What If Series: The Black Prince
by Miss Mysteria
Chapter Six
Six years had passed and life could not have been better. Well, of course it could have been. But, it was the best it could be with certain people not in their lives.
Remus had come back from South Africa a little worse for wear. He hadn't known that Voldemort had been defeated, he hadn't known that James and Lily weren't alive and he hadn't known that Harry was 'missing'. Thankfully enough, Sirius had intercepted him before he went to Dumbledore for more information, the Headmaster seemingly was on a mission to find Harry and suspected Sirius of kidnapping and possible murder. It didn't help that he had gone to his family, that Dumbledore considered the worst of the worst. Sirius explained quickly what had happened, had introduced Remus to his grandparents, Melania immediately informing the house-elves to 'fatten him up'. Arcturus was awkward. He might not have an issue with half bloods, or sexuality's but with werewolves, well...he had been brought up in a certain way with certain ideologies. He had introduced him to Lorcan, telling him straight away that he was Harry. Remus had breathed in the child's scent and had believed him instantly, especially with Lorcan reaching out to him calling him "Moo-y!".
After that, they had discussed the plan. Remus had agreed that it was a good idea for them to say that Lily had given them an egg to help them conceive a child, and that they had kept him hidden for fear of Voldemort or Sirius' family (like Bellatrix) attacking the baby. However, he disagreed that they should announce Lorcan Hadrian Black to the world so soon. He reasoned that if he was Dumbledore or someone like Elphias Dodge, he would think that Lorcan was Harry. Which he was, but they couldn't know that. He suggested that they wait a year or so, wait for the searches for Harry to die down to nothing, or almost nothing and then announce him. Or, even, wait for him to reach seven, where it was law for the Heir's to Ancient Houses to be introduced to the Wizengamot. And as Lorcan was the third in line to the House Black throne, he would be forced to introduce him then anyway. So, Sirius agreed, informing his grandparents and then inviting Remus to stay over as the man didn't have anywhere to stay.
They had stayed in Black Manor with Harry for two years, before getting their own place in Watford in a Black home called Ravenswood House. It wasn't as big as Black Manor, but it was larger than Grimmauld Place. They had three house elves that helped them care for Lorcan. There were four bedrooms; one master, two guest and one nursery, a parlour room, dining room, entrance hall and kitchens. It took them a while to get used to the space and silence, but after about a year or so, they agreed that it felt like home. Sirius and Remus started to date again, eventually getting married in a secret ceremony conducted by Arcturus in the gardens of Black manor, as was custom for an Heir of the House. remus tool on the Black last name, the three of them (Sirius, Remus and Lorcan Black) becoming an actual family, with Remus marrying Sirius and actually become a member of the Black family magic and step-father by magic of Lorcan.
When Lorcan had turned five and began to realise what was going on, Sirius and Remus took him to Gringotts. They had thought to take him through Diagon Alley first, letting the child experience his first time in the beloved streets. They had spent time in Magical Melange, looking at all the different animals, but Harry not taking a liking to any of them other than a baby white owl up in the rafters. Sirius had taken Harry next door to Quality Quidditch Supplies while Remus stayed behind and bought the owl for his son with a happy smile on his face. After a few months in Black Manor, Arcturus had announced that he had sent off owls to a few departments in the Ministry for Remus to get a job at (Sirius not needing one as he was Heir to an Ancient House. With that came an interview a few weeks later in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, being a translator for the Minister and other high up bodies in the Ministry. The fact that he was a werewolf hadn't daunted them, or at least hadn't daunted the interviewer, who said that she had already booked him off once a month for the full moon. It meant that whenever foreign Ministry members that the British Ministry of Magic wanted to impress (or babysit) came over to England, Remus was expected to be there when they arrived and stay with them, translating for them and for the English speakers whenever necessary. It also meant that he would get a salary, a rather good one, and get to stay around Lorcan and Sirius and come home every night. He had been beyond grateful to Arcturus, the man only smiling tight lipped and nodding his head. Remus understood his awkwardness and it made it all the more better for him that the man was trying.
