Chapter 7
Arcturus Black III, the current Lord of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, cut a tall imposing figure as he strode through the pathways of the ministry towards the DMLE. His impeccably cut black robes hung gracefully from strong square shoulders, his Wizengamot robes left behind in his private office. The click of his polished dragon hide boots and the tap of his silver topped ebony cane on the stone floors were the only noise he made on his journey. Raven coloured hair, liberally streaked with grey, framed an elegant pale face with high cheek bones and a straight patrician nose. Black well-trimmed eyebrows were lightly furrowed above the piercing grey eyes that his grandson shared, a clear sign that Lord Black did not want to be disturbed and with his determined stride Lord Black arrived at his destination un-accosted. There was no falter in his steps as he approached the main desk for the DMLE, Lord Black had the baring of a man who knew that he was above those around him and was going to get whatever it was he needed.
The main desk of the DMLE was a simple curved desk that separated the entrance to the department from the rest. Behind the desk a large room filled with Aurors moving between cubicles, seated at desks and generally looking very busy as the worked. Along the back wall of the bull pit area were a number of wooden doors, most of them too close together for there to be a conventionally sized room behind them, but that was what magic was for, fitting more into less. The slim brunette witch behind the desk nervously straightened her posture and tried to appear as competent as possible.
"Welcome to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, how can we help you today?" Giving her most professional smile the witch addressed the obviously important gentleman approaching her desk.
"I wish to enquire after my grandson, Sirius Black, how long will it take for his release to be processed?" Now even more nervous upon realising the identity of the gentleman who had approached her. Nodding quickly the secretary wrote a quick note that folded itself into an airplane and flew off into the general hubbub behind her.
"Certainly sir, I've sent a memo to the correct department, someone with the relevant information should be here soon." Nodding to the young witch Lord Black stepped back to wait.
Less than a minute later Sirius himself left a door located directly opposite the department entrance and was escorted down the clear central aisle of the bull-pen by Chief DI Pennifold. Nodding to Lord Black, Pennifold turned to Sirius, "You are now free to leave Mr Black, The DMLE would like to thank you for your cooperation during your stay here and we hope to see you back again in your proper position as a hit-wizard."
Shaking the offered hand Sirius nodded thoughtfully, "We'll have to see Chief, I've got things I need to get sorted at Gringotts and I need time to come to terms with everything that has happened."
"Understandable Black, I've spoken with Head Auror Bones and she's agreed that you have a month paid leave for personal recovery time, we'll need to know your future plans before that month is over." Recognising the dismissal in Pennifold's words Sirius nodded once before approaching his Grandfather.
"Grandfather?"
Lord Black had spent the time Pennifold spoke with Sirius to observe his grandson. He had grown in more ways than one since the last time Arcturus had spent time with Sirius. Though that was unsurprising as Arcturus hadn't seen his grandson since he was 15, before he ran away to live with the Elder Potters and cut off all contact with the family. Sirius had filled into his gangly teenage frame and now stood at an even height to Arcturus, 6'1". Muscles built from Hit-wizard training were visible in his tight fitting combat robes, not straining the material but clearly defined, an athletic build. Currently Sirius' dark curls were wild and unkempt around his face, grey eyes red-rimmed from the hysterics he had fallen into, normally pale skin was ashen as it covered the perfect bone structure Sirius had been gifted with. Even his manner and baring had changed in the few years since. Gone was the unconscious fidgeting that filled Sirius as a child, his inability to stay still as he rushed onto the next thing that had caught his attention, gone. In its place was a calm, determined young man that Arcturus realised he had no idea how to approach. Broken from his musing at being addressed Arcturus blinked once and refocused on his grandson.
"Grandson, are you well?" Raising an eyebrow sceptically, Sirius waited for his grandfather to continue. Coughing at the silent message to get to the point Arcturus continued. "I have been trying to contact you since you left your Mother's house ,we really need to discuss Family business."
"Mother," Sirius sneered the word, "made it perfectly clear that I was no longer to be considered a member of the Family when I left at 15. Now if you wouldn't mind I have business I need to conduct at the Bank. If it bothers you so much I shall have the Goblins remove the Black name from my titles and finalise her disownment." Considering the matter addressed Sirius stepped past his grandfather and continued out of the DMLE heading towards the lifts to the Atrium. Shocked by his Grandson's reaction and completely wrong assumption, Lord Black had to quick step to catch up with his grandson before he entered one of the lifts.
