Julian didn't go overboard with the food. He quietly ate a bit of lembas bread first, enough to dull the edge of his hunger without killing his appetite completely. For what little hunger remained, he took something that looked like miniature sausages, coated in a thin sweet glaze.
Once he was satisfied, Julian found a chair off to the side of the ballroom floor and sat calmly, watching the steady flow of new arrivals.
Malfoy.
Nott.
Crabbe.
Goyle.
Even Greengrass.
They all came through the floo for the party.
...
Daphne's eyes lit up when she spotted Julian seated off to the side, openly observing everyone else.
She leaned toward her parents, who were still looking for a place to sit. "My friend is sitting over there. Perhaps we should join him?" she said, pointing him out.
Both of her parents looked amused by the request, and then they studied Julian properly.
As established political figures, the Greengrass couple were skilled at reading people from posture, expression, and movement. That was why they were surprised to find Julian nearly unreadable.
...
His body was unnaturally still, as if every muscle was precisely controlled. He seemed to carry an aura that demanded respect. It was subtle, but it was there.
They also noticed something else. His eyes held a detached quality, even while he watched the room with careful attention. And they almost missed how his right hand never drifted far from his wand, as if he expected an attack at any moment.
Yet despite all of that, his posture remained relaxed, his movements casual, and his expression pleasant and approachable.
...
"Yes," Daphne's father, Florian, said with a small smile at his daughter. "Let us see if we cannot impose on the young man for a seat."
The family walked toward Julian's table.
Julian noticed them coming, but he didn't react. He'd expected something like this to happen sooner or later. Daphne might keep a cold exterior through occlumency, but she still preferred surrounding herself with people she actually tolerated.
As the Greengrasses drew close, Julian stood and greeted them with polite ease.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass. And to you as well, Daphne," he said with a friendly smile.
The adults returned the greeting. Daphne only nodded.
...
"Do you mind if we join you at this table?" Florian asked, courteous.
"Not at all," Julian replied. "Please, help yourselves."
They sat. Daphne took a seat beside her mother, Adorabella Greengrass, while Julian ended up seated beside Florian.
Then Florian spoke again, catching Julian off guard with the bluntness of it.
"I apologize for any tension the marriage proposal may have caused between you and my daughter," Florian said honestly. "But it was an opportunity I would have regretted not attempting."
...
Julian recovered quickly. "I'll admit it was awkward for a bit after I received it, but we both understood why it was sent. To be honest, you weren't even the first to send something like that."
He added a quiet chuckle to soften the statement.
Florian's smile widened. "I have no doubt about that. I imagine you must be rather overwhelmed by everything that has happened since your heritage was revealed."
The question was phrased casually, but the intent was clear. He was fishing, the way only a practiced politician could.
...
Julian shrugged. "Not really. I always assumed something like this would become commonplace eventually. I'll admit, though, I'd hoped it would take much longer."
That answer caught the entire Greengrass family off guard.
"Why do you say that?" Adorabella asked, curiosity plain on her face.
Julian stayed relaxed. "I assume Daphne has spoken about me to you both, at least somewhat?"
They nodded.
"Then you should be aware I'm not an untalented individual," Julian said evenly. "The truth is, I have no intention of settling for mediocrity, inside Hogwarts or outside it. That means politics like this were only a matter of time, even before my heritage came out."
...
They considered it, and in the end they could only agree. If he truly refused to accept "good enough" the way most did after Hogwarts, then politics was inevitable.
Julian spent the rest of the party chatting with the Greengrasses casually, with a few interruptions from others who came over to curry favor.
At one point, Daphne offered to take him dancing.
Julian declined, citing two simple reasons. He didn't know how, and he wasn't willing to try.