Sirius pulled his Porsche through the northwest gates of Kensington Palace and parked, stepping out of the car and nervously straightening his burgundy button-down before grabbing the small bouquet resting on the seat beside him. A security guard directed him towards the entrance nearest Princess Diana's apartment. He took a deep breath before pressing the call button on the intercom.
"Yes?" A voice he didn't recognise replied over the static-y speaker.
"Sirius Black to see Her Royal Highness," he answered. And then remembered he needed to press the 'talk' button first, and quickly did so and repeated himself.
Di's warm voice crackled through the speaker in return. "Hello, Sirius, please, come in. I'm almost ready."
A soft buzz and the snick of the door's lock disengaging followed her invitation, so he pushed it open and made his way down the hall to the apartment door. A woman he vaguely recalled as some sort of secretary or personal assistant of Diana's stood in the open doorway. "Lord Black? Come right in and have a seat, Her Royal Highness will be just a moment."
"Thank you," he said, following her into the sitting room and perching on one end of the big sofa. He grinned and relaxed at seeing a half-built lego castle surrounded by several toy horses, green plastic army figures, and a small Batmobile on a table across the room, and tried to figure out what the little princes might have been trying to accomplish from the arrangement. He gave up when he heard a step and stood up to bow. "Your Royal Highness, you look lovely," he said, and presented her with the flowers.
Diana, wearing a flirty knee-length skirt and a lavender pullover top, blushed as she took the little arrangement of jasmine and bleeding heart. "Thank you, Sirius, these are beautiful," she said. Her brow crinkled in thought as she studied the bouquet. "Hmm… I know from your godson that in your culture, flowers have meanings, and I've looked up some of them. If I'm remembering correctly, the jasmine is something about grace, but I don't recall bleeding heart being mentioned in the book I found."
Sirius wasn't sure whether to thank Harry or jinx him whenever he next saw the child. "There are a few different meanings to jasmine; that particular variety means 'you are cheerful and graceful', which I expect most people in the UK would agree with. As for the bleeding heart, an older name for it is Venus' Car, and it means 'fly with me'." He glanced around, making sure none of Diana's staff were in earshot, and added, "Considering my culture, that's a literal invitation. I drove here in my car, but I've got my motorcycle shrunk in the boot and it's been enchanted to fly, if you'd care to try it sometime."
She blinked and laughed. "Good heavens! I might just take you up on that, but not tonight as I'm wearing a skirt. I'd prefer to be in jeans, or at least leggings, and not just stockings if I'm to go flying."
"I can understand that; I prefer to be in some sort of trousers rather than wizarding robes whenever I'm flying as well. Shall we be off, then?" Sirius offered his arm with a smile.
Di took it. "Lead on, good sir," she said with a chuckle.
They proceeded out to the car, where Sirius politely handed her in before taking his place behind the wheel. They headed to Annabelle's, where they spent the next several hours dancing, dining, and chatting about everything from the latest films and music to her sons and his godson. They only reluctantly left the club when they realised it was after midnight, and Diana had to make a public appearance in the morning. They relaxed in comfortable silence on the drive back to Kensington Palace, listening to the soft melodies of Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits cassette. When they arrived, Sirius walked Diana to the door of her apartment.
"I had a lovely time tonight, Sirius," Diana said. "Thank you so much for the invitation."
"Thank you for accepting," he replied with a smile. "I always enjoy your company. Perhaps we might do it again sometime?"
"I'd like that very much," she said. "We'll talk soon. Good night, Sirius." She gave him a quick hug, impulsively adding a kiss on his cheek. "Sleep well," she added, and vanished into her apartment.
"Good night, Diana," Sirius managed to say before the door closed. Smiling broadly as he touched his cheek, he walked back to the car and drove home.
The next evening, Diana returned from her public appearance to find a new floral arrangement waiting for her. She guessed from the unusual mix that it likely contained a message, and the notecard tucked into the arrangement confirmed it.
