The Future of House Black
By: Ryu Katanna
Beta:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Ten
"We will have to work on your floo travel." Narcissa's voice greeted him as Hardwin straightened his robes as he stood after tumbling out of the fireplace in the floo room of Malfoy Manor.
"I've only gone through floo travel a few times. Most of those were as we were running. Good afternoon, cousin." Hardwin replied as he greeted her with a small smile as she banished the soot with a wave of her wand before clasping his hand.
"Good afternoon, Hardwin. Welcome to my home." She greeted him formally, but not stiffly.
Narcissa was greeting him and welcoming him as family. It was an acknowledgment he had not expected without more time. They had not grown up together nor had they known of the blood ties between them for long. Yet she was welcoming him as family, and that was all that mattered to Hardwin. He'd known so little family, and it warmed something in him that she had not rejected or scorned him as he had experienced with the only other family he'd known. Sirius, Nymphadora, and Andromeda were the exceptions before he'd even known of the ties their blood held.
It also meant that this wasn't a formal meeting between Houses, and so he didn't have to wear a mask, which was a relief after being in the public eye all day.
"Thank you for inviting us to dinner, Narcissa." Hardwin replied with a glance around the floo room.
"Is my sister running late?" Narcissa asked when she didn't come through behind him.
"Andromeda decided to floo to Black Manor first to check on Teddy. She shouldn't be long." He replied and got a nod in response.
"Andromeda wrote to me yesterday to tell me about what happened. Are you more comfortable at Black Manor?" Narcissa asked with some concern in her tone though none of it showed on her face.
"I have only spent one night there, but I've slept better during that one than I ever have at Grimmauld Place. I haven't spent enough time there to say for sure though." Hardwin told her and the tension that he hadn't even noticed relaxed from her brow.
"I loved the Manor as a child. How the crystal windows scattered light and color in every room. Wychwood Forest is also a magical place to wander at twilight. I had wanted to take Draco to see it when he was little, but Arcturus had locked down the wards by then. I wrote to him, but he refused entrance to everyone." Narcissa said with a gleam of reminiscence in her eyes and disappointment in the voice.
"Well, you and Draco are both welcome to come to the Manor any time. I have not gone into Wychwood Forest yet. I ended up going into Muggle London to go shopping. I also went to a muggle pub last night." He said with a small laugh to her expression of horror.
"A muggle pub? What would you possibly need there?" Narcissa asked with disgust that Hardwin brushed away knowing it was how most purebloods would react.
"I went because I felt like I needed to figure myself out. This muggle pub catered more toward homosexuals." He told her to which she considered.
"I see. Did you find your answer?" She asked inquiringly.
"I did, and it was further confirmed to me today." Hardwin teased the information just as the floo flared and Andromeda stepped out elegantly.
"Good afternoon, Andromeda. Welcome to my home. I'm glad you accepted my dinner invitation." Narcissa paused in her conversation to properly greet her sister though he knew this wasn't the end of the conversation by the glance she gave him.
"Thank you for the invitation, Narcissa. Have I interrupted something?" Andromeda asked as she spelled away the soot from the floo and saw the look given to Hardwin.
"Hardwin was just telling me of his trip to a muggle pub last night and had hinted that he found an answer to his preferences. Something that was further confirmed today though he has not told me of the events that brought about his revelation." Narcissa replied as she looked at their cousin with a raised eyebrow in expectation.
"Yes, a topic that relates to something else we have to speak with you about. Perhaps we had best greet your husband and son first, and we can discuss it over dinner." Andromeda suggested with a small smile of amusement toward the teen.
"I agree, but I do want answers, Hardwin. You can not tease me with such things." Narcissa said seriously before leading them out of the room and down a long opulently decorated hall before entering a double set of doors into an informal dining room.
For all that it was an informal dining room, it was still lavishly decorated with light wood floors and white paneled walls with blue and burnished gold hangings. A gold and crystal chandelier hung from the domed ceiling. A white oak table surrounded by eight chairs sat upon a large decorative rug. Sitting in the gold-gilded white oak chair waiting for them were Lucius and Draco who stood when they entered.
