Chapter 46: A Day of Shopping

Diagon Alley, London, England

February 12, 1987

"No running!" Sirius called out to Harry and Dudley as the two boys raced down the aisle of the toy store. He smirked in satisfaction as the two boys slowed to a stop and turned to look back at him. "Remember what Petunia says, no running in stores and no running in the shopping districts unless you are fleeing some horrible monster," he reminded the two boys.

Harry sighed in a put-upon way but he nodded his head to indicate that he understood. "Alright Sirius," he said.

"Yeah, we get it," Dudley added.

"They'll be Gryffindor's," Narcissa said from her place beside him.

He arched a brow at that and she smirked. "They rush headlong into danger, just like you did as a child," she proclaimed.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, nice to know that they have a 'go get 'em' spirit," he returned. He glanced then toward his oldest son. Sirius had finally gotten the opportunity to take Leonis, Harry, and Dudley shopping for things for their bedrooms. Leonis had seemed happy with the idea of having a room of his own within Sirius's London home. Sirius had briefly feared that Leonis would dislike the fact that Harry, Dudley, and Scorpius were also getting rooms in his home, but his oldest son had shown no signs of jealousy. He had feared that he might not like that Scorpius was currently living with him, but Leonis had been very kind to his cousin. He had even heard Leonis joke with Scorpius that he was happy that the other boy was two months older than him since that might make him the one the adults would look at to keep the younger cousins in line.

Sirius had not yet disabused his son of that notion. There was no chance for Leonis to escape the pressure of looking after his younger cousins. He was the Heir Black and looking after the family would be a lifelong commitment. There was no escaping from family. Sirius was proof enough of that.

"I was surprised by Scorpius's appearance," Narcissa said softly as she looked down the aisle to where Scorpius Lestrange stood before a display of toys. He shook his head then and turned away from the display and moved a little further along.

"I was as well," Sirius said. "From the moment, I heard about him and saw his name on the tapestry, I kept thinking of a male version of Bella," he admitted.

She laughed at that. "I did too. That and I kept thinking of father. I was expecting him to resemble the Black family more, but he looks far more like a Malfoy than a Black."

"He does," Sirius admitted. "We know that he was taken by them and blood adopted, are we sure his true bloodline wasn't Malfoy?"

She sighed then and shook her head. "No, we don't know," she admitted. "Lucius and I have talked about it at length but we don't want to speak of it to his sisters and cousins. Especially since his looks could come from Amaryllis instead of him having been a true-blood Malfoy. Blood adoption is supposed to alter a child's heritage."

"Yes, but if it is done to a magical child then some of his or her true heritage is left behind regardless. All magical scans of Scorpius will say he's the son of Rodolphus and Bellatrix, but it is clear he doesn't resemble them," Sirius explained.

Narcissa nodded. "The resemblances are subtle. He has the shape of Bella's eyes, but not the color," she reminded him.

Sirius chuckled. "True. The color is gray. You should have seen Grandpa Pollux. He was very proud that Scorpius had the family eyes. He said that too few of the next generation have the gray eyes."

Narcissa giggled then. "I think there should be enough to content him now. There is Draco, Leonis, Eleanor, and Scorpius."

"Our Grandfathers are only ever momentarily satisfied sweet cousin," Sirius informed her. Then he changed the subject. "Thank you for coming out with me today and helping me with the children and with some of the decorating touches to the townhouse."

"It is my pleasure," she said with a sweet smile. "Lucius and Abraxas will not allow me to redecorate any other room in the Manor. Lucius has teased me that he might buy me a townhouse in London just so I can decorate it and have some place to rest after a day of shopping with the children, but I so rarely shop in London anyway."

"Lyon?" he asked of her.

She nodded. "Yes, and Muggle Paris, and for the more interesting old relics I like to go to Ireland," she admitted.

"I haven't been to Ireland in a long time," he said. "But I liked it when I went. Let me chaperone you the next time you go," he suggested.

She nodded. "Done," she agreed. "Lucius hates going to Ireland," she admitted. "He'll feel better about me going if you go with me."

Sirius gave her a dubious look at that. The idea that Lucius Malfoy would trust him was just odd. "You don't really expect me to believe that Lucius trusts me, do you?" he asked.

She smirked then. "Oh, it is an abstract sort of trust. He trusts that you would protect me with your life because I am a family member that you have always liked. He trusts that you would never allow harm to come to his son because Draco is also your family and Lucius is not stupid, Sirius. He has noticed that you are fond of Draco. He also trusts that you will not allow harm to come to any of our wards because they are children and you are honorable."