Once he had bought the owl, he had met up with Sirius and Lorcan again outside of the Quidditch store, keeping the baby owlet on his shoulder as it was too young to be able to fly such a long distance as Ravenswood and then they walked up to Gringotts. They were recognised immediately; Sirius as an Heir, Lorcan as third in line and Remus as a consort of the House and were taken to a private room without many people seeing them. Sirius had become someone that Remus hadn't seen before. A real Black; his grey eyes strong and demanding as he announced that he was claiming the Potter line for his son, as the boy was the closest relative to the Potters. The Goblins had performed a paternity test, magical test and blood test. The results were pretty much as they expected, save for a few surprises, but the wide eyes of the Goblins were amusing to say the least.
Lorcan Hadrian Black
PATERFAMILIAS: Heir Sirius Orion Black
MATERFAMILIAS: Lady Lily Rose Potter (DECEASED)
CONSORT: Remus Lyall Black (nee Lupin)
GODFATHER: Lord James Charlus Potter (DECEASED)
GODMOTHER: Lady Alice Longbottom (INCAPACITATED)
INHERITANCE: Third In Line - BLACK
First In Line - POTTER
VAULTS: 872 - BLACK TRUST (Blood)
208 - LUPIN TRUST (Magic)
687 - POTTER (Blood)
994 - PEVERELL (Magic)
997 - SLYTHERIN (Magic-Contest)
After that, the Goblins had been very courteous and quick at performing the ceremony to invoke Lorcan as Heir Potter. There had only ever been three Head's of two Houses, one of which was a man named Lord Riddle, who had been Lord Slytherin and Gaunt by bloodline, but had never come to Gringotts to perform the ceremony (Sirius and Remus had shared a look between them and then down at the Slytherin Vault labeled as Lorcan receiving it through 'contest' and there was only ever one who he had duelled with in magic). The others were a Lady Prewett-Malfoy in the 1600's and a Lord Black-Nott in the 1800's, and the Goblins were obviously recognising the amount of power Lorcan would wield as Lord Black-Potter. On his fifteenth birthday, they had been informed, Lorcan would take his place as Lord Potter on the Wizengamot. He could choose a proxy if he wished, until he turned seventeen and took on the mantle himself. On his seventh birthday, by magical law, he would be taken and sworn in as Heir Potter and Third in Line to the Black throne, and it was then up to the Houses to decide if the child would join Arcturus and Sirius on Wizengamot meetings.
The Goblins then took a trip down to the Potter Vault whilst the explanation was occurring, retrieved the Potter Heir and Lord ring, before handing the Lord one to Sirius for safe keeping until Harry's fifteenth birthday, and then allowed Remus to place the Potter Heir ring on Harry's ring finger on his right hand. The ring was much like the Black ring in style, but different in colour. The stone was a red onyx, carved with the crest of the Potter family, set in a gold bad that had been sculpted to create several golden griffins, wings spanning a few centimetres across the skin, locking the ring in place. One of the Griffins' head rested somewhat onto the red stone, with its mouth open slightly. That was where a red and gold mist of magic spurted out of and fell into sparks around the clapping and smiling five year old. Lorcan had looked up at them both, who stared with happy tears in their eyes as he reached for their hands.
"Padfoot and Moony! Padfoot and Moony! Did ya' see? Did ya?"
Remus had taken Sirius' hand and ran his other through Lorcan's hair, which was beginning to curl at the ends, in the same way Lily's had done. "Yes, we saw. Well done, Lor'. Well done."
