Shadow Council 129E

*****

Xander had to admit that the suit was entire leagues beyond his previous purchases in the field.

Almost as comfortable as relaxed clothing, and only at a few thousand times the cost, He thought dryly as he turned and looked at himself in the mirror.

“Satisfied?” Derrick Malfus asked from where he was watching in amusement.

“I mean, I don’t know jack about clothing, but it feels good,” Xander admitted. “Guess it looks ok?”

Malfus glowered at him briefly, but his expression stilled before he smiled again, “Why don’t we ask my dear dark cousin how it looks?”

Xander turned to Wednesday and was surprised to find that she was staring blankly, her mouth slightly open.

“Weds?” He called. “Weds?”

She blinked, “What?”

Malfus smirked at her, flicking the corner of his lip, “You have a little drool there, Cousin?”

Her eyes flashed as she reached up instinctively, brushing at her mouth desperately quickly before fixing her cousin with a death glare that would have made any normal person quake in their boots.

“I do not,” She said hotly.

“No, but you couldn’t tell, could you?” He asked cheerfully, again ignoring every promise of imminent pain and death sent his way with the impunity of family. “Does that answer your question, young Alexander?”

“If my question was ‘is everyone related to the Addams absolutely insane’?,” Xander asked dryly, “Sure.”

 Wednesday had taken the few seconds to recoup her lost composure, “Nevertheless, he is quite right Alexander. You look… worthy.”

That last word caused Xander to have turn back to her, “What?”

“High praise indeed,” Malfus said cheerfully, “And I agree, cousin. There are more things in life than looks, however.”

“Sadly true,” Wednesday sighed, “His personality still leaves a great deal to wish for.”

“Hey!”

“Ah young love,” Malfus snorted, before becoming more professional once more, “Now, I can have this ready for you to wear out, if you like, and another… shall we say three like it, prepared within the week?”

“That would be most appreciated, cousin. Perhaps some other options as well?” Wednesday asked with a gleam in her eye.

“Of course. A pair of double breasted suits for other occasions, and some more casual wear?”

“Perfection, cousin.” Malfus said, clearly amused, “A complete wardrobe, made to order.”

Xander just sighed, “Just… give me some color, would you? I’m rather partial to Hawaiian.”

Wednesday shot him a glare that he ignored as blithely as Malfus did.

“I will see what’s available,” the old tailor responded, amused, “If only to see my dark cousin here properly tested.”

“I break things when testing, cousin.”

“So long as it isn’t young Alexander's heart, I think you’ll be fine.”

Wednesday growled but apparently had enough, “Finish this one so that we might be going… before I choose to test you, cousin dear.”

Malfus laughed loudly, “I believe I may be pushing my luck, come Alexander, let’s get you finished up.”

***** 

Harry wasn’t sure if he should be pleased at how uncomfortable Draco looked, if only because he himself wasn’t feeling much better… or at all, if he were honest with himself.

Standing there, across from the Slytherin, while they were both being measured rather intimately was a whole new definition of hell, and his only succor was that Draco was clearly hating it even more than he was.

“Is all of this truly necessary, Mother?” Draco demanded, not for the first time.

Narcissa rolled her eyes from where she was sitting, “You already know my answer to that, Draco.”

“I have the finest robes money can buy, mother, why would I not wear those?”

“Not going to happen,” Harry said simply.

“Shut up, scar head.”

“Draco,” Narcissa snapped.

“It’s fine, he can insult me all he likes,” Harry said with one hand up, “but if he insults the queen, by intent or accident, I will make him wish I just crucioed him. Am I being clear enough for you, Draco?”

Draco was about to retort, but the stern look from his mother and the complete lack of any sign of hesitance from Potter caused him to rethink.

“Fine.” He grumped.

“Good,” Narcissa responded, “because if you should insult her Majesty, be assured Draco, I will help Mr Potter.”

Draco shot his mother a shocked look, “but Mother, she’s just a…”

A motion from the side caused him to shut up as the tailor returned, looking amused at his sudden silence.

“A muggle, young Malfoy? Or did you have another term in mind?” The elderly man asked, not bothering to hide his amusement.

“You’re a Wizard?”

“Not a bit,” The Tailor admitted, “but I trained under Derrick Malfus. You see strange things when you hang around that family.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Harry shook his head.

“Familiar with them, are you Lord Potter?”

Harry shot the man a surprised look, knowing that he’d not told the man about his position.

“Please, a good haberdasher keeps his finger on the pulse,” The man said easily. “The reentry of the Mage Knight to the Kingdom, for the first time in nearly two decades? Some had believed the line entirely dead. It’s good to see your line re-emerge, if I might say so.”

“Thank you,” Harry said softly.

“How came you to know the Addams?” The tailor asked curiously.

“I go to school with Wednesday Addams.”

“Wednesday? The American heir? Well now, I hadn’t known that she was schooling in these parts,” The tailor admitted. “Seems that I may need to brush up on my fingers’ placement, I missed a beat or two.”

“The Addams has been maintaining a surprisingly low profile,” Narcissa said casually. “Despite my son schooling with her, I was unaware of her presence for nearly three years.”

The old man winced, shaking his head at Draco, “Bad show, young master. Letting something like that slip past, that won’t do at all.”

Draco squirmed, clearly unhappy with being critiqued by the older man, but knowing that his mother was particularly displeased with him over that as well.

“I don’t know much about the family,” Harry admitted, “are they that important?”

“Yes and no,” The man said as he worked on Draco’s fitting. “For most purposes, they don’t tend to involve themselves with the doings of other folk. Makes them easy to miss…”

Draco started to puff up, “See. mother?”

“But,” The man went on, twisting something to choke Draco subtly, cutting off his objection, “when they do get involved… the world trembles.”

He paused briefly, considering that, “Sometimes quite literally.”

“Indeed,” Narcissa said easily. “The family is akin to a buried trap spell in the middle of nowhere. As long as no one steps on it, there’s no problem. One wrong fool bumbling where he shouldn’t, however…”

The tailor snorted, “And suddenly everyone else is wondering why it’s raining blood.”

Narcissa sighed, “That was a particularly bad week.”

Harry and Draco just exchanged confused, and slightly horrified, looks.

******