A/N: Lots of little things happen in this chapter, and the first clues as to how Bastien was conceived are here as well. I know several of you are dying to know what happened there, only a few more chapters until the truth is revealed. Again, thanks for reading, and please take time to review. Mutt
Chapter 6:
Motives
Sirius POV:
Get your mind out of the gutter there, man. You've got to pay attention, but she looks so beautiful standing there, talking away...and I know what she's wearing under her damned robes and I just want to take her back to her office and...
"...there are still a few cases that are giving the Aurors some difficulty, those are the ones that we have left until the very end of the process. We've started with the cases that are the most clear cut, as well as the ones where evidence is the most solid," Anwen told the Council, and I knew that I needed to pay attention.
"Do we need any additional securities in place? For when we bring the prisoners into the courtroom?" Augusta Longbottom asked and Anwen smiled at her gently.
"They'll be shackled and magically bound, each with an Auror escort. Few will be taking the stand, although it is their right to do so. We've got several members of the Hit Squad present in the courtroom as well. Security should be tight enough, and, I happen to know that our new Minister isn't someone you want to tangle with, he's quite good in a firefight," Anwen added with a bright smile, and the room had a small chuckle to break the mood. "If there's nothing else then, I believe that we should be headed in. Thank you Chief Potter," she said politely, trying not to laugh at having to use James' title to his face. The rest of the Council left the room, leaving just James, Anwen and me. I wrapped my arms around my wife.
"I don't know that I can sit there and watch you argue the case, and not want to grab you and hold you," I whispered in her ear. She rolled her eyes at me and looked at my best friend.
"Do you think Padfoot's too old to have him neutered?" she asked. James broke out laughing hard and I looked at her, shocked and unable to form words.
"You know you love it, Winnie," James rebutted. She just smiled that fakely innocent smile of hers.
"Darling, it's too hard to concentrate when I know how beautiful you look under those robes," I told her, and she turned and looked at me, gobsmacked.
"Last time that you're picking my knickers out," she told me, and untangled herself from my arms. "Let's at least attempt to be professional here?"
"You ready for this to start?" James asked her, and Anwen took an unsteady breath and nodded.
"We need for the trials to begin, it's the only way to put the last few years behind us, but...I just hope that we're prepared enough. I know that some of these people are going to mount a rather strong defense, even though what we have evidence of them doing is beyond defending," she told us quietly. "Come on, let's go," she said, starting for the door. I watched as she moved her right leg, slowly but with greater fluidity. She had been given the stage two leg last week and was happy to have a knee that bent again, as well a prosthetic that resembled flesh. Her carved cane was in her other hand, which she used when she was alone; right now, she kept her hand in the crook of my arm.
"You're going to Malfoy Manor this afternoon, correct, to talk with Bastien?" she asked as we walked from the Conference Room to the lifts down the hall. James was walking with us, and Cedric quickly joined, walking behind us when we left the room. Assistants were not allowed in the meetings, so Cedric and James' assistant, Percy Weasley, would often sit in the outer office area, ready to jump up and get whatever information their bosses might need.
"I am, and Andromeda is coming with me; just to make sure that I remain calm and even–tempered. She wanted a chance to talk with Cissy," I told her, and she smiled gently at me.
"That's good, I'm glad that you're getting this over with before Narcissa's trial begins later this week. I feel badly that he's getting caught up in all of this, so soon after loosing his mother. Do you think that there's any way you'll convince him to move out, get his own place?" She asked and I gave her a noncommittal shrug of my shoulders in response.
"I don't know Winnie, I just don't know. It's not like I have a lot of sway with him; from what Renoir said, she always told him that I didn't want him. I didn't even know that he existed," I told her quietly and she stopped and reached up to touch my face in the way that always brought me comfort.
"My sweet love, we'll make it better, I promise," she said before she stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed me. We made it to the lifts and our entourage filed in. We stood quietly for a moment, and then Anwen turned to Cedric. "You've brought my Council book, correct? I have a feeling I may need to reaffirm the Council's role, even though King has stated very clearly that the power of the Wizengamot lies with the Council, not with him."
"I have it, Anw..Solicitor...are we alone or are we with people?" Cedric asked her, and her face burst open with happiness at his question.
