Disclaimer is in chapter 1.

Narcissa looked up as the three children paraded into the kitchen, delicately sipping at the cup of tea Mrs. Harris had prepared for her. She carefully smothered the grimace that followed, tasting the paper of the tea bag with each sip. She recognized Alexander, who was surreptitiously moving to block the redhead from her sight, idly wondering if he was doing it purposely.

When his hand twitched slightly as it slid into his pocket, she knew he was. It was mildly impressive, but she was a little hurt just the same that he considered her a possible threat to whoever the girl was.

"Good afternoon, Alexander. Permit me to introduce myself," Narcissa said, smiling comfortably, "I'm Narcissa Malfoy."

He relaxed slightly when she said that, but didn't move away from the redhead. He just nodded, then turned away from Narcissa slightly.

"Wills, you should head on home. I'll call you later, K?"

The redhead, Wills Narcissa supposed, nodded hesitantly and backed away. 'I do hope that is a nickname, it's hardly suitable for a young lady.'

"O... ok, Xan. I'll see you."

Alexander smiled at her, and showed her out. What struck Narcissa was that the other girl, a dark haired and... dark 'aura' child, kept her eyes on Narcissa the whole time, her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face.

When Alexander came back, the dark girl uncrossed her arms, and Narcissa's eyes widened to note the haft of a wand showing just barely below where her fingers had been resting. 'Paranoid children. What has the world come too?'

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy," Alexander said, smiling politely when he returned, "I must say that I'm surprised that you came all the way from England, is this about the invitation to the World Cup?"

"Partially," Narcissa returned the smile, "I see that your family has passed on the message."

"Yes," Jessica spoke up, pouring a cup for tea for herself, her son, and his guest. "Alex, Wednesday, please have a seat."

The four sat around the kitchen table, and an uncomfortable silence settled on them, leaving it to Narcissa to finally break.

"I was wondering, Alexander, have you spoken to my cousin since England?"

Xander paused, thinking on it for a moment, then shrugged, "Sorry. No."

"I see. He moved to Los Angeles a few days ago," Narcissa said, "The authorities refused to say more than that until they could speak with him."

Actually, to even get that much required a fair bit of bribing. It didn't take a genius to work out where Sirius would go next once he settled into LA, however. He only had one reason to move to the west coast, almost as far from England as one could imagine being. Many people might think it was because he felt a fear of the British ministry, but Narcissa knew better.

Sirius had been born with a crippling lack of reasonable fear. If he hadn't betrayed the Potters then nothing would stop the man from going back, sooner or later, to help his Godson. If he had betrayed them, then nothing would stop him from returning to the side of the Dark Lord or his followers. Sirius was simply that sort of person.

"You believe he's coming here."

Narcissa focused on the dark child, Wednesday, mildly surprised that the girl had figured it out with such confidence so as to state it, not question it. She nodded, "It seems likely."

"What does this man want with my Son?"

"I told him to drop by, if the government let him loose." Alexander shrugged, "Figured I'd get a message to Harry for him, if he wanted."

Narcissa nodded, unsurprised. "My cousin, man child that he is, was devoted to the Potters. The idea that he betrayed them never sat well with me, but all accounts agreed on it until just recently."

"Why are you looking for him?" Alexander asked.

"You may not be aware, but as part of his negotiations with the American Ministry, Sirius has been declared The Lord Black in Exile. He is, officially, the head of the Black Family now and as such has responsibilities." Narcissa replied, "I intend to remind him of such."

"The Blacks?" Jessica Harris frowned thoughtfully, masking the expression with a sip of tea. "Most Ancient and Noble family, Toujours Pur."

"Correct." Narcissa said, eyeing the woman across from her with new eyes. "I'm impressed."

"I took my education with the Families," Jessica replied, eyes leveling on Narcissa. "The Blacks are well known, of late, as a 'Dark' family."

Narcissa snorted, "We are a pureblood family that takes pride in our traditions. That's sufficient for the so called 'light' families to label us as such."

"Hmmm." Jessica hummed, taking another sip. "As I recall the Blacks were once well known as dabblers in Necromancy, Curse Wards, and... now what was it? Oh yes, wasn't the Torture curse created by a Black?"

"Evantius Black was a family outcast." Narcissa countered calmly, again surprised by the woman across from her. "You're remarkably informed, Mrs. Harris."

"Jessica Lavelle Harris."

That shook Narcissa, her eyes widening as she shot glances between mother and son. She'd known about the Harris connection, and was duly impressed with it to be honest. The Harris family was an old Irish pureblood line that once wielded significant power in both Muggle and Magical worlds. Not as high up in the Nobility as the Blacks, they were nevertheless a power to contend with before the family had finally died out during the Great War.

