A/N: Characters and world property of JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.

Merry Christmas, y'all! And Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Yule, Io Saturnalia, Happy Hogmanay, Happy Solstice, and many blessings for the myriads of other holidays people celebrate at this time of year! I'll try to post another chapter before January, but just in case, Happy New Year, too!

Beta Love: ambiguousgoldfish, the best beta in the world

Of Blacks and Boarhounds

By Zorak23

The corner of Severus' mouth quirked up in a small grin. "My apologies, sweet witch."

"Hrmph," was all she said when she laid back down next to him, snuggling up to his chest.

Severus smiled fully now that she was unable to see his face again, and pulled her tightly to him. "Thank you, Lulabelle," he said softly.

Lulabelle smiled as well, then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Fifty Nine

July 8, 1992

"Harry, I have a letter to send along with yours to Miss Granger. Please instruct her to deliver it to her parents; you may explain that I am requesting a meeting with them, should you wish."

Harry looked up at Severus from across the breakfast table. Chewing quickly, he swallowed before answering, "Alright. Do you want me to tell her not to read it first?"

Severus shrugged. "You may. She shan't be able to open it herself so I do not see the point, but go right ahead."

The boy snickered over his bacon. "Did you just spell it, or did you prank it?" he asked, carefully attempting to keep his expression innocent. "You're really quite good at pranking, sir."

Severus rolled his eyes, and Lulabelle snorted. "We'll work on your puppy dog eyes, sugar," she commented dryly. "They could use a lil' practice."

Kritter popped in and handed Severus a letter. "Owl came for Master Lou," she said. "It be waiting a reply."

"Thank you, Kritter," he said, reaching out to take the envelope from the elf and inspecting the seal. "Ah, Madam Longbottom has finally responded. Excuse me, if you would; I need to answer her immediately." Severus stood, absently kissed Lulabelle's cheek, and walked out of the room.

The pair at the table watched him go, then Harry asked, "Madam Longbottom? Why is Neville's gran writing to Severus?"

Lulabelle smiled at the boy. "He sent her a letter 'bout helpin' ya learn everything ya need to know about bein' an Heir, remember? She's probably just askin' for more information."

"Oh, right," he replied, turning back to his food.

Soon after breakfast, Poppy arrived in a flash of green flames. "We'll have to be quick about it this morning, little lamb," she informed her patient. "Your Professor and I have a staff meeting at the castle at ten o'clock, and it's already past nine."

Once Harry had been weighed, measured, and found to be progressing quite nicely, they gathered in the sitting room to wait for Remus to arrive.

"I understand you will be joining us today, Lulabelle?" Poppy said.

When the tiny witch nodded, Severus said, "Yes, I've received an owl from Lucius; he stated that the Board of Governors will support having the Lost Black Child educated at Hogwarts. She'll be on an accelerated program, of course; we'll have to make arrangements for that today, as well."

"You'll be at school with me when term starts?" Harry asked excitedly. "Will you stay in Gryffindor tower, too?"

Lulabelle laughed at Severus' scowl. "I think ya mean Ravenclaw tower, sugar. And I don't have a clue where I'd stay. Guess I figured I'd just floo home everyday…"

"Nonsense. You shall stay in my quarters," Severus said resolutely. Lulabelle snickered at his tone.

"Guess I'm stayin' with Lou, then," she laughed.

"Brilliant," replied Harry. "Can Sinaka stay in my dorm room? Wait—will he even be allowed to come?" he asked worriedly. "He's not on the approved list of familiars…"

Poppy chuckled at his words. "Exceptions can always be made, little lamb, but it won't be necessary in this case. Sinaka is a magical creature. Separating him from his bonded would be less effective than trying to herd Kneazles."

"Oh good," Harry said as he slumped back in his seat, relief clearly visible on his face.

Kreature walked into the room and announced the arrival of 'Master Harry's nanny,' making Severus snicker and Harry flush with embarrassment. Poppy tried to hide her amusement when Lulabelle elbowed Severus, and Remus finally entered the room with confusion written all over his face.

"Sorry 'bout that, Moon Pie. The elves seem to pick up on our nicknames. Lou here just thinks he's funny."

Remus chuckled at her words, and nodded towards Severus. "Better than 'Master Lou,' I suppose," he said, making the other man glower.

"That reminds me," Harry spoke up. "Remus, do you know if my mum was Neville Longbottom's godmother? Er, we found out that Neville's mum was my godmother when we went to the bank, and I just thought that maybe my mum was his, too."