Sirius found himself uncomfortable just hearing that Lucius might think that well of him. "Well, do let him know that I wouldn't hesitate to save the children while allowing him to fall prey to nasty wizards," he said simply. He expected her glare but instead received more laughter. He wondered then if Narcissa had seen right through him. He would despise saving Lucius, but he'd do it. Lucius wasn't a Death Eater and had never been one. Narcissa had explained that while the Malfoy family was courted by Lord Voldemort, they had refused to join him. Narcissa loved her husband, so if Sirius wanted to see her happy he'd have to put up with the arrogant git.

A moment later, Sirius decided that two hours in a toy store was more than enough hell for any man to have to tolerate. "Boys," he called out. "Show me the items you want and we can check out," he said. "We have reservations at Estelle's," he reminded the children that he was swiftly referring to in his mind as 'his boys'. Only Orion was missing because the child was in France with Remus. He and Remus had agreed for Sirius to decorate Orion's room as close to how it looked at the home that Remus owned in Rennes.

Leonis was the first to bring a toy to him and he was surprised to find it was a girl's toy and not a boy's. "It's for Luna," Leonis informed him at Sirius's dubious look. "Her birthday is tomorrow. Her birthday party is being held this weekend," his son informed him.

"I see," Sirius said. "It was very thoughtful of you to want to get Luna a gift, but you know you can get something for yourself today too, right?" Sirius encouraged his boy.

Leonis nodded. "I know, but I don't want anything," he said. "I already have plenty."

Sirius felt pride swell his chest as he stared into his son's gray eyes. He gently placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Hugging the boy to him in public would be bad decorum for people of their station. It had not taken long for Sirius to remember the lessons of his youth and acknowledge that he would have to obey them. Leonis was the Heir Black. Sirius could cuddle his son all he wanted at home, but not out in public.

A moment later Harry and Dudley appeared along with Scorpius. Each of the boys had a toy in hand that they wanted him to buy for them. Sirius gave each item a quick look just to be sure that they were suitable for their age and then he added them to the cart to take to the front of the store. He left it to Narcissa to keep the boys in line while he checked out. Checking out was an endeavor that he swiftly decided was a nightmare. He had always gotten attention for his looks, but now he got more attention from women, and sometimes men, because he was the seriously wronged and aggrieved Sirius Black. Society perceived him as some sort of tragic hero. He had to stop himself twice from telling off the cashier as she suggested that he should come around to her place where she would soothe his ills. He had politely declined her offer. The final straw came when she made a snide comment about Narcissa as she ushered the children out of the store.

"Death Eater whore," the woman muttered about his cousin.

"I beg your pardon?" Sirius asked of her, wanting to be sure that the woman was speaking about 'Cissa.

"Oh, that woman," the cashier said waving her hand in Narcissa's direction. "That's Narcissa Malfoy. Everyone knows that her husband and father-in-law are Death Eaters."

Sirius's blue eyes narrowed at the woman. "Everyone knows? Then everyone knows that the Department of Law Enforcement could not find any evidence of a Dark Mark on their arms. Also under the truth serum, they admitted to having refused to join Voldemort when the vile toad courted them. Also, other marked Death Eaters admitted under the truth serum that Voldemort," he felt satisfaction surge through him when the woman flinched not once but twice when he said the Dark Lord's name. "wanted the Malfoy family either at his side or dead. And then the Malfoy family was attacked on that horrible Samhain. Orran Nott testified under the truth serum that he had been ordered by his precious Lord to murder the Malfoy child as well as his grandfather and father."

"I," the woman stuttered.

"There is no excuse if the public doesn't know. It was in the papers and it is a matter of public record. People like you, who prefer to spread rumors and slander the names of good people make me sick," with that he grabbed the bag with the purchases from the woman's shaking hands and turned away from the register. He took two steps before applause began. He blanched then but he didn't pause in his stride to the door.

Narcissa smiled at him as he joined her outside the store. She took his arm when he gallantly offered it for an escort. "My hero," she murmured playfully a few moments later and Sirius groaned knowing that she had heard his defense of her and the Malfoy's.

"Is this why you prefer the Coeur de Lion?" he asked.

She nodded and ducked her golden head for a moment. "Yes," she said simply. "Despite that, we are not Death Eaters, there are a lot of people who want to think that we are. They want to believe we bribed enough people to escape Azkaban. Some people just don't care about the truth Sirius," she said.

