A/n I will remind everyone that there is going to be DUMBLES BASHING as well as some SNAPE BASHING! My understanding that meant they are portrayed in the worse possible light, just all-around Asshats. Messages telling me they are out of character are NOT welcome. I know they are not exactly like they are in the books, which is why I am saying BASHING! If it's not for you, please don't read. I've gotten more PMs raging about my portrayal of Dumbles then I did reviews, please keep the warnings in mind while reading! I'm going to place the same warning at the beginning of the story as well, to avoid more confusion. Thank you! ENJOY
PS; and to the one person who reviewed with the critic, thank you for your politeness it was a breath of fresh air!
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Hermione put the final touches on her experimental potion and left it to simmer for the day. She and Draco had tried a number of options to remove the Mark on his arm. They agreed after several painful attempts that, a potion would be the best option. They had figure out that the Mark was based in a Ward Rune series. Hermione could not identify it no matter how much research she gathered. Luckily it was not just her working on it. Remus and Sirius often put in their two cents when available. They liked to spend as much of their time as possible playing with Dorea and Harry. The two Potter children had been catching up on quality time with their family.
Remus took over most if not all the managing of the Potter estate while Hermione and Draco focused on the issue of his being Marked. Once that was settled, it was a matter of time before they took the Wizarding world by storm. The Longbottom patriarch had declined visiting Potter Palace and introducing Dorea and Neville. The reasons he gave were thin veiled accusations of Lineage Theft and child abduction. Hermione had been wrong when she assumed Neville's parents leaned more toward his grandmother's way of thinking. She should have known when they allowed Dorea to be given to someone else on Dumbledore's reassurances.
Hermione was thinking of another way to come at the family that would show them, the newly appointed Head of the Potter House were legitimate despite claims to the otherwise.
Lysandra Pearl Crouch was a surprising ally. She sent an owl that was forwarded by the Bank, asking for an audience with the Potter House. Crouch was likely looking a marriage contract. House Potter was powerful and the male Head of House was unwed. Hermione imagined that soon enough she would be fielding endless letters of introduction from any number of young women in the Wizarding World. Hermione doubted Harry would choose to marry at all. Rather he'll likely select Dorea or one of her own children, should she choose to have them, as his Heir. However, Hermione was not going to turn away a possible ally in the daughter of the current Minister of Magic.
"Any luck?" Draco was perched on a seat in the library, a place he could often be found recently. He would not tell her what he was doing, only that it was important to taking Dumbledore down a peg.
"You're in here a lot." Hermione quietly walked over to her office and opened the door, wanting to take a break from the mark and work on the Potter family tree. She had many of the books that allowed them to repair the Black Tapestry, and she wanted to make a similar one for the Potters.
"Well, with Black pulling you away so often, this place is easily the best place to be alone." His voice was cheery, clearly laughing at her. Her relationship with Sirius had not slowed down since his appearance, if anything it only became more intense. They could not be in a room together without some part of their bodies touching, usually it was a hand, or hip, but when alone, it was much much more.
"Joke all you want, but don't think I haven't seen a certain Remus Lupin leave your room every other morning." Draco blushed, and returned his gaze back to his book. "And, to answer your question, the potion will be ready to test tomorrow."
"Ugh." He set the book down and rubbed his arm whining. Each attempt hurt more than that last, or so he said. Hermione knew how much of a baby Draco was when it came to pain. She did take that into consideration and checked the Mark for changes between every attempt. She was worried there was some kind of self-destruct feature to the Mark, but doubted it. Old Voldy would never dream of his possessions betraying him. He was the betrayer, not the betrayed.
"Quit being a baby." She paused in her slouch over the family tree template, "Did you want me to check it again?" He shrugged. Sirius had subtly taken over the Black family Lineage, shutting Narcissa off from the vaults and properties. Hermione had been greatly surprised and turned on when Sirius showed that he may have been a rebel, but he paid attention and learned every lesson his family taught him. Andromeda was reinstated, as well as Squib cousin Hermione was unaware, he even had.