"My dear boy, the only person I'm not related to in some way on this lift is you, so there's no need to be formal. Now, about my tome?" She asked again and Cedric nodded at her.
"It's here, as well as the Magical Law Compendium," he told her and we were quiet again. As we reached the bottom level, the other three filed off the lift, and then I helped my wife. Before we entered the courtroom, we ducked off to the side, and I pulled her into my arms again.
"Have I told you how much l love you?" I asked her, and she shook her head at me.
"Not today," she answered quietly, burying her head in my chest, and I could feel just how small and frail she was. I was still worried about her general health, and whether she was strong enough to be working this hard.
"I love you more deeply than I had ever imagined that I could. What you've done, what you're doing, makes me more proud than you could possibly imagine. I love you with every breath in my body," I told her and she looked up at me with hopeful eyes.
"It's almost over, right? Once these trials are done, it's behind us. Promise me," she whispered, and I put my lips to her temple.
"It is my love, it is. Come on, let's get going. It will be pretty obvious if you're late, sitting between the Minister and the Chief the way you do," I told her and she nodded and we quickly took our seats.
Anwen POV:
"You called this meeting, speak," I said harshly to Lucius, he was sitting across from me in the small conference room on the lowest level of Ministry detention. There were two guards in the room with us, as well as surveillance to the Auror's desk in the hallway. Renoir was also in the room, disillusioned, just for my greater safety.
"Anwen, must you leave me shackled while we speak? We're family after all," he asked me, lifting his hands that were in heavy chains and cuffs, to which were also attached chains to his feet. His voice was smooth and even, and it made my stomach turn.
"The name is Secretary Hodgson-Black, and we're not family. My husband and your wife share blood ties, but that does not make us family," I told him coldly. He'd called this meeting, but I would be damned before I would play into his games. We sat there looking at each other, neither saying anything. "Tell me why you called this meeting, or I'll be leaving."
"I wanted to discuss legal strategy with you. There are aspects of my case that confuse me," he told me, and I just continued to stare at him.
"That's the job of your counsel," I told him quickly and with no affect to my voice.
"Yes, well, since my assets have been frozen, securing appropriate counsel has been difficult. Those that I could afford have been, well, less than impressive. I will be arguing my own case," he told me, and I lightly snorted at him.
"You know, the Muggles have an old saying, 'The solicitor who represents himself has a fool for a client.' I never took you as a fool, Lucius," I answered, still unsure why I was here. He banged his hands on the table with a loud clank as the metal of the shackles connected with the thin metal of the table. Both of the guards immediately changed their posture, but I quickly shook them off.
"I am not a fool, you insolent little girl," he told me as he got his hackles up.
"I haven't been a girl in decades, but thank you for the compliment. Now, tell me why I'm here or I am leaving and your one court–provided meeting with the Prosecution has been wasted."
"Tell me what's happening with my wife and son," he asked, almost nicely. I took a breath and looked at him, and the slightest twinge of pity hit me.
"Narcissa's trial begins the day after tomorrow. There's strong evidence against her, and with attempted murder charges in there, prison time is guaranteed. We moved through two lesser Death Eaters in rapid succession today, and neither were given leniency. Draco will be in a few weeks, he may be able to avoid the new prison facility; but he will need to show some remorse; or someone will need to admit that he was forced into his actions," I told him. We all believed that Draco and to a lesser extent Narcissa were coerced by Lucius. He said nothing, so I got up to leave.
"You know, it's not over," he said in a sneer, and I turned around to look at him.
"What's not over?"
"All of this, the battle to take the Ministry back from those who would pollute it. You and your children aren't safe, Anwen," he told me, his voice as chilling and cold as in the memories that I had from girls who had been attacked by him. I stood there, taking in what he was saying. "We will be victorious, order will be restored. Sirius' son, Bastien, will be the key to that. He will bring about the restoration of the Black Family name, my dear wife saw to that. Anwen, did you really think that your husband was faithful to you? No pureblood can ever just have one woman satisfy him, anyway, it wouldn't be fair for us to deprive others in that way. Don't get too comfortable there little girl; you and your kind won't be in power for very long, and I will make sure that I exact my price on the heads of your little daughters."