"Good afternoon, Lucius. It's been a long time." Andromeda said in greeting to break the suddenly tense silence.
"Good afternoon, Andromeda, and to you as well Lord Black. Welcome to our home." Lucius said cordially, but Hardwin knew he wasn't truly relaxed.
He couldn't blame the man as he wasn't either. Hardwin would have avoided seeing this man ever again if he could have, but that was no longer possible. They were related through marriage whether they liked it or not. They would have to find some way to interact with each other. They didn't have to like each other, but they would have to find some way to clear the air between them.
"Lord Malfoy. Please, call me Hardwin. This is a private meeting for family, after all." Hardwin nodded in greeting, and offered to be polite as he really didn't feel like standing on ceremony when they were family, however reluctantly.
"Lucius then." Lucius offered with a nod of his own befor they focused their attention on the others.
"Sister, this is my son. Draco, I'd like you to meet your Aunt Andromeda." Narcissa said as she started to direct the flow of conversation.
"It's nice to meet you, Aunt Andromeda." Draco said as he stepped forward with a little unease from the situation.
"It's nice to meet you too, Draco. You have your father's coloring, but I can see your mother in your face." Andromeda replied with a soft smile at this observation to which Draco returned a small smile of his own before his eyes moved to Hardwin and gave a nod.
"Draco." Harwin said and the other teens' shoulders relaxed at the usage of his first name.
"Hardwin. You're looking well." He replied with a wry smirk as grey eyes flickered over his form, and Hardwin couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips as he smiled.
"Yes, your Aunt Andromeda is a force to be reckoned with. I do believe she had fun this morning while I could only stand there for two hours." He said which got Draco to laugh at the look of fond exasperation Hardwin gave toward where she stood talking with Lucius and Narcissa.
"Just wait until Mother gets you to go shopping with her in Paris. Two hours is nothing." He warned and Hardwin sighed as he glanced at Narcissa knowing they were giving the two teens a moment.
"I don't doubt you. I wanted to apologize to you, Draco. We were both kids in difficult situations. It's no excuse, but a lot happened in our fifth year that my mind still hasn't recovered from. That was pointed out to me today with my visit to the healer. I should never have used that curse on you in sixth year when I didn't know what it did. I wouldn't have had I known." Hardwin said seriously knowing nothing could make what he'd done right.
"You're right. We were kids. I don't know what happened to you in fifth year, but everyone in Slytherin noticed something was different with you. I'm not innocent either in things that happened. Can we just leave that all behind us?" Draco asked with a glance over toward his mother before looking back at Hardwin.
"Can we just leave what we did before and during the war where it is? When Mother told us what you had told her and Aunt Andromeda, she was happy. She's happy that her family isn't completely gone. I knew she had a lot of family growing up, but most of them were gone by the time I was born. I didn't grow up knowing my Aunts or any cousins. I can't speak for my father, but the Malfoy creed is Family First, and you are family to me and mother through the Blacks. Even though we didn't know it." Draco said softly though appearing to be a little uncomfortable with the admission, and it was then Hardwin noticed that they had the attention of the other three who were listening for his response.
"I think we should all start over now. All of us played our parts in a war that wasn't even ours. We know the truth now. The reputations of both House Malfoy and House Black have been damaged because of two old men who were playing a game before any of us were even born. You are right, Draco. We are family." Hardwin said before turning to look at Lucius as his posture straightened.
"This war wasn't ours. It has torn families and our world apart for long enough. Tom and Dumbledore are both dead. I think it's time our world moved on. What do you think Lucius? I want to move past our prejudices and try to make things better. To repair our families and our world after what they have done to us. Will House Malfoy work with House Black to repair what those men have torn apart for their own power?" He asked the man who was watching him with an assessing gaze.
This was what it came down to. Dumbledore and Voldemort had done much to tear the wizarding world apart. They had caused the deaths of many old wizarding families. Those that remained had been torn apart by their manipulations and the infighting as sides were chosen.
