Headcanon: Blood of Blood Renewed
Ryan Nott bears the blood of two prominent pureblood families; the Notts and the Vanity's.
His mother, Emmaline was born to Aleksander and Eleanor Vanity in Versailles, France where they owned a wealthy estate. Growing up, Emmaline was not aware that she had an aunt and did not know the truth of how her paternal grandparents died. Aleksander ruled his house firmly and strictly while Eleanor quietly did as she was told and Emmaline followed suit.
With that knowledge, Ryan was not aware of his extended family either.
During his years at Hogwarts, he was educated in Potions under Professor Finnigan, the mother of renowned Seamus Finnigan during the war. However, she kept much about herself private, despite how much speculation surrounded her past and how she came to teach at Hogwarts.
It wasn't until after his graduation and the headlining news of his impending divorce from Isabella that Ryan received a letter from his old Professor.
Dear Ryan,
I want to say first that I am sorry that I didn't not send this letter to you sooner. Had I known you had it in you to change your perspective and willingly go against the wishes of your parents and Pureblood cockery, I would have stepped forward and lent you my own knowledge and assistance.
You were always a magnificently gifted potions student and a pleasure to have in class. What I fervently wished for each time you stepped into my classroom was that you would look at me and see more than an old woman required to teach you another lesson; that you would acknowledge me as family, one of your blood.
The truth is, I am essentially your great-aunt. Your grandfather, Aleksander, was the closest thing I had to a brother when I was growing up. Truly, he was my cousin but what that makes me to you, I wouldn't even attempt to riddle out. Unfortunately, our ties were severed during the first war and he shut me out, refused to see me as family. While I retained my own wealth as the only living Vanity under my father's line, Aleksander inherited vastly more power and persuasion as his father was the heir before him. As a result, your mother knew nothing of me, as Aleksander saw fit to erase my existence in every way possible.
During that first war, I chose a different path than what was offered--to fight for the good of all or to fight against the dirtying of pureblood life--and I thought I was alone in my belief that fighting did no good in the end. Though I wished someone of my bloodline to be wiser than the rest, I was relegated to the shadows, to watch you in the halls being the perfect pureblood that Aleksander no doubt was proud of.
If you ever need assistance, support, or a trained healer and potioneer, you are always welcome to contact me. If you wish for a relationship more than that, I would gladly embrace you.
It might seem like everyone is against you as you forge a path for yourself, one that puts you at the forefront of your own happiness and dismisses all else to the contrary, but know that you are the blood of my blood and you have my approval in your choices. I do wish you the best in your new marriage to Ms Montgomery.
Peacefully,
Emma Vanity
Ryan learnt that after her muggle husband's death, she took back her maiden name and though he was initially shocked to read of this new family member he'd known nothing about, he was swift in his reply and welcomed her into his home. When she learnt that Emmaline was with child and currently being seen by a muggle practitioner, she voiced her opinion on the matter and insisted that she take time off from her teaching at Hogwarts to personally attend to Emmaline's care in a way that befit the risks and the mix of muggle and magic concerns.
