, it had only been a few minutes but he had had twelve years prior to keep the house clean.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"I'd like to put my bags away," she agreed. "Perhaps the grand tour?" she grinned, wanting to see his childhood home.

 

[Nicolas King]

"Alright then." Nicolas agreed with a smile, leading Cecily up the stairs from the foyer to the second level of the home. There was a hallway lined with doors, and two more hallways on either side of the stairwell going toward the front end of the house. He turned right and then opened a door for Cecily. There was a large canopy bed against the right wall. A wardrobe stood against the wall to the opposite side. The walls were carved oak and a portrait hung beside the bed. The back of the room were a series of windows which covered nearly the whole wall, the curtains drawn to either end. The windows looked out of the garden which was also the majority of the land. The gardens themselves were larger then the home and Nicolas was slightly disappointed that it was winter when the garden was not in bloom and full of life. Nevertheless he smiled to Cecily and informed her that this was the room that had been prepared for her. "I hope it's to your liking." he said.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"It's gorgeous, Nicolas," Cecily said as she walked to the windows, looking out over the garden. She could well picture the lush plants and flowers that grew there in the warmer months. "You have a lovely garden." She glanced back at him over her shoulder, smiling. The room was the nicest she'd ever stayed in. She'd begged for a canopy bed as a teenager to match the one she had at Hogwarts but hadn't received it. She had the urge to jump on the bed to test its spring but didn't want to risk breaking it, as it looked antique. She'd broken a bed by jumping on it at her last stay in a hotel on her way to Hogwarts in New Zealand. That hadn't gone over well while explaining the situation to the manager.

 

[Nicolas King]

"It's mostly the work of Verney." Nicolas said, stepping into the room himself. "I'm glad it will suit you, I wasn't too sure." he continued, "Verney will be around the house here and there and will be more than pleased to help you whenever you need any." he finished, wondering where the house elf had gone off to this time.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"Verney certainly knows what he's doing. Everything looks wonderful. How long has he been with you?" she asked curiously, crossing the room to stand a few feet in front of him, her hands clasped loosely in front of her.

 

[Nicolas King]

"Verney has been here since I was born, I'm pretty sure my grandparents owned him, though if he had been her any generations prior is beyond me." Nicolas replied, not really having learned much about his family's past before his parents' deaths. "I guess my Grandparents liked gardening, he must have picked it up from them. I'm glad he did though otherwise the grounds would look atrocious."

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"Maybe he could show us the grounds later?" she suggested, smiling. She looked around the room quickly once more before asking to see the rest of his house. "If you're not too tired, that is," she hastened to say, "I know it's been a long day."

 

[Nicolas King]

"Maybe..." Nicolas mused, unsure how excited the House elf would be to do so. After all, Nicolas had left him here for twelve years. All he had to do was probably garden.
Nicolas agreed to show Cecily the rest of the house and moved back into the hall again. Turning back in the direction of the stair case. "Most of this hallway is bedrooms." he explained as they reached a set of double doors directly where the stairs from the first floor ended. "This was my parents room, I suppose I'll be using it now." Nicolas began, opening one of the two doors and noting that his trunk had indeed been moved there. This room had similar walls to the first, but was twice the size, there were two windows on the back wall that overlooked a small pond which was on the other side of the house from the gardens. The bed in this room was unlike that in the first as it had no canopy. There was a fireplace in this room and two wardrobes, he figured that would have to change in time but only made a mental note of it. "The study is beside this room, I'm not sure if that'd be too interesting to see."

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"It's a lovely room," Cecily said, eager to see more of where he'd grown up. "We could skip the study, if you'd like."

 

[Nicolas King]

"It's really nothing to see." Nicolas stated, "So I guess the first floor is the next place to go as like I said the majority of this is bedrooms which all look alike one another after a while." Nicolas stepped out of the room and shut the door he had opened once Cecily was too in the hallway. "You've already seen the foyer." He began as they walked back down the stairs. "The dining area is to our right at the moment." Nicolas said, motioning toward the open doorway. Inside an elongated table was set and a cupboard of fine china was behind it. "The kitchen is just above the dining area, no point in seeing that right now I'm sure we'll get there eventually." he continued to explain as he walked left toward the living room. There was a grand fireplace and old-world looking sofas in the room. His family coat of arms hung above the fireplace with a blade placed horizontally beneath it. There were similar windows to those in Cecily's room at the front of the room looking out over the lawn and gates of the manor. The opposite wall of the room was a solid oak doorway where the King family crest was burnt into the wood. The door looked like it hadn't been opened for centuries.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

Cecily looked about her, impressed at each room. When they came to the living room, she smiled, it looked very inviting and she could picture sitting on sofa with a glass of wine and a gripping book. "What's through there?" she pointed to the old door.

