Serendipity

Chapter 2

"Why is Tom Riddle coming to us?" Harry Potter asked, walking along the terrace of his luxurious Athenian mansion. Then he stopped to study his father's expression, but he did not notice anything. The man had learned at an early age to hide his emotions "The enmity between our families goes back three generations."

"Apparently that's the reason for their approach," said James Potter, "He thinks it's time to fix things. Publicly"

"And how is it that Tom Riddle wants to fix things? He is a malicious and ruthless man."

The mere fact that his father was willing to meet the man surprised him. But his father was getting old, Harry thought ruefully, and the loss of the family business many years ago had always been a thorn in his heart.

His father sighed "I want this hate to end, Harry. I want to retire in peace with your mother, knowing that what is ours by right has returned to us. I'm not for fights anymore."

Harry smiled dangerously. Fortunately, he did not fear them. 'If Tom Riddle thought he could intimidate him, he would discover that he had hit with the last of his shoe'

His father picked up some papers, "The agreement offered is surprising."

"More reason to suspect his motives," Harry said.

His father looked at him warily, "You would be a fool if you did not listen to what he wants to tell you," said his father "It will be whatever Tom is, but it is Greek. And it's a compliment that offers to meet you."

"The compliment would be to disappear forever," Harry replied, looking at his father. Suddenly he realized that his father had aged. That the tension of that eternal enmity had consumed him.

"I accepted the meeting on your behalf." His father looked at him, tired. And Harry thought he would do it for his father.

"All right. Tell me what he offers?" Harry said.

"He's going to return the company to us." His father laughed contemptuously and put the papers on the table, "Although it would be better to say 'our company' since it was before Riddle stalked your grandfather."

'Does Riddle offer to return the company?' Harry thought, hiding his surprise, "And in exchange for what?" He asked.

"In exchange for marrying his granddaughter." Answer James Potter.

"You're kidding!" Harry's dark eyes looked at his father incredulously, "In what century are we?" harry asked angrily.

Without looking at him, his father moved the papers in front of him and replied: "Unfortunately, those are the conditions."

"You're not kidding, right?" Said Harry petrified, with a serious expression. "In that case, I'll tell you that there is no one less attractive to me as a potential consort than a member of the Riddle family."

His father passed his hand behind his neck to relieve tension "You're thirty-four years old, harry. At some point you have to marry someone. Unless you want to spend your life alone and without children."

"I want to have children; I really like them, the wife is the problem. Unfortunately, I cannot find a woman with the qualities I demand. They must not exist."

He remembered the last women he had left: a gymnast, a dancer... None had awakened his attention for more than a few weeks.

"Well, if you cannot marry for love, then why not for business reasons?" said his father "If you marry the girl, The Company is ours."

"How simple!" Harry stated sarcastically, his eyes narrowing. "It cannot be that simple."

"He's an old man. The company has problems. Riddle knows that you are a brilliant businessman, with the wedding protects his granddaughter economically. If the company goes bankrupt. He knows that with you at the head, the company will be saved. It is a generous offer."

"That's what worries me. Tom Riddle is not a person who makes generous offers." Harry argue.

"It offers a considerable incentive to marry the girl." His father replied.

"I need a considerable incentive to marry a woman I have not even seen," Harry said, brooding. He could not understand why Riddle offered him the company. Not why he wanted her to marry his granddaughter.

"It's time to put aside suspicions and learn to trust. Riddle started that business with my father and then snatched it from him. He says he regrets the past and wants to make amends before he dies." James Potter said.

"And you think so?" Harry question."Our lawyers have a draft of the agreement. What reason would you have for not believing it?"

"That Tom Riddle is a malicious megalomaniac who only acts out of self-interest." Harry pulled off his silk tie and tossed it onto a chair. He felt the adrenaline rush through his veins. "Do I have to remind you of his sins against our family?"

"He is now an old man. Maybe he is regretting it." His father said with sigh.

Harry threw back his head and laughed maliciously "To regret? That unborn child does not even know the meaning of that word. I'm tempted to go ahead with this just to find out what he's up to." Harry discreetly motioned for an employee to bring him something to drink while unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt.The heat in Athens in July was unbearable "And why not his granddaughter gets a husband? Riddle has maintained the existence of the girl in silence. Nobody knows anything about her. She is ugly or does it have a disease that my children can inherit?"

"They would also be his children," his father pointed out. "And you have not been able to find a wife."

"I did not look for it. And I do not want one chosen by my enemy."

The idea almost made him laugh. 'Riddle's heiress had to have some problem, if not, she would have been married a long time ago' he thought."I'm sure she's a lovely girl" his father murmured.

Harry raised an eyebrow in mockery. "I do not think so. If she were pretty, Riddle would not have hidden her, and the press would have harassed her as it did me. After all, she is an extremely rich young woman."

"The press haunts you because you give them reasons ... While the heiress of Riddle has been in England."

"England has the most discreet pink press in the world," Harry muttered, frowning 'If they have left her alone, it will be because she is a monster and has no personality.'

"Obviously, she leads a discreet life. Not like you. The girl was in an English boarding school. His mother was English, if you remember."

"Of course I remember it." Harry finished his drink, remembering. "I also remember that his mother died when our boat exploded. Along with her husband, he was the only son of Tom Riddle."

Harry remembered a lifeless creature in his arms as he carried her to the surface... Chaos, horror, blood, people screaming...

"His granddaughter lost her parents Riddle blames us for it. And now he wants me to marry his granddaughter? I'll have to sleep with a gun under my pillow, if I agree. I am surprised that you have accepted his suggestion with such equanimity."

"We also lost family in that explosion. And time has passed. He is an old man."

"Who is also a very bad man."

"We were not responsible for the death of his son. Maybe time has given him the opportunity to reflect and now he realizes it." James ran his hand over his forehead, visibly affected by the Memories. "He wants his granddaughter to have a Greek husband. You want to have offspring right."

"And the girl? Why would she want to accept such a marriage? She is the granddaughter of Tom Riddle. I do not think that having it has the emotional stability that I would want in a wife."

"At least, know her. You're always in time to say 'no' harry looked at him thoughtfully." It was true that he wanted to have children. And he had always wanted to recover Riddle Industries.

"What she gets? Riddle gets offspring. I get our company and children... And she?"

"Harry..."

"Tell me..."

"The day of the wedding you're going to have to put money in her personal account." His father looked at the papers again. "A substantial sum and that sum will be repeated every month during the marriage."

There was a long silence then Harry laughed forcefully. "You mean seriously that the heiress of Riddle want money for marrying me?""

The economic part is an important part of the agreement."

"The woman is richer than Midas," Harry said with a Mediterranean temper. "And yet, she want more?"

His father cleared his throat "The terms of the agreement are very clear. She receives money."

Harry walked to the end of the terrace and looked at the city he loved so much.

"Harry..."

"I do not know why I doubt." Harry turned around with a sneer "All women are interested in money. The fact that she wants more than most does not change anything. At least, it's sincere, something that honors her. As you said, this is a business."

"You make her look hard and interested, but why do not you reserve judgment?" his father told him. "Any relative of Tom will be used to money and an extravagant lifestyle. Her fund requirement may have nothing to do with her character. She could be sweet."

Harry made a gesture of displeasure. "The sweet girls do not ask for large sums of money from future husbands and if she is a Riddle she surely has horns and a tail, like all demons..."

"Harry..."

"As you, I want to recover the company, so I'll see it because I'm intrigued. But I promise you nothing." Harry said, laying his empty glass on the table "If she will be the mother of my children, at least she will not have to give me stomach pain to see her."