By The Light of the Dark BOOK ONE - How to Raise Wolves

by SpringFire1994

What if one orphan became two brothers, and two brothers became three friends, and those three friends became the five children, Fate had decreed would save the world? This story is about a hero and a father. This story is about the largest gambit Fate had ever attempted. This story is about a man named Sirius Black, and his quest to raise wolves. Light of the Dark - BOOK ONE.

10. Some Assembly Needed

In the Light of The Dark

How to Raise Wolves

Chapter Ten – Some Assembly Needed

Emma Granger was ignoring the admittedly, delicious looking cakes; in favour of worrying her lip as she watched the dark-haired man bounce Hermione on his knee. Only Andi knew that she had been involved in the blood adoption ritual, that now had the girl looking almost plain, compared to the black hair and purple eyes she'd arrived to them with; and the older woman looked to be keeping quiet on the fact. They had been summoned to the London townhouse; her brother shared with his wife, to have a meet and greet with Sirius and his grandfather, and she couldn't decide whether things were going well or not.

"What is it that you plan for her?" She asked, finally reaching out to take a sip of her tea, more for something to do than anything else. "Forgive my forwardness however, she is as dear to me as a daughter." Sirius met her eyes and she couldn't help but flinch under his piercing stare. Since Andromeda was in what she assumed to be her base form, and the Lord Black was standing behind his heir's seat; she now felt as though she had enough basis to make a judgement on the family features of the Blacks; that is to say that the regal air in which they held themselves, partnered with the penetrating, silver eyes and sharp cheekbones, was more than a little off putting.

"It is my intention to adopt her, love her and raise her alongside her brother." He replied calmly. "With permission I would blood adopt her to ensure that her heritage stays strong, as even now I can feel her magic weakening, due to an adoption that I suspect involved one or both of you. To introduce my blood, and subsequently; the Black family magic, back into her system should have her levels come back up to where they're supposed to be."

"We needed someway to hide her." Andi said quietly, feeling the need to defend her decision. "She was showing signs of carrying the metamorphagus gene, and I needed a way to suppress it, and hopefully change her appearance enough to pass for a muggleborn. Black hair and purple eyes would have broadcast to the world that there was something different about her. We needed to keep her safe."

"I'm not saying you did anything wrong cousin; it's just how she's reacted to having non-magical blood introduced into her system. I know that you have been doing everything you can."

"So, what you are saying is that you are taking her away from us." Dan growled. "I can do nothing but wonder how children are treat in your society if our Hermione is any example. We understood Lily's need for assistance in keeping her hidden, and were happy to take her in, to keep her safe, but she was then returned to the manor, and James and Lily, before being brought back to us two months later and now you are planning on taking her again. She is not a pet you can get rid of when you no longer have a use for her." Emma watched the man's eyes harden at her husband's insinuations and waited for the explosion that was inevitably going to come of his careless words.

"I did not know of Athena's existence until yesterday morning." He said coldly. "When I did, my first thought was relief. Relief that she would have been safe with the pair of you, away from the eyes of Dumbledore. However, two nights ago we faked her brother's death, and now Dumbledore is going to be actively looking for a solution. It was my intention not just to take in Athena, but if you wish it; the pair of you as well. Your knowledge of her identity makes you a target for the headmaster, and you have no way of defending yourselves or your thoughts if he should decide to browse them at his leisure. It is my wish to protect you as much it is to protect her."

"We have lives we need to live, we can't just up and leave our practice!"

"If you want to return to your old life then you are more than welcome." Arcturus piped in from where he was standing behind Sirius. "However, if that is the path that you choose then steps will have to be taken to protect Athena's identity."

"Which is fancy talk for obliviating the shit out of us." Dan snarled back at the older man. Sirius winced and Emma instantly rebuked her husband for his language.