Diana,
In case your book doesn't have all the flowers listed, or if you don't know what some of them are, I thought I would also say it in writing. The sweet alyssum means you have worth beyond beauty, while purple pansies mean you're in my thoughts. The monks-hood stands for knight-errantry, lavender roses for enchantment, and the ferns indicate sincerity while the jonquils mean I desire a return of affection. In other words, you're an amazing woman and I would very much like to court you if I may.
Hopefully yours, Sirius
PS – look for an owl somewhere about. I told it to wait for a reply, so it's probably within sight of one of your windows, watching to see when you need it. Just tie whatever you're sending to its leg or let it grab it in its beak, and it'll return to me with the message… this is how wizards send their mail.
She blushed but couldn't deny an attraction to the handsome man. She realised that a relationship could prove difficult between the duties she still had to the Royal Family as the mother of the young princes, and his life in the wizarding world, but she wanted to try. If nothing else, she knew Sirius wasn't trying to get into her good graces to try to influence her sons in any way.
After a moment of thought, and re-reading the note once more, she grinned to herself and grabbed the book of floral meanings. "Right, so a red carnation for yes, and double asters mean I return your sentiments," she muttered as she paged through the little volume. "Bugger, asters won't bloom for another month or more. But I can do the carnation easily enough." She dropped the book and grabbed her personal stationery, writing a quick note and dropping it into an envelope. Next, she headed for a vase holding an arrangement of carnations and pulled out a brilliant red one, blotting the wet portion of the stem dry. Then she moved to the window and opened it, looking around uncertainly. Despite what Sirius had written, she still started a bit when a large short-eared owl launched itself from a tree in the garden and landed gently on the windowsill. Feeling a bit silly, she asked the bird, "Are you here to take my message to Sirius?"
To her surprise, the owl bobbed its head, gave a short, "Waouk!" and held out one leg which sported a bracelet and ties.
Diana carefully tied the note and the flower to the bird, and said, "Well, that goes to Sirius Black. I suppose you know where to find him? I can't imagine you deliver to a postal box, after all."
The bird burst out in a quick, "Too-too-too-too-too-toot!" that sounded almost like laughter and hopped back out the window.
Giggling, Diana closed the window and went to get ready for bed.
A short time later, a nervously pacing Sirius looked up as the wards indicated the passage of a post owl onto the property. He opened his own window and beamed to see the red carnation tied to the bird's leg. He relieved the owl of its burden and offered it a treat. It accepted and fluttered back out as Sirius opened the note.
Dear Sirius,
Just in case my book differs from the meanings your culture ascribes to various flowers, my answer is YES. I would very much like to be courted by you.
Affectionately, Diana
Harry hummed happily to himself as he waited for Lucy's parents to pick him up for the promised outing to Thorpe Park. Lucy had called following her oncologist visit, relaying the good news that she was not only still in remission, her bloodwork had shown marked improvement over her previous visit. Since Alton Towers was too far from Surrey to make it a day trip with her friends, her parents suggested they go to the nearby Thorpe Park instead. Dudley had sulked, of course, on hearing that his cousin had been invited, but Harry suggested that Aunt Petunia take him and one of his friends on a different day, "so that you'll have fun without me being around," and quietly slipped his aunt enough of his saved spending money to pay for their admissions. When she tried to object, he told her to consider the outing his birthday gift to his cousin.
When the car pulled up, Harry jumped into the back with his friend, grateful that Stephen had stopped by earlier in the day to renew his glamour on him for the occasion. Studying the book Sirius had found for him was helping him learn to control his new ability, but his hair still tended to change colour with his emotions, and he knew the excitement of his first amusement park visit would likely have it cycling through several colours throughout the day.
Lucy hugged him excitedly as he settled next to her. "Hi, Harry! We're going to have so much fun today! I can't wait! Oh, and since I've been in remission a full year now, Mum says I can get a kitten finally! Will you help me pick one out later this week? I know Paul shouldn't go to the shelter because of his asthma, and Surya leaves for India on Tuesday so she can't either. But you still have your tae kwon do classes, right? So you'll be in the village and near the local RSPCA shelter anyway."