I slammed my cane down on the table in front of him and he fell backwards in shock and the slightest glimpse of fear.
"Don't ever threaten my daughters again. This meeting is over," I told him calmly and turned and went for the door. I held it open long enough that I could feel Renoir slip out by me. We returned to the Auror desk, and I watched on the monitors as Lucius was returned to his cell, still shackled. "Did you get everything?" I asked the Auror monitoring the recording devices. He nodded at me.
"Good, make sure a copy is put into the file for his trial, and one gets put into the file of his wife. What an idiot. Renoir?" I called out and I watched as my friend and fellow Auror reappeared in front of me. I indicated the door, and we began to walk away.
"Have you found any evidence of Narcissa Malfoy's involvement in Bastien's conception and birth?" I asked in French, Renoir immediately began to account what he knew about the situation, also in French, so that others in the hall wouldn't understand. He hadn't, but he had decided that it was time to research that angle a little more. I answered him back in his native tongue.
"Sirius is there this afternoon, I need to know if there's more danger than we were anticipating," I told him and he nodded and trotted off. I quickly went to the lifts to return me to my office. It was early afternoon, and I was ready to head home and take a nap. I also had every intention of removing the memory of today's meeting from my mind. I was having enough nightmares, I didn't need to think about Lucius getting hold on my girls. When I reached the upstairs offices, James was in the outer office, speaking to Percy. He looked up at me, and he must have seen the concern in my face. He walked over to me, and put out his elbow, offering to walk me back to my office. I took his offer, and once we were in the room, I closed and sealed the door.
"James, what do you know of the financial state of the Malfoys?" I asked him. Lucius' comments about the Black family had me worried.
"Their assets are frozen. Why?" he asked me. I indicated that we should sit down, and we both did on the long sofa in my office. I rested my right leg on the small ottoman that I kept there for just such a reason.
"I was down in the holding area just now, Malfoy had called a meeting..."
"Anwen, if Sirius knew that you were meeting with him alone..." James interrupted me, so I did the same to him.
"I wasn't alone, Renoir was with me. Please, let me finish. He said that Bastien was the key to the restoration of the Black family name. I keep thinking that this has to do with the money. So really, what kind of condition are they in?" I asked again, and James shook his head.
"I don't know, not really. I know that they certainly aren't as well off as either Sirius or I are, but, I doubt that he would ever have invested in Muggle enterprises the way that we have," James told me proudly. I knew that they both had heavily divested their holdings in both the Magical and Muggle worlds; I just didn't pay that close attention to the extent of our families' wealth.
"James, follow along with me on this idea. Bastien was conceived and born in 1980, right around the time that things were getting serious between us, but after Regulus was killed. What if this is all about the Black family fortune?"
"I'm not following you, but go on," he said, so I took a deep breath and continued.
"In 1980, the Lestranges had some money, but their fortune was never that great. I remember when we brought them in, and we did a full accounting of their wealth in early eighty–four, Bella had really squandered most of their money. I got the feeling that it was gone for quite some time at that point, plus, they were housing Voldemort and all of his cronies. You know first hand how expensive it is to have a house full of people to feed and take care of," I told him and he smiled understandingly. We had many an argument regarding their unwillingness to take money from Sirius and me, even though they were feeding our whole extended family.
"In 1980, Orion was already dead," I continued, "Regulus was dead, Walburga wasn't young, wasn't healthy and it was unlikely that she would either have any more children or live much longer. There weren't many other family members, the only younger ones were the sisters. That left Sirius, who was seriously dating a Muggle–born. Bella and Cissy would have been looking at him as the only thing blocking them from the family fortune; but killing him outright could jeopardize the money. They couldn't inherit if they or their spouses were found guilty of the murder, and then Andromeda would have gotten it all, which would have been worse than Sirius having it. If they couldn't kill him, they could ensure that there was an heir," I told him. It was a theory that I had been thinking about for some time, I just hadn't wanted to mention it out loud. My meeting with Malfoy confirmed my suspicions.
"You think that they somehow orchestrated Bastien's conception? Anwen, you'd have to be very patient, the earliest that they could have gotten at the money would have been at his seventeenth birthday," he told me, and I nodded at him.