They were silent for a time as they headed toward the Leaky Cauldron. "Do you ever think that maybe you should not send Draco to Hogwarts?" he asked as he watched the boys who were just ahead of them.

"All of the time," she said with a little shake of her head. "But the Mothers of the Crone's Council have been in debate about things that we can do to improve the Hogwarts Curriculum. We are almost ready to go before the Board of Governors of our ideas."

"Hold off on that 'Cissa," he said. "The Board needs pruning first," he told her.

She nodded. "We have thought the same. I would love to have Enid Corner on the Board of Governors," she said. "She's a kind woman but very serious about the education of the next generation. She would want to see improvements made."

Sirius smirked. "It would help a little that she is family."

"Of course," she said with a little laugh. "However, it would be impolitic to put all our family in the Board of Governors," she said with a little sigh of regret.

"Nepotism," he agreed. "It is enough that our family practically rules the Crones Council," he said.

"We don't rule it," Narcissa admonished. "There are plenty of ladies of other great families on the Crones Council."

"Yes, but most of them do not hold the sway that you and aunt Cassie do," Sirius said idly as they approached the wall that would lead them to the Leaky Cauldron. They would go out into Muggle London then and then just down the street to Estelle's. He watched Narcissa tap the sequence to let them pass back through to the Leaky Cauldron. "You are a good protégé for her."

She smirked then. "Do not be fool enough to think that I am her only protégé," she warned her cousin and then she moved before him to go into the Leaky Cauldron.

Sirius absorbed her warning with a slight frown. He really didn't want to consider his aunt Cassiopeia with a circle of devoted little acolytes. May the heavens help the wizards that ever stood in the way of Cassiopeia's little darlings. He followed Narcissa and the boys through the pub, nodding politely at a few well-wishers and then they were out of the doors into Muggle London. He once again took up escort duty, escorting his gorgeous cousin to Estelle's. The boys were well behaved on the walk. Scorpius had never been in Muggle London before so Leonis, Harry, and Dudley were explaining a few things to him as they made their way to the restaurant.

The trek through the Muggle side of Estelle's went without incident. It was when they reached the Wizarding side of the establishment that the problem arose. Sirius frowned as he heard a man yelling at Edwina Burke. He took in the man's appearance and recognized him as Lord Abbott. He would never have known the man on sight if his Grandfather hadn't made him memorize each of the Lords of House in the Wizengamot sessions that he was forced to observe in his Political Apprenticeship. Lord Abbott often sat near Albus Dumbledore and even sometimes directly beside his former Headmaster.

"I refuse to be seated near that harlot!" Warring Abbott the Lord of House Abbott was raging at Edwina, who was looking more and more furious as the man continued to rave. His hand gesticulated toward a table set for two.

Sirius followed the motion and took in the sight of the two figures at the table. A beautiful woman with blond hair that was tied into an elegant off shoulder braid sat at the table. Her brown eyes were staring at Lord Abbott with a fierce anger. A cute little blonde-haired child sat beside her. The girl had the same brown eyes as the woman though her eyes were filled with tears that she was trying valiantly not to shed. The little girl sniffled and drew the eyes of the older blonde, the captivating beauty. He watched as the older woman used her serving napkin to gently dab at the little girl's eyes. She murmured something to the little girl and then she stood up and helped the child to rise.

He leaned into 'Cissa then so he could whisper in her ear. "Just who is the woman and child?"

She turned her head to answer him. "Alicia Abbott, born Vaisey," she said. "That is her daughter, Hannah. Upon the death of her husband, the Heir Johnathon, Lord Abbott cast her out of the family and refused to acknowledge Hannah. He insists that Hannah is not his legitimate grandchild and that Alicia was unfaithful to Johnathon."

Sirius mulled over her answer and the disgust in her voice. The disgust was directed at Lord Abbott and not at the blonde beauty and her little girl.

"We will get you a new table Lord Abbott, but it may be a few minutes," Edwina tried to assuage.

"No," Lord Abbott sneered. "I demand attendance now."

"A real man would not have to demand attendance," Sirius said loud enough for Lord Abbott to hear him. He smirked when the man turned to glare at him. "Black," he spat the name as though it were poison but the man's demeanor changed slightly when it took in Narcissa's place beside him. "Lady Malfoy, always a pleasure."

