Chapter Five: The Krum Residence
It is a beautiful and peaceful day in the Krum residence.
The sun is shining, and the birds are singing—
"WHERE'S BAMBI?!"
…Or not.
Lady Anastasia Krum blinked bleary eyes from within her husband's arms as that loud scream reverberated throughout the house. Marko groaned as he was roused from a real nice dream of Anastasia wearing little to nothing, or even nothing at all with him on a remote island…
"Sirius, lower your voice! It's early in the morning!"
"Where's Bambi, Moony?! Has he been kidnapped?!"
"Was that Sirius I heard?" Marko groaned, slapping one hand against his eyes.
In one of the guestrooms of the Krum residence, Crow growled, trying to resist the urge to throttle the Black heir for disrupting his alone time with his beautiful mate—and just as he's getting to the very best part!
Under him, Rean groaned against his lips as the older vampire moved in him, sending jolts down his spine. The smaller vampire tried to resist the urge to scream even as Crow thrust deeply into him once more.
"C-Crow…!" Rean tried to control his voice, glaring at his unrepentant mate even as Crow grinned deviously at him. "C-Come on, we should get up— Oh!" Rean gasped as Crow released deep into him, and he felt the familiar warm fluid spill into his insides.
"Leave it." Crow growled, even as he bit down gently onto Rean's neck, and the smaller omega moaned, digging his fingers into the back of Crow's shoulders, even as the alpha vampire sucked onto his mate's blood—feeding from him, whilst moving inside the omega. "I want you. We haven't had sex for such a long time—"
BANG!
Rean gave a squeak even as the door to the room that they're using flew opened without warning, admitting a crazed looking Sirius Black and an exhausted Remus Lupin, with the latter having his hair sticking up. The werewolf however is apparently the only one of the two to realise what they'd just walked into—especially with the discarded clothes on the carpeted floor, along with the strong smell of semen and sex, as he blushed deeply, and immediately turned his gaze towards the ceiling.
Crow growled, trying to cover his mate's nudity with his own bare body before he grabbed one of his knives on the bedside table and threw it at Sirius' head. Thankfully, the Black heir had the instincts to duck, with the knives embedding itself into the plaster of the wall of the hallway behind him.
"Get out!" Crow growled, releasing his alpha pheromones. "We're busy!"
"…Yes, I can see that." Remus muttered, a deep blush on his face whilst still having his gaze on the ceiling.
Sex is an openly talked about thing amongst the wizarding communities, with sex education and protection being taught to students starting from their first year—since that is essentially when alphas and omegas will start their first heat and rut. Mated couples essentially were given birth control pills and contraceptive potions—especially if they're sexually active.
In fact, even back during Remus' school days, he had walked in on more than one couple doing the horizontal tango, much to his mortification.
It is only years later after they've graduated when James had mentioned in passing to Remus that Dumbledore had always been disapproving of the students doing that—for some reason. Heck, James and Lily have been having sex since they got together in their Sixth Year—though they're one of those few couples that never got caught—and to this day, Remus never knew where James and Lily spent those nights at.
"Did you see Bambi?" Sirius for some reason, either didn't notice what they'd just walked in on, or just plain didn't care.
Crow wanted to groan, ignoring Sirius and Remus; even as he thrust into his mate again. Beneath him, Rean let out a scream. "No, I didn't. Now get out!" Crow grunted, gripping tightly onto Rean's slender hips, even as he grinded deep into his omega, moaning lowly even as Rean tightened around him.
Remus blushed even harder as the sounds of moans and groans started to echo around the room, even as the two vampires started having sex right in front of them.
Very aggressive sex, to be exact; judging from the screams that Rean was doing beneath Crow.
"Get out now and leave us alone!" Crow was very annoyed, shooting a mild Stunning Hex at Sirius with a wave of his hand, "unless of course, you want to watch."
"C-Crow!" Rean was blushing. But whatever protests that he wanted to put up was cut off and instantly forgotten as Crow grind deeper into him, and he felt the familiar warm fluid of Crow's release inside him again. "A-Ah…!" Rean's eyes fluttered shut with bliss, even as Crow's fangs pierced the fragile skin of his neck, with the alpha vampire feeding from him. "Ah…! Crow… More…!"
"Come on." Thankfully for Remus' sanity, Anastasia Krum appeared behind them just then, with a dressing gown on, and she pulled the two men away, closing the door of the room behind them. Moans and groans could still be heard from behind the door, along with the loud creaking of the bed as it moved in time with the vampire couple's lovemaking, before Lady Krum waved a hand, and the sounds were instantly cut off.