Sirius had allowed his son a short, proud-filled smile, before turning into his Heir Black mask once again and facing the Goblins. He had requested that the Black Trust Vault monies and any future donations to it be placed in the Potter Vault, and any donation from the public into the Potter Vault be given to the James and Lily Potter Foundation. He had then requested a bag that would be connected to the Potter Vault be given to them as well as monthly statements from all Vaults that Lorcan was entitled to. They had been preparing to leave when the Goblins had asked if they would like to reclaim all items to the Potter Vault that were not there. Sirius had asked which were missing, a hardness in his eyes that somebody would take Potter family Heirlooms, and had been provided with a list of parchment and locations of where the items were. After reading through, he had demanded that all items be acquired and placed in the Potter Vault, later telling Remus over a late-night bourbon (with Remus having chamomile tea) that most of it was either at Hogwarts in the Headmaster or Potion Master quarters or in Godric's Hollow. Which meant that Dumbledore and Snape had some of James and Lily's stuff.
After that, they had left the bank, Sirius' mask slipping away like water and then they explored the Alley more, with Lorcan running all over the place, sprinting to one stall, then the next, babbling away about what the venders had on their carts and asking the people what things were as Sirius and Remus walked hand-in-hand behind them. There had been some double-takes, people realising these were the Potter's friends with a son that looked just like a Black, but as it had been years since Harry Potter's disappearance and then assumed death, no one thought anything of the idea that this could be Harry Potter. It especially helped that not many knew of the potion to change one's genetics. Occasionally, there was the odd shop owners who offered them condolences, and a conversation with Lorcan about toad-legs uses in potions and why cauldron cakes were called cauldron cakes, the odd glance of sympathy, a few hugs from the workers in the Quality Quidditch Supplies shops where James had worked in the summer before his seventh year, his father wanting the boy to know more about money and not just spend it haphazardly. But other than that, it had been a day to remember for their little family, with Lorcan recalling it in years to come as his first day out with his dads.
There was nothing to stop them, then, from going back out day after day. They had trips to Diagon Alley, Horizont Way in Cobham, markets in Appleby, sweet shops in Hogsmeade. Day's out in muggle London to museums, plays, movies. Even so, as this all occurred, they still went to Black Manor at least three times a week; Arcturus needing to work with his Heir and Melania wanting to see Remus and Harry. The house-elves kept up the work in the nursery that had stayed in the Manor, updating it whenever Harry decided that he preferred yellow over green, or purple over silver (and whenever this happened, Melania always found a way to incorporate the Slytherin colours into Harry's life, either with icing on cakes or little shoes he got for Christmas. Sirius realised the subtle manipulation for what it was, but Remus had put his foot down and allowed it. It was not as though James wouldn't have done the same but for Gryffindor and it wasn't as though the boy's great-grandmother - who told him to call her mimi which Sirius had been flabbergasted at as he still had to call her grandmother - was outright saying he had to be in Slytherin). Whenever it was a full-moon, Sirius and Remus stayed at Ravenswood in the warded outhouse whilst Lorcan stayed with his grandparents.
Sirius had reached out to Augusta at this point. He realised that it had been a while since he had said he would, but after the first successful public outing with his son and Remus and no one the wiser, he had felt more confident. He sent a letter, asking after their health's, how Alice and Frank were doing, and stating that he had a son Neville's age who had been kept under wraps for his own protection. He said that his son was now at an age where he wanted to go out and explore, he wanted friends, and so, Sirius had requested a play date. He had expected a not-so-polite refusal, having it been a Black who had put her son and daughter-in-law in the hospital in the state they were in, but when a letter returned with an approval and date that the Lady Longbottom expected them, Sirius had forced himself to not be surprised and think over why she had said yes.
The answer was more obvious than he would've thought. In the past years, despite getting older, Arcturus had been a savant at politics. More money to charities and Ministry Departments and St. Mungo's, speeches on subjects from muggle-borns being part of us (which he didn't necessarily believe) and reenacting the old ways (such as rituals and darker magics), pushing through laws in the Wizengamot that would paint the Black's in a better light, testifying on Death Eater trials, assisting 'Light' side in getting their laws through the Wizengamot but going against old friends and allies such as the Malfoy's (not that old Abraxas minded, he knew exactly what his old friend was doing and supported him in every way whilst doing the same thing himself, but less successfully). All of this combined with Sirius (a known Order of the Phoenix member and old Hit-Wizard) becoming his Heir and the announcement of his and Remus' (a werewolf and a known Order of the Phoenix member who had risked his life in the war fighting against the dark) bonding had painted the Black name in a much better light. They were 'officially' neutral, much like the Longbottom's. Although many people saw them as Dark still, their public stance was respect and neutrality which sat well with many Lord's and Lady's in the political world.
