Perhaps Worthy Enough

[Arnost Zhefarovich]

It was no secret that Arnost had a lot of children, and that Apostol recently passed away, but that son was nothing more than a piece of garbage to him. Arnost had also recently become a grandfather once more through Cassandra with a Snow child that he would love to get his hands on right now. However, the issue was finding him to murder him, but Arnost would not go out of his way right now. Instead, he was sitting in the living room of the Zhefarovich Manor that was open to everyone and it had a fireplace, one that was lifted free of any charms to prevent flooing for the time being, had the Zhefarovich Family Crest hanging over it, as well as books and bookshelves that lined across the room. It looked more like a study than anything, but they called it the living room, and it was not as guarded as the Patriarch's Lair. As of right now, that was closed off because Asparuh needed some time alone as of right now, sorting things out on when he was going to hand over the position of Patriarch to Kalif, which needed a lot of paperwork it seemed.

Arnost on the other hand was simply reading, and he had not too long ago sent out the family owl to the Snow Manor for Theodore to floo here as soon as possible. The word was out, and Arnost was simply dying to know what teh boy's future had in store for him. Considering that he was going to be his new son-in-law, Arnost needed to make sure that he was indeed worthy enough to take Aleyha as his bride. Granted that they were in an arranged marriage, one would have to carry that out, however, Arnost saw one flaw in it. If one party was not good enough for the other, it would be impossible for one to marry the other while one party was dead. Arnost flipped through the page of the book which was written in Bulgarian, as he continued to wait on Theodore Snow. He would not tolerate much lateness, as Arnost was growing more and more anxious by the day as is. Something was coming, but he could not tell what it was. Hopefully it would reveal itself soon, and nothing negative would come from it.

 

[Theodore Snow]

A Graduate. What a joke that was really. All that school taught him was how to use magic to his advantage and then they boot him out into the world and expect him to handle himself. He had become accustomed to the school protecting him and now that he was out and in the real world he had to worry about himself and all of the things going against him. It was all nothing but a bloody joke to him. The school never taught a person how to guard their heart and their mind from blows that others could give. They never taught you how to detect the people you want to be friends with from the ones that probably want you dead. And they certainly didn't tell you how to deal with your soon to be in-law's. He had been summoned by Arnost to floo to the Zhefarovich Manor as soon as possible but he didn't state a particular reason on why he wanted Theodore there. This created a mess of problems enough as it was. So far Theodore had been bunking it out with some relatives in France until he could figure out a way to get his father off the thrown without a bloody mess being at his hands. Ending up in Azkaban at age eighteen was not on his list of super awesome things to do in life. He was also separated from his friends. Azerail, and Leviathan were still at Hogwarts, and Kaleb had moved to Durmstrang so even though he was closer he was still within school. Then there was Aleyha. The one he was closest with for the past years and they were separated. Two whole years it was going to be like that and he didn't know if he could really last the entire time. He was going to keep her from blowing up the bloody school? Or from ripping off the heads of those who ended up making her angry. Usually it was his job so he had to assume one of the poor saps they always hung out with had taken the job. Sadly to add onto that he wasn't even sure if he could visit with her during their breaks either. He's trying to keep it on the down low from his father that he was planning something. He couldn't wait to see her though. Would she be proud that he had become a Death Eater? No one knew yet except for himself, it was unknown to him if even his new family knew. Taking one last glance of the letter he sighed to himself. "I'll be back. Try not to burn the place down." Theodore commented to the people in the room as he headed over to the fireplace. They were descendants of his that were keen on helping him out, but they had never even been to the Manor so he needed to get help from those who knew more about what they doing. With a few quick seconds passing he flooed himself out of the room and to the Manor in Bulgaria.

He arrived from the fireplace and grimaced at the soot he was covered it, he would have preferred to Apparate but he wasn't sure whether than could be done with him not being a descendant. Taking his wand out he used a cleaning spell to get it all off before he placed it back inside the black robes. His emerald green eyes lifted and he turned to look at the man that was supposedly supposed to be his father-in-law. He had never met the man face-to-face until now. He looked nearly identical to the man that had brought him and Aleyha into a room and announced the marriage. Although, his eyes look less harsh. His blonde hair blew around his face as he turned and headed his way over to the man. Theodore's height was that of 6"4 and his expression was full of exhaustion. He had just Graduated from school and he was already pushing his limit. If any of his classmates could look at him now they would see an amazing difference from the Head Boy they knew and the man Theodore was now. He looked colder if even, but what had changed was the fact that he had seemingly lost the life in him. It may be only temporary though as he was stressed from the planning. "You summoned me, Sir?" Theodore gave a polite bow once he had reached Arnost. His voice was filled with monotone and his eyes drifted around the room. What was it that Arnost needed him for? Hopefully it would be nothing too tasking. He was too lazy and too tired to do much.