"If Dumbledore discovers Athena, Neville or Harrison are alive, in the country and spoken of as Fate's chosen then you can bet that he will do whatever it takes to place them under his control. That could well spell disaster for our world." Arcturus replied, with a voice as cold as Sirius had ever heard it. "Any subsequent war, and believe me there would be one, would quite easily spill out into the muggle world, thus putting the whole country in danger, and magical communities all over the world. That can be prevented by us deciding here and now whether we take the memories from you, or you move into Caddington Hall, set up a new clinic in the local town and have the opportunity to raise these five children." Sirius knew that it would be up to him to pour soothing oil on the now choppy waters of this conversation. This wasn't going as well as he had hoped it would.

When he sat down for breakfast that morning, he was counting on meeting with Andromeda and Ted to find some facts into what had happened surrounding this girl's birth. That Andi had insisted on Emma, Dan and the girl in question joining them had originally been seen as a good idea. Now he wasn't so sure. The pair were clearly nowhere near ready to give up their now adopted daughter, and his grandfather's subtle threat of Obliviation had just pushed the situation almost out of their control.

"We're not looking for an answer today." Sirius said softly. "But I would like to invite all of you to take dinner with us tomorrow night at Caddington Hall. You can introduce Athena to Harrison and Neville, and scope the place out for yourselves. My grandfather's suggestion of you moving your practice to Markyate is an idea that I would be more than willing to help you explore and fund. The pair of you moving into the manor with us would be beneficial to all of us, most of all to the girl you have helped to raise over the past year, there is no doubt in my mind that you will all have grown attached to each other, and to pull her away from you now would not just be cruel to you, but to her as well. Please consider my invitation for dinner, even if you don't want to commit to anything else just yet. I will say now though, that Hermione eventually moving into Caddington is simply non-negotiable. I will do everything in my power to see that she is safe, including going against your wishes. I am just trying to find a solution that is beneficial to us all."

"We would be delighted to join you for dinner Mr Black." Emma said, giving her husband a look that could only be translated as 'keep your mouth shut'. "As I'm sure you understand, our main concern is the welfare of Hermione. Anything else can be sorted out between us, once we know that she is going to be safe and well looked after."

"You have my word that I will do anything to ensure that is the case, including laying down my own life." Sirius said calmly but firmly. "Family to the Blacks is everything, and Hermione is a daughter of our house. She will be afforded the upmost protection from anything risking her life or wellbeing. We look after our own." He glanced towards Andromeda as he said this and she gave him an almost imperceivable nod. He knew that she had sat down with her sister, parents and his grandfather last night to discuss what should happen, now that Hermione's identity had been discovered. This was the only signal she had given him to confirm what he suspected was going to happen, and he couldn't be happier for her.

"Then we will see you tomorrow evening." Emma replied, standing up from her seat and smoothing her dress down with a fidget. Sirius got to his feet and kissed Athena's head before handing her back to the woman who was now effectively her foster mother.

"I will send details first thing tomorrow morning, once I have had the chance to discuss with the rest of the household." He said; holding out his hand for Dan to shake. "We mean none of you any harm, but will go to any lengths to see that girl protected." He nodded to where Emma was now struggling with Hermione's coat. "You could be very happy with us in Caddington Mr Granger, and it is very much our preferred option for you. I promise that the choice will still be yours on whether to move or lose your memories. I understand fully the position you have found yourself in, as we only secured our own safety, alongside that of my son's; two nights ago, I just ask that you also look at this from our point of view. Dumbledore poses a threat to all of us, and doubly so, to Hermione. It is our duty as parents to ensure that nothing happens to our children, what we are offering is complete protection from the old man whilst these children of Fate have the chance to grow."

"You can understand my frustration." Dan said grimly. "I do not like the thought of Hermione being put in harm's way, but we still have our own lives to live. I agree that she is better off with you, it is just the idea of Emma and I being faced with a choice of uprooting our lives or having the knowledge of her taken from us, that is causing my anger. We will see you tomorrow night, and this discussion can be furthered once we have witnessed just how you mean to protect her."