"Unless, Sirius met an untimely death at the hands of Voldemort or one of his henchmen," I suggested, and he nodded at me.
"If somehow Bastien was their ward, they would have been executors of his estate," James added, the plan dawning on him.
"Sure, ensure that the child was born properly, have his mother make Bella or Cissy his guardian if something were to happen to her, and then make sure that Sirius and Felli were killed. They didn't anticipate that Voldemort would go missing a year later and that they would have to live underground to avoid going to jail," I confirmed. The pieces were fitting together.
"Why Felli?" James asked, questioning the use of the young girl that they all knew from school. It seemed out of character for them.
"I don't know how or why they used her, but she was pureblood, and her father was a follower of Voldemort and close to Lucius' father. I can't figure out how it happened. Sirius has no memory of her, none whatsoever. He doesn't even remember her from school," I told James, who looked at me confused.
"How could he not? She was in NEWT Potions and Charms with us, and there were only like 13 or 14 students in the classes. We all worked with everyone else," he explained, and I remembered from my school days just how small NEWT classes were in some of the harder subjects.
"There's nothing there, which has me worried about his memories. Was she at all pretty?" I asked James and he nodded at me.
"She wasn't Lily, but she was pretty, certainly pretty enough that Sirius would have hit on her...oh sorry Anwen," he said, realizing that he was talking about my husband and not just his best friend.
"James, it was a long time ago. That confirms my suspicions, Sirius was nothing if not predictable. I need a strong, well trained Legilimens to search his mind, but someone who won't hold some of what they find in there against him. Perhaps King or Auror Kebe can do it?" I muttered aloud and James nodded at me.
"Why don't you?" he asked me, and I closed my eyes and shook my head.
"I know that there are things in there that Sirius doesn't want me to see. It's one thing to know about them, it's another to witness them first hand; we had a hard enough time dealing with the memories that I gained when our minds were open to each other when we were...well, in limbo for lack of a better word," I told James quietly. There were most definitely things in my husbands mind that I didn't want to see or know about.
"Anwen, you've got to tell Sirius about your suspicions," he told me quietly, and I nodded at him.
"As soon as I have firm proof, I'll explain it all to him. I can't do it right now, he's...conflicted enough over this. I don't want to make it worse for him," I told James and he nodded in understanding.
"He does seem to be bending over backwards to make amends for something that he may or may not really be responsible for," he told me and this time I agreed with him.
"There's some history there James, things I don't know if he ever told you or Remus about, but this situation, it makes him very uncomfortable," I told him, trying to be evasive.
"You mean about the children his grandfather ignored?" James asked and I looked at him surprised. I hadn't realized that Sirius had told anyone about them.
"Yes, when did he tell you?"
"Not long after Ethan was born, we were working on writing his will, so that you and Ethan would be taken care of, and that a fair share went to Andromeda and Tonks. He explained what happened, and why there was a clause written so that the Goblins could come to you, if information was ever found about other children, you or Ethan would have the ability to change the will," he told me, and I had such awe at my husband in that moment. We were quiet again, lost in thought.
"Oh Merlin, Anwen, we need to get out the book of Ancient Wizarding Law; the Malfoys may still be after the money," he said suddenly, and I looked at him surprised.
"What? How? What do you mean?" I stammered.
"Anwen, your children, they're considered half–blood, even though you and Sirius are both Wizards. Ancient Law states that if a pureblood child is born, they are given preferential financial treatment over any half–blood children. It was done in the day when a Wizard would marry a pureblood, but then have affairs and children all over. This way, the pureblood heir would retain the family fortune. Malfoy would know the old laws, as would Bella and Narcissa," James said, sounding somewhat embarrassed that he knew the pureblood laws.
"James, Sirius has already made a proviso for him. Bastien is getting twenty percent of his holdings. The remainder will be split between the other five, six when Stella's adoption comes through," I told him. I had filed her adoption papers before I had gone to do the interrogation of Malfoy.
"Anwen, you don't understand, he can go after it all. Anything that Sirius has inherited or earned since the date of his birth. Bastien can go after all of it," James told me, and I felt the blood drain from my face and my chest constricting. I put my head in my hands, and suddenly was having trouble breathing.
