"TEMPTING FORTUNE"
A/N: I WASN'T SURE IF I LIKED AU FICS, BUT THIS ONE IS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF THE STORY'S BELIEVABLE. IT'S NOT TO LATE TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
Disclaimer: Okay, first of all, I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters that are or will be in this story. I also found what book this is based on. It's "A Hazard of Hearts" by Barbara Cartland and I'm taking a lot of the lines right from the movie version of the book, which I found in my basement. So just so you know, I'm crediting it right now.
RAVEN'S RANDOMNESS: "Time - don't let it slip away. Raise your drinkin glass. Here's to yesterday. In time we're all gonna trip away. Don't piss heaven off. We've got hell to pay." ~"Full Circle" by Aerosmith
Chapter 2 - A Temporary Arrangement
"Your father is gone, Raven. Now it is you we have to worry about," said Remus.
Raven was curled up in his lap, crying softly. She sniffled and when she spoke, her voice was muffled against Remus' cloak. "I don't care about myself."
"You mustn't talk like that, cousin. You've escaped Lord Pettigrew, but Lord Black is worse!"
"No one can be worse than that dispicable man!"
"There's something inhuman about Lord Black. He shows no emotion, he never loses at anything, and he is heartless to the women who love him, and there have been many." Remus paused and ran a hand up and down Raven's back to comfort her. "But there is one way to foil Lord Black."
Raven lifted her head from his chest. "How?"
"You could marry me. Now, by special license. And that way whatever you do, Black can never marry you, and niether can Pettigrew."
(A/N: IN THOSE DAYS, YOU COULD MARRY YOUR COUSIN, OKAY? DON'T WORRY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET MARRIED OBVIOUSLY!)
Raven laughed lightly. "Remus, I couldn't allow you to make that kind of sacrifice. I know you're head over heels over Lord McCabe's widow, Jordan McCabe. Besides, the McKinnon's have always honored their debts, and I will not be the first to run away from them."
Back in London, Black Manor..............................................................
"Aren't you going to at least go for a visit? You must be curious about the house...about the girl, dammit!"
"Besides, it's been ten days since you lifted them from Pettigrew."
"Well, to be honest with you, gentlemen, until my good friend, James, brought it up, it had completely slipped my mind," said Lord Black, casually.
"Sirius, you're not going to admit that you're at least a little bit curious? Don't you want to know what the girl looks like? What if she's gorgeous?" replied James.
"Oh please," piped up the only girl in the room. "Honestly, James."
"And what would you have me do, Jordan?" asked Sirius, turning to face her.
Jordan smiled attractively at Sirius. "Leave it be. It's not to say you need the house for anything. And if you want a girl, why don't you look around here for once!?"
"Not exactly subtle, are you, sister?" said Jordan's brother, John, giving Sirius a wink.
Sirius took no note of what she said. "And what do you think I should do, John?"
"Well..." John thought for a moment, "why not go there now? We could make a race of it. Ten guineas to the winner?"
"Oh, John!" objected Jordan.
Sirius shrugged offhandedly. "It would be something to do."
"This is ridiculous! The girl will turn out to be some bald freak with a wooden leg, and the house, a ruin!"
"You may stay here, then," said Sirius, giving Jordan a sly smile.
"No! No, I shall come along," said Jordan, "...that is, if I may ride with you."
And so they were off. Jordan rode in Sirius' carriage, James and John followed in their carriages. When they reached McKinnon Manor, it was quite late. Sirius rang the bell and they all waited.
"She sure is taking her time, isn't she?" said Jordan, irritably.
"Probably screwing on her wooden leg," teased John.
The door was opened by William.
"Tell your mistress that Lord Black is here to see her."
William bowed, led them through the door and disappeared.
An older woman, carrying a lamp, appeared at the top of the stairs in a nightgown. She began to hobble slowly down the stairs, obviously limping.
Jordan smiled widely and caught Sirius' eye. But then Sirius' eyes were torn away to the young woman who had appeared just behind the old one. She was also wearing a white nightgown and her long black hair whipped gracefully behind her as she came swiftly down the stairs.
She looked at each one of them in turn. "My Lord Black?"
Sirius stepped forward. "At your service, Miss McKinnon. These are my good friends, James Potter, John Prewett, and Lady Jordan McCabe."
Raven nodded to them all politely. "Well you must be hungry. I'll have some food brought out."