Sirius nodded and they all said their goodbyes to the departing Grangers; Andromeda also fussing over her daughter once Emma managed to wrestle her into her outerwear. The days were growing colder and shorter, and Sirius was determined that the Grangers would see Yule in Caddington, the other option was too terrible to even consider.

O_o_O_o_O

Remus collapsed heavily onto the long bench that made up the seating for the family kitchen's dining table. He called Flip and asked for a strong, black coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs with plenty of salt. The little creature nodded to him before popping away to alert the kitchen elves of her master's mate's hunger. It took no more than two minutes before a pile of steaming eggs and a pot of coffee were placed in front of him and he looked up to see the head elf wringing her hands at him.

"I am sorry Flip." He said politely. "I have been remiss in asking about the rest of your elves, would you please take a seat and talk me through the rest of the staff?" He gestured to the bench and Flip's eyes widened. She nodded and nervously took the offered seat; her legs folded beneath her just so she could see over the edge of the table. "I have already met Pelly." He said, tucking into the eggs and washing them down with some coffee. "She has been doing a brilliant job with Harrison, is she a nanny elf or does she have other duties?"

"There is being five nanny elves in the manor." Flip replied. "Whens they not being nannies they help Flip with the manor. Pelly is being the head of the nannies, then she has Pip, Cosmy, Sherbet and Bea under her. The kitchens be having Peachy and three; Mimsy, Coby and Blippy, the gardens and grounds is being Patch with Bulb and Rose, the birds is being Gup and the snakes being Venom. Flip has four and they's being Tufty, Prim, Lilt and Aster. We's being looking after the house and its masters and mistresses. The nannies are being personal elves once the children are being grown. There is also Sprite and Aloe, they's being brewers and healers."

"There are twenty-one of you then." Remus said with a nod, totting the numbers up in his head. "Do you mind if I write all of this down?"

"Flip is not minding." The little elf said and popped away to return with some parchment and a graphite. "The head elves are being Flip, Pelly, Sprite, Peachy, Patch, Gup and Venom."

"Thank you Flip." Remus said with a smile. "I am sorry that I haven't asked earlier. Are you all happy with your accommodation?"

"The elves is being having rooms by the kitchen. We's are happy and warm." He blew a breath of relief at that. He knew that the old elf looking after Sirius's childhood home had been horribly mistreated, it was good to know that the Caddington elves at least, were well cared for. Flip and Pelly were always in little dresses and shoes, so he could tentatively assume that the rest were well dressed. "Do you need any fabric for uniforms?" He asked, knowing that using the word 'clothes' would set off a breakdown he didn't think he would be able to manage. Luckily Flip seemed to take the question well and she confirmed that they were all properly dressed 'so as not to be making the house of Black looking bad'. It seemed the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. He thanked the elf and dismissed her to her duties, tucking into the rest of his breakfast with gusto. Now the only other creature he needed to worry about was the damn phoenix.

O_o_O_o_O

Amelia swore as the owl she had attempted to send to Sirius circled her head before landing beside her and sticking its leg out. Any mail redirect for a fellow Auror, meant bad news. Sirius had been MIA since Halloween and she was getting pressed upon by her boss to start drawing up papers for his arrest. There was no proof that he had betrayed the Potter's other than Dumbledore's word that it had been Sirius who had played secret keeper for them, but her boss had insisted they at least brought him in for questioning. It smelled something rotten to her, but she couldn't ignore her own niggling doubts that his disappearance meant trouble.

She was currently sitting out in the gazebo that was situated in the sprawling gardens of the Ossuary; her ancestral home. Bones manor had always looked imposing. With its grey stone walls, black slate roof and the huge tower that housed the manor's cells; the Ossuary was nothing if not commanding. Its name heralded back to her family's necromancing days, a past which she'd always attempted to bury deep in her psyche; but looking out over the lands, which she knew covered a huge catacomb, she felt closer to her family's magical history than ever before. She had always suspected that moving into the manor would cause her magic to change; all of the old family homes carried a large degree of latent family magic, however she had been unprepared for the extent of that change.