Remus rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he sat down. "I think so," he replied. "I do know that they had discussed it prior to your births, and had been planning on naming each other godmother to their children. I wasn't there for the ceremony, however; I had already started working with the packs… whilst I cannot say with certainty that Lily was Neville's godmother, I can say that no one told me that the plans had changed. I would assume that she was, Harry. I'm sure Madam Longbottom would know, if Neville himself is unable to tell you." Harry nodded, a small smile present on his face.

"You may be able to ask him tonight, Harry," Severus said. "In my return missive to Madam Longbottom, I invited the two to dinner this evening."

"Ya did?" Lulabelle asked in surprise.

"I did, after turning down her request to join them this evening at Longbottom Hall."

"Oh, good plan," the tiny witch replied. Seeing the confused looks on the others' faces, she added, "We're not takin' Harry anywhere near Neville's Uncle Algie. Asshole dropped poor lil' Neville out a window, tryin' to make sure he wasn't a squib." She turned to Severus and said, "We probably oughta make sure he's at least supervised around Neville, too."

"We will, sweet witch. Just, allow me to be the one to question Madam Longbottom, please. She's… very traditional."

Lulabelle huffed. "I can be nice! Unless she's okay with child abuse—"

"I do not think she is, but accusing her outright of negligence is not the way to go about it," Severus replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I understand your point, and I agree with it, however I believe we should proceed with caution whilst broaching the subject."

Lulabelle folded her arms and stared pointedly at the man.

"And should it turn out that he is not in a safe place, he shall stay here until other arrangements are made. We won't allow him to return to an abusive home," Severus stated firmly. Lulabelle grinned and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Ya say the sweetest things, Lou," she replied.

Harry smiled softly at the exchange. 'Everyone is wrong about Severus,' he thought to himself. 'He really is a good person.'

Poppy cleared her throat and said, "We best be off, dears. Can't have Severus late for the staff meeting."

"Aren't you to be there as well?" Remus asked in surprise.

"I suppose technically," the matron replied. "I usually spend the July meeting taking inventory in the Hospital Wing, and the August meeting arranging the new supplies. Lulabelle is going to stay with me until the end of the meeting when Severus announces that the Lost Black Child has been found."

The trio stepped out of the fireplace in the Hospital Wing one by one, Severus staying close to the hearth to assist Lulabelle. "I wish we could have given you a better 'first view' of the castle," Poppy said regretfully.

"No, no; this is amazin'!" Lulabelle replied, looking around in awe.

"Oh pish," the matron replied. "We'll give you a full tour after the meeting. Severus, you best be on your way."

The tall man curled his lip, broadcasting his thoughts on the upcoming meeting. "I will endeavour to stay awake throughout the meeting, Poppy. I've no idea why Albus insists upon the July staff meeting being so close to the end of term." He sighed, then leaned down to kiss his witch. "Don't get into too much trouble," he whispered in her ear. "It wouldn't do to get detention on your first visit at the school."

"Hush your mouth," Lulabelle whispered back, grinning slightly as she looked back at the matron, who was pointedly not paying attention to the couple. Severus smirked at her, then with one last kiss, took his leave.

Poppy brusquely wiped her hands down the front of her apron and said to Lulabelle, "Now then, dear, let me show you around the Hospital Wing…"

As the meeting drew to a close, Severus cleared his throat. "I do have one… small… piece of business to present."

As everyone's heads turned to face the normally dour man, he continued. "First, I must remind you that the oaths we all have taken regarding students' privacy applies to potential students, as well."

Nods were seen around the room, and Minerva said, "Of course, Severus. No one here would violate those oaths!" Severus smirked a bit at the touch of offence he heard in her tone.

"Very well. Thank you for humoring me in that regard," he drawled, then took a breath. "It seems that the Lost Black Child has been found."

Silence rang, jaws dropped, and the room collectively held its breath. "I'm sure you all remember that Narcissa Malfoy was a Black before she married Lucius? I have a letter from him, stating that the Board of Governors will support Miss Black in attaining her education at Hogwarts, should you all agree to teach her. Apparently she was raised as a muggle, and has no knowledge of our world."

Murmurings started softly at first, and then louder. Pomona exclaimed, "We certainly will teach her, the poor dear! Wherever has she been all this time, Severus?"

"I rather think she should tell you herself, Pomona. She is currently in the Hospital Wing with Poppy. They have become quite close," he replied. "I wanted to be sure of her reception before bringing her to meet you. I… worry… what could become of her, should her only introduction to the Wizarding world be through the Malfoys…" he said leadingly. Inwardly, he was grinning like a madman. Severus had seen the calculated gleam in Albus' eyes at the mention of the Malfoys; there was no love lost between the two men. The idea of keeping an 'innocent' away from Lucius' clutches would both appeal to the old man and encourage him to accept her sight unseen.