Harry smiled. "Hello to you too, and sure, I'll help you pick a kitten if you want. Congratulations on being in remission for a year."
They pulled up to Surya's house, where the Indian girl's mother came out to meet Lucy's parents and ask when they expected to return home, and finally went and collected Paul from in front of his block of flats. They had to pause as his mum dashed outside to ask if he had his inhaler, which he did, and then they were on their way.
Lucy and Paul had been to Thorpe Park before but had been too short to ride the most exciting roller coasters. They hoped all four of them would be tall enough on this trip. The friends chattered excitedly about their holidays so far, and what they hoped to do at the park.
By lunchtime, the foursome had ridden all the roller coasters, and had gone on the log flume twice. They contented themselves with calmer rides for a couple of hours and played a few of the games. Harry won a small stuffed whale at one of the booths and gave it to Lucy, and Paul won a stuffed monkey which he gave to Surya. After one last go on the log flume, Lucy's parents declared it was time to leave, so they would have time to stop for fish and chips before heading back to Little Whinging.
Two days later, Lucy turned up at the dojang as Harry was finishing up his tae kwon do lesson. "Can you come to the RSPCA shelter with me today?" she asked once he had changed back into his street clothes.
"Sure," he replied, shrugging his backpack on. "Are we walking there or is your mum driving us?"
"Mum's outside in the car. She still worries that I'll overdo." Lucy made a face. "I'm surprised she didn't try to stop me from riding the roller coasters at Thorpe Park the other day. I suppose I understand why she worries so much, but it gets bothersome now that I'm doing so well."
As Aunt Petunia had never concerned herself with his well-being, Harry wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Maybe you could ask your doctor to speak with her, next time you have an appointment?" he suggested uncertainly. "I mean, surely the doctor would know what's safe, right?"
"Huh, I hadn't thought of that," Lucy admitted. "It's worth trying." She brightened. "But right now, I don't care. I'm finally getting a kitten!" She clambered into the car, followed by Harry.
At the shelter, Lucy's mother busied herself with the paperwork involved with a pet adoption while the two children accompanied a volunteer into the back to see the available cats and kittens. Harry held back a bit while Lucy darted between the cages, finally narrowing her choices down to a slender cream-coloured kitten with orange ears and tail or a super-fluffy long-haired silver tabby. She and Harry followed the volunteer to the 'meeting room' where the two kittens were released to interact with them.
"Which one do you think I ought to get?" Lucy asked after a few minutes.
Harry considered the two for a moment. The tabby seemed particularly energetic, pouncing at shoelaces and fingers, and trying to climb up his jeans. The creamy kitten had merely sniffed all around them curiously and then snuggled up against Lucy's legs, purring loudly. "I think that one," he said, pointing to the cream-coloured fuzzball. "The tabby is pretty, but it seems like one that will get into the rubbish and chew things it shouldn't. Plus I know from when I was younger and old Mrs. Figg babysat me regularly, cats with long hair cough up hairballs a lot… and usually in really inconvenient places like in your shoes or on top of the clean laundry you're in the middle of folding."
Lucy laughed. "Oh, Mum wouldn't like that very much." She picked up the little creampuff and inspected its back end. "Well, this one's a girl, and Mum did want me to get a girl kitten. She said the boy kittens are more likely to go outside the litter box. And I do like that she's snuggly."
"There you go, then," Harry said. He managed to catch the tabby long enough to check its gender. "And this one's a boy. So that's another reason for you to pick her." He let the kitten go again as it twisted around in his hands and attempted to gnaw his finger. "What are you going to call her?"
Lucy thought about that for a long moment. "Calla, because she's coloured like the calla lilies in my Gran's garden, all cream and peach."
Harry smiled. "That's pretty. Ready to go tell your mum you've chosen a kitten?"