"Anwen, Winnie, what's wrong?" James said, coming to kneel in front of me, trying to look at my face. I picked my head up, but it felt like it wasn't attached to my body, and I couldn't focus my eyes on him.
"Can't" I said, between breaths that were now coming out in pants, "breathe," I finished the sentence. James laid me down on the couch, and then ran toward the door screaming something as the world turned black.
Sirius POV:
"You're doing splendidly, my little ladybird. Your daddy is going to be so very impressed," I heard Anwen say to our oldest daughter. They were sitting on a blanket on the lawn, Anwen, the girls and Edmund.
"I want daddy to be happy, he seems so grumpy lately," she said, and I crept closer to them quietly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.
"He's just had a lot on his mind. He's got important work to do with the Wizengamot and the trials, and he and Mummy are working on adopting Stella, and he has to try and take care of Bastien," she told them gently.
"Does daddy love Bastien more than he loves us?" Jamie asked her Mummy, and Anwen gently reached over and put a hand on the little girl's chin and lifted it so that she could look her in the eyes.
"Your Daddy and I do not love any one of you more than any other, it's just that Bastien needs a little more attention right now. You are, and will always be, your Daddy's precious angel, just like Lilyan is his ladybug, and Ethan is his Pup and John is is little golden snitch and Edmund is the twinkle in his eye," Anwen told them, repeating my nicknames for all of them. "Remember when you asked me why everyone wanted to hold Stella so much? What did I tell you then?"
"That no one had hugged her that much, so we were all trying to make up for the lack of hugs she had," Jamie answered and Anwen nodded at her.
"That's right. Bastien hasn't had his Daddy to hug him, or play games with him, so Daddy is just trying to catch him up, okay?"
My wife had such a gentle manner about her, and the way that she loved and talked to our children, it made for a perfect sight. I leaned against the tree and watched her. Edmund was up and crawling away, and Lilyan would go and get him when he wandered too far, and point him back toward the blanket and his mother. Jamie was holding Stella's bottle and helping her get fed and the two older boys were kicking the football around, not too close to hit their younger siblings, but close enough that Anwen could keep an eye on them. It all helped to put the nearly disastrous meeting with my eldest son in perspective. Lilyan lifted her head and saw me and screamed.
"Daddy," she yelled as she was running toward me. Edmund began frantically crawling toward me and Jamie had popped up and was on her way over as well. I scooped up my eldest daughter and threw her in the air, her beautiful dark curls flying around her face. "Fly my little ladybird, fly," I told her as she giggled at the height. I put her down and grabbed Edmund and threw him in the air, listening to his squeals of delight.
"Sirius, he just had his afternoon bottle. You might not want to throw him too much," Anwen said, just before I noticed that Edmund was turning green. I put him down, but not quite soon enough or far enough away as he proceeded to spit up all over my shoes.
"Yuckie, Daddy. Don't throw Eddie like that, he pukes too much," Jamie chastised me, and I couldn't help but laugh as I used my wand to clean up the mess.
"I guess he does, my angel. How was your day?" I asked as I picked my quiet little girl up and she threw her arms around me, hugging and kissing me.
"It was good. Ginny came and we went on a bug hunt and then we made cookies with Auntie Lily. Uncle James had to carry Mummy home from work, and then we've been out in the garden," she told me, and I immediately looked over at Anwen.
"Why did James carry you home from work?" I asked as I rushed over to her.
"I hyperventilated and passed out in my office. It was nothing. Boys, your father is home, come and say hello to him," she said, trying to change the subject. I wasn't going to let her off that easy.
"Anwen, hyperventilating isn't nothing. What happened?" I asked quickly as the boys were running over.
"I got upset about something and forgot to breathe normal. James woke me up, and brought me home. I took a quick nap while Lily and Ma had the kids and everything is fine. Healer Orlaf even said so when he came to check me over," she told me, still trying to sound calm.
"If it was nothing, then why was your healer here?"
