Author's Notes: I'm having a blast writing this story, and I hope you're enjoying reading it too. Thanks to everyone who is out there. MNF

Chapter 7:

Vote

James and Sirius arrived at the Ministry offices at seven-forty-eight on Tuesday morning, having had a full English at James' home. He'd wisely warned Lily that Sirius would be arriving the next morning to quell his nerves before the big vote that day. After watching Sirius nervously eat, then pace, then eat more, then pace more, she decided to make a few fire calls after the gents left.

Just about an hour later, a knock was heard on James' office door. To the surprise of both men, Junie stood there. "Juniper, what are you doing here?" James asked her as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Your wife called me and said Sirius might need a few familiar faces in the gallery today," she explained as she entered. "Remus and Marlene and Lily will be here shortly. She was trying to get in touch with Peter and Dorothy, but she couldn't reach them. She was going to try their shops." Peter owned a store in Hogsmeade, which sold Quidditch and Hogwarts gear and memorabilia. Dorothy worked as a designer at the Hogsmeade flower shop. With the Christmas holidays over, the two might have taken some time off for a holiday somewhere warmer, as they usually did in January. They weren't good at letting their friends know where they were. The couple was private to an extreme.

"Don't you have classes today?" Sirius asked, feeling a bit calmer now that she was here. He took her hand and was happy to see his bracelet there.

"I only have my sixth- and seventh-year NEWT class today," Junie answered. "Believe me, they'd much rather have a period to work on their projects than sit and listen to me lecture."

"What are the projects on?" James asked.

"One problem which the Muggles have invented an ingenious way to solve, where we could take cues from them. The example I used was moulding food. We use Protective or Stasis Charms, but if you don't cast it tight enough, the food still moulds. Muggles use things like plastic wrap or containers, which generally have a more fool-proof seal. I'm hoping they're better than the third-year book reports I've been reading."

"Charlie is in that class, right?

"Yes, and his was fine, although he wrote about Treasure Island, which I know he'd already read, at least he had read it. Some of the reports it's painfully obvious they hadn't."

"I can't believe you came," Sirius said, brushing the hair on the right side of her face behind her ear. Junie leaned into his touch. They had spent three hours talking in her quarters the night before, and he'd discovered he liked how her hair felt between his fingers.

"Lily said you were a bit of a mess this morning. I assumed I might be able to help." Junie was hesitant while she talked, unsure how much Sirius might have spoken with James about or if he was still teasing his mate.

"You definitely did," he confessed before leaning in to put a chaste kiss on her lips. "I need to go in. Are you ready to announce our relationship?" The press would be waiting, and if he walked in, holding her hand, it would be news.

"Would you be upset if I said no? It's only been five days since your name showed up, and I just don't know if –" Sirius stopped her with a kiss.

"I understand. Go now; we will follow in a few. Can I find you when the session breaks?" he asked.

"I'll be with Lily." Another kiss, slightly longer than the first two, and Junie left with a smile and blush due to the grin on James' face.

"Not a word James Winthrop Potter, not a word." James nearly started laughing as the two left his office and headed to the Wizengamot Hall.

"You're actually a bit flustered around her."

"I am not; I just…she's different from anyone I've ever known."

"Yet you've known her since we were eleven."

"Quiet, she's worried about the press, okay?" Sirius suddenly looked very sincere.

"Yeah, no problem," James answered, surprised about how concerned his friend was.

When they left the DMLE offices, the press outlets were there, including a few foreign papers. Questions were shot at Sirius in quick succession, reminding him of the guns he'd seen in a movie the guys had gone to see. He wasn't sure where to turn, so he held his hands up and whistled.

"Everyone, my comment has not changed since you asked me last night," he yelled. "Let's see what the Wizengamot decides, and then one way or another, you will have a new Chief Warlock to interview."

"Witch Weekly here," a young witch with heavy eye make-up said. "We understand you were at the Leaky Cauldron over the weekend on a date. Care to let us in on who might have captured our country's most eligible bachelor?" Sirius froze for a heartbeat before he spoke.

"Half the population is female," he said deftly. "I was out with someone I've known since Hogwarts. Now, I have a meeting I must attend." With James following, Sirius pushed through the crowd until he reached the lift, which would take them to level nine. Once inside the lift, Sirius leaned back against the wall. "Glad she didn't leave with us."

"I'm just trying to figure out how 'Most Eligible Bachelor in the UK' went from Harry to you. You're a bit more grizzled than your godson."

"Be careful there, buddy; you're the one with grey hairs at your temples." Sirius shot back.

"My wife thinks they make me look distinguished."

"You two are sickly in love."

"The next time you are Junie are with each other, hold up a mirror; you're just as bad."

"Don't say her name!" Sirius whispered forcefully, and James nodded.