Sirius wanted to meet with Narcissa and see how open she was to the changes he would be enacting as new Head of House Black, still debating disowning Mrs. Malfoy. Her views would be the deciding factor, and he was only giving her a chance because of Draco. The Malfoy Heir had quickly found his way into the heart of the Marauder, by turning a blind eye to his little pranks, and helping Hermione and Harry after the war. Draco had proven a good friend, and that went a long way with Sirius Black.
Sirius had immediately reached out to Andy once he had control of the estate to settle her reinstatement as well as giving her access to her dowery vault and a family vault for the care of Nymphadora. He had received a very well worded owl that politely told him to shove his gold so far up his arse that he would see and taste in nothing but that color. Sirius smiled at the letter fondly and set out immediately to see the only family he liked. He returned several hours later with a black eye, homemade cookies, a promise of assistance with managing the estate, and a Proxy for the Black seat. With Dora starting Hogwarts, Andromeda was happy for the distraction.
Harry was quickly learning that the Black family estate was larger and more expansive than the Potter Estate. Sirius had hands in every fortune in many Pureblood Vaults, due to marriage, blood, Oath, and much, much more. Harry asked him once if he could enter Bellatrix's vault without her permission, even though it was a Lestrange Vault. Sirius had laughed and said, once she was convicted to Azkaban, the Lestrange Vault was forfeited to the Blacks, provided it was claimed.
Marriage contracts had terms and by getting arrested her husband and herself, could not meet them. In this case, to produce at least one male child. This was especially true in this world, since all those Mark were given the Kiss.
Andy and Sirius first act after joining forces was to claim the Lestrange estate and several others from lines that were either dead or locked away, through the Black family estate. Sirius had washed his hands of managing his estate, leaving it all to Andy's capable hands.
Last, he had heard, she hired a law firm and several assistants to get everything UpToDate. She also had their Vault manager and Hermione to seek advice from. The Goblins were pleased to have so much Gold actively making more Gold, again. Goblins hated when Purebloods started hoarding their wealth instead of using to grow the size of their vaults.
Remus worked as a go between for the Black and Potter Lineages, often jumping from Potter Palace to the office Andy set up in Diagon Ally. Nymphadora, who even at eleven liked to be called Tonks, was more and more often found playing with Harry, Dorea, and Sirius in the Potter Palace garden. Andy was caught up on the truth of their situation and had a good laugh at the thought that soon the Wizarding World would be knocked on its head and no one knew what was coming.
Harry later found out that he could not claim anything that was already not under the Black family control when Sirius died. He was his heir, but he was not a male Black, by magic, blood, and name. Harry and Sirius agreed, Pureblood rules were stupid.
Still Narcissa had invited Sirius and the rest of the Potters to Malfoy manor, wanting to make her case to the new Head of House Black. While she did not need the claim, Narcissa had deep family loyalty. Harry did not want to go, and Sirius was inclined to side with him.
Harry was hopeful for Narcissa for Draco's sake. He wanted his mother back in his life, even if she never knew that she indeed his mother. They planned for a dinner at a neutral location for their eventual meet up, since they would not let Mrs. Malfoy on the Potter estate, and Harry would never ask Hermione to enter Malfoy Manor ever again. A date had not been selected, because Hermione hoped that they would have Draco's Mark removed and he could attend. While Narcissa could lose the Black family support, she would not risk the Malfoy one as well.
All of this led to Hermione standing on the doorstep of Grimmauld with Sirius beside her, his face tight in hatred. She knew kreacher had the locket, and she wanted the elf with the evil of it, for as little time as possible. Sirius grumbled out yet another complaint and grunted when Hermione elbowed him in the gut.
"What did you promise?" her voice was filled with warning.
"Be civil to Kreacher." Sirius huffed out, arms crossed. Hermione knew that on some level he would not treat Kreacher like he had in their time, since he knew that he would not be forced to stay in the Grimmauld, and deal with his screaming mother. "What's with the paint tin?" He had asked multiple times why she was bringing a paint tin, with the label ripped off with them to the house.
"You'll see." He huffed like a child denied a toy, but stopped asking.
They entered the house slowly, Hermione expecting traps or something awful for the first people to enter Grimmauld once the Lord and Lady of the manor were dead. Sirius remembered there really not being any traps until further in the house, from when he cleared it with Remus before Harry's summer after fourth year. Still, they were being cautious. The two Marauders did not have a Muggleborn with them at the time.