She scowled at the grey bird, sitting next to her. "Don't look at me like that." She muttered, untying the parchment from the bird's leg. "I'm not the one sitting behind owl wards." The owl cocked its head at her, blinked and then took off in the direction of the owlery. She sighed and rubbed her eyes; it had been a trying month. The death of the Potters, the burning of Privet Drive, the disappearance of the Longbottoms and Sirius, the reclaiming of her family seat, Susan, everything seemed to have happened in the last four weeks and she was starting to get a little sick of it all. "Rot!" She called, sighing in relief when the house elf heralded her call.

"What cans Rot be doings for you mistress?" The elf asked, wringing its hands in its black robe.

"Can you find Sirius Black to deliver a message?" She asked.

"Rot cans be trying mistress Bones. But if this Blackie is beings behind wards I mights not."

"Then please take this missive to Auror Sirius Black, and please tell him that the head of the Bones family requests his presence at the Ossuary at his earliest convenience." Rot nodded, took the letter and popped away. She sighed again and started to make her way back down to the manor doors, intent on feeding both herself and Susan. She had spent less time with her niece than she had wanted over the course of the past few weeks, and she was determined to see that change. Susan deserved better from her.

O_o_O_o_O

Remus jumped as Flip popped into the kitchen. It was long past lunch and the Longbottoms had taken Neville and Harrison out into the grounds for a walk, before the temperatures dropped too low for them to be outside. The two boys had been swaddled in outerwear and layered up with warming charms just so they could take them for some fresh air.

"There's being an elf here for Master Black." Flip said, wringing her hands. "He is being Rot and he says he belongs to the Bones family." Remus swore under his breath before apologising to the elf for his language.

"Will he see me?" He asked.

"I cans be checking." Flip said and popped away again. He folded his parchment away and closed his black book, not wanting to risk their plans falling into the hands of Richard Bones. That man was far too much on the lighter side of grey for Remus's liking. Flip soon popped back with a male elf, dressed in a black robe and the creature took a large bow.

"I is being here to request Auror Sirius Black's presence at the Ossuary, by the request of the head of the house of Bones. I also have a letter for Auror Black, but can tell that you is being his pet-mate, so yous can read it." He handed Remus the scroll before falling back beside Flip. Remus quickly scanned its contents.

"Sirius is not here presently, however if you could ask Lord Bones if my presence will suffice then I am happy to come with you." Rot looked a little uncertain but nodded before popping away. Remus looked towards Flip who was waggling her ears in annoyance at what she perceived to be the other elf's rude manner.

"Rot is being a disrespectful elf." She huffed. "Master Moon is as much as Master as Master Black." Remus nearly cracked up at that, but instead thanked her for her concern, assuring her that he didn't mind. A few seconds later Rot popped back into the kitchen with an expression of annoyance.

"Lady Bones is being saying that Mr Wolf is being good enough for an audience." This seemed to be an insult too far for Flip who rounded on the other elf in fury.

"Master Moon is being as much of a Master as Master Black, and you will do well not to disrespect one of the Moon's children in my home." She was practically shrieking at the male elf and Remus was worried he might end up having to split up a pair of fighting elves before she rounded to face him. "Flip will accompany Master Moon to the Bones house. Rot is a bad elf who needs to go wash his pillowcase." The other elf growled at her and Remus quickly intervened between the two; filing away the information that it was Lady Black who was requesting to see him, in favour of trying to prevent an all-out brawl.

"Is there an elf looking after the Longbottoms?" He asked Flip, who nodded.

"There is being Tufty for the Madame and Pip for the little Master."

"Tufty!" Remus called.

"What cans Tufty be doings for Master Moon?" The elf asked, glancing towards Flip, who was still glaring at Rot.

"Could you please inform Augusta that I have been summoned to the Ossuary, and that I will be back in about an hour?"