Neville and Lorcan were best friends from the moment they laid eyes on each other, having been the only child their age they had permission to play with. As soon as they saw each other, it was hugs, holding hands and running around Longbottom Mansion under the tired but careful eye of the head house-elf Roody. They played on their mini-brooms that only went a few feet off of the ground all over the large grounds of the Mansion, they wrestled in the Entrance Hall, the parlour and every other room the house and they finger-painted the pearly white floors with 'Hogwarts House Paints' that Neville had been given for his birthday (colours that came in blue, green, yellow and red) and stencils that Harry had been given for his. They had met for the first time when they were both five, and by the time they were seven they were firm best friends, the kind only a childhood could forge, even if it had only been two years, for them (and for Sirius, Augusta, Remus and Arcturus and Melania - who had met Neville several times over the years when he would come and have sleepovers on full-moons with Lorcan) it had been forever. Augusta and Neville didn't know that Lorcan was Harry Potter, and Sirius and Remus would never tell them. If Lorcan wanted to when he was older (they had never kept it a secret in their house. They had told him from an early age that his birth name was Harry James Potter, that his birth parents were Lily and James Potter and that most of the wizarding world considered 'Harry Potter' dead or permanently missing. They had told him it was a secret, and that secrets were only to be shared with people who you would trust with -when he was young- Lily, his owl who seemed to be latched onto his shoulder since he had got her -and when he was older, around seven- with his life.
But, with this secret, came the fact that now that it had been years since Harry Potter's death, Albus Dumbledore was on the search for a new Saviour. A new Harry Potter. So when he had approached Augusta Longbottom after a Wizengamot session in 1986, when Sirius and Remus were watching Lorcan and Neville in Ravenswood House, he thought he would get an immediate yes. Neville Longbottom, so he had thought, was a friendless child, being brought up by a friendless Augusta Longbottom, who was not weak politically or mentally, was physically and had to be suffering from lack of people around her she could trust. What he didn't expect or know was that for four times a week over the past year, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had become her friends, or...as friendly as one could get with Augusta. She also had become close allies with Melania Black, whom she had known in school, although she hadn't conversed with her. He also didn't expect or know Neville to already have a best friend ten times over in the form of Lorcan Black. So, when the women had flat out denied his asking for an audience with her in her home or at Hogwarts, even when he had said it to be of the upmost importance and effecting her grandson's life, he was shocked, massively shocked. Almost as shocked as he had been when the items in his office that once belonged in Godric's Hollow seemingly disappeared overnight. He had expected, if not a yes, then a niceness from her. He was Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Light Side in the war and now in a political battle with the dark (annoyingly being aided by Arcturus Black, which he still hadn't figured out why other than to restore his name) and had not expected to be rejected rudely by a Longbottom.
He also wasn't aware that Augusta then, instead of going to Longbottom Mansion, went to Ravenswood House and sat and had tea with Remus Lupin on the decking as they watched Sirius Black turn into his animagus form (which he was now fully registered for, thank you very much) and chase the two screaming children around the grounds. Dumbledore also didn't know that she mentioned it in passing to Remus, who's eyes sharpened and glowed amber for a moment, before the wolf was being wrestled under his control. At that moment, it was not the wolf's anger that Harry Potter was being passed over like nothing, but that another newly added cub of his pack was being targeted; Neville. When Sirius was working and Augusta was tired, which was often, Remus would take the children out for the day. Swimming in muggle pools, to the beach, to the park, to cinema's - anything or anywhere they wouldn't be recognised. So, because of this, Remus' inner wolf had recognised Neville's scent as one of its cubs. One of his own. He wasn't sure if Augusta knew this, but whenever she left her grandson with him, she did not warn him to be careful, or give him a look as if to say 'if he comes back so much as scratched I will end you' like she did others, so he suspected that she might have an inkling.