"I'm sure," Narcissa murmured, clearly disgusted by the man.

Sirius turned his gaze to Edwina then. "Have Madame Abbott and the young Miss eaten?" he asked and took great pleasure in seeing Lord Abbott stiffen with anger as Sirius acknowledged Alicia as a member of the House of Abbott.

"No," Edwina said with a slight frown. "The Madame and Miss have not had the chance to place their order yet."

Alicia Abbott spoke then. "I'm afraid that we'll be leaving," she said to Edwina.

"No," Sirius said in a voice that he had once used on misbehaving Auror recruits. "You will not be leaving. You came here for a good meal and you will have a good meal," he insisted and then met her eyes. "And good company, for there, is no better company to be found in the world than my fair cousin the Lady Malfoy and these boys you see before you," he said waving a hand before him to better showcase the four boys who had been watching the proceedings. "You shall dine with our party," he insisted. He watched her eyes alight with surprise and she opened her mouth to protest but he refused to allow it. "Edwina, we'll be needing a private room," he assured his distant cousin by marriage. "We are willing to wait until you have sorted out Lord Abbott's table of course."

"Yes Mr. Black," Edwina said cheerfully. She was fighting back a smile of amusement as she motioned for Alicia and her daughter to join Sirius and his party. "Madame, Miss, please join your party. Lord Abbott, this way, a new table has been made ready for you near to the fireplace."

Sirius exchanged a look with Lord Abbott before the man turned away from him and marched off, following Edwina. He smiled then when Alicia Abbott took up his view. She was dressed in a white sweater and a pair of Muggle denim that accentuated long legs. Sirius felt his mouth water and was grateful for the presence of Narcissa and the boys so that he wouldn't make a fool of himself flirting with the woman.

"Thank you, Mr. Black," Alicia Abbott said. "Not many people are willing to anger Warring like that," she said carefully.

Sirius grinned at her then even as he extended his hand to her, palm up for her to place her hand in his. "I've been told often enough by my family that I am reckless," he replied with a teasing note in his voice. "I am sure that the other men of my family would have handled the situation far better than I just did."

Alicia raised an eyebrow as she placed her hand in his. She smiled as he bent his head and kissed her knuckles, it was the simple brushing of his lips against them but it made her shiver. "I don't remember you as being a humble person, Sirius Black."

He laughed aloud at that. The laugh caused the children to smile and he was glad to note that the little Miss Abbott also smiled. "I am glad to know that you remember me," he chose to say. It was better to tell her that then something sad like that he had learned humility the hard way, through years of crushing despair in Azkaban. "You, of course, know my cousin, Lady Malfoy," he introduced. "This is my son, Leonis Black the Heir Black, and my cousins Scorpius Lestrange Lord Lestrange, Harry Potter Lord Potter, and Mr. Dudley Black."

Alicia nodded her head graciously. "It is good to see you again Lady Malfoy," she said with warmth to Narcissa. "I am honored to meet you, young Lords and Heirs," she assured the four boys. "This is my daughter, Hannah," she paused then and bit her lip.

Leonis stepped forward to Hannah and extended his hand. Hannah hesitantly placed her hand in his and then smiled when he bowed over it and gave it a gentle kiss. "It's my pleasure, Hannah. Please do not stand on ceremony, call me Leonis and these others by their first names."

Sirius felt pride swell within his chest. His boy had understood the trouble of Hannah's situation and had sought to make things less awkward for the girl by insisting that they treat each other as more intimate friends. He fought against the urge to pull the boy into a hug. He would do so later. When they were home, he would cuddle his son and tell him just how very proud he was of him for his thoughtfulness. A moment later, Edwina returned and began to lead them to a private room for their dining pleasure. He was not the least bit surprised when Leonis offered his arm to Hannah to escort her. Narcissa surprised him by moving forward to keep a better eye on the boys forcing him and Alicia to bring up the rear of the group. He offered the beautiful blonde his arm and she took it after only a second of hesitation.

"Since we have already established that I can be reckless, I should warn you that along with that comes boldness and a desire to meddle," Sirius pointed out in a playful tone for all his seriousness.

Alicia inclined her head. "I had heard that you were a bold one, Mr. Black," she said.

"Sirius," he said. "You should call me Sirius," he pressed.

She shook her head in the negative. "I don't know you well enough for that, Mr. Black," she insisted.