"Tufty being doings that right away." The elf popped out and popped back in seconds later. "Madame is being reminding yous to be careful." The elf said nervously. Remus smiled and thanked him before dismissing him back to his duties.

"I am ready when you are Rot." He said holding one hand out for each of the remaining elves. Flip looked at him for approval before grabbing his hand and the three of them popped out of the kitchen.

O_o_O_o_O

"You look well cousin." Sirius said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Andromeda. "If a little tired." She poked his side and he let out a bark of laughter.

"You are a rascal and a cur." She said with a playful growl; pulling away. "I hope Remus ends up getting you spayed." He laughed again and shook Ted's hand as they all moved to sit back on the armchairs. The ritual had gone well, and all but Pollux looked pleased at the obvious changes in the youngest of the three Black sisters.

"You should learn to keep that tongue of yours still." Narcissa said, only half seriously from the other side of the room. "It will get you into more trouble than you can handle someday."

"How long was he brooding?" Sirius asked, nodding towards her husband. Narcissa's lips quirked slightly before her mask was set in place.

"My husband's dignity remains far more in tact than yours will be if you continue down this path." She said primly, smoothing out her dress. "You never did know when to quit." Sirius laughed again; happy that the family seemed to be in good spirits. After the events of the last seventy-two hours, and the revelation of what Andi had done for Lily Potter, Arcturus had agreed to reinstate her to the family tree, and the subsequent ritual couldn't have gone better. Her previously limited powers were now back at full strength and the adoption of Nymphadora, into the family, later that afternoon would ensure the Black's bloodline would continue through her daughter.

"I think you have just missed me cousin." He said with a cheeky grin, and she huffed; turning to her sister with crossed arms.

"Now I see why Mr Lupin is considered the rational one." She said. "This mongrel will end up on the end of my wand if he doesn't keep a civil tongue in his head. Honestly, such rumours are an insult to my image. Missing you indeed." Once more the room shared a chuckle; this time at Sirius's expense and he couldn't have been happier about the situation. That they were comfortable enough to rib him meant that the journey to re-acceptance was already well underway. The discussion was about to turn serious though (no pun intended), as Arcturus stood to address the room.

"After the events of the last three days, we need to take measures to ensure that this family continues to exhibit a united front in the public eye. Therefore, it is my decree that instead of a traditional open ball; Yule will instead consist of a family gathering at Caddington Hall, closed to all but the Black family members, the Caddington household and the minister of magic, whoever that ends up being post this month's election." Sirius went cold as the implications of what his grandfather was suggesting washed over him. He had hoped that the Grangers were going to have joined them by then, along with Athena, Andi and Ted and Nym. This was going to be a fucking train wreck. There was only one thing he could say to that.

"We would be honoured to open our doors to the family for the Yule season, and we look forwards to hosting our first official function."

"He's shitting it." Lucius only half whispered to his wife, as the rest of the family once more broke into laughter at his expense; with even Arcturus giving him a familiar smirk. Sirius groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Yep, a complete and utter fucking train wreck.

O_o_O_o_O

Amelia was stared at the man in front of her like she had never seen him before. This wasn't the timid, retiring gentleman she was used to dealing with; Remus Lupin had stridden into her sitting room with a confidence she had never before seen in him. That he was dressed to the nines and being followed by a house elf alerted her that something bigger was afoot.

"Madame Bones." He greeted, taking her proffered hand and kissing the back of it with a respectful bow. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, rather than my mate." That stalled her for a second before her training kicked in.

"You are here, I hope; to provide me with some answered Mr Lupin. Let me tell you that it is my pleasure to be hosting you." He smiled disarmingly and waited for her to sit before taking the offered seat.

"I hope to clear several things up with you my Lady, but please understand that there is some information which I am unable to share due to oaths." Her eyebrows must have given away her shock at that statement as he offered her a wolfish grin that hinted at his condition.

"I would like to first start by asking upon the whereabouts of my missing Auror. The head of the DMLE is pushing for me to draw up papers for his arrest, the death of the Potters is currently being laid at his door."