"KREACHER!" Sirius called out, once they were safely in the house with the door shut. Well as safe as one can be in the home of two paranoid, blood purists. Sirius groaned as the portrait of his mother sprung to life and started throwing insults at them. Sirius threw the spell he knew all to well, and the curtains slammed shut. He cast the sticking charm, knowing that in their time, it had been done so often that it no longer worked, but here it was fresh and new and would last at least an hour; without further disturbance. Sirius repeated the elf's name sternly, but not as loud.
"SHAME TO HIS MOTHER..." Hermione silenced him, and looked toward the portrait, happy that she didn't move. The first stick charms worked a dream.
"Hello Kreacher, we have a proposition for you." The elf frowned at Hermione's voice. "You see, we want to help you destroy Regulus's locket." Keacher's eyes widened, and drifted upstairs, likely to the cabinet she knew the locket to have set before being stolen by Dingus. She lifted her spell.
"Mudblood Mistress wishes to help Kreacher?" Sirius growled at the word Mudblood, but Hermione gripped his arm and hissed a reminder of his promise. He scowled and crossed his arms, looking at the portrait with open distain.
"Yes, you see, the locket has something very nasty in it. We know how to destroy it. We just need you to give it to us."
"I promise Master Regulus... I promise to destroy it... try... tried everything I's knews. Nothing work. Won't break." His went off whispering to himself, before slamming his head into the wall. Sirius laughed, Hermione slapped him upside the head, and Kreacher popped away. Sirius went back to staring at the curtain hiding his mother, as Kreacher returned with the locket. "Please, destroy. For Master Regulus." Hermione nodded and had Kreacher dropped the locket in a box she had warded and enchanted to hold the Horcrux, with Harry and Draco's help.
"Kreacher, why did you called me Mistress?" She was watching Sirius tense next to her.
"Master bonded with Muddy blood Mistress." His hissed the words out as if the fact hurt him to say.
"Bonded?" She was smiled wide, feeling a joyful at the expense of her companion.
"Yes. Yous being Mistress Black, Bonded to Shame to his mother's flesh Master." Hermione nodded with a laugh.
"Kreacher I'd like you go to Potter Palace and report to Dobby. Let Harry Potter know you are there. You will obey him as well as the rest of the residents of Potter Palace. Is that understood Kreacher?" He nodded tugged on his ear, with a sad look around and popped away.
"You want that thing in our home!" Sirius raised his voice for the first time since entering the house, and Hermione turned on him.
"Yes, I deplore the enslavement of House elves, but to release him would be Cruel! He's old Sirius, just let him live with the rest of his life, being treated kindly!" Sirius started pacing.
"You haven't changed at all. He is not worth your compassion, Kitten."
"Some would say the same about you." Her voice was even. "He was mistreated and manipulated to be the way he is. With love and guidance, he will be as loyal to us as he was to Regulus."
"Fat chance of that."
"I've seen it! Sirius, Kreacher loved Harry! He was more loyal to him than many others. Kreacher would have died for Harry! Just like Dobby did!"
"YOU'RE FULL OF SHIT!" The dead Mistress Black awoke to Sirius screaming and began her tirade at the last scion of House Black. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" before Sirius could turn his wand on the portrait, Hermione opened the tin and threw the entire contends on to it and the wall around it.
"Racist, useless, barely paint, soulless!" Hermione went on and on screaming insults back at the portrait, until Walburga was silent. Hermione was taking in deep angry breaths, casting a quick spell to cleanse the air of the fumes from the liquid now seeming to move on to dissolving the wall, after finishing with Walburga.
"What... what did you do?" Sirius was staring at the empty frame that housed what was left of his mother. His mouth hung over and his body reflecting his disbelief.
"Oh Sirius! I'm so sorry! I should have let you do it! That was my plan." She rambled on, but Sirius wasn't listening.
"You... you melted my mother." His voice was breathy, stopping her endless chatter.
"Yes? I mean... I should have let you. That's what I planned when I brought the Paint remover... but she was being..." She was cut off as Sirius grabbed her face roughly and kissed her. It wasn't pretty, all teeth and tongue, filled with an uncomfortable amount of passion.
