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AN: Grrrr…. Been trying to post this for a week now but apparently problems within FF (dot) net server has prevented me. Here it is, delayed thought it may be.
Harry smiled at the woman who sat a few feet away from him, "Ms. Black."
Narcissa Black-Malfoy glared at the impudent Boy Who Wouldn't Bloody DIE, as he was called in certain circles, "Child. Why are we here?"
Harry looked at Snarlgap, a goblin whom had been recommended to him by the bank manager, Ragnok, as honest and he had designated as his personal goblin advisor in the affairs of the Black and Potter families, "Shall we?"
The goblin nodded and slid several sheaves of paper towards them both, "These are the holdings of the Black family, divided as per the decision of the deceased, Sirius Black. On top of your pile, Ms. Black, is a magically binding contact that you will sign if you do not want your portion of the inheritances to go to Lord Baron Potter-Black."
Narcissa glared at the goblin before she glared at Harry, "What is the meaning of this?"
"You know as well as I do that your late and unlamented husband was a Death Eater, and that your son is also one, Narcissa. I am not about to allow Draco any part of the Black family holdings or fortune so that he could pass them along to his leash-holder."
Narcissa stiffened in her seat, her icy blue eyes boring holes into Harry, but the boy didn't appear at all fazed by it, "What makes you believe that you have ANY kind of authority of what I can do with my holdings, or whom I can give them to?"
He pointed at the stack of paper in front of her, "It's stipulated in the contract – if you in any way, shape, fashion or form aid the person who jokingly calls himself the 'Dark Lord', you will not only be stripped of your name, titles and property, but also of your magic. I've had the lawyers here at Gringotts go over the document, as well as the Black family lawyers and two other non-affiliated ones as well – it is iron clad." He then sat up a little straighter and looked her dead in the eyes, "Add to that, I am Lord Black now, by Sirius' will and by blood rights – if you have a problem with it, you can sever yourself from the most noble house of Black and the issue will be easily resolved as well."
Narcissa held her surprise at the words Potter told her, not just what they said but how he said them – in his cloak and his clothing, he looked every inch as a Lord Baron should, but more than that his eyes… they were intense, strong and powerful. If she had been a decade younger or he five years older, she would be doing everything in her power to make sure that he was in her bed that night, but as things stood, he had her trapped, "How very shrewd, Lord Baron. How, precisely, will you keep this from happening?"
Harry smirked and reached into his cloak, "Obviously you haven't read today's newspaper. For once, the Prophet has it correct." Narcissa blanched at the headline on the paper, 'LORD VOLDEMORT IS DEAD!' but Harry went on, "There is, of course, also the fact that you've been playing both sides against the middle, much like another person I could name right now."
Narcissa stiffened in her seat and glared at the goblin, "Leave." The goblin did so, but only after confirmation from Harry, and once he was gone she snarled, "What is your game, Potter?"
"To ensure that you're not part of anything that would ensure your needing to be silenced, Narcissa," Harry said with a chilled tone in his voice. "You and Bellatrix were Sirius' favorites, but as she's had a 'tragic accident', I'm forced to leave you alive for the time being. If you jeopardize the status quo, though, I'm sure something can be… arranged."
Narcissa narrowed her eyes, "You speak of my sister's death like you know something."
He gave her the most innocent look she had ever seen on someone's face, up to and including Sirius when he was actually innocent, "Do you honestly think me capable of murder, Narcissa?"
"You are Harry bloody Potter – I put very little past you," came the flat reply.
Harry's innocent look morphed into something decidedly deadly as he grinned, "Very good, Narcissa." He stood and made his way over to where she sat, leaning down to whisper into her ear, "I have changed a great deal, my lady, but do not think for a second that there are lows that I will not stoop to in order to protect the people of the Wizarding community, even if it is from themselves."
Narcissa felt a spike of fear go through her body even as she felt her body betray her and become aroused by someone who was young enough to be her son, something that wasn't too odd given that she had always been attracted by strong, powerful and dangerous men, but it was the principle of the matter… "What are you planning to do?"
Harry straightened himself and sat back down in his chair, a pleased look now plastered on his face, "Now that would be telling, Narcissa. Snarlgap!" The goblin entered and, once he was seated, Harry looked at Narcissa, "Now, are you going to sign?"
(Later)
"That was very shrewd of you, Lord Baron Potter-Black," Snarlgap said with a decidedly evil grin on his lips.