"Sure, let's go." Lucy waited for the quiet volunteer to grab the tabby to return him to his cage, and then carried her chosen kitten up front. "Mum, meet Calla," she said, holding up her new friend.
Her mother chuckled. "Calla, is it? Well, she's cute enough, I suppose. As long as you like her, that's what counts. Ready to take her home?"
"Yes, Mum," Lucy replied. She coaxed the kitten into the carrier her mother supplied and kept talking to her new pet as they drove along, only pausing to say, "See you soon," to Harry as he was dropped off on Privet Drive.
Harry said his own farewells and headed into the house to see his aunt, her budgie chortling and chirping on her shoulder, just hanging up the telephone in the kitchen.
"Oh, Harry, that was Mr. Coyner who called," she said. "He asked me to tell you that your friend Daco? I think that was the name. Anyway, that your friend will be sitting placement examinations for your school tomorrow, and they'd like you to be there for moral support and to help answer any questions the boy might have about the school and such." She hesitated, but asked, "Is this boy… one of your sort?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, he is. He's been homeschooled before now, but his mum just had a baby and he'd like to give normal school a try. Stephen's been helping tutor him in general science, history, and maths to catch him up and make sure he'll be in my class."
"I didn't think your sort let their children go to normal school," Petunia said. "The Snape boy's father was normal, from what Lily told me, but his mother taught him at home rather than sending him to the school in Cokeworth. There's too much risk of something fr… well, of something happening, you know, like when your teacher's hair turned blue that time."
"Well, that is part of the reason," Harry said. "But also, for the ones who don't have family ties in the normal world, they mostly just don't realise schools as they are nowadays are a thing. Stephen says our lot seem mostly stuck somewhere between the Regency and Victorian times, as far as how things are done, you know? Like bowing and kissing ladies' hands when greeting them and things like that mostly, but it goes for schools and schooling too. Rich people have tutors and governesses and the like for the children, and poor ones just get taught by their parents."
Petunia looked surprised. "Really? Now that you mention it, I do remember the Snape boy bowed to us the first time we spoke. But of course, he mostly ignored me in favour of paying attention to Lily, since he'd spotted her using her… talent, in the play park that time."
"That wasn't very nice of him."
"I always thought he wasn't very nice in general. If he hadn't seen Lily… do what she did… I expect he'd have ignored us the same as he did everyone else. But I suppose he didn't want to make friends with other children only to grow distant from them once he went away to that school. What is this friend of yours like?"
Harry smiled. "Draco's nice, although he can come across as stuck up when he's nervous. His mum is my godfather's cousin, and they found out by chance that Stephen is distantly related to his dad. His mum got it into her head that Draco ought to know at least enough about the normal world to be able to find a policeman if he ever got lost there, and so they asked Stephen to take them out to visit the normal world, and that's when I first met him. We went to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and we shopped at Harrods and Waterstone's, and went to the zoo as well. Draco really liked the penguins, and thought it was brilliant that people can build places where they can live even though the climate here isn't suitable for them."
"Perky's a good birdie," the budgie interjected with a whistle, causing both Harry and Petunia to laugh.
"Yes, you are a good birdie, Perky," Petunia affirmed, making kissy noises at the bird and gently petting his chest. "And I agree with your friend, Harry, it is rather brilliant that we can build habitats for so very many different animals. Anyway. You'll be all right getting yourself to the school tomorrow morning? I won't be able to take you, as I've got an appointment at the uni. I'm looking into that computer course as you suggested, and perhaps one or two others as well. I decided I might as well go back to school at the same time as you and Dudley go."
"Really? Do you know what you want to study for?" Harry asked.
