Disclaimer: See chapter 1 (Spoiler, I own nothing in this story)
Saturday Morning, September 2, Gringotts Bank, London
"Lord Black, your room is ready for you and your party," the goblin who opened the door informed. Xander and Giles had been going through all the property listings for the last hour, and still had not finished. Most of it was undeveloped, but there were several houses, manors, and vacation homes that needed renovations. Luckily, there were two houses in London that they could stay at. Unluckily, they probably didn't have 5 star services like their hotel. Knowing that they will have time later to finish the book, the two gathered their notes and prepared for the reading.
"Who will be attending the reading?" Xander asked their escort.
"Lady Narcissa Malfoy and Mrs. Andromeda Tonks have arrived and are waiting. We do not expect Lady Bellatrix LeStrange to appear due to her continued incarceration. The status of Mr. Sirius Black is unknown; we have had no response from him. As per your instructions, the Ministry's Department of Inheritance will be notified 5 minutes prior to the reading. If they send a representative immediately, they will arrive a few seconds prior to the doors closing." The goblin answered as he (probably a he) ushered them through the corridor, past countless doors and twisted hallways. Xander got the odd impression the goblin was intentionally trying to turn them around, and asked them about it.
"A very astute observation. Yes, I am. Traditionally, when old wizarding families read wills, they have a tendency to be . . . vocal about any disagreements they have with said will. A few centuries ago, one such disagreement led to bloodshed."
"Yeah, I read about that. It was the Third British Goblin Revolution, wasn't it? That was when Gringotts got declared sovereign territory with regard to wizard affairs, right?" Xander commented.
"Correct, although it has been a very long time since I have met a wizard who called them Revolutions. Most here refer to them as Revolts or Rebellions." The goblin seemed impressed with Xander's words and recall.
"Meh, Revolts and rebellions implies that you lost, Revolutions are the ones you win. At least in America. And from what I have read, you've won more than you've lost." There was a feral grin on the goblin's face that signified they didn't disagree.
"Anyway, since that incident, those attending the reading of wills are turned around, as you call it, so they do not know where the exit is. Not knowing where one is, especially when there are goblin and ogre guards around, tends to suppress homicidal tendencies in disgruntled heirs." They had arrived at the indicated door at that point, and the goblin bowed as the two humans passed.
"May your enemies see you coming, so they may quake in fear," the goblin bade in farewell.
"May your enemies never see you coming, so you may savor their surprised look," Xander countered.
He took a moment to take a deep breath and center himself in the Force. Once calm and centered, he put on his game face; head up, chest out, back straight. Xander adopted a look of haughty indifference before entering the room. He had his 'Cordelia' persona on, one she had helped him craft over the last week he was in Sunnydale. The persona that was disgusted at the thought of wasting time with plebeians.
Inside were two women sitting at separate tables and four guards at the corners of the room (3 goblin, 1 ogre, all in battle armor, all still enough to be mistaken as statues at first glance). The quality of clothing on one of the women was unmistakable, even to Xander's poor fashion sense, while the other was dressed well enough to be formal. He wondered if the convict would show, and if the ministry representative would make it in time.
Sadly, he would not be able to take his Uncle down should he appear, the laws of Gringotts forbade it, but he was planning on using his Head status to force a meeting between the two at some later point. He also had no desire to have any government employee near him, especially from a government as corrupt as all his research indicated, but Giles convinced him that following tradition would be best for now, even if it was antiquated. First learn the landscape, and then, change it. It was the Way of the Watcher, even though most on the Watcher's Council had forgotten the second part.
Hopefully this plan would be better than his plan to fly instead of use magical transportation. Anything had to be better than going through airport security. Especially when you still had your lightsaber on hand. Explaining that one had been real fun. Stupid Revan with his stupid lessons on never being without your weapon.