"Uh…" Remus felt as if his face is never going to go back to it's normal colour.
"Great Lady above…" Anastasia shook her head in dismay, eyeing the two men with amusement. "You don't disrupt two vampires who are having sex! Not unless you want your head ripped off! And while vampires by nature have no shame about the body, Lord Crow is very particular and absolutely refused to let anyone see his mate's body."
"Apart from himself, of course." Remus nodded, understanding the protective instincts of a vampire better than most.
"Of course." Anastasia nodded with agreement before turning towards an agitated Sirius. "Now, what's this about Hadrian?"
"He's missing!" Sirius is very distraught, looking on the verge of tearing his hair out. "He's not in his bed! Could Dumbledore have taken him?!"
Anastasia is now looking at Sirius oddly. "Sirius, you know as well as I do that the Ancient Houses have powerful wards around their residences. And we have more unforgiving wards around our homes in Bulgaria than those in Britain. There is no way that someone not keyed into our wards could even breech it, let alone enter our house with none of us knowing, and without setting off the ward alarms or not be seen by our guards. Hadrian is in the house still. Calm down."
Sirius calmed down slowly, feeling very silly with Anastasia's calm explanation.
Right. He had almost forgotten that places like Bulgaria, Germany and even France tend to have extremely unforgiving protective wards around the residences of the Ancient Houses, and even around places like the schools and even the clinics. Anyone that means harm towards an occupant would be lucky to get away unscathed—if they even survive it.
Long ago, those same wards were commonplace in Britain as well. At least until a certain headmaster came to power and deemed those protective wards 'too harsh', and in the process, outlawed so many things that were acceptable or considered common sense in other countries. A few of the Ancient Houses however didn't bother to remove those wards since that is what had been keeping their families safe. In fact, most of the pureblood houses in Britain tend to ignore the 'law' and still practice those magics that are deemed to be illegal or 'dark'. They just practice it secretly.
"Then where is he?" Sirius asked sheepishly.
Anastasia tried to hide an amused smile behind her hand. "Mipsy?" she called out, before a female house elf appeared with a light pop.
The house elf is dressed in a neat dress with the Krum crest visible on it. And she is obviously treated well, and adored the family that she serves—judging by the adoring look she gave Anastasia. Quite a far cry from the Black family elf that Sirius is familiar with in his childhood. Though Kreacher is probably the exception, considering that the elves belonging to his grandfather at Black Manor are all polite and well mannered.
Come to think of it, is that elf even still alive? Sirius made a mental note to speak to his cousin about it. If his grandfather has no objections, Sirius even thinks it might be a good idea to sell the house—but not before he strips it from everything of value, of course.
"Yes, Mistress?" Mipsy squeaked.
"Where is Hadrian?" Anastasia asked the elf gently. A far cry from how most purebloods treated their house elves in Britain, much to Sirius' surprise. "And my son?" She added as an afterthought, much to Sirius and Remus' surprise.
Neither one of the two are even aware that Anastasia and Marko had any children. Though considering how long they've been married—even longer than James and Lily, there is bound to be a child or two by now.
"Young Master is in the kitchen with Cherry, Mistress." Mipsy squeaked. Surprisingly, she spoke quite well for a house elf. "Young Master Hadrian is with him."
Anastasia nodded with a frown. "All right, I understand. Watch over Viviane for now, and let me know if she wakes."
"Yes Mistress."
With a light pop, the elf disappeared.
"Viviane?" Remus echoed, even as the two men followed Anastasia through the Krum residence towards the kitchen.
"My daughter." Anastasia smiled with how surprised the two men looked. "She should be about Hadrian's age. She's currently down with the cold, so I've been keeping her away from her brother for now. I'm sure she'll like Hadrian." She added, seeing Sirius' concerned look.
"Alpha too?" Remus asked, concerned.
Anastasia shook her head even as they descended the stairs. "Beta," she said simply. "Come on, Cherry should be feeding them. She's the chef." She added. "Chances are that Hadrian is probably hungry, and Viktor took him to Cherry."
And true to Anastasia's word, when the three of them have arrived at the kitchen, Hadrian and Viktor were seated at the little kid's table in a corner that is presumably set up for Anastasia's daughter, with a house elf wearing a chef's cap serving the two children food. Hadrian is nibbling slowly on the sandwich he is eating, smiling at something that Viktor is saying. Whereas Crookshanks is lying down at Hadrian's feet, his bushy tail moving to and fro.