 

[Arnost Zhefarovich]

Arnost wondered what was keeping that boy. Arnost knew that boy part-Veelas could not transform at all, but it did not stop him from musing it in his mind. Was the boy learning to take flight with his Veela blood? Perhaps not, but he could not help it but be amused by the thoughts. Luckily that boy was not a Legilimens as far as Arnost was able to tell. When the flames gave out a roar, turned a bright, emerald green before a young man stepped out of the fire, and soon addressed to Arnost. His dark eyes glanced up to see the boy, and he narrowed his eyes. The bow was pleasing, yes, but was this his future-son-in-law? Arnost closed his book, and he set it aside for a moment. Arnost slowly rose to his feet, his tall form towering over seven feet tall. His dark eyes loomed down upon the former Head Boy of Hogwarts New Zealand, and Arnost nodded slowly to his question. He had in fact summoned him and he needed to ask him a few questions. Arnost folded his arms across his chest, and he knew that the boy knew well enough to never show disrespect. This was his love's father, and he was going to be the grandfather of their children. Arnost smirked lightly to Theodore Snow.

"I have summoned you, and I assume you know who I am," Arnost said with a small wave of his hand as if to brush off that sentence itself. Introductions would just waste time, and time was all Arnost seemed to have left right now. He managed to save his own skin by apparently showing to Hades that he loved Axelle. Perhaps he did, but Arnost was still battling between two loves. His wife and Thorine. Thorine was a ghost however, so it would never work. Arnost had physical needs that Axelle could satisfy. And he cared much for her. Arnost continued to stare down at Theodore, his eyes searching those emerald green eyes, not seeing much that he wanted to see at least. Arnost murmured, "Aleyha is becoming more and more entranced with the Dark Arts and the Death Eaters. I suppose you know this, and she is a lot happier with you. I don't see why because you seem a little feminine to me, but that is beside the point." Arnost snickered a bit when he subtly teased or insulted, whichever word worked, but he continued on. "My future son-in-law, word travels. I am proud of you, and would be honored to see you marry my daughter." Arnost wondered if he would know what he was talking about. Arnost continued to stare, his harsh stare becoming more like a fathering stare, though the coldness was still there. "But I want you to tell me, what are your plans when it concerns Aleyha?"

 

[Theodore Snow]

Theodore glanced over at Arnost and had to admit that he was impressed with the man's extreme height, it made him feel rather puny compared to Arnost and Theodore knew better than to even begin to think he was short. He was taller than most people. Just not taller than the majority of people in this family. But this place didn't intimidate him as much as it used to when he was younger. Now he was older and understood more things in his life, he was a Death Eater in training now and he couldn't allow much to intimidate him or else he would be taken out quite quickly. Shifting from standing onto one leg to the other he breath out carefully and tried to remain his thoughts from wondering. "Yes I know who you are. Your Arnost Zhefarovich, Aleyha's biological father." Theodore stated showing that he knew his basic facts about the family and who was who, this part he could thank to Aleyha and Nicolette as they both often threw names out there in various conversations with both of them. Aleyha possibly knew more though and had spoken of her father on several occasions. So Theodore trusted her with the little bit of knowledge she passed down onto him. Arnost spoke to him again and Theodore resisted the urge to smirk when it was said that Aleyha was not only becoming more entranced into the Dark Arts, but she was a lot happier with him too. Of course the Half-Veela male knew that, he was with her all the time so he hoped that he had done something to make her happier at least. He wanted her to be happy and he wanted her to follow her family's wishes at the same time. But Arnost called out that Theodore seemed a little bit too feminine for him Theodore rolled his emerald green and snorted aloud. This was coming from a man that had very girly looking hair himself so he technically didn't have much room to talk in the former Slytherin's view. "I have found myself becoming more involved with the Dark Arts more myself, I recently joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. They seemed eager to accept me in, despite my blood. Which is questionable if you ask me." Theodore admitted to being a Death Eater, this was the first person outside of those who had been visiting him that knew. The first of the outside world. He appreciated that they allowed him to join the ranks but he thought they would have made more of a fuss about him being a legit Half-Breed. Perhaps a half-breed wasn't something they were entirely against like he thought they were. Theodore couldn't turn like the females could anyways so it wasn't like he was much of a problem in the first place.