As was planned beforehand while they read History of the Black Family, Giles acted the part of manservant, mouthpiece, and bodyguard when dealing with non-family, which technically these women were. It should provide enough of a cover for Xander to maneuver with. It also allowed Giles, the superior negotiator between the two of them, to do what he did best, while giving the appearance that Xander was in charge. Everyone's focus would be on reading Xander, and Giles would be free to negotiate without scrutiny. For Xander, that meant staying silent (a truly herculean task), and make nonsensical (most of the time) motions and signals towards Giles every so often which would be interpreted as secret instructions. In reality, Giles would be making most of the decisions, and he would only speak up if needed. This was, after all, a British Aristocratic thing, something Xander knew little about.
He needed to learn, and had studied all summer, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe he was proficient enough at politics to handle an event like this by himself, not yet anyway, and not with potential witnesses. This was Giles's forte and a battlefield in which he excelled at. A battle of words and wits. A battle of building an image of strength and certainty in the mind of your opponent when the opposite was the case. He had been trained by the best in the Council at this role and the past three years of defending the hellmouth as Buffy's Watcher had only made him better. Giles had negotiated with hundreds of demon clans and convinced them to move on peacefully, most of which was unknown to Buffy. Xander envied him that and was more than a little grateful to have him here by his side. Next to what he did in Sunnydale, a little family gathering was nothing.
"Good Day, Lord Black. I am Lady Narcissa Malfoy nee Black" the finely dressed woman stood up and introduced herself, identifying her as his father's cousin. Well, no plan survives first contact with the enemy, so Xander would need to speak first. Hopefully he could limit the damage he did, and let Giles take over most of the talking once the will reading started.
"I trust that your travels from America weren't too strenuous?" It was a simply ploy to find out more information about the new Lord Black, but Xander didn't mind this opening salvo. His lessons with Revan taught him how to play the information gathering game. The politics were lost on him, even the shade of his mother had never fully understood the labyrinth she had stumbled into when it came to Wizarding world politics. But a simple information trade was still within his comfort level.
"I have found that traveling by airplane to be too tedious for my tastes. I am quite certain that I will never go through that again, if at all possible. And what of your family? Are your son and husband well?" Mentioning non-magical familiarity, check. Giving proper disdain for using non-magical methods to confuse any thoughts on pureblood ideals, check. Show off the research done beforehand on her family, check. Counter information probe, check.
"They are well. Young Draco just left for Hogwarts, but he will be settling in and starting his studies promptly. After a year of no Quidditch, he is anxious to resume his seeker training. My husband is leaving today for Croatia on business, and will not return for a week. Perhaps you will be able to visit with him, should your stay in England be long enough. He is anxious to meet you." She gave enough information to meet the minimum required, plus some. So, she is willing to have a greater information exchange. And she wants to know how long and where Xander will be staying in England. Interesting.
"I am uncertain as to my plans at this point. I am avoiding anything concrete before the Will reading and related business is concluded. Even though I didn't know my father well, I still wish to honor his memory." That should tide her over. He wondered if British wizards used concrete, or if that was a purely non-magical use. He didn't remember any concrete or cement in Diagon Alley, just cobblestone. He made a mental note to figure out what this Quidditch was, and if a seeker was a good thing. The other woman approached.
"Lord Black, I am Mrs. Andromeda Tonk. I was removed from the family because I wed a non-pureblood." She was straightforward and direct but maintained a strong, regal and proud bearing despite the clear stress Xander could feel emanating off her and not all of it was due to his sudden appearance. He could feel a budding connection between this woman and Lady Narcissa but there were undercurrents there between them Xander could not hope to decipher. Probably a female thing. Luckily, Xander had been instructed in pureblood versus non-pureblood standards that his forefathers traditionally held, so he knew this as an opportunity to reset the mentality of the Blacks.
Slowly.
