Hogwarts Part 11
Mail and Matchmaking
Duo yawned widely as he entered the Dining Hall, smiling as Quatre waved madly at him. "Hey!" He laughed as Quatre caught him in a bearhug. "WOAH! What'd I do to merit this kind of greeting?"
Quatre released Duo with a bright smile on his face. "You... there was a darkness that isn't there anymore."
Heero walked over. "When Rick said you were asleep, we all breathed a sigh of relief. You've been looking so haggard lately due to lack of sleep that we were worried about you."
Duo blinked, touched that his friends had been concerned. That the words came from Heero made it all that much better. "Thanks, Heero. You don't know how much that means to me. So... what's up?"
"Quidditch tryouts are later on this week. You going to try for it?" This was from Trowa, who was eating a cucumber sandwich.
Duo frowned. "I thought first years COULDN'T try out for the team."
Wufei also joined them, stroking the dragonling perched on his shoulder. "Normally... but this year is a special case. Anyone over eleven can try. This is so the older students don't feel as if they were cheated out of playing just because the school wasn't open last year."
Duo shrugged. "Yeah... I always was good at sports. What about you guys?" He sat down and proceeded to eat a hearty lunch.
Quatre and Trowa both shook their heads. "There's a music club that a few students are starting. We're going to join it!" Quatre beamed at the prospect of doing something he really enjoyed doing.
Wufei let out a breath. "I will also decline. There's a wizard's chess club that I wish to join."
Duo smirked. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain lotus blossom named Meiling being the PRESIDENT of said club, would it?"
Meiling Kwan was a girl Wufei had met purely by accident in the library when both reached for the same book. It turned out that Meiling was one of the only remaining members of the Phoenix Clan, and they had much in common. She had mentioned that she did not yet have a husband arranged for her. She was thought to be too opinionated to please a man. Wufei found that he enjoyed conversing with her.
Wufei had shown up for the study session the afternoon he had met Meiling in a daze, and Duo had not let him rest until he confessed to the reason. After the surprise died down, the group had all told Wufei that he shouldn't waste the opportunity to be happy. Wufei had written to her parents to request permission to court and eventually wed her, if she was willing. He was now awaiting their reply. In the meantime, Meiling had taken up studying with them, claiming it was more productive than simply reading a book by herself.
Wufei flushed a little. "It MIGHT. What about you, Yuy?"
Heero nodded. "It seems to be the only thing of interest to me." He placed a pumpkin pasty on Duo's plate. "Eat! You've been picking at your meals lately."
Duo was about to respond when the sound of hooting and flapping filled the hall. "Sounds like the mail's here." His hopes also rose. His aunt HAD promised to write once a week. A week had passed, and he longed for news. He let out a cry of joy as he recognized his aunt's owl, Pidgeon, heading right for him with a package. He caught it deftly and started opening it.
-Oooo! I smell CATNIP!- Shi-chan had hopped onto the table and started pawing at the package. -Open it! Open it! Don't damage the box, please.-
Duo chuckled as he handed the string to her to distract her. "What is it with cats liking boxes?" He opened the box and beamed at the contents. He pulled out the tiny burlap bag that easily fit in the palm of his hand. "I think this is the catnip you smelled." He handed the beanbag-sized pouch to Shi-chan and laughed as she ran out. He found the promised letter and started reading.
'Dear Duo,How have you been, dear? I hope this letter finds you well. I suppose Shi-chan already has her gift. I didn't want her to feel left out. I've told Pidgeon to stay so you can write back to me and fill me in on things. I simply ache to hear from you. Everything here is fine. In a week, your vegetables will start to flower. I'll be sure to send you a pumpkin in time for All Hallow's Eve. While looking through my old papers, I suddenly realized that it's your birthday in two weeks. Is there anything you want? Did you get that shirt to your friend, Wufei? I'll wait for your response.
Love from your Aunt Kitty'
"What shirt is that, Maxwell?"
Duo jumped at Wufei's voice and noticed that the guys were all reading the letter over his shoulder. "GEEZ! If you wanted to know what the letter said, you could have ASKED. I would have read it aloud." He took a deep breath. "You guys are gonna give me a HEART ATTACK one of these days by doing that." Then he smiled. "The shirt is something my meddling wardrobe thought would look good on me. I'll give it to you later."
Heero frowned in puzzlement. "I didn't know your birthday was in two weeks!"
Duo grinned shyly. "To tell the truth, neither did I. I never knew exactly when I was born, so I didn't really have a day to say 'OH! I'm such-and-such years old now!'"
Quatre blinked. "You mean... you don't even know how old you are?"
Duo shook his head. "Nope. I'm GUESSING that I'm 17, same as you guys, but I could be older or younger. I could be turning 15 this year for all I know. Maybe I should ask Aunt Kitty about my age."
Tabitha Snooks had heard that last comment as she sat down. "What about your age?"
Duo grinned. "My birthday is in two weeks, so my Aunt says, and I guess I should know how old I really am."
Wufei smiled at Duo as the teen scribbled a note stating that anything would be more than enough and asking his age. "You're so talkative in person, Maxwell, that I would have expected a three page letter before getting to the point. What does that say?"
Duo grinned. "I'm okay. Wufei's a wizard, so the shirt is no prob.