"Well, that's part of what I'll be discussing during my appointment. It has been years since I did my A-levels, after all, and I took a two-month secretarial course after those. I never actually wanted a career, you see. I wanted to be a wife and mother, and a help to my husband by being a gracious hostess, that sort of thing. I suppose I could have gone on to a proper uni and tried to catch a husband there, but, well… I never had the sort of looks to draw in someone who might think me an asset, especially since my accent back then marked me as coming from a working-class background. Anyway, I decided back then that my best bet to find the sort of husband I wanted was to get work as a secretary for a company with lots of young businessmen, and then focus my attention on the ones who were both single and hard-working. I worked at Grunnings myself before I married Vernon," Petunia explained. "Before he passed, I'd vaguely considered volunteering at a hospital or at church once Dudley was off to Smeltings, but now we'd be better off if I get an actual job again. But I've been a housewife for so long, I know I'll need some catching up."
"Catching up on what?" Dudley asked, coming into the kitchen in time to hear his mother's last sentence. "And what's for dinner tonight? I'm hungry."
"I'm going to need catching up on what's new in business, as I hope to go to work when you're off to Smeltings next year, Diddyums," Petunia said. "Harry's been asked by his tutor to go to the school tomorrow; another student of Mr. Coyner's is sitting placement tests and Mr. Coyner would like your cousin there to answer the boy's questions about the school itself… this other boy has done homeschool until now but wants to try regular school. I was telling Harry he'll have to walk to school, as I'm going to uni to see what courses I'll need. You'll be spending the day with Piers Polkiss at Thorpe Park. And for a treat, you don't need to completely follow your diet tomorrow while you're there… but no more than one ice cream and one sweet plus one helping of whatever afters get served with dinner, agreed?"
Dudley's face lit up. "Thorpe Park and I don't have to eat rabbit food all day? Thank you, Mummy!"
Petunia laughed. "You're welcome, darling. As for tonight, we're having baked chicken breast with brussels sprouts and something called tabbouleh that looked interesting. It's a sort of grain salad with cucumber and tomato mixed in. And pineapple bits in sugar-free lime jelly for afters. It's almost ready, so go wash up."
Dudley hurried to comply while Petunia returned Perky to his cage. Harry set the table and pulled the chicken and sprouts from the oven while Petunia got the tabbouleh and drinks from the refrigerator. Harry offered to help clean up afterward, to snickers from his cousin.
"You should stop hanging about with those girlfriends of yours, before they turn you into a girl yourself," Dudley laughed. "Or is it that poofter is really your boyfriend, and you just keep the girls around to fool everyone else? Did your tutor warn his other student about what a freak you are?"
Petunia whirled around from the sink. "Dudley Vernon Dursley, apologise to your cousin right now! Or I'll call Mrs. Polkiss and tell her to make sure you stick with your diet tomorrow instead of allowing you the treats I said you could have."
"But, Mummy, you know what Daddy said about boys who hang about with girls, and anyway…"
"Stop it right there, Dudley. Your father was wrong. I was wrong. Harry is not a freak, and you will be civil to him. Apologise, now!"
Dudley pouted and kicked the table leg, but when his mother picked up the phone, he grudgingly muttered, "Sorry, Harry."
"Apology accepted," a wide-eyed Harry said in return.
Petunia hung up the phone again. "Was that truly so hard, Diddy?"
"Yes!" Dudley answered. "Daddy died, and suddenly Harry isn't a freak anymore? Just because the Queen talked to him? I don't get it!"
"Oh…" Petunia sagged back, the sudden realisation that she'd done as poor a job raising her own son as she'd done with her nephew hitting her like the proverbial ton of bricks. "Harry was never a freak, Diddy. I was jealous of my sister, because she was prettier than me and had a talent I didn't have. She got a scholarship to a school for the gifted, and our parents were quite proud of her for it, and that just made me more jealous and resentful. Then when she and her husband died and Harry got left with us, I took my resentment out on him and that was wrong of me. As for your father, he didn't like Harry's father the one time they met, and he resented being asked to raise the son of a man he disliked. He took that resentment out on Harry and that was wrong of him. Only now I see that you learned from us to treat your cousin badly and that's wrong, too."
Harry slipped quietly out of the kitchen, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Dudley would listen and learn.