"Bambi!" Sirius was relieved, but careful not to be too loud or even raise his voice.
He was once an Auror, after all. And he was trained to deal with traumatised and abused children. One would be surprised, but there is an influx of such cases during the height of the war. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had worked closely with Wizarding Child Services during that time.
Hadrian looked up curiously with his huge green eyes at the mention of a familiar nickname that he just vaguely remembered. Nearly all adults present fought the urge to coo over the adorable child. And from the sight of the pile of neatly cut sandwiches on the kiddy table, it definitely seems like Hadrian had won over the Krum head house elf who also happens to be the chef.
"Bambi?" Remus was calmer and gentler. "Do you remember us?" He inwardly hoped the answer is yes. It would kill him and Sirius if Hadrian is terrified of them when he had plain adored them both as a baby. Remus still remembered all those 'crawling races' he did with baby Hadrian, with Crookshanks being the third contender, much to Lily's amusement.
Remus made a mental note to himself to visit Gringotts along with Sirius to get those photo albums that Lily had made. When he had retrieved all of Lily and James' things from old Bathilda Bagshot, he had placed them in his own vault. Werewolf or not, he still had some meagre savings of his own, and even a small inheritance from his parents.
While Lyall Lupin is a total bastard, he had once been a famous and skilled hunter, and had quite the sizeable fortune which Remus had inherited and he had used sparsely over the years to ensure he had a roof over his head and food. Though even his savings wouldn't be enough to cover the Wolfsbane Potion; hence, Remus had gone without it ever since that Halloween night.
Though with what Crow and Rean have told Remus in Moon's Dew a couple of months ago, Remus is not so certain that the Wolfsbane Potion isn't something that is created to kill werewolves in the long run, especially with the name. And he knows for a fact that aconite is one of the main ingredients of that potion, and is a deadly poison.
"Mother?" Viktor asked, uncertain, eyes flickering towards the two unfamiliar men with his mother. Since they are obviously guests of his parents, they aren't dangerous to Hadrian. But the child is still tense, ready to protect the very vulnerable Hadrian if need be.
"Don't worry, Viktor." Anastasia shook her head, smiling at her son. Viktor rarely takes an interest or become so protective over someone like that. It took him awhile to even connect with his sister when she was born. She wonders if it's just Viktor's alpha instincts, despite the fact he's so young, or if it's something more.
Hadrian stared at Sirius and Remus with huge green eyes, head cocked slightly to one side. Vaguely, a very faint memory came to the child of two men, bouncing infant him on their knee, and even having a crawling race.
"…Pa'foo? Mooey?" Hadrian said uncertainly. Sirius looked about to cry, but got down on one knee, holding his arms opened. Hadrian wasted no time in tottering over towards his godfather. "Pa'foo!"
Crookshanks purred happily from his corner.
"Bambi!" Sirius looked ready to cry, even as he took Hadrian into his arms, nestling him against his hip. "Oh baby, I missed you so much!" He pressed his nose against Hadrian's soft hair, inhaling his soft scent. He is however concerned with how light Hadrian is, and even how thin he is.
"Pa'foo…" Hadrian whispered, giggling when Sirius pressed a light kiss against the tip of his nose. Huge green eyes turned towards Remus who is smiling wistfully, and Hadrian blinked innocently. "Mooey?" He whispered, and Remus smiled. "Mooey!"
"I see he remembered them." Marko's gruff voice was low as he entered the kitchen, careful not to draw attention to himself, even as he stood beside his wife. The normally gruff Lord Krum had a small smile on his face as he looked at the small reunion. "James, I'll fulfil my promise. I'll protect your son." He murmured.
XXXXXX
"Malnutrition. Broken bones that weren't set properly. He obviously hadn't had his vaccines—even the mundane ones. And I'm honestly worried about that scar on his head. It still looks fresh, and I want your permission to run more tests on it before I can tell what it really is."
The adults cringed with every word that Healer Milan had said after the healer was summoned by Marko to examine Hadrian. The little toddler was terrified obviously, but is agreeable to Milan examining him as long as he's in Sirius's arms, with Crookshanks at Sirius' ankles, his tail swishing at the bottom of Hadrian's feet.
The adults are now all gathered in the sitting room of the Krum residence, with Viktor and Hadrian playing near the fireplace with Viktor's little sister, Viviane Krum who is only a few months older than Hadrian. And true to Anastasia's prediction, the girl too had taken to Hadrian. It seems she's gotten over her cold enough that Hadrian won't catch anything from her, with his low immune system. The three children got along like a house on fire; one wouldn't know that they've only met a few hours ago.
