Harry Potter: The True Lord

Antonio did not know what to say. He had expected that Amelia, even if not angry, might at least be slightly disappointed in him. Yet, she was not blaming him for even an iota of the humongous loss she had suffered. She was supportive of him, trying to unbind him from his guilt.

"Lord Olario," Amelia said. The tears flowing from her eyes had subsided significantly, and this time she appeared genuinely calm. At genuine peace and some relief from all the stress that she had been through.

"Do not blame yourself," she repeated, as if reading his mind. "You know, if not for you, both my father and I would have died a long time ago."

"And even this time, he was already on the Dark Lord's target list," she continued. "My father was considered to be the one who killed the Dark Lord's Death Eaters, and they were sure to come after him regardless of anything else."

"If not for your request to Minerva McGonagall," she added. "He would have been killed by the Death Eaters before he had had the chance to save you."

Antonio nodded. Hearing Amelia, he felt slightly relieved. No. Not just because of her words, but because she truly did not hold him responsible. She did not blame him for her father's death. In fact, she was trying to make him understand that the fault was not his.

"How have things been going for you since yesterday, Miss Bones?" Antonio asked, changing the topic.

"As well as they can be," she replied with a pained chuckle. "Everyone is pushing themselves to express their condolences for my father and explaining to me how he was a great and very brave man."

"My brother is still a minor. Therefore, I will be controlling the Lordship of the Bones family on his behalf until he comes of age. Now, I have become the target of their politics and ploys."

"And given that I am a lady, with no male to support me," she said, "I am appearing as a lucrative prey to the predators. Even in the given atmosphere after the happenings at the Wizengamot, I have almost received two or three marriage proposals. They were offering to take my responsibility and ease my burden."

"In all of this, I do not even know whom I should trust," she continued. "It is not that they were trying to harm me, but rather that I was not very comfortable dealing with them, even if they were allies of the Bones family. I felt like prey among predators."

"You can trust me, Miss Bones," Antonio interjected immediately. "I will do everything in my power to help you in any way I can."

"I do trust you, Lord Olario," Amelia mumbled in response. "I do trust you."

No further words were exchanged between the duo. Amelia remained sitting on the stool, a relaxed expression on her face. After the hellish ordeal she had been through over the past two days, Antonio's presence had finally put her at ease, allowing her to let go of the anxiety and nervousness that had been gripping her.

Antonio, on the other hand, had already made a silent resolve. Edmund Bones' last words had been a request to protect his daughter. Just as he had promised Amelia moments ago, he would stand beside her with all his might and capability. He might have lost a loved one,a friend, before his very eyes once, but never again. He would protect her at all times and at all costs.

"How is Edgar doing?" Antonio questioned, breaking the silence. "And where is he?"

"Well," Amelia hesitated for a moment. "He has not taken the news of our father's death very well. He is heartbroken, overwhelmed, and shattered. It has been very hard for him to control his emotions."

Antonio nodded. This was understandable. Edgar was not yet mature. He was barely an adult, still studying at Hogwarts.

"For the time being," Amelia continued. "I have left him at Hogwarts. I was not sure how safe the Bones Manor or any other place was for him. Headmaster Dumbledore has promised me to keep an extra eye on him and make sure that he would be fine. This also keeps him away from politics."

"You did the right thing," Antonio said with a nod. "Hogwarts is indeed the safest place for him, and it is best for him to stay away from the political fallout for now."

Amelia opened her mouth to say something more, but before she could speak, the door to the room was pushed open and another person entered.

A face which both of them recognized very well: Bellatrix Black.

"Olario!" she cried, rushing toward Antonio. She almost jumped on him, barely restraining herself from pulling him into a tight hug as she spotted Amelia Bones sitting on the stool.

"Miss Black," Antonio responded with a smile. For whatever reason, Antonio had expected that Bellatrix would be the one to come for him. Now that she was here, he was definitely pleased and happy.

"How are you?" she questioned. "The mediwitch said that you would not wake for at least another day and forcefully sent me away. I only just received a message that you have awakened."

"I am fine," Antonio replied. "And I am recovering faster than expected. Is that not a good thing?"

"It is a good thing," Bellatrix nodded, relief crossing her face. She then turned toward Amelia. "Bones. How are you here before me?"

"I was nearby," Amelia replied with a small smile, though she did not offer any further explanation.

From the brief exchange between them, Antonio realized that they must have already encountered each other while waiting before the mediwitch sent them away. From the way the words were traded, it was obvious that sparks were flying between them. Whether this was a recent development or something from their past, Antonio did not know.

Bellatrix's question was logical, while Amelia's answer was not. When people used magical methods of travel, physical distance did not matter. Amelia being "nearby" should not have allowed her to arrive so much earlier unless she had received the news of him waking up ahead of the others. Antonio found himself quite amused by the exchange between them.

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