"Andromeda, you are first and foremost my father's cousin. In America, I was taught that someone can make a new start, and achieve what they want through intelligence, hard work, and desire. I am not sure if I believe it completely, but I will judge you and your husband by your own actions and qualities, and not the actions or qualities of your ancestors." The conversation was interrupted by someone entering the room
Xander tensed up when he saw the man stride in, and noticed the women tensed up as well. Xander extended his senses out, trying to feel with the Force if this was his Uncle or not. He didn't look like the pictures he had seen, but with magic, sight was not a reliable sense, particularly with what he had read about Polyjuice potion. He also mentally berated himself for not sensing the two women with the force during their first conversation, but better late than never. His mother would tear into him for losing focus at a time like this.
The man was tainted, but more in a corrupt and mean spirited manner than an evil murdering way. Must be from the ministry, to be that corrupt. With the Will reading 4 minutes away, it seemed like someone tipped off ministry about the reading. There was no way they could have responded in time had they been caught unawares. This man was waiting for the notice to come into the Department of Inheritance, and whoever let him know about it in advance wanted the inside scoop about the Will. Interesting. With their family time interrupted, the three ended their conversation and took their seats in silence.
His father's cousins, which would make them his first cousins, once removed, were nervous, anxious about being here, and fearful about what this meeting could mean for them and their families if it went poorly. Some of that was receding with their brief conversation, though. They both had grey auras around them, Narcissa slightly darker than her sister's, but nowhere near evil. More amoral in achieving her goals. Xander kept his senses close to him, both to get a better feel for the humans and to avoid reaching out to the goblin and ogre guards. He had the feeling that that would be noticed, and Xander wanted to avoid giving away his capabilities too soon.
At one minute before the doors were closed and warded (the goblins would not open them until the will reading was finished), a man waltzed into the room. From the terrified and overtly hostile reactions of the ladies and ministry official, respectively, it appeared that Sirius Black was in the building. Oddly, he didn't have the aura of a mass murderer. There was a darkness there, but it seemed to be oppressing him, not emanating from him.
The women both narrowed their eyes and both dropped their hands to where their wands were secured, but otherwise made no hostile movements. The younger sister turned in her seat so she could watch both Xander and Sirius, as if to gauge Xander's reactions to his presence. Staying connected to the Force, Xander did not react at all. The same could not said for the ministry official. He stood up and drew his wand when he recognized who had entered.
In unison, every single goblin and ogre guard drew their weapons and took exactly one step forward. The sound of eight armored feet hitting the ground brought the official to a halt, along with everyone else in the room, and no one spoke. At Giles glance, Xander made a gesture to his mentor, wiggling his fingers randomly for good measure. Giles cleared his throat loudly, drawing the attention of every human in the room, and addressed the now perspiring man with his wand drawn. Sirius never lost his grin.
"Since this room is well outside your authority, sir, My Lord requests that you re-holster your weapon. Any business you have with the entity commonly known as Sirius Black may be postponed until afterwards." Xander had to hand it to Giles, he mixed British wizarding terms with American wizarding terms well, was formal enough to appear aristocratic, and odd/eccentric enough to cover any lapse of protocol they were unaware of. He was a master in his element. It must have worked, because the man put his wand away slowly and sat back down. As soon as the wand was out of sight, the guards stepped back into position and their weapons disappeared into their sheaths. The display was quite impressive. Xander made some more nonsensical hand motions for Giles, who turned to Xander's uncle.
"Sirius, Lord Black has been notified that you escaped the authorities before your trial. He will have words with you ere the day is out." Giles and Xander did not react to the slight gasp and shocked look in the women, but they did file it away for discussion later. They did not seem to be the sorts to show excessive emotion without either meaning to or without the news being extremely shocking. Xander wondered which it was. He addressed those same ladies next, who had composed themselves within milliseconds.
"Lady Malfoy and Mrs. Tonks, Lord Black would discuss some things with you as well, but seeing as you are not wanted by the authorities, those conversations may be scheduled at your convenience." Giles added a charming smile that had won more than one heart back in his prime, but as expected it had little effect. These were married women, and aristocrats as well.