James stepped forward. "We will not hear of it, Miss McKinnon. We did not realize our arrival would be so late."
"Well, some wine then, yes?" She turned to the old woman who was just reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Lucy, show our guests into the drawing room. And, William, will you bring out some wine?"
"Miss McKinnon? I was wondering if we might talk," said Sirius.
"Of course." Raven led Sirius into the room to the right while Lucy led John, James, and Jordan into the drawing room on the left.
"I had no idea you'd be so young," said Sirius as Raven closed the door.
"I was a late child," replied Raven. "My mother died giving birth to me."
"It puts a damper on our relationship. Since this house now belongs to me, you cannot possibly go on living here."
"Why?" asked Raven, defiantly.
"People might assume that you were my..."
"And I understand from Remus that the Lady Evans already fills that position."
Sirius said nothing to refute this although it wasn't completely true. Raven continued, "I have with me a list of employees that received pensions from my father. You would wish to continue paying those?"
"Of course. They will be taken care of before the house is sold."
"Sold?" Raven gasped.
"Naturally," replied Sirius calmly, "since you can't live here and I have no use for it."
"Oh...I hadn't considered..."
"Which leaves you. What am I to do with you, Miss McKinnon?"
"Raven. I'm in your hands, sir. I must honor my father's debt."
"And I cannot for my reputation cancel it."
"Knowing somewhat of your reputation, I well understand that."
Sirius thought for a minute. "I think the solution would be for you to stay temporarily with my mother at Black Manor, the family home."
"May I bring my maid, Lucy, and my dog?"
"Naturally. I will send them on ahead to make your arrival a little less strange for you. It is a long journey, therefore, you yourself will travel in my most comfortable coach."
"Thank you."
"Until some...solution presents itself, let's just remain as we are: two strangers brought together by a game of chance." Sirius started for the door and then turned back around. "Oh, one more thing. Try not to be afraid of my mother."
"Why?" asked Raven as Sirius left the room. She sat at the table and put her head in her hands.
Lucy entered the room and waited expectantly for Raven to speak to her. When she didn't, Lucy grew impatient. "Well?"
Raven looked up at Lucy. "Well, I know little of men. I'm aware of what Remus said of him, and yet I've never been more baffled by a man in my entire life!"
A/N: THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW!
A/N: I WASN'T SURE IF I LIKED AU FICS, BUT THIS ONE IS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE! PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF THE STORY'S BELIEVABLE. IT'S NOT TO LATE TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
Disclaimer: Okay, first of all, I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters that are or will be in this story. I also found what book this is based on. It's "A Hazard of Hearts" by Barbara Cartland and I'm taking a lot of the lines right from the movie version of the book, which I found in my basement. So just so you know, I'm crediting it right now.
RAVEN'S RANDOMNESS: "Time - don't let it slip away. Raise your drinkin glass. Here's to yesterday. In time we're all gonna trip away. Don't piss heaven off. We've got hell to pay." ~"Full Circle" by Aerosmith
Chapter 2 - A Temporary Arrangement
"Your father is gone, Raven. Now it is you we have to worry about," said Remus.
Raven was curled up in his lap, crying softly. She sniffled and when she spoke, her voice was muffled against Remus' cloak. "I don't care about myself."
"You mustn't talk like that, cousin. You've escaped Lord Pettigrew, but Lord Black is worse!"
"No one can be worse than that dispicable man!"
"There's something inhuman about Lord Black. He shows no emotion, he never loses at anything, and he is heartless to the women who love him, and there have been many." Remus paused and ran a hand up and down Raven's back to comfort her. "But there is one way to foil Lord Black."
Raven lifted her head from his chest. "How?"
"You could marry me. Now, by special license. And that way whatever you do, Black can never marry you, and niether can Pettigrew."
(A/N: IN THOSE DAYS, YOU COULD MARRY YOUR COUSIN, OKAY? DON'T WORRY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET MARRIED OBVIOUSLY!)
Raven laughed lightly. "Remus, I couldn't allow you to make that kind of sacrifice. I know you're head over heels over Lord McCabe's widow, Jordan McCabe. Besides, the McKinnon's have always honored their debts, and I will not be the first to run away from them."
Back in London, Black Manor..............................................................
"Aren't you going to at least go for a visit? You must be curious about the house...about the girl, dammit!"
"Besides, it's been ten days since you lifted them from Pettigrew."
"Well, to be honest with you, gentlemen, until my good friend, James, brought it up, it had completely slipped my mind," said Lord Black, casually.