 

[Nicolas King]

"I'm guessing that's where my family history and stuff is." Nicolas replied, with a smile. "I was never really interested in getting in, or trying to even." Nicolas continued, his own curiosity now sparked. "I don't know what could possibly be in their except perhaps a book with a bunch of names though." he concluded dismissivly.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

Cecily didn't know how he couldn't not want to open that door right away. She'd only just seen it and her curiosity was piqued. "Aren't you least bit curious to open it?" she asked, glancing at him.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas knew the door looked familiar, he had been in it before that was for sure but when and what it had within it he could not recall to be certain. "It couldn't hurt to." Nicolas resolved, approaching the door and attempting to turn it's knob. It was locked. He frowned a moment before attempting the unlocking charm, this came to no avail. He tried the key that worked to nearly every part of the house and this too failed. He frowned slightly, how was he to get in? He couldn't recall being taught any special incantations as a child. "Any ideas?" He asked, turning to Cecily.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"Battering ram?" she joked, an eyebrow raised. She looked the door over, tapping a finger against her lips. "Maybe you need to speak certain words? Why is your coat of arms burnt into it?" she asked, running a finger along a groove.

 

[Nicolas King]

"No, I'm fairly certain if there were special words I would have been taught them." Nicolas began, sitting down on one of the coaches and staring at the door. "I can't recall having been taught anything of the sort." he finished with a quizzical look across his brow. "If magic isn't opening it I highly doubt breaking it down will help."

This door wasn't a mystery to Nicolas' mind. It wasn't as though he looked to it as though he'd never seen it before, he only looked to it unable to know when, why, or how he'd entered it. To ask him what was inside it would have been far too much. "I'm fairly sure the rooms got something to do with my family or its past." Nicolas stated in reply to Cecily's question about the crest. "Verney" Nicolas called out. Within a moment there was a crack and Verney was present in the living room with them. "Verney, this is Cecily, Cecily, this is Verney." Nicolas began to introduce, "Verney, how do I get into this room?" Nicolas asked, pointing at it.

"I don't know master, how do you get into that room?" Verney replied, staring at Nicolas as though this was something he should know.

"Alright, how do you get into it?" Nicolas retorted, not wanting to play the elf's games. Sometimes he thought the elf had been treated so nicely for so long that it didn't behave like an elf at all anymore but just another person.

"I don't." Came his matter-of-fact reply, turning his head to wink at Cecily.

"You're telling me you've never been inside that room? Ever? I left you here for twelve years and you didn't even figure out how to get in?" Nicolas questioned, becoming frustrated that there was a door in his house that he was unable to open and his house elf wouldn't help him out with, despite the fact he probably knew. Verney knew more about this house than anybody.

"I can't get in."

"You can't even apparate into it? I know we couldn't but house elves work differently than people, it won't let you?" Nicolas said, hoping he had thought of something the house elf hadn't.

"It prevents even that." Verney stated, nodding his head solemnly.

"You're just a fountain of help this evening aren't you?" Nicolas asked rhetorically, trying now to remember when and how he'd been let in to the room.

Verney sighed, having hoped that by this time his master would have remembered or caught on. "Wh-What would let only you or your direct relatives open the room? What makes you a King?"

Nicolas looked to Verney now instead of the room, he chuckled a little bit then started, "Are you kidding me?" he questioned, not even knowing where on the door it would want his blood.

"How often do I joke around?" Verney asked, smiling at Cecily again.

"Alright, where does it want it?" Nicolas enquired, figuring after this long talk with his house elf the least he could do was open the door for Cecily, and himself really.

Verney shook his head, he hadn't expected to have to explain every little step to his master. "Just enough at the bottom at the crest."

"Thank you Verney" Nicolas said, standing up and approaching the door again. He didn't know any spells to just prick his finger oddly enough, so he approached the sword above the fireplace and pushed his finger against it's tip as hard enough to draw blood, but gently enough to allow him to keep his finger. He approached the door and put his finger at the bottom of the crest, taking it off again, he cast a healing spell on his finger and looked to the door. His blood sat there a moment, then disappeared. After a second more there was a clicking sound. The door was unlocked.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