Anything for my birthday is fine. By the way... how old am I?" He grinned at Wufei a little. "I'll write a longer letter to her later and use one of the school's owls."
"You can use Peace if you want to, Duo." Heero nodded when Duo blinked at him. "I have no one to write to so he's just been either flying around or sitting in the owlry." He flushed slightly when he realized that Quatre, Trowa and Wufei were smiling at him in approval. He was simply trying to be nice. Quatre's owl, Sultan, got quite a workout with Quatre's sisters and the Maguanac that were planetside.
Wufei's smile faded as he spotted Meiling approaching. She looked severely shaken... as if something had shocked her. "Kwan... is there something wrong?"
Meiling gave the group a shaky smile in greeting before bowing to Wufei. "Chang... my grandmother wishes to meet with you this afternoon. Is that acceptable?"
Wufei paled himself. He had expected a letter requesting the eight letters that told his birth year, month, day and time for comparison with Meiling's. He had NOT been expecting an elder from her family to just appear. Still, he returned the bow. "It would be a great honor."
Meiling smiled and nodded. "She will be in the Charms classroom in two hours." With that, she bowed again and walked away.
Quatre was grinning like a fool. "Had she been any other girl, she would be skipping, and you can smile now, Wufei."
Wufei allowed a quick grin before shaking his head. "I got past the first step only. There are certain etiquettes and traditions to how this may be done. I AM honored that her family has sent an elder to meet with me."
Duo nodded. "Looks like you get to use that shirt! And leave your hair down. Show Mei's grandmother that not only are you strong and honorable, you're good looking as well."
Wufei did smile then as he flushed at the complement. "Aa... two hours gives me enough time to shower, change, and get the gift presentable." He frowned a little at that. "What can I give to her as a gift? It has to be something special."
Duo shrugged. "What about the green tea in that fancy tin you said you were saving for a special occasion? I can't think of a better gift."
Wufei's eyes lit up and he grinned like a kid. "Duo... you are a genius! Come on!" He left the lunchroom with his friends following.
*****
One hour and forty five minutes later, Wufei was washed, dried, dressed, groomed and hopefully ready to meet with Meiling's grandmother. He had his eight letters and family tree carefully written in his fine calligraphy on scrolls. He had kept them after Meiran's death. He had held onto them... not truly thinking they would be needed again. He was only a little surprised to see Meiling there.
Meiling was dressed in a deep blue kimono with a phoenix painstakingly embroidered on it. Her dark hair was pulled back and her face was made up. She was kneeling... patiently waiting for her grandmother with her eyes lowered. A table was set up with a teapot and three cups.
She stood as he approached and bowed to him in silent greeting.
Wufei bowed as well and sank to his knees across from Meiling. He steadied his breathing while he waited.
"Ah... he is punctual." An old woman entered the room and made her way to the table. "Rise and approach, young man. Let me look at you."
Wufei stood and approached the old woman. He bowed when he was close enough to be seen. "You honor me with your presence."
The older woman smiled a little at his polite tone and bowed a little in return. "And respectful. Tell me... when Meiling's parents received your letter, we were not sure that we were reading the name correctly. You did sign it Chang Wufei, did you not?"
"I did. I am the only member of that clan left." Wufei felt the old pang of pain at the memory of watching his colony explode. There was no chance of any other clan member's survival.
"What was your social standing?"
Wufei took a deep breath and answered. "I am the only son of the head family." He swallowed at the soft gasps from both women. His status was equal to that a fine lord's.
Meiling's grandmother got over her shock. "Meiling has many faults, Chang Wufei. She is outspoken and wilful. She is impatient and not a very good cook. I do not understand why one such as yourself would be interested in her."
Wufei smiled a little. "I have found... that I enjoy it when a woman speaks her own mind. For all my traditional upbringing, I do not feel as if a woman should be subservient to a man. I have met many men who have less honor than some women I could name. One such woman was Chang Meiran, my late wife."
The old woman's eyes widened at that. "How long were you married?"
Wufei sighed. "We were not even wed a year when the ancestors took her spirit to join them."
Meiling's grandmother nodded in understanding. "Come... Meiling will pour the tea, and we will talk."
Wufei bowed and approached the table behind the elderly woman. Meiling rose to assist her grandmother into a kneeling position and waited for Wufei to kneel before she began. She was pleased that her hands did not shake as she poured the tea. Wufei was intelligent, handsome, polite, honorable, strong and the son of the head family of his clan.
And he was interested in HER of all people. She had thought her only prospects would serve to dilute the Kwan blood further. With the dragon blood... the phoenix would only become stronger. She made sure not to let it show, but she prayed to her ancestors that her grandmother would agree to the match.
*****
At dinner that evening, Duo was practically bouncing in anticipation.
He really wanted to know how the meeting had gone. The thought that Wufei would finally get some happiness brightened his own spirits.
When Wufei entered the dining hall with Meiling following close behind, one look at Wufei's face gave him all the answer he needed. He still wanted to hear the news.
He was aware of the others going with him to surround Wufei and Meiling. "Well? How'd it go?"
Wufei's face suddenly broke into a happy smile. "Kwan's grandmother... has agreed to the match."
TBC...
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