The British Ministry had been corrupted for a long time and was now a shell of what it had once been. What it was supposed to be. Laws had been passed that would need to be reassessed. Hardwin had already been working with Kingsley Shaklebolt, who was the interim Minister of Magic, to make sure that trials were held for all of those who had been arrested. Pressure had been high to just throw them into Azkaban, but Hardwin was determined that no one else would suffer the same injustice as Sirius had. He had spoken out quite loudly to that effect.
Lucius was on house arrest for the moment, but that would only last for three years, and his probation for ten. In truth, that wasn't a long time in the life of one of their kind. The man had been working in politics since he had left Hogwarts. He had the knowledge, experience, and connections while Hardwin had the freedom of movement and the reputation after defeating the most recent Dark Lord. Hardwin could reach his goals on his own with time, but it would be easier with the help from House Malfoy.
They would both benefit, but they would need to leave the past were it was to work together.
"The House of Malfoy will work with the House of Black to mend what has been broken." Lucius said with a nod to Hardwin while Narcissa looked pleased as the air was cleared between both sides of her family.
"Come. We should have a seat so dinner can be served. Hardwin teased me with some information when he arrived, and I want answers." She said as she directed them all to the table where they sat down and Draco chuckled.
"She will get those answers." He said knowing his mother could be persistent when there was gossip she didn't know.
"She will get them, but first there was something I want to ask you Narcissa." Hardwin said as the food appeared on the table.
"What is it?" Narcissa asked him as they started filling their plates.
"Will you act as the representative for the Black family for my marriage contract negotiations?" Hardwin asked her, and she paused briefly in her movements before looking back at him with a smile of pleasure.
"I would love to. If you're ready to move forward with a contract does that mean you've determined your preference?" She asked only to glance curiously at her sister when she started chuckling, and Hardwin blushed with a glare toward Andromeda.
"Yes. I would prefer a husband. Would you stop laughing, Andromeda?!" Hardwin's cheeks grew darker in embarrassment knowing she was thinking of what happened earlier in the day.
"Did something happen that I'm unaware of?" Narcissa asked a bit mischievously at seeing her cousin embarrassed for the first time.
"Be warned that you may be approached by House Flint for Hardwin's contract. He had a rather interesting encounter with their young scion earlier this afternoon." Andromeda replied much to everyone else's interest when Hardwin almost pouted at the teasing.
"Marcus?" Draco asked with interest as he and Lucius were able to follow the conversation since Narcissa had informed them of the things she had spoken with Hardwin and Andromeda about when she had been called to Grimmauld Place a few days before, and Hardwin sighed before speaking.
"I stopped at the Magical Menagerie today to see about getting a few crows for post at the Manor. While I was there I found a snake complaining that it was hungry and had been for days. As it turns out, Heir Marcellus and Scion Marcus Flint arrived at about that time to pick it up. They had purchased the snake as a pet for their younger brother but hadn't been informed that the snake was venomous. The saleswoman actually had the audacity to insinuate I was lying. That was about the time that Andromeda arrived." Hardwin informed them and could see the same looks of surprise and anger he had felt.
"I reprimanded Miss Eton, and instructed her to retrieve Mr. Stretton. The four of us spoke while we waited. You should have seen it, Narcissa. Scion Flint couldn't keep his eyes off of Hardwin, and Heir Flint noticed it as well, I'm sure." Andromeda said in amusement knowing that they would understand how obvious Marcus's interest was in Hardwin that she and Marcellus had noticed it even with their public masks.
"How Miss Eton could think she could win that argument, I will never know. Everyone who was in Hogwarts our second year knows you are a parselmouth." Draco said knowing that the information would have been spread even outside of the school.
"What did Mr. Stretton do to rectify the oversight of his employee?" Lucius asked having already known Hardwin was a parselmouth from Draco telling him and knowing where it had come from after seeing copy of the results of the heritage test Narcissa had shown them.
"He apologized and offered to refund the cost of the snake to House Flint. Scion Marcus accepted half of the price for the snake under the condition Hardwin accepted it as a gift from House Flint for his assistance. Hardwin's purchase was also half-price." Andromeda replied knowing Lucius likely would have pushed for more.
"I am going to have the sunroom at the manor renovated to make it a place suitable for snakes. I have also offered to help House Flint in finding a snake of the non-venomous variety for Scion Mardyn Flint." Hardwin said as he tried to keep the attention away from his attraction to Marcus.