"That's the hottest thing I've ever seen." He gasped between dominating her mouth. One hand pressing in her hair, keeping her face pinned to his, while his other hand tugged on the top tucked into her jeans she had decided to wear for looseness. Now Sirius was finding it as easy to remove as she had his mother. He pulled away long enough to toss it away from them. Hermione mourned the top for a moment at it landed in the puddle of paint removed pooling below where Walburga had been hanging. Sirius would not let her think for long, as he tipped her head and began kissing and sucking her neck, with the same unbridled focus he used to kiss her.
Hermione cursed as his hands moved to her jeans, easily undoing the button and zipper, yanking them down with enough force to take her knickers with them. With a quick move that took her breath away, he had her on her back, right in the entryway of Grimmauld. Her eyes locked on the melted painting of Walburga, bringing her back to the now.
"Sirius! There's... likely Traps!" She tried to get his attention, but he just waved her off, working his way down her body, tasting everywhere he could reach on the way down. He moaned at he pulled her legs to either side of his head, biting lightly with his teeth on the inner part of her thigh.
"We know this area is fine." He licked his bites, "I'm not waiting to get you home." She moaned as his fingers drifted against her hip moving toward the center only to change direction at the last moment. Hermione wiggled her hips, completely giving in to the idea of Sirius having his way with her while the empty frame watched.
She arched her back, unhooking her bra, knowing that the sight of her bare before him would drive him spare, and hopefully stop his endless teasing. He pulled back watching her free her breasts, hypnotized before his hand found her core and slipped a finger inside. His thumb was drawing lazy circles around her clit, while he watched her squirm in frustration. A second finger joined the first and he pushed a little more pressure into his thumb's circling. Hermione groaned, trying to press into him, but being stopped by a hand on her hip.
"Sirius..." She attempted to spread her legs wider inviting him to give her exactly what they both knew she wanted.
"Oh Kitten, remember, you have to tell me what you want." His voice was thick with his own lust, but still he kept up the frustratingly slow pace.
"Damn it Sirius, more, I WANT MORE!" She barely finished speaking before he pressed in a third finger and his thumb flicked the sensitive bunch of nerves. She cursed loudly as she came, her hips bucking on his hand, right in his face.
"I wish my mother was here to watch me desecrate the Noble House of Black with you Kitten." He buried his face between her legs, his tongue, teeth, and fingers giving her no time to come down as she crawled her way back up the hill to ecstasy again. Hermione let out a colorful string of curses that would have made Mad-Eye-Moody blush, as Sirius devoured her.
He pulled away as she was gasping from her second orgasm, undoing his belt.
"Normally I'd make you beg for it, Love, but I don't have the patience." He tossed his belt onto the pile of clothes growing atop the paint remover puddle, and tugged his own jeans to mid-thigh, freeing his cock. She let out a lustful sigh, opening her legs on either side of his hips, bracing herself for him. "So. Fucking. Amazing." He lined up, mumbled a lubrication charm, and slid inside her with a moan. "Merlin, yes. I fucking love you, so much." He growled out the words as he rocked his hips into her, hands braced on the floor, as she arched up to meet him with every thrust, gripping his forearms for leverage.
"Love. You. Too." She breathed out each word between gasps as he filled her again and again with each rock of his hips. "Hard Siri, please. Please. Please." She repeated the word over and over and he picked up pace and she lose her voice to moans. He shifted his hips, freeing one of her hands to thumb her clit, begging her to let go. Hermione never one to ignore instructions, especially such wonderful ones, fondled her breast, and wrapped her legs around him as she found her peak for the third time. It was painfully wonderful. Sirius entered her a few more times, shallow, before giving in himself. He was gasping above her, eyes locked tight as he rode out his own pleasure. "That could have waited." Hermione was the first to speak, glowing in the after high of a good fuck.
"Marry me." His words were thick with emotion. Hermione stared at him for a solid minute speechless. "I... I... mean only if you want to." He tried to move away from her but was trapped in her legs, which she tighten.
"Yes. Yes. YES!" She leapt up wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him hard. Needless to say, they did not leave Grimmauld for several hours.