Giles turned once more to Xander. This time when Xander gave a signal, it was an actual signal developed during their demon negotiation sessions. How Giles addressed the ministry official, should one appear, depended on what Xander felt with the Force. Xander complied with the implied request and told Giles that the official was corrupt and dark leanings.
"Lord Black apologizes for being unable to place your face from his visits to the Ministry, sir. Of whom do we make the acquaintance?" That Xander had never been to the ministry was an extraneous detail that neither Xander nor Giles wanted to clarify since it gave Xander a larger reputation, and could be used to fuel more rumors about him.
"Albert Runcorn of the Department of Inheritance, Lord Black. We were notified of the will reading and I was chosen to attend to make sure there would be no inconsistencies." The tall, bearded wizard had an honest enough voice and mannerism, but Xander could tell he was being deceitful. He wasn't sure about what, exactly, just that this man could not be trusted to do the right thing. Xander signaled so and let Giles figure out a way to diplomatically ignore the government parasite.
"Thank you Albert for your extreme promptness. Should Lord Black discover any inconsistencies within his House business, he will inform you of them." The women both raised their left eyebrow in identical expressions at Gile's verbal dismissal, and the flunky looked flustered, but no one said anything. At that point, the goblin entered with the Will and Giles took his seat again. The goblins had the foresight to set up enough tables that Narcissa, Andromeda, Sirius, and the ministry official to have separate, small tables surrounding the larger table Xander and Giles were at. The chairs were fairly comfortable, but lacking the padding that would allow someone to sit in them for an extended period of time without discomfort.
Sirius lazily plopped himself into the chair, carefully keeping his back away from the rest of the occupants. His happy-go-lucky smile was eerily similar to Xander's own when he was in a goofy mood. In the moments left before the reading, Xander focused his senses on his Uncle, trying to glean any sort of insight about what motivated the man. He was haunted by his past, but it seemed like he was a good man, wanting to do the right thing. This would be interesting dealing with him.
The Will itself was actually a book, the record of the wills for every Head of House Black since the founding of the House. It would remain in the Black Vaults in the London Branch of Gringotts until the Blacks removed all property from the British Isles, at least as far as Xander was able to learn from the goblins. That included manors and mansions. The Will was one of the few possessions in the Black vaults that is not able to be transferred anywhere. The magic of its creation and use was something lost to time, but it recorded the True Last Will and Testament of the Head of House Black the moment of their passing. No spell, potion, ward, influence, or coercion could alter a True Will, it was immutable and rare. The goblin carrying the artifact placed it on the podium at the front of the room, and in a lecturer's tone started reading without any preamble.
"To all those who have survived this bloody war so far, I am truly sorry. In my youth, I chose the wrong role models, and followed a path that I didn't understand. In these my last moments, waiting for death to overtake me, I feel ashamed for what I have done. Through my actions, people suffered. With my compliance, people died. In the end I hope what I have done to correct my mistakes is enough to bring some measure of atonement, but I don't know for sure.
"To my wife, you will inherit everything." The gasps from the ministry official and Sirius caused the goblin to pause his reading before starting the line over again. He did not look pleased at the interruption, and everyone in the room knew it. It was a look that promised extreme violence should he be interrupted again. The sisters gave no reaction, as Xander and Giles expected, they were too collected and controlled to do so, especially after their previous outburst. They also suspected a wife, probably, since Xander was the heir, and not an illegitimate child.
"To my wife, you will inherit everything, including the title of Head, until our son is old enough or experienced enough to take over the mantle. Since the moment we met, you have been my anchor and my guide. I know you will not give in to the darkness, and will do whatever is necessary to protect our son. My trusted servant has what we discussed; I believe your special wand will be able to destroy it. Do so as soon as possible, since I am giving my life for it.