His emerald green eyes narrowed for a moment when Arnost said that word travels and he was proud of allow him to marry his daughter. Was there even much of a choice if he didn't. "I appreciate that." Theodore didn't want to say out loud that he he would have married her even if he didn't like it. He wanted to be respectful his future father-in-law, even if he didn't know or fully trust the man he knew better than to be rude. Most of the time anyways. He still had to work on it sometimes but he was learning just like every human did in their lifetime. What were his plans when it concerned Aleyha? Theodore cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. Was he trying to act fatherly and interrogate Theodore or was this a trick question. One thing he did remember was Nicolette telling him that Arnost had a tendency to mess around with people's heads. He wasn't going to try and make Theodore's job a lot harder than it already was, was he? "Marry her, take care of her, make sure she keeps her a** out of trouble sometimes. The same thing I've been doing since I met the girl..sort of." Okay when he first met Aleyha he wanted to dunk her head in a lake and keep it under there. She was always there and she was always pissing him off. But over time he developed an interest in making sure that she didn't hurt herself or anything like that. Oh how they had some fun times as of late.

 

[Arnost Zhefarovich]

Arnost laid a hand on Theodore's shoulder for a moment, and he smirked before nodding. The boy knew him, that was for sure. But how much did he know? That was a good question that rested ahead actually. He removed his hand from the shoulder, and he resumed his position on crossing his arms across his chest, and he could say that he liked this one. He seemed right for Aleyha. They even had matching hair color actually. Though he was not albino. Blonde nonetheless. Arnost was not a legilimens so he did not have a good comeback against the boy's thoughts. Arnost nodded once more when Theodore explained that he was more involved with the Dark Arts, and joined the Death Eaters. "Yes, I've heard, but there have been other Part-Veelas in the Death Eaters. Very few are really against that. Our own Hadan has recently joined as well from what I was told. Must say, I am quite proud of some of the new recruits and who they are at least." Arnost smirked slightly, and he rose his head up a bit, as he paced around the room, and resuming his seat on the chair. The Death Eater motioned for Theodore to take a seat in the chair opposite of him.

Arnost chuckled, "Well, not like either of you have a choice in the matter, but it could have changed. If I didn't like you, I could have just disposed of you with a flick of a wand." Arnost shrugged lightly, even though he had just said that he would have killed him easily if he did not like him, just the tone and the offhanded remark that was in just so odd to hear from any normal being. Arnost heard what Theodore was going to do with his daughter, and he could not believe that he was going to be saying this to him about her. Arnost was not exactly one to talk about these things with when it concerned his children in the matter. Arnost stated, "You do know, within a year of your marriage, you must have a child, right? Or at least, be expecting one. Laws of the arranged marriage." Arnost wondered what he would have to say about that. They would not be having a child soon anyway. Aleyha must graduate from school first. He had a few years to get ready to become a father.

 

[Theodore Snow]

Theodore tensed when he felt Arnost laid a hand on his shoulder for a minute. He was only resting his hand there but his hand could very easily crush his shoulder if wanted to. The size and strength of these men was almost scary, but they had to have some faults somewhere. The young Death Eater watched as his future father in law resumed his position on crossing his arms across his chest and turned his head away for another moment. He wanted to know almost what Arnost thought of him. Would he be a good match for Aleyha or was the man having second thoughts about letting his daughter get married to him. Arnost also commented on the fact that he knew of there being other Part-Veela Death Eaters and him recently joining as well, the first thing he said made a cruel and disgusted smirk rise onto his fine features. A little side of the meaner and more sarcastic version of Theodore was coming out and he hoped it would show the man in the room with him that he was truly raised by those who believed in cruel thoughts and ways of dealing with others. His emerald green eyes flicked over to the fire before he cleared his throat and allowed the words to flow out of his mouth as if he had been practicing such cruel words all his life. "Are there any Part-Veela Death Eaters out there besides me that aren't a scummy as the ground we walk on. That do not sleep around like the filthiest common wh*re? I don't think so." Theodore told Arnost with a shrug of his shoulders and sarcasm alive and strong inside his voice. It was a little bit cruel on his part but he wasn't nice and as far he was aware it was true. Only one other face came into his mind and from what he was aware it was true on her part. "I guess at some point Hadan and I will have to interact more." Theodore knew Hadan was one of Alyssa's better friends, he just didn't realize that she was headed down the same path as he was after all the times of seeing her. He wondered if she was still friends with Alyssa too. If that was the case then things were about to get extremely ironic and funny. His sister was married to an Auror and friends with a Death Eater. Arnost motioned for Theodore to take a seat in the chair opposite of him and Theodore did as he was told.