"Let me guess." Remus started with a sigh. "Dumbledore is feeding the department information."

"That he is Mr Lupin, am I not to believe him?" Remus eyed her with suspicion and leant back in his chair; seemingly assessing her.

"Albus Dumbledore cannot be trusted in the slightest." He finally said. "I am willing to take a vow here and now that it was Peter Pettigrew that sold out the Potters, not Sirius Black. Dumbledore all but forced the Potters into hiding, and orchestrated a change in secret keepers. He knew that Sirius would die before betraying his friends, whereas Peter was, and always has been, a spineless coward. That he was one of our closest friends has haunted the pair of us since Halloween."

"There has been no sighting of Pettigrew for the last month." Amelia said with a frown. "We assumed that the Death Eaters were responsible."

"Oh, they were responsible alright." Remus replied angrily. "The little turncoat wouldn't have been able to return to them after what happened in that house. He would have been accused of bringing about the downfall of the Dark Lord. My guess is that the rat is hiding out somewhere warm and cosy, waiting for this to all blow over."

"Rat?"

"Peter is an illegal Animagus." Remus replied. "He takes the form of a brown rat."

"Am I to assume that all your friends share this ability?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Remus shrugged, not a denial but not confirmation either. "Please remind the dog that he needs to register himself before I catch him." She said resignedly. Remus grinned as he nodded and she was satisfied to close that avenue.

"Do you know the whereabouts of Harry Potter?" She asked, hoping beyond hope that the werewolf in front of her already had the information, and that she wouldn't have to do the sad duty of telling him that the last of the Potters was dead.

"That is a matter I cannot discuss with you Madame Bones." He said cryptically, looking into her eyes with an amber stare. Her heart soared as she decoded the hidden message.

"He's alive?" She asked incredulously.

"I am not at liberty to say."

"Is he with you?"

"I cannot discuss the subject."

"Does Sirius have him?"

"Harry Potter is dead."

"Are you protecting him?" Remus in the end gave up and pulled his mask up to face her onslaught of questions. He watched with interest as she concocted a theory that was closer to the truth than she realised, though was proud to see that not once did the thought of Sirius re-joining his family cross her mind. Sometimes, he felt like a genius.

"Madame Bones." He said, after a minute of listening to her think aloud. "I am sure that Sirius will fill you in on the details when you next see each other, for now, please cease all attempts at fishing for information. My oaths do not allow me to speak of the subject so your efforts are therefore wasted." This seemed to shock her back into silence and she nodded and apologised; calling Rot for a pot of tea and some writing materials. She didn't miss the glare Remus's house elf gave him, nor could she wait to hear the story on how it was merited. She knew that the little thing was not the politest of creatures, though from the expression on the female elf's face, she knew that he'd probably put his foot in it more than once. As she started to ask Remus more questions, she began to get the picture that something larger than her initial comprehension was going on. She just hoped that it wouldn't spell disaster for their world.

O_o_O_o_O

Dinner in Caddington that evening was an interesting affair. As Remus was filling in the Longbottoms on the discussions he had held with Amelia, Sirius appeared, looking dead on his feet and in need of coffee.

"There is a phoenix on the back of Harry's chair." He pointed out as he sat down to a pale of roasted pheasant, buttered parsnips and creamed potato. He liberally soaked his dinner with gravy, moaning at the taste, as though it was the best thing he'd ever eaten.

"We think Fawkes bonded with Harrison last night. From what we can now tell; he is a she who is going to end up with a completely different plumage." Remus replied; just as stoically. Sirius made a confirming sound; as though he was only half listening, and continued to practically inhale his dinner. "You look like shit Sirius." Remus finally said, only to be met with a disapproving glare from Augusta for his use of language at the table. "What happened last night?" Sirius finally surfaced from his plate and looked around the table, taking in the expectant faces. His eyes landed on his son and widened.

"Holy shit is that a phoenix?" He exclaimed; only to be met with groans of annoyance.