"What I did, I did for you and our son, so that he may grow up in a world without prejudice and fear. My family probably won't understand, but maybe Sirius might, but as long as you understand, my love, I can find peace with my actions. I am not expecting you to be happy with my decision, just understanding. I am so sorry I won't see Alex grow up, and I am so sorry we won't grow old together, but there is nothing I can do about that now. I can't trust Dumbledore, and I won't follow Voldemort, so we remain alone. Do what your Force tells you is right, it's what brought you to me, after all.
"To my son, I leave you in your mother's care. I will miss out on so much of your life. Holding you in my arms changed me. You are the future of the wizarding world, you are worth all the sacrifice we go through. You are a cause for celebration, because you are my son, my heir, my being. I would want to teach you so much, but I am unable to. If you can, ask your mother to have my brother teach you some good pranks, but make sure to ask your mother first because Sirius requires some supervision. He has a good heart, I know now, but his hatred has lead him to be bitter and petty at times to those he doesn't like. Your mother will help you discern the difference between his pranks and his bullying."
At this Xander's eyes turned slowly to regard his uncle as he felt a wave of guilt and grief threaten to overtake the man; his eyes were closed and face pinched in despair as he struggled to hold back tears. And as Xander observed the two women in the room both wore solemn and grim expressions to hide the sense of loss they both felt strongly. It seemed his father had been loved by his family despite breaking away from them.
"To my brother, Sirius, I leave you the chance to return to the family. My wife will be able to tell if you are mature enough and sincere enough to be called a Black once again. Please, try to prank her. Even from where I am, wherever that may be, I would love to see her foil every prank you could possibly come up with, and punish you for attempting it."
The mournful melancholy that threatened to consume his uncle abated slightly as a chuckle of Mirth escaped his lips.
"To my mother, I thank you for your teachings, but my life was changed when I met my wife and my son was born. I will always love you, but I do not believe we hold the same principles anymore. I hope you will accept my family, but if not I hope you will tolerate them.
"To my father, thank you for your teachings, especially the lessons you gave me without words. Your actions taught me to be my own man, to chart my own course. You taught me to be honest, fair, and generous towards my family. You taught me to be ruthless, unyielding, and vicious against my enemies. You taught me to be cunning, skilled, and Slytherin with my allies. I had hoped to use your lessons well into an old age, but such is my fate. Perhaps you will be able to relay these same lessons to my son.
"To my cousins, I will leave my wife to deal with your various state of affairs. Know that you cannot trick her, nor can you deceive her. If it appears that you are, she is only allowing you to do so. She is fair and generous, more so than I ever could be, so please do not do her or I the disservice of attempting to gain something dishonestly. It goes against the Slytherin inside us, but as I was once told by a goblin, sometimes we must wage peace, it confuses our enemies and puts them off balance. Sometimes the most Slytherin thing to do is to not act like a Slytherin.
"As per Black custom, I leave a last gift and a last request to the Ministry. I place 1% of the total Black wealth into a trust fund. The only use for that vault is to fight Voldemort, and will be distributed as the Head of Black deems most necessary. Should the Dark Lord be defeated to the satisfaction of the Head, the remaining value will be distributed to the victims of those who follow or followed the Dark Lord, with priority given to those harmed by those who belong or belonged to the House Black. This will not be used for re-election, nor for political reasons. This is not a bribe, donation, or contribution. This is to fight Voldemort and alleviate some of the ill effects of his true campaign to rid the world of magicals.
"I love you, my beautiful Satele. I love you, my Alexander. When you learn of my life and my family, remember that not all is as it appears. The Blacks have made mistakes in the past, and will make mistakes in the future, but as Head, my son, you have a chance to lead them to a new future. I know you will do the best you possibly can, and I will always love you."
Without another word, the goblin gathered the book and left. A moment of silence was observed by the group before being interrupted by the oafish ministry official.