The Lavelles, however, were another story entirely.

As old as the Harris line, the Lavelles were never linked to British nobility but their links to lower born lines were numerous and deeply entwined. Narcissa's mind raced as she tried to bring up anything she could remember about the family, but most of it was buried deep in the passage of time. Lost, most likely, to almost everyone.

One thing she could remember, however, was that the Lavelle's were not to be trifled with. The family knew how to hold a grudge, and always repaid a debt whether it were one of money or one of blood. They were infamous for it, even if it took generations. It was, in point of fact, their family motto.

Totus Debitum Pensus.

Most who heard it thought it was an honorable ideal to hold a family too, the idea of paying debts. Narcissa knew, however, that the reference wasn't to monetary accounts. Lavelle's were known to annihilate family lines in pursuit of the settling of a debt.

Or, in the original Romany, Sor Monchimo Bog. It was less of a motto there, and more of a threat or promise.

"I see." Narcissa managed to keep her tone steady as she took another sip of her tea.

Alexander was growing more and more interesting with everything she learned about him.

Xander, for his part, kept quiet as he tried to work out what was going on between the two women. He'd seen enough verbal spars in the Slytherin dorms to recognize one when it was playing out in front of him, but he was missing key information needed to understand this one and it was bugging the hell out of him.

"Why does the House of Malfoy have interest in Alexander?"

The quiet voice surprised all of them, and the three others turned to the quiet girl who was sipping her tea coolly as she looked over the cup at Narcissa.

Narcissa took this opportunity to shift away from the revelation of the involvement of the Lavelle family and coolly returned the stare she was receiving from the child. "What concern is it of yours, child?"

"As a friend of the Family Addams, Alexander is of great concern to me."

Narcissa froze in place, hot tea scalding her throat as she forgot to swallow. Iron discipline prevented her from choking, but she managed to remain outwardly calm.

'Sweet Merlin.' She thought, her mind racing inwardly. If the Lavelle's were to be cautious about, the Addams Family was a nightmare. Possibly the ultimate Dark aligned family, they were known to avoid any dealings with society at large as a general rule, preferring to socialize almost entirely within the clan.

Those who chose to enter the clan generally vanished from the world with very little trace, as did those who chose to antagonize them.

The Family Addams was possibly the most wealthy clan in the world, though the precise numbers were simply not known. They didn't rely on banks to hold the bulk of their wealth, by all accounts, and yet their bank accounts were known to be sufficient to destroy small countries when an Addams was properly motivated.

This boy was tied into two of the most infamous family lines known to still exist. Narcissa carefully revised her thoughts, and began to run over her vague plans to ensure that they didn't do anything that might be considered... unfriendly.

Angering either family was unwise, angering both was something not even the most foolish would knowingly do.

And, of all things she considered herself, foolish was not one of them.

Narcissa was saved from further world shattering moments by a knock at the door.

Sirius slapped the side of his head as he walked, trying to get the ringing out.

Sometimes having the enhanced senses that came with his Animagus form really sucked. Oh, he didn't have the full package in human form, but one of the things most Animagus' didn't speak of often was the fact that their animal form had powerful influence over their human. Many wizards carefully avoided the transformation for that reason specifically, afraid of the loss of reason they associated with beasts.

An Animagus, however, wouldn't trade their form to save their life. It was integral to who they were, and the feeling of completeness that came with it was something that couldn't be explained to someone who hadn't experienced it.

That said, for a Dog Animagus, loud explosions really sucked. Especially when they came by surprise, and in close proximity.

He grumbled a bit as he walked, mostly to try and cover up the low whine he could hear at the back of his head. That was going to drive him insane if it kept up.

He arrived back on the street the kid lived on and was making his way toward the house when he ran into a girl coming from that direction, looking over her shoulder. The impact was minor, but in his unbalanced state it sent Sirius to the ground in a painful lump.

"Oh, sorry!" The redhead apologized, "I'm really, really, sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going, are you ok?"

Sirius looked up at her, recognizing her as one of the trio he'd followed and let out a sharp bark of laughter.

Figures that one of them would be around to finish the job.

As he laughed the girl took a step back, eyes widening as she eyed him nervously now.

"Sorry, sorry," He gasped out, recognizing that he was scaring her a bit. "I'm fine. Just having a weird day."

"O... oh." She said as he got up. "Ok. I am really sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't looking where I was going either." He said, smiling, "I'm fine."

"Ok... Uh... I have to go." She said, ducking her head as she moved around him and headed away.

He watched her go for a moment, then shook his head and headed up to the house his address for the kid listed and knocked.

When the door was opened Sirius smiled, "Hello, I'm looking for a Xander Harris?"

"Sirius!"