"You plan to get more?" Draco asked curiously.
"I do. I have always liked snakes. I've just had a few bad experiences with them because of Tom. I'm also the last known parselmouth in the UK, and there is a chance any child I have could be as well. I would like to work on removing the stigma Dumbledore and Tom have both given it. The ability wasn't always seen as the sign of a dark wizard. I think that started first with Dumbledore's prejudice, and then Tom made it worse since he used it for intimidation." Hardwin said remembering the memory Dumbledore had shown him.
The man hadn't been intimidated by the use of parseltongue itself, but by the aggressive behavior of Marvolo and Morfin Gaunt.
"You will need to hire a solicitor quickly. You are going to need to reveal your heritage otherwise the papers may try claiming you are going dark." Lucius said knowing how quickly the papers would turn on him if he was open about his ability.
"I had planned to ask you about that, actually. I want to know who the best would be to have." Hardwin said and received a nod in agreement from Lucius.
"You may also get those who work in magizoology on your side. You are in a unique position to help rehabilitate magical serpents." Narcissa suggested knowing it would be a positive use for his ability.
"I would have to expand the sunroom more than I had planned." Hardwin replied thoughtfully to her suggestion.
"Or you could have something built on the grounds and make the building a sanctuary. You said earlier today that the sunroom would be a good place to relax. Renovate the sunroom to house your own snakes but have another building for the ones you rehabilitate." Andromeda suggested and Hardwin nodded in agreement after a moment of thought.
"It would also give me something to do for work, or a hobby at te very least. I will have to research more on magical snake species." Hardwin replied knowing he was only adding another thing onto his mental list of things he had to do.
"You could contact House Scamander. They may be willing to work with you as well as teach you what you need to know if you explain to them what you are wanting to do." Lucius suggested knowing that they would be the best to approach with this topic.
"I'll work on drawing up some plans later before I write to them and to Gringotts with a proposal. I hadn't planned on starting renovations on the Manor until after I married, but I may have to now." Hardwin said as his mind raced.
"You can still wait on having any other work done around the Manor until you marry. Just hope that your spouse doesn't mind being around so many snakes." Draco said only for Hardwin to blush lightly when Andromeda started chuckling again as she spoke.
"Oh, I don't think he'll have any problems if he marries Scion Flint." She said quietly as she brought the topic back to Hardwin and Marcus's interactions earlier that afternoon.
"You will have to show me that memory, sister. If they are both as attracted to the other as you suggest then I want to know for if House Flint does contact me." Narcissa said as Hardwin tried to ignore them by turning to Draco to ask his opinion of his other options for marriage contracts.
This, however, backfired on him as Draco told him little about Theodore Nott and Graham Montague before steering the conversation to telling him what he knew about Marcus. Which wasn't much more than Hardwin already knew about him, in reality. It turns out that Marcus hadn't acted much differently in the Slytherin common room than he had outside of it.
"He kept most people at a distance so no one knew him well. He only had two people he spent any time with. Those were Adrian Pucey and Cassius Warrington. Though he was also on speaking terms with Terence Higgs." Draco told him as dinner was ending.
"I think I remember Warrington. Wasn't he on the quidditch team?" Hardwin asked as he tried to remember, but he hadn't paid much attention to most of the Slytherins while he was in school aside from those in their year.
"He was a chaser. Heir Higgs was also on the team. He played seeker our first year before being moved to chaser when I joined the team." Draco said while they finished and everyone stood to follow Lucius into a sitting room for after-dinner drinks while the house-elves cleared away the dishes.
"How did your appointment with the healer go, Hardwin?" Narcissa asked after Lucius had served them all and they found their seats.
"It was both better and worse than I had expected. I want to thank you for making the appointment. If I had waited a few years then they wouldn't have been able to heal the damage he found as easily." Hardwin said gratefully as he settled into the chair for this conversation.
"Damage?" Draco asked remembering what Hardwin had said to him about fifth year when he had apologized earlier, and seeing the look of anger on Andromeda's face.