He informed Sirius of it later, when they were laying in bed and could hear Harry and Neville (who had stayed for a sleepover - one of the countless) giggling and trying but failing to be quiet. Sirius had been angry, Remus could tell from the way his body had tensed next to him. Remus had reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. He had wanted to say 'at least he's given up on Harry', but that seemed irrelevant now that he was trying to train Neville into something that would be a fighting machine against the Dark. They both knew Albus Dumbledore well, they had fought side-by-side with him in the war, and they knew he wouldn't stop at a 'no' from Augusta. The public wouldn't have it, which was one good thing, they knew. There would be outcry if Dumbledore announced that Neville Longbottom was their Saviour, and it wouldn't work. Harry Potter was legend now, he had his own chocolate frog card (his birth date was only a year before his death date) and a flavour named after him in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Sirius had found it amusing that this was Lorcan's favourite flavour (salted caramel and marsh-mellows). But until there was something that they could do about it, like if the man started to harass Augusta, there was almost no point talking about it.
So they didn't.
Another year passed with much of the same as the last, only this time they were joined at Black Manor for Christmas by Augusta and Neville and had New Years away from Black Manor's annual ball and with the Longbottom's at their Mansion. This year was a big one, and Sirius, Remus, Melania and Arcturus knew that. Lorcan Black would be introduced to the world, not just some people in Diagon Alley. He would be announced as the Heir to the Potter throne, something that had been supposedly dead since Lord James Potter's death. In fact, they had had several letters from Gringotts informing them of people who had tried to come into Gringott's and claim it; such as the Malfoy's, through Narcissa's Black side, which Sirius had grudgingly admitted was acceptable, seeing as he would have done the sam, and Albus Dumbledore for Bill Weasley, through Arthur's grandmother's marriage with a Potter. Both Remus and Sirius heavily doubted the Weasley's had anything to do with that last one. They had all been informed that someone else held its seat, and the assumed thought had been that Gringotts would keep Harry Potter as rightful Lord and Heir until he was declared dead, which worked well for them.
By the time May rolled around, Sirius had become almost unbearable to be around, with his nervous ticks, angry outbursts and hugging Lorcan desperately any chance he got. EH was immensely worried that Lorcan would be found out and taken from them, something that Remus shared, but wasn't as obvious about. So during March and April, Lorcan and Remus spent a lot of time over at Longbottom Mansion as Sirius went over to Black Manor to do research in the main library about how they would best go about the Wizengamot session.
The first of May and September were the 'set' Wizengamot sessions. If someone, namely a Lord or Lady of a Noble and Ancient House needed to do something like announce an Heir or Bonding - like Arcturus had done - then they were to do it there. There were also 'called' sessions, where the people involved would get letters and/or notified by assistants when these were and they were usually to discuss a law that was being pushed through, there were about three in a year of these. And lastly there were 'emergency' sessions, for trials or situations that needed to be discussed immediately. The Chief Warlock, who happened to be Albus Dumbledore, would send a notice through everyone's Ancient House rings and the available Lord's and Lady's would show for a session. On the first of May, Augusta, Joe Follen (a muggleborn proxy that James and Lily had chosen for the Potter seat when they had gone into hiding) and several other Lord's and Lady's would announce their Heir's and allow them to sit in the Heir seats next to their own. Follen was already aware of who the Heir to the Potter seat was, and after congratulating Sirius and Remus and shaking a bouncing five-year-old Lorcan's hand had said that he would be happy to introduce Lorcan as the Potter Heir and continue on as proxy in his name until such time when they did not need him.