"That is not what I wished to speak to you about, my Heir." Sirius' head snapped round to face Arcturus, shocked to hear his grandfather address him that way. "I never agreed with your mother Sirius, you are still my heir and were never disowned. You cut yourself off from the rest of the family, Sirius. Now are you willing to discuss the Family matters that I need to speak to you about?"
Sirius spluttered for a moment thrown off balance by his grandfather. Sirius used the time to enter the lift to gather himself. "I,…Well I need to go to the Bank and I need to go now. I can't delay speaking with my account Manager any longer. I…um…I'm not sure when I'll have the time at the moment as I can't know what my future holds until after that…" Sirius trailed off as he realised he was rambling.
"If it is not a problem for you I can accompany you to the bank and hire a private room for us to have our discussion in. While there we can also retrieve the Heir ring for you and formally recognise you as the next Lord Black."
As the doors of the lift opened into the atrium Sirius nodded at Arcturus in agreement and the pair crossed the Marble floor together and left via apparition to Diagon Alley.
Iris Missed. She missed her Mummy and her P'ongs, she missed her Daddy, and currently she missed her Warm. Her Warm was new to the list of things Iris missed. What she had named as her Warm had only been with Iris since the Monster had thrown the Green at her Mummy and her Mummy had fallen down and not gotten up. When the Monster had sent the Green at Iris her Warm had wrapped itself around Iris and sent the Green back at the Monster. When the Monster got all burned like the dinner her P'ongs had tried to make once and then went pop like the bubble Mummy used to make for Iris her Warm made sure nothing touched Iris. Iris felt when the Warm grabbed something extra, Iris didn't like it at first she wanted the Warm to take it far away. To Iris it felt wrong, like the smell when P'ongs had been sick or the pile of mess Iris once found in the garden that Mummy said as a present from a naughty Daddy. Then the Warm had swallowed the bad feeling and Iris felt better about the extra when the Warm pushed it in to her body. It no longer felt like bad things but like hissy whispers and a secret she couldn't hear properly. Iris liked the feeling as it settled into her body.
Warm had stayed with her when Daddy came and picked her up. Not so tightly wrapped around her but still with her whispering little things to Iris. Iris was happy that Daddy had come, the whispers from Warm told Iris that her Mummy wasn't going to get up again, that Iris was going to be missing Mummy for a long time. Warm told her the Monster had made P'ongs fall before he found Mummy and Iris realised that she would be missing her P'ongs too.
Iris liked meeting the Elves in the house that felt like Daddy, but she didn't like that Daddy left her there and now she was missing Daddy again. She hoped she wouldn't have to miss Daddy for a long time too. Warm reassured Iris letting her know that Warm would bring Daddy home if she had too. Iris felt happier trusting in Warm but she still missed her family.
The elves where nice to Iris and she had lots of new things to look at and lots of lovely food even if there was nasty green things. Iris wouldn't eat the green things. She didn't like green. Then the elf that felt like clean and books took Iris to the big stone room and Warm told her she had to listen to the wrinkly big nosed man, that he was Important to Daddy and that Iris needed to do what she was told so that the Goblin was allowed to help her and the elves. Iris didn't like it when the elf made her finger hurt but Warm fixed it right away and Warm had said it was needed. Whatever happened next seemed to make the Goblin happy and her elf took her home again.
But now Warm was gone and Iris was missing everyone. She wanted her Warm and her Daddy, she didn't want this new elf that the clean elf wanted her to meet. There were big tears gathering in Iris' eyes as the Clean elf popped her back to the stone room. The tears slowed when she felt her Warm wrap itself back around her like a big hug and dried completely when she saw the 2 men sitting across the desk from the goblin Iris had met last time. One was really old and Iris had never seen him before, the other;
"DADDY!" Iris wrenched herself out of the elf's grasp and ran as fast as she could in her unsteady toddle towards him. Sirius barely had time to stand up before he could reach Iris and gather her up within his arms. Overwhelmed with everything that happened since the Monster came, and finally feeling safe in her daddy's arms, Iris broke down and cried her heart out into Sirius shoulder. Startled Sirius quickly started to rock Iris and to murmur comforts to her.
"Hush, hush…its ok…Daddy's here now….Daddy's got you. It's all okay now."