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Hogwarts, unknown underground dungeon
Dumbledore walked down the stairs, only he knew about, deep into the belly of Hogwarts; his wand lighting the way. The infernal thing had starting acting up more and more as of late, not that he didn't have enough to deal with. The unknown Black coming behind him and claiming the Black Lineage was a great set back, almost as great as more Potters coming out of the wood work and taking Dorea from him. At least he had the Longbottoms, by the neck, and the Weasleys weak and poor as they are. But their advantage is their numbers. Weasleys made for some powerful wizards if brought up properly. Properly respecting him. He stopped at the third cell on the left, ignoring the others, empty or occupied by the dead.
"What bring the great Dumbledore to visit? Surely there nothing else you can take from me?" Dumbledore brought his wand forward and illuminated the face of one Regulus Black. "What Headmaster?" The words were filled to the brim with venom. "Can't find the Horcrux?" Dumbledore sent a stinging curse at the young Black, watching with satisfaction as the sarcasm was wiped from his face.
"Everything was going swimmingly, until you had to take it." Dumbledore put his wand away letting the dark settle in as he stroked his bread. "Tell me Regulus, why another Black was able to claim your Lineage, while you, the supposed Heir still live?" Regulus gasped at the knowledge, but remained silent. "It's wise to answer when your Headmaster speaks to you."
"I'm hardly at school anymore." Dumbledore sent off a wandless curse, watching and taking little pleasure from hurting a boy who used to be his student, or so he told himself.
"If only you'd stayed on your path." Dumbledore sighed in disappointment. "You'd be Kiss rather than stuck here with me." Regulus didn't stand up this time, but remained on the ground.
"I don't know why. Magic is... mysterious; Family Magic especially." Regulus frowned, looking into the darkness. "If Sirius is dead, I should be the Heir..."
"That clearly is not the case."
"Maybe, Black Magic sees me as unsuitable to be Heir and selected someone else." Regulus was trying to wrapped his head around another scion of Black, claiming what should be rightfully his. Though he smiled at the thought of Dumbledore never getting his hands on it. Without the Black Magic, he would never gain access to Grimmauld and thus Kreacher would have time to destroy the Horcrux. He gasped as another stinging curse cut off the thought.
"I'll just have to see to this new Black as well." Regulus bit his lip fighting off a laugh as Dumbledore left him in the dark again. Dumbledore may have been able to catch him, since he was already exhausted from fighting off inferni and drinking poison, but the Black Family Magic was thrumming for a scion that had the Will, Heart, and Blood to wield it against their enemies. If it chose a different Head of House, that person will be all of those things. Dumbledore would not know what hit him.
Regulus paused his thinking and listened; he swore sometime he could hear hissing beyond the wall of his cell, just on the other side. As a Slytherin it didn't bother him so much as fill him with curiosity. What would a snake be doing down so far beneath Hogwarts?
"You should just give him what he wants Reggie." Snape at become a head ache to the young Black. They had been friends in school and lovers for a few months after, before Regulus went rogue on their Dark Lord. Regulus was still certain that Snape had been the one to tell Dumbledore where he would be the night he went after the Horcrux. He had told no one else, besides Kreacher.
"I cannot give him, what I do not have Severus. If he wants to Black Magic, he has another to contend with." Snape huffed, annoyed. It was the sound he made when given the wrong answer.
"You are the Heir, with Sirius dead..." Regulus could hear the smile on Snape's face as he uttered the words that hurt Regulus more than thoughts of his own death. "You are the last Black, in Blood and Name."
"Yes, well, there is evidence to the contrary." Regulus turned his back on his once friend, and gazed at the dark stone of the wall. He did not know how long he had been here, but he would be damned if he talked to those who trapped him.
"If you wish to speak to me, my friend, you know how." He pointed to a thin rope, hanging just inside the cell. It rang a bell on Snape's desk, or so he said.
"Fat chance." Snape followed his new master out of the dungeon and Regulus was left to wonder, who exactly took over House Black.
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A/n I'm sorry this took so long to get out, I struggled greatly with writing it. There are a variety of reasons for it, not one is over the others. I think I worked through it, so the rest of the story should come up in a timelier manner. There's only two chapters left! I apologize again for spelling/typos, I am doing this alone and things slip through. THANK YOU