The morning of the first of May, Lorcan and his dads had slept over at Black Manor as he, Sirius and Arcturus would arrive together, meeting Augusta and Nev' in the Ministry Atrium and leaving Neville and Lorcan with the other Heir's in a side hall, ready to go into the Wizengamot Chamber when called by their Heir rings, one at a time. Lorcan was nervous, no matter how much he told his dads that he wasn't. He had spent a lot of his younger years with Mimi -his grandmother- (and his grandfather, but not as often as his grandmother), so he was already pretty good at judging people's emotions, at least people that he knew well anyway. He could tell Pad's was nervous, 'positively shitting it' as the man himself had said the other day when he had thought that Lorcan wasn't listening. He also understood why they were worried; his birth name was Harry Potter and his dad had taken him from Godric's Hollow when he had been a baby. People in the wizard world thought that Harry Potter was dead cause his dads had renamed him Lorcan Black and blood adopted him. So he was nervous as well, if anyone found out they didn't know what they'd do, but he wasn't as nervous as they were. Or, not for the same reasons.
Lorcan sighed and pulled his quilt back, rolling his eyes slightly at the green silk. Mimi was not subtle, but it was something he loved about her. He slid his feet into his slippers and padded over to where Emmett (his house elf when he came to his grandparents house) had laid out his clothes for today. A deep blue silk button-down shirt which he was to wear with black slacks, matching blue socks and shiny black Oxford shoes. Over the top, he pulled on his black over-robe that had the Black and Potter crests printed on, one in its signature silver and the other in gold and then reached for his wand-holster that was to go under his robe, but over the top of his shirt. After clasping it together and seeing the hooks melt into the fabric, he let out a nervous sigh, pushed his hand through his hair and walked out of his room as his locks fell to just above his shoulders again. He had grown his hair out since he was a kid, since Padfoot had his hair long and his Mimi liking to run her fingers through it whenever she gave him a hug. He loved the walk from his bedroom to the dining room; there were portraits hung all over the walls of his ancestors and he liked hearing his footsteps echo around the walls.
"Lorcan, are you going now?" called out a high, scratchy voice form his left and he smiled before turning to face the portrait as he walked. It was his great, great grandmother Hesper Black, walking quickly through other paintings, shoving others out of the way as she followed him down the hallway. Hesper had been one of the first portraits Lorcan had talked to, like really talked to. It had been the first night that Moons and Pad's had been out on a full moon, or it might've even been a date night (they had one of those once a month-ish). She knew that today was the first of May and that it was the day he would be introduced, it had been a huge topic of conversation for a while. She didn't know why he hadn't been 'shown off proudly, like every Black should be', as she had said, but she understood that he had been somewhat frustrated by it and that the reason was important and secret. Even if she hadn't been pleased with the fact that Neville was a Longbottom, she was happy that he was happy when he introduced them, 'his Grannie and his Neville' was what he had said. Because she was his Grannie, just as Mimi was his Mimi and Paddy was his Paddy and Moons was his Moons and Nev' was his Neville, even if they hadn't met in real life.
"Yeah, today is the day." he replied, walked backwards so he could watch her speed through the other portraits, glaring at those who dared to complain as her elbows knocked into them. "I'm not as nervous as I thought I would be."
"Give it time, boy. You'll be shaking-"
"Cygnus, be silent!" Hesper screeched like a banshee across the hallway at another painting of an older man with grey hair and a high-and-mighty look. Lorcan knew this to be Cygnus Black, his great Uncle. Her eyes softened as she looked back down at him as they moved down the hall and away from his Uncle. "It is good not to be worried."
"Oh no, I am worried. Very. But not nervous."
"Yes, well, it is important to distinguish between the two. Good luck. And remember, Black's are the purest of the pure, you are better than the rest!"
Lorcan smiled and waved as he turned the corner and the rows of the portraits stopped and he stepped into the dining room. He greeted his grandfather Arcturus who was sat at the head of a table with a small smile and a nod before taking his seat two seats down from his. As his grandfather was the Head of their House, he sat at the end of the table, followed by on his right his Mimi and then on his left was Sirius, then Lorcan and on Mimi's right was Remus. At the moment, Sirius and Remus were most likely working themselves up in their room. Lorcan shook his head amusedly as a breakfast of crispy bacon, marmalade toast and scrambled eggs appeared in front of him, a perfect contrast with his grandfather's of yogurt and raspberries.