"Shall we put it to a vote?" Albus asked, eyes twinkling merrily. "All those in favour of educating Miss Black here, where she should have been all along?"

'Ayes' were heard around the room. "Any nays?" Albus asked, disappointment visible on his face at the mere thought of anyone saying nay.

"Wonderful! Let me just Floo the Hospital Wing, Poppy can bring her in right away. We shall have to arrange quarters for her…" Albus said, speaking mostly to himself at the end as he rose to walk to the fireplace in the staff room.

"Where is she living now, Severus?" asked Minerva.

"Grimmauld Place, the old Black Family home," he answered, settling back in his chair as the other professors gave him their full attention. "After having her identity confirmed at Gringotts, she found she had inherited the bulk of the Black Estate."

Hagrid whistled. "That should set the lass up right," he said, remembering the two Black brothers and their time at the castle. Neither boy had lacked for wealth.

The corner of Severus' mouth quirked up; he remembered Lulabelle's non-reaction to the news. "Yes, quite," was all he said in reply.

"If Gringotts confirmed her identity, there can be no doubt," Filius said thoughtfully, then his cheeks pinked. "Not that I doubted you, Severus! Just that, well…"

Severus snorted at the small man. "No offence taken, Filius. It is quite an unbelievable story; I do understand."

"Does she know about her family?" Pomona asked quietly.

Severus nodded. "She does—" he was cut off by a knock at the door. He rose to open it for the two witches, then quickly turned to watch Albus' face as he realized exactly who the Lost Black Child was.

"Welcome, welcome," the headmaster said, rising from his seat in the staff room. "We are most pleased to welcome you to… Hogwarts…" he trailed off in shock when Poppy moved to the side and he finally saw the witch's face.

"Nice to see ya, Albus!" Lulabelle said cheerfully. "And did ya see how we knocked on the door before we came in? Might oughta remember that for the future," she added with a wink. Severus grinned wickedly as Albus paled.

"Albus? You know this witch?" Minerva questioned, surprised.

Before he could respond, Lulabelle said with a smirk, "Oh, me and Albus go way back. Why, just the other day he walked in on—"

"Yes yes," Albus said, cutting her off quickly. "We've met once before. I'm… pleased… to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, my dear. Although now that you're to be a student, I must insist that you use my title, as opposed to my first name," he said sternly, faux regret twinkling in his eyes.

"Aw, that's cute. I'm afraid I'll have to decline, sugar. Ya see, I have a strict policy of bein' on a first name basis with everyone who has seen me nekkid."

It was all Severus could do to keep himself from dancing on the spot in glee at the gasps he heard from around the room. The memory of this moment would power his Patronus for years to come.

"Yes, quite. Er, once again, welcome to Hogwarts," Albus said, stumbling over the words and ignoring the incredulous stares from his employees. "I'm afraid I have some rather pressing business to attend to in my office, so I shall leave the remainder of your introductions to Professor Snape. Good day," he finished, before quickly rushing out of the room.

Once the door was shut behind him, Poppy started snickering. "I haven't seen the old coot move that fast in years, my dear. Well done!"

Lulabelle snorted. "Teach him to just walk right into someone's house without knockin'," she grumbled. Severus stepped towards her and wrapped his arm around her waist, much to the shock of everyone in the room. "So what all have ya told 'em so far, Lou?" she asked quietly.

"Just that you're the Lost Black Child, that you live at Grimmauld Place and have inherited the Black Estate, and that you know about your family. There wasn't time for much else before Albus called for you," he informed his witch. "Shall I begin the introductions?" At her nod, he turned to the room. "May I present to you all, Miss Alula Black, the Lost Black Child. She prefers to go by the name her adopted parents gave her, however; Lulabelle Blackburn."

"How-do, y'all," Lulabelle added with a small wave. Severus squeezed her waist, noticing her nervousness. No one spoke for a moment.

"But you're American," Hagrid blurted. "The Lost Black Child was British!"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose while Lulabelle snickered. "She was raised in America, Hagrid," he sneered.

"Blimey," the large man said, his chair creaking under his weight as he leaned forwards. "Is that where yeh've been all this time?"

"Yessir," Lulabelle replied with a smile. "Apparently my… father asked one of the house elves to take me to the Order of the Phoenix to keep me safe. Y'all remember what was goin' on at the time, I'm sure," she said, seeing nods from many in the room. "Only she misunderstood and took me to Phoenix, Arizona, instead. My folks found me in a park there and thought I'd been abandoned. They ended up adoptin' me, but I never knew I was a witch. Another thing my elf misunderstood; she bound my magic. When I almost died in a car accident, the block was broken and I somehow managed to accidentally apparate to Cokeworth where I met Lou here." Lulabelle turned her head towards the man standing next to her and smiled up at him. "He helped me figure things out and gave me a place to stay, and even took me to the bank where we figured out who I really was. He's just the sweetest man," she gushed, making him shift awkwardly.