Harry smirked a little as he looked at the signed and bound contract Narcissa Black, formerly Narcissa Black-Malfoy now that the proceedings were complete, had signed, "What makes you say that, Snarlgap?"
"It is well-known that the Wizarding world has not treated you well on a whole, yet here you are doing your best to save it. I find that… curious."
Harry nodded and idly looked through the sheaf of papers that declared his holdings, "I've recently had something of a revelation as of late, Snarlgap, something that showed me exactly what will happen to this world on a whole if someone doesn't do something very, VERY soon about the way people think." He stopped half-way down a page and frowned, "I own this much of the Daily Prophet?"
Snarlgap nodded, "Surprising, I know, but as you have taken over the holdings of both the Potter and the Black family fortunes, you are not only quite wealthy, but you have a great deal of influence over the matters of things like day-to-day business in England."
Harry shrugged, "Cool." He then sighed dramatically and took up a tragic, if wounded pose, "Now, if only this power could be used for the good of all mankind!"
The goblin chuckled, "So much like your father and his friends…"
Harry blinked, "You knew them?"
The goblin nodded, "Many in my world thought that they would bring about changes within the Wizarding world, enough that the strife between our people would end. Sadly, it did not." He paused for a moment before he stood straighter, "Is there anything else that you need, Lord Baron?"
Harry shook his head, "Not at this time, Snarlgap. I thank you for your assistance today."
The goblin nodded, "May your gold flow, Lord Baron Potter-Black."
Harry returned the nod, "May your gold flow as well, Snarlgap."
(Elsewhere)
"Are you sure he's in there?"
"Of course I'm sure. The hair, the eyes, the scar, it had to be Potter."
"Maybe he's in there for personal business?"
"snort Yeah, right. All of these deaths and V-V-V-Voldemort on top of that and he's in there making a withdrawal from his accounts."
"You know, Smithe, you're a real pain in the arse some times."
"Funny thing, Tonks – I say the same thing about you all of the time."
Nymphadora Tonks rolled her eyes at her temporary partner and sighed, "Alright, fine. Go make your report to HQ and I'll stay here and watch for Harry. He should be out momentarily and I'll do my best to distract him." No sooner had she spoken than her partner was gone and she was alone, which allowed her to sigh and flop down onto a bench, "Bloody hell, Harry. Where the hell have you been?"
"Lots of different places." Tonks shot to her feet at the sound of Harry's voice, pulled her wand and spun, pinning him in place with a perfectly executed draw… or, at least, that was the idea. Her wand stuck in her holster, she got precisely two inches of vertical on her jump and she somehow managed to trip over her own shoelaces in mid air, causing her to land on the ball of her left foot and teeter precariously before she began to fall forwards with a shriek.
Harry caught her before she fell too far and, as he smirked down at her in his arms, she could tell that she wasn't going to live this down any time soon, "You know, Tonks, a bloke could get used to a beautiful woman falling at his feet but when she does it literally, it tends to get a bit rote."
Tonks, from her position in his arms, stuck her tongue out at him, "Wotcher, Harry. How's tricks?"
His emerald eyes twinkled with a dark sort of humor as he answered, "For kids, if you are an American and want cereal, or for tarts if you want to be blunt." He picked her up and put her back on her feet before he brushed off his cloak, "So, how are you?"
She shrugged and put her wand away, doing her best to recover what little dignity she was sure she had left, "Not a lot. Looking for you, actually."
He put on a shocked expression and touched his chest with his fingertips, "Me? The Ministry sent one of their most beautiful Aurors after little old me? I'm… well, I'd say I'm shocked, but instead I'll go with pleasantly surprised and intrigued as to the nature of your mission."
Tonks blinked a few times, trying to wrap her mind around what he'd just said and the delivery, but she then grinned and snickered, "Damn, Harry, I do have to say that if I didn't know any better, that you were trying to flirt with me."
He smirked at her, his eyes once again twinkling, "Oh, that wasn't enough to get the point across? Pity. So, Tonks why are you following me?"
"I'll tell you that as soon as you tell me how you got out of the bank without being seen," she countered. No, she hadn't missed his words, but the fact he was trying to flirt with her was second – her pride, in it's wounded state, demanded an answer as to how he'd snuck up on her…
Harry gave her a smirk and, for an instant, Tonks felt her heart skip a beat and she was sure that the lonely little girl in her mind suddenly screamed at the fact she was getting the attention of the cute boy, but that instant soon passed, "What, and have me divulge ALL of my secrets? Sorry, Tonks, but that's not until the third date."