He frowned at that but didn't push the issue. He'd have to remedy her lack of knowledge then. Already his mind thought of it as a challenge and began to formulate ideas to put into a plan and then into action. The woman was worthy of pursuit. What was wrong with Lord Abbott that he would demean his son's widow and his daughter in such a way? "Your father-in-law is an arrogant bastard," Sirius told her bluntly. "And I know something about arrogance," he added in a self-deprecating tone that had her smiling at him despite herself. "Your daughter resembles you more than Johnathon, but I can see him in the shape of her eyes and she has his brow and ears."

Alicia nodded her head. "Lord Abbott was not happy that Johnathon married me, though he did not order Johnathon against it. If he had, I think that Johnathon would have obeyed him. Instead, Warring just spent every day putting me down and trying to make me run home to my own family. When Johnathon died I was devastated and I was pregnant with Hannah. Warring waited until she was born before he kicked me out of the family and said that I had been unfaithful and that Hannah was not his grandchild," she frowned then. "I have no idea why I am even telling you this."

"Because you would rather I hear it from you than go about asking the rumor mongers," Sirius said easily in the playful tone that seemed to charm her. "We both know that I would go hunting information if you don't give it to me yourself. Best my insatiable curiosity be sated by you than by others." He felt angry on her behalf despite his playful tone. He'd like to go back down the stairs and punch Warring Abbott in his smug face.

They said no more about it as they were led into the private dining room. He sat at the head of the table and watched as Narcissa and Alicia engaged in conversation about their children. He kept an eye on the children as they grew more comfortable with Hannah's presence. By the end of lunch, it felt as though Alicia and Hannah belonged with him and the boys. The thought should have frightened him, but instead, it intrigued him. Many hours later, when he was tucking his son into bed, he told Leonis just how proud he was of him for his generous spirit.

"You remind me of Reggie sometimes," he said as he stroked his first born's hair back.

Leonis smiled at him then. "Aunt Cassie says that I am like him."

Sirius nodded. "You are," he admitted. "I am sure she is glad that you are not much like me. I drove her crazy when I was younger," he chuckled at the memories.

"I want to be like you though," Leonis said softly. "You are brave."

Sirius leaned forward then and kissed his son's head. "You are brave, little Lion," he told his child. "You are perfect just as you are," he said and he meant it. His son was kind, considerate of others, intelligent, and well-mannered. He was better than Sirius deserved.

When he began to rise, Leonis grabbed his hand. "Papa," the boy said softly. "Why was Hannah introduced as just Hannah?"

Sirius sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "The man that was making that horrible scene in Estelle's, that is Lord Abbott. He is Hannah's grandfather. Her father died a few months before she was born and when she was born Lord Abbott repudiated her and her mother. He claimed that Hannah was not his grandchild."

Leonis sucked in a breath in shock and horror. "But, he," he paused and shook his head. "He turned his back on his own flesh and blood?"

"Yes," Sirius admitted and he felt the burn of anger on behalf of little Hannah and her mother.

Leonis frowned. "But they hadn't done anything wrong," he protested.

Sirius agreed with his son. "No, they had not, but Lord Abbott had not liked Alicia and so he chose not to like Hannah," he explained.

"But that's just wrong!" Leonis protested.

"Yes, it is," Sirius said grimly.

His son was silent for a few moments more. "Papa, you will fix it for them, right?" Leonis asked him with such trust. "You'll make everyone understand that Hannah is an Abbott, that her mother didn't do anything wrong, and that Lord Abbott is just cruel?"

Sirius stared into the gray eyes that he had come to love so well. He had loved this child the first time he had seen him when he was just toddling around and Sirius was disguised in his Animagus form. "Yes," Sirius replied and it carried the weight of a vow. "I promise you, Lion, I will make everyone understand that Lord Abbott has lied about Alicia and Hannah."

Leonis stared at him for several moments before he nodded. "I love you, Papa. Good night."

Sirius chuckled and placed one more kiss to his son's forehead. "Goodnight, Leonis," he whispered before he blew out the candle beside the child's bed. He departed the room and gently closed the door.

He retired to his own room to relax and catch up on the missives on the other Lords that his grandfather had sent him. He flipped through several folders until he found the file on House Abbott. If he was going to battle against Warring Abbott then he needed to learn all that he could about the man. So decided, he began to read.


Thank you everyone for the many wonderful and helpful reviews and for the interest that all of you have shown in this story! I hope you will continue to enjoy it! Next Chapter: Politics. Sirius observes a meeting of the Wizengamot and later visits with Petunia.