At the Department of Mysteries level, they changed lifts to reach the Wizengamot chambers. There were a few well-wishers, people who wouldn't or couldn't be allowed into the proceedings, and Sirius took their words gratefully. Arthur Weasley slipped into the cage to ride down with them.

"Are you ready for the vote today, sir?" Arthur asked.

"Don't you 'sir' me, you're my cousin," Sirius said. "I'm as ready as I can be. If I am chosen to serve, I will continue in the vein I have been." It was because of Sirius the Weasleys had their seat back. They'd been labelled blood traitors in the forties and spent fifty years unable to get their seat back – mostly because the fees for doing so were designed to make it impossible for a family of moderate or lower means to do so. Sirius changed things, so it wasn't about money, but rather merit and a vote of the Wizengamot. Arthur regained the seat with ease.

"You have my vote, regardless of being my cousin," Arthur said. "I don't recall the Wizengamot accomplishing so much in our sessions. It's a good thing, too, because we need to modernize our society."

"If it were up to me, I'd move away from wearing robes too," Sirius remarked, feeling weighed down by his plum robes and the ridiculously heavy medallion he had to wear.

"I agree with you there," James said. "Although we'd still have to wear suits."

"The suit and tie don't bother me; it's the yards of fabric that billow around me. I look like a bat when I walk, and I can't move quickly in them."

"That would be a change," Arthur said as the lift came to a stop.

"Move our dressing out of the dark ages," Sirius added before watching the door open and stepping out into the throng awaiting his arrival. He moved directly to the open doorway and slipped inside. Most of the family seats were already filled; the appointed personnel were the ones who met him and now quickly filed in. He looked up to the gallery to find Junie, and just as she said, she was sandwiched between Marlene and Lily, Remus on Marlene's other side. Molly Weasley sat next to Lily. He smiled at Junie, who bashfully smiled back and then hid her blush behind a curtain of hair. With one final deep breath, he took the last step to the high seat and sat down. With a bang of the gavel, he opened proceedings.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," Sirius started. "We will begin our day with the election of a permanent Chief Warlock or Witch. Three names have been put forward, are there any others?"

"Why are we voting when we want you to stay on?" a voice called from the appointees' side. These were mostly people who had important jobs within the Ministry, including the Minister for Magic, as she was a half-blood, members of the DMLE, and others. Professor McMichael was here to represent Hogwarts. He was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and new head of Gryffindor. The person who sat in the Hogwarts chair changed, based on who wasn't teaching when the Wizengamot was in session.

"Thank you, whoever said that but we will be following appropriate protocol, and the vote is called. Are there any last-minute candidates?" Sirius waited for a few moments. No one was added. "Then you have the three previously named candidates. Madame Selwyn, Auror Shacklebolt, do either of you wish to speak before we vote?"

Kingsley shook his head, knowing it was nice that he was nominated, but he wouldn't win. He was even younger than Sirius, although only by a few years, and there were questions about Black's age. Madame Selwyn stood. She was a tiny woman, standing just four-feet-nine-inches, and might weigh eighty pounds soaking wet. There were first years at Hogwarts who had more heft than she did, but Jenivive Selwyn did stand, although it was hard to tell, and spoke.

"While I am honoured to have been nominated to be the Chief Witch of this body," she started, "I do not feel that I am the best candidate for the job. Lord Black has seen us through several difficult changes in the last year, the loss of Albus Dumbledore after more than twenty-five years leading us and the changes at Hogwarts. He is the man to lead us into this new century. We must modernize our society, or we will fall into disarray and disappear altogether. Any of you who were intending to vote for me, I ask that you throw your support behind Lord Black." The little witch sat, and no one was sure what to do.

To everyone's surprise, Kingsley stood. "I am not as eloquent as Madame Selwyn, but I agree with everything she said. Sirius knows wizarding law and societal norms inside and out. He is fair and even-handed, and we have thrived under his leadership. I throw my support behind Lord Black as well."

Sirius was stunned. He now had no candidates running against him, but a vote still needed to be registered. He quickly excused himself and allowed his assistant, Percy Weasley, to conduct the vote. There were just four abstains; otherwise, the body voted unanimously to retain him for a ten-year term as the new Chief Warlock. When he took back his seat, a standing ovation rang through the room. There was only one set of eyes he wanted to meet, and he did. She gave him a quick thumbs-up. Sirius returned the motion, although his hand was at his side when he did it.

An eagle-eyed junior reporter from The Daily Prophet who was only there to record facts, so a more senior reporter could write the story, noticed the new Chief Warlock's motion. He then followed the Chief's eyes up to the bashful blush of a woman standing with Mrs. Potter and the Lupins, known friends of Black's. Is she the new Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts? he wondered. This might be worth investigating. Could Lord Black finally be settling down? What a story that would make.