"So there are actually ways to cease the marriage? I don't want it to be ceased or anything but it wouldn't affect the other person life would it?" He wondered if things had gone differently between him and Aleyha in the past if they wouldn't be as happy as they were now. He didn't want to imagine it though because there was a part of his life right now that wasn't utter crap and he wanted it to stay that way. Something that his father could not take away from his, his friends couldn't take away from him, but something he could control if he tried hard enough too. When Arnost mentioned that within a year of being married they both had to have a child, Theodore froze and let his mouth drop to the floor. There was no way they could expect him to be a father anytime soon. His body sat up and he tried to figure out the words. "How can the family even be sure that we could conceive? Not to put a damper on your family laws and everything but why force people to have children so quickly?" Being a parent while he was young wasn't really on his plans for now. He didn't think he would become a very good father if he ended up like his father ans had children before he was ready to raise all of them. Theodore was still young and stupid. He didn't know a thing about parenting. Plus maybe he wanted to enjoy his time with Aleyha and not have to worry about children.

 

[Arnost Zhefarovich]

Arnost continued to stare at the young Death Eater now, and he wondered if it was at least intimidating having his man here as a future father-in-law. Arnost wondered if all of his children's future husbands and wives would feel like this, but then again, they did not well have that many that were old enough to even have a future mate. Most of them were toddlers and infants, so that was about it. Arnost had many children with many other women, and it was hard to keep track of them all. Arnost was married now, so he only kept up with her which was a great thing. It was the first time he had more than just one child or one set with. He even had Part-Veela children which made him even more fond and hopeful for the children of Theodore and Aleyha. Arnost tapped the armchair with his finger and he thought for a moment. He pointed out, "Eh, as far as you are aware. Don't know a lot of Death Eaters, but I do know those that are actually worth their skin, if you know what I mean." Arnost shrugged lightly. He was sure that there were others out there, but Arnost did not know them at all, and he did not care to know them either. He knew what he had to know anyway, and those that meant something to him. Arnost thought for a moment, and he nodded, "Eventually, yes, I would advise you to interact with her. She is being trained right now by the best of this family. But some female Death Eaters, I would tell you one thing, they are sadistic women that will kill a man with a flick of their wrist. I have known a few, and my own sisters are Death Eaters, though one died in action, but you would understand what I mean."

With a roll of his eyes, Arnost doubted that Theodore understood what he said when he said that there were ways to cease the marriage. Arnost pointed to him with his index finger and he smirked, "It can be ceased if one person happened to have vanished and showed up as dead on the family tree. There are many ways to make someone disappear within this family. Ever heard of Emery Markovich? But regardless, you are safe anyway, and the marriage will be soon." Arnost figured that Aleyha needed it right now anyway. After having that woman as a mother most of her life, and then her real mother moving on from the world and then going back to school with neither her sister or Theodore. She was basically alone. Arnost thought about sending her to Durmstrang but alas, she would be watched over by Kalif though. And then there was Azerail as well, who was the Head Boy. It just reminded him of how well most of Asparuh's children were very well productive and Arnost hoped that his would be the same way. All of them, but he could not remember how many he had, just the names. Arnost pointed out, "Why else would we arrange marriages? For the children that could be made from both sides. You are a Snow, and Aleyha has my genes, there should be no excuse for you two to not conceive. So, if you don't like it, oh well. You have until Aleyha's graduation to get ready to be a parent, so you better learn to babysit for practice." Arnost was smirking now. There was a lot of pressure on the young boy, yet Arnost expected him to pull through with everything.