"Because, you're nearly as worrisome as my Ma. Sirius, it was nothing. We'll talk about it later," she told me, and I knew that the conversation was over for now. John and Ethan came over, and told me about playing football in the yard most of the day with Harry and Evan. When the conversation died down, Lilyan came and sat down in my lap with her little book.
"Would you like me to read to you Ladybird?"
"No, Daddy. I'm going to read to you," she said, and I looked at Anwen, who nodded at me. Lilyan opened the little storybook and proceeded to read the entire thing to me. I looked at Anwen in surprise, she returned it with a knowing and pride–filled smile.
"Ladybird, that was...when did you learn to read?" I asked her, flabbergasted that our four year old was reading.
"I was watching Evan trying to teach Ethan, and Emma and I decided that we could do that, so we got a book and started reading," she said, as if it was as normal as the sun coming up.
"I am very proud of you. I was nearly six when I learned to read," I told her.
"What took you so long?" she asked. I sort of stumbled over my answer.
"Daddy didn't go to Muggle school like Harry or Evan, and like Ethan will start in the fall. Pureblood wizarding children used to be taught at home by their Mummys. Ask Ginny, she never went to school before she went to Hogwarts; although I did tutor her a little," Anwen told them and they looked shocked.
"But, they wouldn't have art class or music class," Jamie said.
"And there wasn't a library to go and take books from," Lilyan added.
"Did they get to play sports?" Ethan asked.
"Daddy, did you ever have fun?" John asked in his very John-like way. Anwen and I started laughing.
"No, I didn't study art or music -- when I met your Mummy she had to teach me. I didn't get to go to the Library, so I never knew how much fun reading could be. I played a little bit of Quidditch with my brother in the yard, but I didn't know anything about football or rugby or hockey and I had fun, but I think that you're having much more fun than I ever had," I told John as I scooped him up and started tickling him, just to hear his loud, booming laugh. Within moments, the oldest five were on top of me, tickling me to free their brother. When I got to the point that I couldn't take any more, I heard Anwen say: "That's enough, why don't you older ones go and get your brooms and take a little flight before dinner."
They trotted off, leaving us with the youngest two. Anwen handed me Stella, who I held close and gave a big kiss; while she held out her hands to Edmund who crawled over, grabbed onto her fingers and pulled himself to a stand.
"I didn't know that he could do that," I told her.
"He just started today. He's going to be walking soon," she explained as Edmund bounced up and down. "So, how did it really go today?"
"It was awkward and difficult. He isn't thrilled that I want to be in his life, he's upset that his mother is gone. He's spending way too much time with Draco for my taste; but, we did have a good talk and he's agreed to meet the children. I don't want him coming here, security reasons, so I told him that we'd meet on the Hogwarts grounds. He's going back to school in the fall, at Hogwarts, to do his seventh year. I stopped by and asked Minerva to come by after dinner to talk about it. I want to pay for his schooling, and his supplies," I told her and she nodded at me.
"Of course. What did you do about the inheritance?" she asked me, and I sighed.
"In the end, I took Targnof's advice, he won't get it until he's twenty-one. I did give him a bag of gold though, and told him if he needed anything else just to get in touch with one of us," I told her and she nodded again. "Winnie, he blames you for his mother's death, and he's taking all of his anger out on you."
"I don't doubt that he is. You don't want me to go with you when you introduce him to the kids, do you?" she asked in such a soft way, I knew that it was upsetting to her, but I was also thankful that I didn't have to bring it up.
"I think it would be better to leave you home, at least for the first meeting. Winnie, I hate to do this, but...I need to have him like me," I told her quietly, and my amazing wife reached over and took my hand.
"There will be time for him to get used to me, later. Right now, you need to be his father. Who are you going to take with you, because you can't handle all of these kids on your own?" she said and I nodded at her.
"I think that maybe if I introduce him to some students, it might be less threatening. I thought I'd see if Harry, Ginny and Hermione want to come," I told her and she nodded at me.
"No Ron?"
"Yeah, him too, but, he won't be much help; he doesn't really keep an eye on the kids. Minerva will be there as well. Thank you," I told her and she smiled at me and looked away.
"Will you take Stella?" she asked as she caressed the little girls head.
"I think that we'll start without the adopted sister, who's a werewolf, this time; going to have my hands full keeping up with the other five," I told her and Anwen nodded.