The three children are now playing a magical game that Anastasia had gotten for her children which seems like a magical version of the muggle game Monopoly. Unlike the muggle version, this version uses the names of wizarding places in Bulgaria which is a good way to teach children where everything is.
Unlike Britain, the fact is that most magical communities in Europe hides in plain sight. For Bulgaria for instance, they have a few wizarding communities spread across the country disguised as nature preserves. Heavy and ancient wards were placed around those communities so that the non-magical people only see what they expect to see instead of a bustling wizarding community. Of course, the top officials of the Bulgarian muggle government knew about their existence. Unlike with Britain, Bulgaria tends to have a closer working relationship with their muggle counterparts; with those counterparts marking the areas where their communities are as protected areas.
Bulgaria's Ministry of Magic building for instance is located not that far away from Stara Zagora, being disguised as an animal rescue centre and research facility.
It had surprised Remus when he had learned how removed that Bulgaria's magical community is from their muggle counterparts. Though unlike Britain that has limited space, Bulgaria tends to have vast land that makes it easier for them to hide and have delegated areas for completely magical communities. No witch or wizard had ever moved completely into the muggle world, from what Anastasia had told Remus.
And unlike Britain, the rest of the world never had problems with 'muggle-borns' as they never had any to begin with. If a witch or wizard is unable to find a spouse, they would normally approach the other magical species like a veela or a vampire or something. No witch or wizard would think to marry a non-magical, as they have to give up their magic as is the law—something that no magical would think of doing. On the rare occasions when someone is born without magic, there are lots of job opportunities within Bulgaria's wizarding community even for someone without magic. The occasional and rare squib aren't cast out into the muggle world to die which seems to be a common occurrence within Britain.
Additionally, Bulgaria tends to have close relationships with France, Germany and even Romania. It is not uncommon to see exchange students from those countries attending Drumstrang and vice-versa. Each school has their strengths, after all.
Sure, it is not perfect. But discrimination because of what they are or their secondary gender is almost never seen in Bulgaria, unlike what Remus had to face in Britain. The rare few normally comes from those that have emigrated from Britain. Even Sirius didn't escape from discrimination in Britain, thanks to being from the Black family.
In fact, Remus is almost bewildered and stunned to learn from Marko that there are designated shelters in Bulgaria for werewolves to transform freely once a month free of charge. The Ministry even assist the werewolves to look for jobs. And Remus wonder why Britain didn't do the same thing, since from what he could see, Bulgaria definitely didn't have so many problems with the non-human clans that Britain does.
…On second thought, Remus does know why. Because Britain has so many bigots and supremacists even amongst the 'Light' that it is a wonder that anyone had remained behind after the war had ended.
"That's it." Sirius decided then and there, a scowl on his face when he heard what the Healer has to say. "I'm definitely not returning to Britain after this. I'll still accept the Black Lordship, definitely. My grandfather didn't have long to live, and I'll definitely have to see to the affairs of the House and take my seats. But if they can do this to Bambi and it went unnoticed for three years, then I'm not returning! James and Lily didn't die so that people can use Bambi as their chess piece!"
Thankfully, Anastasia had placed a silencing bubble around the children so that they won't hear anything they shouldn't; and yet, still allow the adults to keep an eye on the happily playing children. It took some coaxing, but Hadrian had relaxed enough to play with Viviane and Viktor.
Clearly, he had been bullied heavily by his cousin, from what the Shadowcloaks organisation had to say when they had dug deeper into Petunia Dursley and her family. The two adult Dursleys have now been arrested, from what is said, with their overweight and heavily spoilt son now currently at a foster home until the muggle court could decide what to do with him, since his Aunt Marge had been ruled out as a possibility after social services had declared her home unfit for a child. Furthermore, it seems like the woman is at risk for losing her breeder license when it seems like she's been culling puppies that she deems too weak. Even some of her pure bred dogs were unusually aggressive.
Contacts of the organisation that works with the British mundane police and the Queen's government have been informed of the circumstances, and they were going through the entire case with a fine toothed comb. From what they've been told, it seems there have been attempts at magical interference, but those attempts to release the Dursleys have failed.
"Dumbledore wouldn't let it go, Sirius." Remus reminded his best friend with a frown. True, he's not that thrilled with the old man himself at the moment, but Dumbledore is still quite a powerful man in Britain.