She smirked, ready, willing and able to get back on the board against ickle Harry-kins, "What makes you think you're getting a first date, kid? I might not be into kids or kid things, after all."
He snorted, "Your flower-print cotton knickers say otherwise, Tonks." He pointed down and she saw that, in her trip, she'd exposed herself slightly and she corrected with at jerk and a blush, "But, beyond that, I don't so I'm taking a chance."
Tonks shook her head, "Sorry, Harry, but I'd have to say no until you're either the head of your family or you've reached your majority."
Harry arched an eyebrow at her, "Is that all?"
She arched a pink eyebrow, wondering who had taught Harry how to flirt like this, "Yes, that's all."
Harry raised his hand, a genuine smile on his lips now, "Will being Lord Baron Potter-Black be enough for you, my fair lady, or must I endeavor to go further?"
Tonks did her impression of a guppy for a moment and realized she was caught, so she went on another track, "Hold on a minute, Potter, you said 'one of the most beautiful Aurors'. Should I take that to imply that you think someone else is cuter than me?"
"Of course not," Harry said smoothly as he slid up against her side and pulled her into a side-armed hug. "Purple eyes, pink hair, flawless ivory skin that has just the slightest hint of a tan, you're the perfect package, Tonks."
She smiled at that and preened for a second, "Well, yes, I do suppose that my perfection is obviously evident, so why not tell me how you got out here, Harry."
"Houston, the ego has landed," he muttered to her with a playful smirk before he sobered. "I've been practicing a few… skills… and that's one of them."
He had her reeling and she had been able to cover for the most part, but the sudden change in attitude almost threw Tonks for enough of a loop to crack, "Skills? What kind of skills?"
He shook his head, "The kind that Albus wouldn't have approved of at all. Now that you have found me, Tonks, whatever are you going to do with me?"
That did it. The look in his eye, coupled with the shocks and flirting had finally caused Tonks to sit down and sigh in defeat, "Sit down, Harry."
He sat, all humor gone from his face, "What's wrong, Tonks?"
She shook her head, "They found Remus this morning, Harry. He…" She shook her head and willed the tears to not fall, "They worked him over pretty hard before they finished it."
Harry's face became a blank mask, "Who? The Death Eaters?" This wasn't part of his plan…
She nodded, "He and I… we'd been talking as of late, since Sirius' death, and I think we were about to come to an understanding of sorts when this happened."
Harry slid his hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently, ignoring the fact that he, technically, barely knew her, but she was in pain, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
She shook her head, "No." She patted him on top of the hand and removed it for a second, but only long enough to slap a pair of muggle handcuffs on his wrist and the other end onto her, "Now, as to what I'm going to do with you, the Director wants to talk with you. Now."
Harry looked down at the handcuff on his wrist, remembering them from the officers that used to visit their school when he was in the muggle system, and then up at her, "I'm not into bondage, Tonks."
She gave him a flat look, "I'd never use these for bondage, Harry." He nodded and she smirked, "I'm more of a leather girl, myself. Now, up and at 'em, we need to be off."
Harry stood, a bemused look on his face, "Just so you know, I don't allow bondage until we're engaged."
Tonks immediately tripped, once again exposing her floral-print cotton knickers to the world. No, this couldn't be any more embarrassing, could it?
"As much as I enjoy the view, Tonks, you said the director needed to speak with me." The smirk in Harry's voice was evident as she stood and faced him.
AN: Alright, that's it for this chapter. Harry's confidence is starting to show, as is some of the darker side of his being (in reference to his conversation with Cissy), Tonks has found he can indeed flirt, and now we have another casualty, this one unintended, in Remus. Wonder what the Director wants? Reviews, please.
AN2: In reference my other story, The Forgotten Potter, let me go ahead and get this out – I was inadvertently copying a story of another author on another site (one that's apparently having server trouble right now – if it gets fixed, I'll post the link) and, when he contacted me and offered proof (in the form of the next few chapters), I was shocked to see how closely my story was going to mirror his. I have since removed it, apologized, and am retooling it. Hopefully, it'll be up relatively soon. Just thought it might be pertinent.