"Speaking of adoptions, I filed the paperwork to make Stella ours. It will take six months, and when it's done, there will be a blood and magic binding; but then she's our daughter. If all goes well, January 7, 1999, this little star will officially be a Black," she told me and I let out a whoop that scared Edmund and he looked at me with his bottom lip bent down, getting ready to cry.
"Come here, little man. Daddy didn't mean to scare you," she said, scooping the near one–year old up into her arms and hugging him. We talked for a while longer, but Anwen kept evading telling me what had her so upset that she had passed out over it, so I got nowhere with the discussion. It wasn't long before it was dinner time, and we were all sitting out on the patio eating. It was decided that since there were ten small children eating, the patio was much easier to clean up after they were done.
"So, I went by the new house today," I said nonchalantly, and everyone turned their heads to look at me.
"What? I didn't even know that construction was moving ahead on the house. There are things that I would like to have in it," Anwen said, sounding hurt.
"Anwen, they're just working on the outside right now, what happens with the individual rooms will still be left to you. Anyway, I was at the house today, and it's nearly to the point where you can come and see it. I wanted to build you the perfect home, my love. I think that you'll be happy," I told her and I watched as she started to cry.
"As long as I'm with you, I will always be happy," she whispered back before she kissed me.
"Oh, come on you two, that's just...gross. Please stop doing that!" Harry wailed and then Ginny reached over and smacked him.
"When we've been together for as long as they have, I certainly hope that you're still doing nice things for me, and making me cry," she told him, looking at him irritated.
"Of course I will Gin," he told her, leaning in to kiss her.
"Wait," I said. "Look whose being all gross and lovey dovey at the table now. Harry man, you're whipped and you are only dating!"
"Yeah, well, we're young. You two are just, old. Aren't you going to be forty this year?" he teased me and I looked at him while I cocked my eyebrow.
"Thirty Nine little man, just thirty nine."
"Big difference, Uncle Sirius," Ginny chirped in, and everyone was laughing at me.
"Maybe we'll just have to leave the young guy here tonight? What do you say Moony and Prongs? The Pronglet doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut," I teased. I knew that Harry very much wanted to go with his Dad and Remus and me tonight.
"That's not fair, you promised that I could go with you. I already know what I want and everything," Harry rebutted.
"Make me perfectly happy if he didn't go," Lily added, stabbing her green beans with a little too much force.
"Fine, Minerva said that she'd be here at quarter after seven tonight, and then we can go after I meet with her, all right?" I asked and everyone nodded. I pulled my pocket watch out and realized that it was already six-thirty. We needed to get dinner finished if I was going to do everything that I wanted to get done this evening.
Anwen POV:
"That won't be a problem, Sirius. I can make sure that his tuition bill is debited from your accounts. Now, you two, there is something that I need to talk with you about. I know that you are both busy with the Wizengamot, and with all of your children, but..." Minerva stopped and Anwen and I looked at her.
"Minerva, you can ask us anything. We're never too busy for you," I said, patting the older woman's hand.
"I was hoping that you'd say that. I find myself with Albus' perennial problem of not having someone to teach Defense. The position is no longer cursed, but, I still can't find anyone who is suitable to teach the course. I was hoping to convince the two of you to take it," she said, and I could feel Sirius' shock.
"You'd want me, in the castle, full time?" he nearly coughed out.
"Well, yes, that would be...we can schedule all of your classes in the afternoons, when the Wizengamot isn't in session. Sirius, you can teach the younger sections, first through fourth years; and Anwen, you could take the fifth through seventh. There would be more than enough students to sit the children while you're away or teaching, or if you wanted to hire a full time nanny we could provide them with their own quarters as part of your compensation. I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't backed into a hole. The Board of Governors isn't happy about reopening this fall, and if I don't find a suitable candidate for Defense, I know that they'll want to put off reopening the school..." she rambled.
"Minerva, you've clearly thought about this a great deal; and I am flattered, but I think that this is something that Sirius and I need to discuss. Can we come by for tea tomorrow, once we've had time to talk with each other and the rest of the family?" I asked her, and she nodded at me.