"Sirius, you're not going to admit that you're at least a little bit curious? Don't you want to know what the girl looks like? What if she's gorgeous?" replied James.
"Oh please," piped up the only girl in the room. "Honestly, James."
"And what would you have me do, Jordan?" asked Sirius, turning to face her.
Jordan smiled attractively at Sirius. "Leave it be. It's not to say you need the house for anything. And if you want a girl, why don't you look around here for once!?"
"Not exactly subtle, are you, sister?" said Jordan's brother, John, giving Sirius a wink.
Sirius took no note of what she said. "And what do you think I should do, John?"
"Well..." John thought for a moment, "why not go there now? We could make a race of it. Ten guineas to the winner?"
"Oh, John!" objected Jordan.
Sirius shrugged offhandedly. "It would be something to do."
"This is ridiculous! The girl will turn out to be some bald freak with a wooden leg, and the house, a ruin!"
"You may stay here, then," said Sirius, giving Jordan a sly smile.
"No! No, I shall come along," said Jordan, "...that is, if I may ride with you."
And so they were off. Jordan rode in Sirius' carriage, James and John followed in their carriages. When they reached McKinnon Manor, it was quite late. Sirius rang the bell and they all waited.
"She sure is taking her time, isn't she?" said Jordan, irritably.
"Probably screwing on her wooden leg," teased John.
The door was opened by William.
"Tell your mistress that Lord Black is here to see her."
William bowed, led them through the door and disappeared.
An older woman, carrying a lamp, appeared at the top of the stairs in a nightgown. She began to hobble slowly down the stairs, obviously limping.
Jordan smiled widely and caught Sirius' eye. But then Sirius' eyes were torn away to the young woman who had appeared just behind the old one. She was also wearing a white nightgown and her long black hair whipped gracefully behind her as she came swiftly down the stairs.
She looked at each one of them in turn. "My Lord Black?"
Sirius stepped forward. "At your service, Miss McKinnon. These are my good friends, James Potter, John Prewett, and Lady Jordan McCabe."
Raven nodded to them all politely. "Well you must be hungry. I'll have some food brought out."
James stepped forward. "We will not hear of it, Miss McKinnon. We did not realize our arrival would be so late."
"Well, some wine then, yes?" She turned to the old woman who was just reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Lucy, show our guests into the drawing room. And, William, will you bring out some wine?"
"Miss McKinnon? I was wondering if we might talk," said Sirius.
"Of course." Raven led Sirius into the room to the right while Lucy led John, James, and Jordan into the drawing room on the left.
"I had no idea you'd be so young," said Sirius as Raven closed the door.
"I was a late child," replied Raven. "My mother died giving birth to me."
"It puts a damper on our relationship. Since this house now belongs to me, you cannot possibly go on living here."
"Why?" asked Raven, defiantly.
"People might assume that you were my..."
"And I understand from Remus that the Lady Evans already fills that position."
Sirius said nothing to refute this although it wasn't completely true. Raven continued, "I have with me a list of employees that received pensions from my father. You would wish to continue paying those?"
"Of course. They will be taken care of before the house is sold."
"Sold?" Raven gasped.
"Naturally," replied Sirius calmly, "since you can't live here and I have no use for it."
"Oh...I hadn't considered..."
"Which leaves you. What am I to do with you, Miss McKinnon?"
"Raven. I'm in your hands, sir. I must honor my father's debt."
"And I cannot for my reputation cancel it."
"Knowing somewhat of your reputation, I well understand that."
Sirius thought for a minute. "I think the solution would be for you to stay temporarily with my mother at Black Manor, the family home."
"May I bring my maid, Lucy, and my dog?"
"Naturally. I will send them on ahead to make your arrival a little less strange for you. It is a long journey, therefore, you yourself will travel in my most comfortable coach."
"Thank you."
"Until some...solution presents itself, let's just remain as we are: two strangers brought together by a game of chance." Sirius started for the door and then turned back around. "Oh, one more thing. Try not to be afraid of my mother."
"Why?" asked Raven as Sirius left the room. She sat at the table and put her head in her hands.
Lucy entered the room and waited expectantly for Raven to speak to her. When she didn't, Lucy grew impatient. "Well?"
Raven looked up at Lucy. "Well, I know little of men. I'm aware of what Remus said of him, and yet I've never been more baffled by a man in my entire life!"
A/N: THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW!