They'd discussed earlier how much to tell the other professors, but Severus hadn't been expecting her to praise him in front of his colleagues. It wasn't that he disliked her commendations, just that, perhaps, he wished she wouldn't voice them in such a large group.

"Yes, well," he said, hoping to move the conversation along. "I suppose now you need introductions to everyone else. You already know Poppy, of course—"

"Oh, I betcha I can guess who's who!" Lulabelle exclaimed, bouncing by his side. Poppy smiled at her antics.

"What these two have forgotten to mention is that our Lulabelle is a Seer," she informed the group. "She's known of our world her entire life; she simply thought she had an over-active imagination."

At this, a witch stood and walked towards them. "A Seer?" the tall, thin woman asked. "I suppose you claim to be skilled in the art of Divination, then?"

Lulabelle grinned up at the witch. "No ma'am, not at all. Didn't think for a second that all of this was real," she replied.

Large eyes, magnified by thick glasses, peered down at her. The woman swayed slightly, her many gauzy shawls giving off the faintest whiff of alcohol. "I see," she said disdainfully. "So you know nothing of crystal gazing, numerology, or palmistry?" Lulabelle shook her head no. "What about tessomancy?" she demanded.

"Calm yourself, Sybill; your rudeness will not be tolerated. And as I had to teach her how to brew a proper cuppa, I greatly doubt Lulabelle knows the first thing about reading tea leaves," Severus sneered, his expression making his feelings for her subject known.

"Don't be a dick, Lou; Professor Trenlawney is amazin'!" Lulabelle said, swatting his arm. Sybill blinked at her, unaccustomed to being defended. "She's got the gift of Second Sight and makes accurate predictions all the time. She just doesn't have the gift of interpretation."

Sybill appeared unable to respond. Minerva stepped forward and said, "I beg your pardon?"

Lulabelle smiled kindly at the stunned Seer, then focused on the elder witch. "Obviously all the 'death predictions' are just for show, but Sybill here makes true prophecies, as well as usin' all the other fancy things like tea leaves and tarot cards and whatnot. She's incredibly skilled at non-verbal magic, duellin', and Charms, but because she wasn't gifted with the ability to interpret her visions, y'all think she's a fraud." Lulabelle shrugged. "I Saw this woman magically and non-verbally throw a crystal ball at a werewolf, knockin' him clean out, just to protect one of her students. Sybill's a badass, she just teaches a subject that really only applies to students with a specific gift."

Once again, the room was silent. Suddenly, Sybill lurched forward and hugged the tiny witch. "Is there anything else you can See, my dear?" she asked once she'd released the smaller woman, only to grasp her by the shoulders. "Anything at all? Cartomancy, or dream-interpretation, maybe?" Lulabelle snickered and shook her head. "Perhaps you've Seen something using Astrology?"

Lulabelle was about to make more denials, when suddenly a thought struck her. "The only thing I know about Astrology is that when the moon's in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars," she said with a wide grin. Severus snorted beside her, recognizing the words.

They were both shocked by the Divination professor's reaction. Sybill clapped her hands together in glee, hugged Lulabelle once again, and kissed her cheek. "You brilliant, brilliant witch!" She kissed her other cheek, then grabbed Severus and kissed his cheeks as well. "Thank you, thank you so much!" Sybill cried. "I need to go, I have calculations to make, I must consult my charts…" she rushed out of the room, leaving a trail of smokey perfume and the scent of sherry behind her.

"Oh, no," Lulabelle said under her breath, and started to go after the other witch, one arm stretched out as if to catch her. Severus gently grabbed her other arm to keep her from leaving. "Oh, Lou, what have I done?" she fretted, horrified by the reaction she'd received.

Severus, on the other hand, was failing miserably at not laughing. His snickers gave way to full-blown laughter as soon as the Staff Room door had closed. The other professors and the school matron all looked at the pair as if they'd lost their minds. "What was that?" Poppy demanded.

"It's a song," Severus managed through his laughter. "From a muggle musical in the late sixties. And Sybill thinks…" he broke off laughing.

"I didn't think she'd take it seriously!" Lulabelle exclaimed. "I figured everyone knew that song; it's a classic! Oh I feel just horrible," she finished, and Severus wrapped her in his arms. She pressed her face to his chest in shame, then smacked him twice in the arm. "And quit laughin'! I told ya not to be a dick!"