Chapter 9

"Don't we all, Lord Slytherin," She answered as he indicated for the plush chair opposite his desk.

"You know, your flirting at the gala got my attention," he started, causing her eyes to widen. "Though not for the reason you might think."

"Oh?" Ginny questioned, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, your heart clearly didn't seem into it." Lord Slytherin stated as he peered at the young lady from under his hood. "Tell me your situation,"

"Well."

"And do not fret. Whatever you tell me in this room will remain between us. I will even agree to a vow of silence on your affairs if you so wish to. However, the proposition I have for you depends on what you tell me."

"Alright," Ginny said as she fiddled with her dress's embroidery. It was a beautiful piece, really. More Edwardian style than Victorian. "As you know, I broke off my engagement to Fleamont Potter nearly two months ago. Throughout our courtship, he had been demanding, and one time, when I refused his advances because he got too handsy, he left me in the middle of the street, during our date, to pursue another lady. The next day, he asked me if I understood my place, and I ended it. Aunt Muriel was furious."

"Muriel Weasley?" Lord Slytherin grimaced, though Ginny couldn't see that, as he was hooded. "Arranged engagements between families are often the responsibility of the father. How does she fit into this?"

"She is still the Matriarch of the family. She refuses to give Dad the Lordship until I have a respectable marriage." Ginny grimaced. "From what I know, she went behind Father's back and arranged the engagement with the Potter Heir through Headmaster Dumbledore. They were old classmates, you know. There was even a rumor that she had the 'hots' for him."

"I did not need to know that," Lord Slytherin muttered.

"So yes, she was quite mad when I ended the engagement. I asked her if I should have tolerated Heir Potter openly flirting with other ladies? Or him abandoning his date with her, having no way home? She had forbidden me from getting my Apparition licence, so the only thing I could do was summon the Knightbus." Lady Weasley's contempt for her great aunt was evident in her voice. "I wasn't allowed to pursue my Quidditch dreams, I wasn't allowed to date Dean Thomas because his family was 'beneath us', and more. Dad gave in because she controlled the allowance he got monthly to support a wife and several children. It's a bit easier now since all of us are grown, but his wages can't cover all the house necessities."

"Your father works for the Ministry." Lord Slytherin's eyes narrowed. "They now fall under me. I know for a fact that Ministry workers get paid a wage capable of supporting a family, along with vacation pay."

"That I can't tell you, as father never talks much about his work," Ginny answered. "Aunt Muriel has stopped the allowance until I take Fleamont Potter back or find a groom better than him. My brothers, Fred and George, liquidated part of their savings to help the family out. They wanted to start a shop, you see. Also, Ron and his wife Hermione, I don't think you've met them. Ron's an Auror, and Hermione works in the Logistics department in the Ministry. They have given us some of their savings as well, but they are expecting, and Mom and Dad felt really bad about accepting the help."

"I had to suck it up and try to find a suitor at the gala to satisfy Aunt Muriel. If she continued the allowance, mom and dad would be fine." Ginny confessed. "There aren't many eligible bachelors left except for yourself and a few minor Heirs. Even they did not want to associate with me since I have no dowry and you shot down my attempts fast. At that point, it looked like I had no choice but to try and win back Heir Potter. I was going to approach him after the toast, but then that whole scandal happened."

"I get the gist of it now," Lord Slytherin stated. "Lady Weasley, it is best that you do not get involved with Fleamont Potter. This is just my advice. You are free to ignore it."

"It's because you hate the Potters, right?" she asked as Lord Slytherin stared. "I mean, it's no secret. They are part of the Sacred 28 but had only been given the rank of Baron when you came into power. While the Weasleys are also part of the Sacred 28, we are considered blood traitors and are nobles without an official rank. Marrying into even a Baron's family meant moving up in society. Don't worry, I won't ask why you hate the Potters. Seeing Aunt Muriel having a fit about their scandal and you choosing a commoner to court made my week, actually."

"I have heard all that I need to, Miss Weasley." Lord Slytherin stated. "Now, to why I called you here. You have studied Magical Law after graduating from Hogwarts."

"Yes, it was the only thing I could compromise on instead of Quidditch," Ginny stated.

"Your professors have all given you glowing reviews." He added. "You are clearly far smarter than you wish people to believe, and I like that."

"You do??" Ginny blinked.

"It helps to be underestimated, doesn't it?" He smirked.

"My offer is this," Lord Slytherin continued. "We are opening negotiations with Boszorkányság Minisztériuma. I need to get my hands on the venom of a Silver-backed Scorpion found only in the Hungarian Magical Nature reserve. However, I also realized that establishing relations with them would be quite beneficial for us." At Lady Weasley's questioning look, Lord Slytherin elaborated. "The Boszorkányság Minisztériuma is run like a matriarchy. In that magical society, it is the men who stay home with the children while the women provide. Something that has rankled most of the other magical communities in Eurasia."

"They have made great progress with combining Muggle science with magical devices, but their industrialization has cost them a lot of farm land, and the communities in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova cannot keep sustaining their growing pace. At some point, they will collapse, and they know it."

"What I want, Lady Weasley, is to start a trade agreement. Our magical community is self-sufficient but produces far too many crops to sell on just local markets, and many times, the excess crops go to waste. It is the same for many magical communities across Europe. The trade agreement would encompass our agricultural products in exchange for their magical devices, with the exchange possibly leading to an established British embassy in that region. Let's face it. We are stuck in the Victorian era while the Muggles advance. If our existence became public, then only exploitation, slavery, war, and death would be the final outcome. We need to start investing in technology that rivals theirs."

"You seem sure of that," Ginny stated, and while Lord Slythrin said nothing, she noticed his hands becoming a fist on the desk.

"You are knowledgeable in Magical Law. I will offer you a mentorship with Lucius Malfoy to get you up to speed regarding real-world expectations and challenges. Though I want you to lead the trade negotiations with the Hungarian Ministry. Once an embassy is established, you will become my ambassador in that region. Your pay will equal that of any other ambassador on my payroll, which is to say substantial. With that, you will not need to rely on your Aunt Muriel's whims or get married if you do not want to. I will also be looking into your father's salary, as something does not add up."

"You're doing all this just for Silver-backed Scorpion venom?" Ginny raised a brow. "Wow, you got it bad."

Lord Slytherin folded his hands on his desk, though behind his hood, he was blushing at being called out. "Not just for that. It is a factor, but I assure you, having a good relationship with the Hungarian Ministry of Magic would be beneficial for us. 'After all, they were the last area standing during the apocalypse in his reality.'

"Where do I sign?" Miss Weasley asked.