"I'll inform the goblins of which account to transfer the funds. Since You-Know-Who is gone, the funds can go towards something productive." Albert looked like he was going to go on, but was interrupted by Sirius.
"He's back, and you bloody well know it. If you don't, you're just too stupid to notice. You-Know-Who came back and the ministry is covering it up because they are too scared to face reality," Sirius accused loudly.
"This from an escaped convict," Albert Runcorn retorted. "You may be safe here, but I'll have two dozen Aurors outside waiting for you. You won't escape the ministry again." Sirius paled a little bit. Xander suspected that his uncle hadn't thought that far ahead.
It seemed like the time had come to speak for himself in an official capacity. What he had to say couldn't come from a manservant. Drawing on everything he wasn't, which actually came a little easier than he was comfortable with, Xander stood and hoped he wouldn't mess this up.
"Two points, Mister Runcorn." Xander spoke with a voice of command and authority that had all eyes swiveling to look at him. Giles took a seat submissively, never breaking from his theatrical role for a moment.
"First, I will require more information before I will be transferring any amount of Black money to another account. There seems to be differing accounts as to the alleged return of a certain Dark Lord. I will discuss this with my advisers and the rest of my family before any allotment of funds is to be made." Xander wasn't sure why he included his family when he had meant to only say his nebulous 'advisers', but the Force approved with his words. His senses told him Albert was extremely upset and angry about being denied the money, but his finely-dressed first cousin once removed was extremely happy about being consulted. His uncle was as well, but not to the same extent. His other cousin had no emotional change besides smugness at the rebuke to the ministry.
"Second, to the best of my knowledge Sirius Black has not been convicted according to your courts. He escaped before a trial was convened. This is most troubling as he has been in the custody of the Ministry for 12 years. Or perhaps my knowledge is inaccurate?" Xander's tone was practically a sneer and was almost pleading with Albert to disagree, inviting him even, just so Xander could verbally smack him down again. Either oblivious to the verbal trap he was walking into or just not caring, the man obliged Xander.
"Of course he had a trial. The ministry doesn't jail people for years without a trial." The official, in his anger over being rebuffed so completely, hadn't realized anything was amiss. Sirius, though, jumped on this opportunity.
"I rotted in Azkaban for 12 years, never once did I get a chance to defend myself! If there was a trial, bring the Lord Black the documentation proving it! Show him how a member of his house is incarcerated without justice." The two looked like they would draw wands, Gringotts guards or no guards.
Xander, at that moment, understood perfectly the truth in the goblin's words that escorted them to this room. Will readings could bring out the worst in people. Xander cleared his throat loudly, pushing the two men with the Force to focus on him and his words instead of attacking each other.
It was something that didn't escape the notice of either Narcissa or Andromeda.
"Sirius, you are incorrect in thinking that you belong to my house. As you are aware, you were removed from the house before your incarceration." Even without the Force, Xander could feel the smugness radiate off Albert. It was a greasy, oily feeling. Xander was doing everything he could not to grin, and even with his Jedi training he was so close to failing, but he was able to keep his straight face.
"Mister Runcorn, Sirius may not be part of my house, but he is part of my family. If he has had a trial, I demand a copy of the transcripts and court records, and will do everything in my significant power to return Sirius to Azkaban should the law authorize it. In fact, per Black bylaws, I can demand that the goblins hold him here until I have a personal meeting with him, which I shall do in two hours' time. You have that long to get a copy of everything to me, at which point I will ensure Sirius is in jail by sunset. If such verified documents are not presented, I will use that same significant power to let Sirius have his day at court, and I will protect him and ensure his freedom until he does; with all the wealth and considerable power at my disposal. Should he be guilty, the punishment may continue. Should he be innocent, I will be forced to request an inquiry as to why someone was held for over a decade without a trial. A very public inquiry. Consider this the first inconsistency that needs to be taken care of, and take care of it. Now."