Sirius blinked. "I know that voice from somewhere."

"Sirius Black, you imbecile! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me!?"

"Cissa?"

There were days in a persons life when nothing seemed to make sense.

The sort of day where you arrive in a new town, follow some kids to a junk yard, and almost get blown up when they're testing out the new magic wand they made. The sort of day that continues on to where you run into your cousin, a woman who once tormented you to insanity as children and then became the wife of a man who tried to kill you and your best friends on multiple occasions.

Oddly enough Sirius Black was having that kind of day.

Narcissa had all but violently yanked him into the house, leaving him reaching for his wand before her rant penetrated and he realized that she was just yelling at him and not cursing him. Not literally at any rate.

"I spent MONTHS living out of Rosmerta's spare room you inconsiderate clod! What were you THINKING, going back to Hogwarts with all those Dementors around!?" She ranted, shoving him into a large chair.

"I-," He tried to speak up to defend himself.

"I'll tell you what you were thinking," She snapped, "You weren't thinking anything at all!"

He blinked, "But-."

Belatedly Sirius noted that the Harris kid was snickering at him from behind Narcissa. Somehow he'd been set up, damn it.

"Are you even listening to me!?" Narcissa demanded, noting Sirius lack of attention.

"No..."

Sirius cringed back as his cousin gave him a look that could have peeled the walls of Hogwarts down. She bared her teeth slightly, finally drawing her wand as she slowly advanced on him.

"Sirius Orion Black, do you have any idea how close you came to the Dementors Kiss?"

"Umm..."

"About a portkey away," Xander said from the door to the kitchen, smirking widely.

"Exactly!" Narcissa snarled, "Why on Earth would you risk yourself that way!?"

"I had to get Pettigrew!" Sirius blurted in his defense.

"That turned out spectacularly well, now didn't it?" Narcissa countered. "Good Lord, Sirius. You could have contacted someone, anyone practically."

"Like anyone was going to believe me!"

"Believe you? No. Dumbledore most likely would have at least checked if you told him where Pettigrew was, however. And you surely had enough old friends that a letter to any one of them would have at a minimum had them doing a cursory investigation." She growled, "For Merlin's sake, Sirius, even I would have done that much."

"You married Lucius!"

"And you're the Head of House Black!" She snapped back, waving her wand so energetically that sparks were flying from it. "Merlin, Circe, and Morgana! Do you have some kind of death wish!?"

"All I want is Pettigrew." Sirius growled out.

Narcissa stared at him for a long time, "And what of your responsibilities, Sirius? You're head of House Black..."

"To the Abyss with House Black!"

The smack of flesh on flesh echoed through the room and Sirius jerked back in shock as Narcissa shook her stinging hand slightly. "Say that again, and I use my wand."

Sirius rubbed the side of his face, glaring at her for a moment, "Cissa, I and the Family broke faith a long time ago."

"The family you broke faith with are all dead, Sirius." Narcissa replied coolly. "Your mother, your brother, you father. They're gone. House Black is You. You are House Black."

"Well then, I can't damn them to hell I suppose, since we've already been there."

"What about your Godson then," Narcissa shifted tact, "Damn him to hell as well?"

"Harry has nothing to do with this."

"How about Andromeda, and your niece Nymphadora?" Narcissa challenged, "Are they worthy of hell too?"

"Damn it, Cissa! They have their own lives now. Romy got out."

"Romy was thrown out." Cissa corrected, "You think she wanted to leave the Black name? She spent her entire life training to take over care of the bloodline. Muggle-born lover or not, she should be the Keeper of the Line and you know it!"

"What the hell do you want from me, Damn it!?"

"I want you to grow the hell up." She snapped angrily.

A silence descended on the room and the two arguers became aware of their audience, who had been standing back and watching the back and forth with avid interest.

"Urmm..." Sirius blinked, throwing a weak smile at the others, "Good afternoon."

Jessica Lavelle Harris raised a single eyebrow, then rolled her eyes, "Welcome to my home. Would you care for any refreshments, perhaps? Or a lozenge to sooth your throats?"

Narcissa had the good grace to blush at that, "My apologies. I'm afraid I let my concerns over family override my good sense and manners."

Jessica inclined her head slightly to the blond, "Accepted. However, let us keep the roar down from this point on. I understand that you have issue of The Line to deal with, and those can be quite emotional, but screaming is more likely to damage your position than help."

Narcissa nodded, conscious of her position in someone elses home. Even if Jessica was a squib, and the house was... disturbingly muggle, it was not her home, nor was it under the flag of Black or Malfoy. So a certain decorum was demanded.

"I'll make some more tea," Jessica said after a moment, "In the meantime, please, make yourselves comfortable."