"Screw him and his mother!" Remus was relieved that the kids were under a silencing bubble; they don't need to learn all that foul language that is currently coming out of Sirius' mouth, judging from the glare that Anastasia is giving Sirius. "He has no right or authority over Bambi, and he knows that! If anything, if James and Lily are still alive, they would agree with me!" Sirius winced, rubbing at his chest. He knows that he isn't as healthy as he would like to be still, thanks to his stay in Azkaban. "I wonder how difficult it is going to be to enroll Bambi into Drumstrang?"
"Well, we know the headmaster." Marko replied, exchanging looks with his wife. "He's a distant cousin of mine, in fact. If you intend to settle down in Bulgaria, it wouldn't be too difficult to get you citizenships and a place in Drumstrang for Hadrian when the time comes. Every Ministry in the world would kill to be able to have Lord Black in their country and for the Boy-Who-Lived as a student."
"Though as a Healer, I would recommend for Lord Black and Heir Potter to undergo some extensive healing and therapy sessions at my clinic." Healer Milan cut in, having stayed silent whilst they were having their discussion. "Despite the Anti-Dementor Potion, Lord Black, you still had lingering issues from your time spent there. And it will be nothing short of medical malpractice if I just let you go without attending to those issues."
"I'm actually not Lord Black yet." Sirius corrected. But at the very unamused look from the Healer across him, he relented. "Geez, what do I pay Saint Mungo's for to begin with?" He muttered, recalling the massive bill he had received when he was checked in there by the Ministry after his trial.
His own family Healer for instance wasn't amused with the low quality healing potions he was prescribed, and ensured that Sirius was given high quality Anti-Dementor potions, along with some nutrition potions.
Though before Sirius could see the Black family healer for a further examination as requested, they have received that letter from Rean and Lord Crow.
"A very expensive bed and food." Healer Milan deadpanned, much to the adults' amusement. "And Heir Potter could do with a child therapist too, considering the level of abuse he's gone through. Fortunately, my clinic offers these services extensively."
"Clinic?" Remus echoed.
"In Bulgaria, we don't exactly have a hospital the way Britain did." Anastasia explained. "We have clinics instead that is in a way, more effective, as each clinic has their own specialisations. Healer Milan here for instance owns his own private clinic and specialise more in paediatric medicine. He's also a certified Mind Healer."
"Pads, get yourself looked at." Remus nudged his best friend in the side even as Sirius opened his mouth to protest. "Your ruts are going to be horrendous in the physical state you're in. You can't take care of Hadrian if you don't get better." He added, knowing just what to say to get Sirius to comply, considering that he's been the guy's dormmate and best friend for seven years.
"Damn it." Sirius scowled, knowing that Remus is right. "Fine. But I need to return to Britain for a spell first. I need to claim the Black Lordship from my grandfather and put my affairs in order. Then I'm also due a visit to Gringotts to transfer the bulk of the Potter and Black vaults to Bulgaria before the Ministry of Magic in Britain has any funny ideas." He scowled, knowing that it is entirely likely that Dumbledore or whoever the Minister is might just use some loophole to seize the Potter fortune. Or even the Black fortune.
"Am I to understand that you're an alpha, Heir Black?" Healer Milan questioned sharply, studying Sirius from head to toe. The Black definitely is tall and broad shouldered—something that all alphas are. Sirius nodded in response, and the healer cussed in Bulgarian. "How in Hecate's name did you get through your ruts whilst in Azkaban?!"
"It wasn't easy, but I managed." Sirius admitted with a small smile. Marko and Anastasia exchanged horrified looks. Heats and ruts are hard enough as it is on a normal day. But to have it happen to someone in the worst prison of all times?! It's a miracle that Sirius is still standing and sane. "It probably helps that I was actually in a cell by myself."
Healer Milan cussed again. "I'm going to need to prescribe you something to stop your ruts temporarily whilst you're undergoing treatment. If you go into rut in your current state, it will kill you!"
"If you're going to go back to Britain to tend to affairs, Sirius, at least take Rean and Lord Crow with you." Anastasia suggested. "I know their organisation as a whole isn't happy with Britain for years now."
"I know I met Rean and Lord Crow through my grandfather who had dealings with the Shadowcloaks. But how did you and Marko know about them?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Well, Rean's a distant relation of mine." Anastasia admitted, much to Sirius' surprise. "Very distant. He's from my maiden family, though several generations ago. The story is well known in Bulgaria actually, considering that at least half the vampire clans actually settled in Bulgaria, with the other half being in Romania." Remus nodded at that; it is common knowledge. "Even during that time period, Drumstrang has close relations with the schools in Germany and Romania, so they often have exchange students. Lord Crow was one such student at that time, being the heir to one of the oldest and most powerful pureblood vampire clans. It's even said that he's a direct descendant of Judas, the first vampire."