Runcorn was torn between angry at being talked down to by an American, and thrilled about being the one responsible for the capture of Sirius Black. In the end, his greed overcame his indignation, and it was soon only family in the room, besides the guards. Xander turned to the ladies first.
"Dear cousins, while I deal with the affairs of my Uncle, please know that I have not forgotten you, nor deemed you less than worthy of my time. If you are willing, I will call upon your homes tomorrow in an official capacity. Is that acceptable?" Xander knew he couldn't handle all his relatives at once, so this should space them apart enough that he could study each one before meeting with them. He could feel the hesitation in them, not wanting Sirius to get the first impression in, but thinking that deferring to the new Lord Black might be the better course.
"Of course, Lord Black. I will anxiously await your call tomorrow. Unfortunately, my daughter will be working, so she will not be able to join," answered Andromeda. Xander knew her daughter worked for the ministry, but not much more than that. Xander nodded his head in acceptance.
"If you will indulge me, Lord Black, I have some pressing issues I would like to discuss with you. Would you care to join me for lunch, it won't take more than an hour." Narcissa, it seemed, wanted to set the first impression of the Black family. He sensed curiosity from Andromeda, but no anger or displeasure. Almost as if this was planned beforehand. So, the two sisters were plotting together, even though outwardly they were indifferent. A good strategy, Revan would approve. Well, he could handle a little more information exchange.
"Excellent idea. Please, excuse us Mrs. Tonks. I have a bit of work to do before lunch, Lady Malfoy, I will meet you outside the bank in ten minutes." Xander turned to the goblin in charge, and nodded his head. He received a nod in return.
"Sirius, you will wait here until I return in one hour and forty five minutes. If you leave, the goblins will kill you. If you somehow do the impossible and escape them, I will hunt you down using Black magic." It was an empty threat, at least his portion of it. He knew that his father's family had family magics that allowed him to hunt things and people, but he couldn't find anything more than references to it in the books that were transferred to his American vault. The goblins probably would kill Sirius, though, so that threat was real.
"Fine by me. I didn't get a trial, so there won't be any record. And even then, I wasn't the secret keeper of the Potters, and I didn't kill any Muggles either. That was Peter Pettigrew, not me. I swear it!" Sirius' passion convinced Xander that Sirius believed what he was saying, but that didn't mean it was the truth. The Force, however, indicated that the ministry would have a hard time producing the correct records.
"We will see. Now, cousins, uncle, I will see you shortly."
With a bow, both Giles and Xander left the room and asked the goblin escort standing outside where separate and private rooms were that they could use. Once they arrived, Xander asked,
"How did I do?"
"Quite well, Xander. You might wish to be bit more diplomatic with the ministry official, less condescending since he is an official, but otherwise quite a good performance. For a few moments there I was convinced that you were a regal lord holding court rather than a newly made heir participating in a will reading. Your presence absolutely dominated the room, which is a bit surprising as I've never seen such presence in you before. I must say it is rather impressive."
Xander honestly didn't know where it had come from either. But it seemed he might have inherited more from his father than his roguish good looks and magic. Not to mention being a decedent of Revan certainly helped in that regard. Even as a shade of his former self the man had presence that just owned all around him.
"So how do you think I did with my cousins?" Xander asked.
Giles took a moment to formulate his reply. "It's hard to say so soon, Xander. But I believe you may have made a favorable impression on them. I have little doubt they felt the same domineering presence I did. My best guess would be they were optimistic about you, but again, it is difficult to say with any certainty.
Xander agreed.
"Now once we get out of here, I will acquire some books on your uncle, and you can have your lunch with Lady Malfoy. Please do remember your manners, she is a Lady, after all."
"Don't worry Giles, I think I can remember to wipe my hands on my shirt before grabbing at the scones and slurping the tea. Afterwards, I'll only have seven scoops at the ice cream place next to the restaurant." There was a joy in Xander's voice, teasing Giles, that longed to get out after being repressed during the reading.
"We're Doomed."