"Of course, I mean, you'd actually consider? Oh, Anwen, it would..." she told me, hugging me tightly, which was somewhat surprising; but I could feel the tension draining from her body as I held her, and I knew that I had already had my answer. "How about four o'clock? I can come here, it would be easier than trying to bring all the children through the floo," she said and I nodded at her.
"Now, I promise that we'll talk about it tonight, but Sirius has somewhere that he needs to get to, and there are several children who have been waiting to see you," I told her. Minerva nodded and Sirius kissed her cheek as he left for his evening out with the boys, making Minerva blush wildly. She and I went out to the patio, where she was greeted by a rather large chorus of "Grandma Mimi's" from all of the younger children.
Later that night, I was sitting in the lounge of the Manor with Lily and Tonks. Tonks had just finished feeding Teddy, and he was now changing his hair to match whatever color his mother was making hers. It was fascinating to see how quickly they could cycle through the colors. Lily was rocking Stella.
"You know, at some point, he's going to have to settle on one color, or he's going to confuse the heck out of his cousins. They don't understand why they can't change their hair color," Lily told Tonks, and she laughed.
"Yeah, Sirius was always jealous when he was in school that I could do my hair without looking in a mirror. He was funny when he was like eighteen and he'd come to visit my Mum. He'd watch me like I was some sort of a freak, this from the guy who changes into a dog," she teased and I couldn't help but laugh.
"So, they're going to stay here for the full moon?" I asked, changing the subject. Tonks bringing up Sirius' Animagus reminded me that the full moon was only two days away.
"James has reinforced the area in the basement, so that neither Stella or Remus can get out, but honestly, Remus has been so quiet the last few months, James said he had a hard time staying awake. He built a little paddock in the corner that Sirius and Stella can rest in, but it's still close enough that James will hear him if he's having problems. Ewan will be here tomorrow morning, in order to watch her and then work on tailoring the Wolfsbane for her," Lily explained and before I could ask her the question on my lips, we heard a commotion at the floo. The men were home.
"You didn't tell me that it hurt that bad," Harry complained, and I couldn't help but laugh at him, we all were. They tumbled into the room, all looking sheepish, and possibly, slightly inebriated.
"Harry, didn't they put the Healing Charm on you?" his mother asked, getting up to look at him, while laying Stella down in the carrier that was at her feet.
"Healing Charm? There's a Healing Charm?" he said, looking from his father to his godfather to his uncle.
"Yes, there's a Healing Charm. Let me see it," Lily said, slightly disgusted at the fact that her son had gotten a tattoo tonight. Harry lifted his shirt and turned so that we could see his back. There, across his shoulder blades was the most magnificent Hungarian Horntail dragon, breathing fire across his back. As it did, the flames would form a heart, with Ginny's name in the middle, and then it would dissipate, and the dragon would lie down, and rest for a while. Lily waved her wand over it, and Harry's back relaxed as the pain went away.
"Can you do this one too?" Harry asked as he lifted his pant leg, revealing a simple word, "Dobby", just above his anklebone on the inside of his left leg. Lily cast the charm over that one as well.
"I can't believe that they did that to you, and then didn't give you the Healing Charm," she said disgustedly at her husband. "Let me see what you got."
"We're all the same," James said, and all three Marauders turned their backs to us, and dropped the collars of their shirts down to show the rune for Guardian on the back of their necks, inside of the rune there was a stag, a wolf and dog. I put my hand to my mouth, and had to fight back tears. "They're perfect," I whispered, and Sirius came over to me. He ran his hands over my cheeks, wiping away the tears that had fallen from my eyes.
"I got two more, I hope that you don't mind," he said, and I shook my head at him. He pointed to the top of his head, near where his scar began, and there on his scalp was the rune for strength. My fingers caressed it, and I pulled his head to me and gently kissed it.
"You are the strongest man I know," I told him as I ran my finger down the rest of his scar, letting my hand rest on his cheek. "Let me see the last one."
He lifted the sleeve of his shirt up, and showed me where he had Bastien's name on his arm. It was just below his ring of pups for our children. I ran my thumb over it.
"Well done, love. Well done," I said, looking at James, hoping that I was hiding my fears and concerns from my husband well enough.