Narcissa sighed, taking a seat across from her cousin, and spared a brief glare for the shaggy headed man. "Honestly, Sirius, you're The Lord Black now, Exile notwithstanding. You could have purchased more fitting clothes."

"Robes are frowned on for males in muggle society, Cissa." Sirius smirked.

"Do I look like my husband, or one of those ignorant fools he dotes on?" She countered. "I meant that you could have at least fitted yourself out with a dignified suit. Male fashions are quite stable in the Muggle world, Sirius, at least the dignified ones."

"Now that you mention it, you do look a little like Lucius," Sirius smirked, "I think he's a little bit prettier though."

Xander snorted, while Narcissa split a glare between the two of them.

"And you have obviously spent too much time in prison, to say that," She countered calmly.

This time Xander laughed openly, and got a glare from Sirius in response.

Sirius sighed, shaking his head, "Why are you so adamantly hunting me down, Cissa?"

"Because you are the Head of House Black, Sirius. And, my marriage aside, I am a daughter of Black." She answered, "I do not want to see the Line end, Cousin."

"And yet I can't bring myself to care."

She glared at him again, lips thin as she let out a sharp breath. "Damn it, Sirius. There is honor in the family name, you know."

"Precious little."

"Then what of the Line? Do you really intend to let your gift die with you?" She challenged. "The Black Sense exists only in you now. You are the last True Pureblood registered in all of Britain."

Xander blinked, eyes wide. "Uh, excuse me... How's that?"

The two glanced over at him, and Narcissa was the first to answer. "There are degrees of Purebloods, Alexander. The highest level, The True Purebloods, are not based so much on their ancestral line but their Blood. To be a True blood, you must show a bloodline trait that is known to be inherited through the blood. Something you pass to your children, and they to theirs."

"I can't be the last, Cissa." Sirius objected, "The other old lines all hand a few..."

"All dead."

"Simmons?"

"Dead."

"Carmichael?"

"Dead."

Sirius blinked, shaking his head, "Merlin. But what about..."

"They're all dead, Sirius," Narcissa replied sadly. "The remnants of the family lines are ragged bastard children, most of whom don't even know their history, or how to test for it... let alone how to train their blood..."

She took a deep breath, "Cousin... Sirius. I don't want my family line to die. The generations of careful work, centuries of breeding, all gone? It's not right, Sirius. It's not right, and you know it."

Sirius sighed softly, sitting back. "I'm not a Blood Purist, Cissa. I don't care about all that."

"And right now I don't care about it either. I'm not talking about purity. I'm talking about survival." She countered, "You want a muggle born? That's fine. Hell, even a Muggle would be better than nothing. As it stands we have to start all over, I just want to preserve as much as is humanely possible. The wars were not kind to us, Sirius. All across Europe it's the same story, there can't be more than a handful of True Bloods left. Most probably don't even know who, or what, they really are."

She grimaced, "Would I prefer you married a Pureblood? Yes. It would shave several generations of work off the Maintenance of the Line. Do I truly care? No. Either way, I... and you, will be long dead before even a portion of the damage has been repaired."

"I didn't know things were that bad." He sighed.

"That's because you didn't pay attention," Narcissa sighed, "Grindlewald put an end to most of us, whatever else he perpetrated. The Family lines were a ragged mess by the end of the war, why do you think I was married off to Lucius? Bell to Lestrange? For all our power and position, we were broke, Sirius. Your grandfather, paranoid old bastard that he was, spent the fortune on warding and traps. Lucius and Lestrange were low born, pureblood yes but merchants... but they had the Dark Lord's ear, and were rising in both stature and wealth."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably, not really wanting to hear about his cousins' marriages.

"I heard you bought your Godson a new broom, A Firebolt I believe?" Narcissa sneered slightly, "Where do you think that money came from, Sirius? It came from the bribe money Lucius and Rodolphus paid to buy us from the family."

"I... I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. You were too childish to pay attention to your responsibilities." Narcissa returned sharply. "Hence we come to what I want from you. Grow up, Sirius. You're The Lord Black, now damn it. For once in your life, do your duty."

Xander exchanged a look with Wednesday and cringed a little.

Harsh.

He didn't know the whole story, though, so he tried not to pass judgment on either side. The idea of selling the family's daughters for money was pretty sick, though. It did make something click in his mind, though, explaining some things that hadn't made any sense to him before. He'd often wondered why Lucius Malfoy would support the Dark Lord, since as far as he could tell, Purebloods were on top already. It seemed pretty stupid to revolt against a government you controlled, after all.

But if Malfoy was buying a bride from House Black to boost his status, then he wasn't always in control.

Xander filed the thought away for the moment, but it did answer a lot of questions he'd been formulating.