Cecily nodded during his explanation, sitting down on the couch cushion beside his. She leaned forward, one elbow draped across a knee, the other supported on the other knee, her chin plunked in her hand. She was oddly elegant in the casual pose. "Hullo Verney," she said gently, grinning when he and his master went back and forth in conversation. The house-elf was rather dear, she thought. She returned his smile as he baited Nicolas. There was a lot to Verney, she decided.
She watched, astonished as Nicolas cut his finger and put his blood on the door. She'd read in history books of similar occasions but never had she seen it first hand.
She hurriedly got up, her skirt swirling about her legs. The door opened and she stood beside Nicolas, glancing up at his profile and back at the opened doorway, sensing that perhaps it was something more important than Nicolas was letting on.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas put his hand on the door knob and twisted it, pushing open the door. The room was windowless, causing it to be dark. There was a stream of light flowing in from the living room and the now opened door but that was all there was. Nicolas took a step in, withdrew his wand and cast lumos. The room was square and somewhat smaller than most other rooms in his home. In the centre of the room there was a pedestal with an opened book in it. A quill lay in the centre of the binding. A closed pot of ink was beside the book on the pedestal. Nicolas walked toward the book, turning back to look at Cecily and note that Verney too had followed them into the room. He held back a chuckle as he looked down at the pages. They were old, and some of them torn and the handwriting seemed different much of the time. He started to read the page it was opened too. There was only text on the right side of the two pages and so he ran his finger down the list. The book held the genealogy of his family, birth and death years. The last two names on the list were "William King 1960-" and "Gabrielle King 1961-". The book hadn't been completed, which he supposed was logical with nobody to fill in his mother's death date, but his mother hadn't filled in his father's either.

He inhaled deeply and picked up the quill, opening the pot of ink he dipped it in and completed both entries. "William King 1960-2008" and "Gabrielle King 1961-2008". He set the quill down a moment before deciding he should fill in his own name and did so, "Nicolas King 1990-". As he wrote the hyphen he frowned, would anybody be able to complete his entry for him? He hoped so, but at the present rate it seemed doubtful. He had no siblings and no close relatives to speak of. He set the quill down again and stepped away from the pedestal. Glancing around the room he took in what was there. Portraits of select few of his ancestors lined the back wall of the room, all in a sleep. Then, two the right of the room there was a cabinet of sorts, filled with wands and under each a label of a different person's name. Scanning the labels quickly he noted none were of his father or mother. He didn't even know where their wands would be if they were still around.

Stepping back to where Cecily was he smiled, "Anything else you'd like to try to break into?" he enquired, noting that Verney was now walking along the back wall, trying to awaken a person in one specific portrait but managing instead only to wake all the others.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"To be honest, I was expecting a puff of smoke and maybe a dire message," she joked, smiling up at him. She became serious for a moment. "Are you alright?" she said quietly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Verney doing what he could to wake up a portrait.

 

[Nicolas King]

"I told you what to expect though, didn't I? A bunch of books." Nicolas replied, knowing that his house wouldn't give him any dire messages. "I'm quite alright." Nicolas responded, thinking over his completing the entries. "I'm glad you had me get in here though, otherwise that could've gone unfinished." Nicolas looked toward the back wall of the room now where Verney was slamming his fist against the wall beside the portrait he wanted to wake. The portrait continued to sleep but all the other ones were awaking and yelling at the house elf to stop, one or two even threatened to blast him a new hole to breathe through, how they figured they would go about doing this was beyond Nicolas but it was entertaining to watch nevertheless. "Would you mind if we went over there and helped the poor elf out?" he half-whispered to Cecily.

 

[Cecily Rambolt]

"Not at all," Cecily said, trying desperately to hold back her laughter at the crazy scene. She wondered why Verney was being so insistent upon just the once portrait and who it was.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas nodded and went to approach the House Elf, Cecily close behind him. "Verney, what are you doing."

"Waking him up." Came Verney's response, again in a manner as though everybody should have known this.

"Well, I'm not quite sure the other portraits are enjoying you doing so." Nicolas replied, bending down on his knees so he was at eye level with the elf and looking at the portrait the elf wanted to wake. He was silent a few seconds, ensuring his eyes weren't playing tricks on him then he spoke again, "Why do you want to wake Grandpa?" he asked with a chuckle.

Verney stopped beating the wall and the other portraits moaned their relief. One or two said the House Elf was banished from the house or similar things and that they didn't appreciate the ruckus, but Verney ignored them and as did Nicolas. "I need to tell him something."

"Could it wait until he wakes of his own accord?" Nicolas offered, trying to have everybody be pleased.

"No, you could close the room then leave again. Then how would I tell him?"

"The room will stay open while I'm here." Nicolas assured Verney, "What's so important anyway?" he asked, wondering what the elf had on his mind.

"I finally got the roses to grow." Verney said with a beaming smile.

"You... got the roses to grow?" Nicolas asked, his brow raised at why this was so important.

"Yes, the roses. He could never get them to grow. Everything else did, but not the roses. I got them to grow."

"Well, good for you then, but could you leave him alone so you don't anger the others any more?"

"Very well." Verney agreed with a solemn nod, walking out of the room and then as soon as he had exited a crack was heard and he was gone.

Nicolas stood up again and looked at Cecily with a quizzical look on his face. "I suppose if you're left alone twelve years roses are headline news?"