Arcturus glared at Lorcan's grin as he unhappily scooped up more yogurt, "None of that," he gestured his full spoon at his grandson who tried to hide his smile, "One day your own partner will force you to eat shite like this."
"Language," a voice snapped out from the door and his Mimi entered, glaring at her husband. She walked around to Lorcan's chair and placed her hand over his head and he leaned into her touch as she passed him. She smiled at him, before moving her eyes back to Arcturus who was refusing to eat his breakfast. She pushed the bowl back to him, "Eat it or be sorry later when your stomach growls in the middle of the session." She sat in her seat with a sigh.
A breakfast of oatmeal with bananas and a side of tea with a sugar pot appeared in front of her. His grandfather grumbled and aggressively ate a scoop of the yogurt, glaring at his wife the entire time. She ignored him and faced Lorcan, a light smile flirting at her lips, "Are you nervous for today? I would understand if you were."
He shook his head and took a bite of his toast. He swallowed. "Not nervous. Scared, I think though."
"And why is that?" Arcturus asked, strong voice cutting across whatever Mimi was about to say. She allowed it though, and Lorcan assumed this was because it was the same as what she had been about to ask.
Lorcan almost shrugged, almost, but then remembered who he was with and tilted his head to the side. "Well, I have to walk out by myself. In front of a lot of people, important people. What if I trip? Or fall over completely? Or shake a lot?"
His grandmother shook her head, "You will be fine, my raven," he smiled at her pet-name for him, "Just be sure of your actions."
"Your grandmother is correct. The people in that chamber are weak minded, you are a Black and a Potter. A born leader. You complete your actions with confidence and they will follow."
Lorcan nodded. He wished their words helped, but he needed to know where to get the confidence from. He was sure he would feel better with Nev' by his side, but as of now, he felt very much like a muggle going into Diagon for the first time.
A few minutes of silence passed with just the noises of the scraping of silverware against plates until his dads entered quickly and sat down in their seats, flashing smiles at Lorcan. He laughed quietly at the disgruntled expression on his grandfather's face as they only had ten minutes before they had to leave for the session and Padfoot began to wolf down his breakfast of bacon, scone's and jam and cream. Moony just rolled his eyes and met eyes with Lorcan across the table as Padfoot knocked his knee with his own.
"You will be fine today, Lorcan, you know you will. Confidence is key." His Moony said knowledgeably as he took a bite of his buttered toast. Lorcan nodded, but Moony smiled sympathetically, "Remember that we love you, and that as soon as you walk out into the chamber, Sirius and Arcturus will be there. It will be two minutes and that's that." That helped, actually. He didn't expect it to, but when he thought about it, it would only be a few minutes in his life. He nodded again, more confident this time and Moony noticed it as he smiled and then looked back down at his breakfast. Lorcan placed his fork and knife on the empty plate in front of him at the same time as Padfoot next to him and the two dishes disappeared immediately, a few digestion tablets appearing on a small plate in front of Sirius and the man rolled his eyes at the house-elves before swallowing them with his water and standing up, bringing Lorcan up with him.
He ginned at his son, and Lorcan smiled back, "Turn around, let me sort your hair. You don't wanna be going to meet the brats with a hair out of place." Lorcan laughed over Arcturus' huff of "Sirius" and turned so his dad could tie his hair back at the nape of his neck.
Padfoot pulled his hair back and groaned, "Your hair is going the same way as your mother's. Curly." He didn't sound happy about it, and Remus chuckled.
"You're just unhappy that he's not all you."
Padfoot pushed his chest out as he finished and Lorcan stepped out form his chair and tucked it in, following his grandfather to the door before giving Remus a hug, "What's wrong with being all me, Remmy?"
Remus didn't answer, but instead gave his husband a hug and whispered something in his ear that had his dads smiling face become serious. He nodded, hugged him back and then joined his son and Arcturus at the door.
Arcturus cleared his throat and said to Remus and Melania, "We will see you after the session."
And with that, he apparated them all to the Ministry.