"The schools took in non-humans?" Remus interrupted, surprised.
"They do. And still do now." Marko nodded, understanding why Remus is so surprised. James had wrote to him more than once about the discrimination in Britain and Hogwarts especially. Little wonder why they have two wars in a row. Not that he approves of the actions of said 'Dark Lord', but the man does have a point why he started the war. At least until he seemed to have lost his mind. "I believe Britain is the only place that discriminates and have such restrictions against non and sub humans. No other country does that. Even I have some friends that aren't human from my time in Drumstrang. Half the hit wizards and Aurors in Bulgaria are made up of werewolves, in fact. Many werewolves found jobs as guards due to their strength."
Remus looked distraught and stricken.
"Some two to three hundred years ago, Rean met his mate – Lord Crow, as a student in Drumstrang." Anastasia turned the conversation back to the initial topic. "Rean too is from a minor noble family, and the family heir, though the family even back then didn't have much in terms of money; though they own a few businesses and a good sizeable plot of land. The land that Drumstrang sits on, and even one of the wizarding communities in Bulgaria are owned by his family before they donated it when the Ministry of Magic came into existence. So you can imagine that it was quite the news back then when Lord Crow decided to court Rean." Anastasia smiled, recalling the stories that one of their friends in Shadowcloaks told her, and even of the journals left behind by Rean's younger sister. "They bonded and mated when Rean was fourteen, and Lord Crow is sixteen. Mate bonds is something sacred, and the family understood when Rean decided to be turned as a vampire to join his mate, with the Heirship going to his younger sister. Ever since, Rean had been watching over the members of my family. I am the sole Heiress, so when my daughter marries, her husband will have to take my maiden name, as she is, and one of their children will be named heir to my maiden family. It's either that or one of my son's future children will be the heir."
"Yeah, I forgot how complicated the inheritance of heirships could be." Sirius sighed. "Though mated at fourteen, huh? It's the norm for us these days. But I bet back then, it is considered too young or too old."
"Try the latter." Marko snorted. "During that time period, most people mated once they had their first heat or rut. I've been overwhelmed with betrothal contracts for my son ever since he was tested and identified as an alpha. I've been putting them all off, but I can't ignore it forever."
"He's still a kid!" Remus protested, looking over at the Krum heir who had a small smile on his face as he played with his sister and Hadrian; though that gaze is more focused on Hadrian who had a sweet smile on his face.
"Well, we'll worry about it later. You're going to have to worry about it for Hadrian too, you know? Considering you're his legal guardian?" Marko pointed out to a suddenly concerned Sirius. "I have some influence with the Wizarding Child Services in Bulgaria, so all we need is James and Lily's will, and you will be named his guardian legally in Bulgaria, though because of Dumbledore, we do need to file it with the ICW just in case."
"Damn Dumbledore. Things would be easier if not for him." Sirius scowled. "He really should learn not to cross a Black. I know that Andy had been making things very difficult for him and Lucius for the last few years, but I believe I'm going to give her carte blanche to dig out every bit of dirt on him to use."
"You might want to hire the Shadowcloaks for this instead if you want to ruin him." Anastasia smiled. "They aren't his fans. And believe me when I say that someone like Dumbledore is bound to have more than one enemy and lots of skeletons in his closet."
The adults quietened down when Hadrian tottered over to Sirius, clutching at his pants. The man wasted no time in lifting the little toddler, and putting him on his knee.
"What's wrong, Bambi?" Sirius murmured, letting Hadrian bury his face into his chest. "Weren't you playing with Viktor and Viviane?"
The two Krum children have gone to their parents; with the girl being on her father's knee, and with Anastasia giving Viktor a side hug.
"Hungry, Papa." Viviane told her father. "Hadrian is sweepy too."
"…Not 'sweepy." Hadrian said stubbornly, but a yawn proved otherwise, and Sirius laughed.
"You're as stubborn as always, Bambi." Sirius murmured, kissing him on the forehead.
"I guess a small lunch would do for the kids." Marko murmured, looking at the clock in a corner. "I have an 1819 Chardonnay calling my name. Care to join me for a drink tonight, gentlemen? Along with Rean and Lord Crow—assuming they are done and are ready to come out of their room."