"Yes. Some of it is from the war, but not all. Some things are from before Hogwarts while others were during school." Hardwin admitted as he pulled out the copy of the health report that was needed for the contract negotiations and handed it to Narcissa.
Narcissa's expression morphed from curious to increasingly upset as she read through the parchment. Her fists clenched as she looked up in question to Andromeda only to receive a nod in return. She looked over to Hardwin who could see both concern and anger in her eyes.
"May Lucius and Draco see this?" She asked knowing Andromeda already knew everything there since she had been at the appointment.
"Of course." Hardwin replied knowing it would be easier than him explaining everything.
"You were never vaccinated?" Lucius asked incredulously as he read.
"Apparently not. The healer fixed that today though. I also had an allergy test done though there were none." Hardwin replied watching while he finished the report and handing it to Draco with an angry flush to his face.
"The malnourishment?" Narcissa asked having seen that he was on both organ renewal potions and bone-strengthening potions which he was prescribed to take for two weeks after a comming procedur to regrow a few bones while he would need nutrient potions for six months to a year.
"Dumbledore. I told you he placed me with my squib Aunt. Yeah, she and her muggle husband didn't like having a freak in the house. That's a whole other issue I'll need to speak to Lucius about later. Dumbledore knew about it but forced me to go back every summer." Hardwin admitted feeling the rush of hatred again as he thought of it all.
"Freak?! They're the freaks! You're going to be on bedrest as they vanish and regrow several bones that were never treated for breaks." Draco almost shouted as he looked at the report.
"It'll only be three or four days. It's not the first time. Lockhart vanished the bones in my arm in our second year, remember?" Hardwin said knowing there was no use being angry over any of it right now as it was getting fixed.
There were other things that he was more upset about.
"Hardwin, this is a lot of damage. It says you need to see a mind healer to repair the damage to your mind's natural walls. That much damage⦠that can only be caused by someone repeatedly raping your mind." Narcissa said, and all four of them looked both horrified and angry.
Hardwin sighed knowing he would have to explain but knowing there was no way to do so without telling them why.
"I can give you a simple explanation without telling you why, or I can tell you why, but I will need a wizard's oath of secrecy to do so." Hardwin said with a sigh.
"Let's hear the simple explanation first." Andromeda said knowing the topic must be sensitive if he was asking for an oath.
"Dumbledore wanted me to learn occlumency in fifth year. So, Snape was teaching me occlumency while they said it was remedial potions." Hardwin said knowing that he couldn't say much more without telling them about the connection he'd had to Tom and why without telling them what the source of the connection had been.
"Why would Dumbledore choose Snape to teach you occlumency? Everyone knows that Snape hated you." Draco said and Hardwin nodded as he agreed.
"He hated my father since they were in school together, but my mother was his childhood friend. He loved her, and he became Dumbledore's spy to try to save her when Tom decided to go after my family. When she died he honored her life by protecting me. I hate the man for how he treated me, but I admire him at the same time." Hardwin said seriously only for Narcissa to scoff.
"He honored Lily by raping the mind of her son repeatedly, and so severely, that it hasn't been able to heal on its own after almost three years!" She exclaimed looking even more upset that he would excuse it.
"The damage wasn't all from him. There is a reason, but I cannot tell you without the oath." Hardwin explained knowing that they would understand more if they knew about what Tom had done.
What Tom had made him.
"Then we'll take the oath. Severus was a friend once. I would like to know." Lucius decided and Draco, Andromeda, and Narcissa agreed.
"Alright." Hardwin nodded knowing they would need to know in order to understand.
Severus Snape had had many failings. As a friend, a teacher, and as a human being. Yet that was what he had been in the end. He had been a human being who had done his best to make things right. He had done wrong, but he had done so much more that had saved so many lives.
He didn't deserve to be remembered for the villain he had needed to portray.
He deserved to be remembered as the brave man he had been.
The bravest man Hardwin had ever known.
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I had thought this chapter would be a lot harder to write than it was. It's only been a day since posting the last one. I've said it before, but this is really taking on a life of its own. I hope this chapter helped answer some of your questions. I'll be starting on the next one tonight!
~Ryu
Edited: 11/18/2022