O_o_O_o_O

Augusta smiled as Tufty deposited her friend onto the rug. The first thing she had done after moving into the suites had been to have the elves change the furniture around, therefore giving her a larger seating area that was positioned well enough to make use of the fireplace whilst still having the stunning views of the gardens, from the huge stained glass windows.

She greeted Minerva before pouring them both a two fingered measure of whisky; passing one of the tumblers to her friend and sitting back into her large, comfortable armchair.

"Fawkes is missing." Minerva started, noting her friend's reaction to that news. "He was sent to deliver a message last night."

"He bonded with Harrison." Augusta replied, failing to see any reason to hide the truth. "You know what it means when a familiar breaks their bond with their witch or wizard." Minerva nodded, her face pale at the implications of Fawkes's actions. "He burned up on the back of Harrison's highchair. Gave the lot of us quite the fright, but he left not even a mark on the little tyke. Bloody thing is now female and sporting dark blue and pale rose plumage from what we can tell; Remus has taken to calling her Eos."

"How very poetic." Minerva responded faintly.

"Does Dumbledore suspect anything?" Her friend shook her head at that before downing her whisky in one swift gulp.

"He has taken to disappearing into his office in the evenings. The portraits are reporting fits of anger and heavy drinking followed by him collapsing into his chambers. With the elves on hand to offer sobering potions, and the fact that nothing seems amiss during the day means I can't officially move against him." Augusta growled at that.

"The bloody fool will end up doing more damage to that school than any of us will be able to handle."

"To move against him now would spell disaster. There is no hard evidence against him, and even taking him out of the school does not remove him from the game. He could prove even more dangerous when we take away the biggest consumption of his time and attention. He is better left where we can keep an eye on him."

"Your opinion surprises me, but I cannot disagree with it." Augusta replied with a sigh. "I would have thought you would be championing to see him outed."

"Normally; yes, however this is not a normal situation. Besides, a failed coup would do more harm to us than good."

"I will share your sentiments with the gentlemen in the morning." Augusta said with a nod, topping up both of their glasses. "I might however, have something that could help."

"Oh?"

"Remus attended summons from the head of the House of Bones this afternoon."

"So, Amelia is on the case then?"

"You knew about her taking the headship?"

"Richard and his wife were killed just before Samhain in a raid against some of the lighter families and Amelia took headship about a fortnight ago. How did you not know?"

"We have been concentrating more on keeping ourselves alive Minnie." The Longbottom matriarch responded snidely. "Not to mention the house seat has been allowed to go dormant, do you really think that I have had the chance to be keeping up?" Minerva shrunk slightly at her friend's rebuke.

"I apologise Gussy. I know how this past month has affected us all. I guess I just assumed you had been following the politics of it all."

"I have been able to do bugger all from Oxford." She replied with a huff, aimed more at the situation she had found herself in, rather than at her friend. "I am aware however, that Remus has started to keep a black book, but even he admitted that Amelia's headship threw him for a moment. He'd first assumed he was to be meeting with Richard, and then when the elf let slip that it was Lady Bones, he would be having an audience with, he'd again assumed that it would be Olivia. I don't think any of us imagined that Amelia would take the title if something were to happen. We all thought her to be going after the Director's job at the DMLE. I assume then, that she is taking care of the little one?"

"To that I am unsure. Nothing has been said about a child, so I imagine that she has taken her in."

"I may suggest to Sirius about moving the pair of them here. Her job, coupled with her new duties will be enough to see her spend too much time away from the little one. That is not the kind of household a child should grow up in."

"That is a bold suggestion."

"It would be a long-term project. After the state in which Sirius returned to us this evening, I suspect similar conversations have been going on for the last two days. We've seen hide nor hair of him until tonight, and he was in no fit state to divulge anything. Remus practically carried him to bed."

"My guess is that the Lord Black will have been keeping him busy to truly test where his loyalties lie."

"I believe that Arcturus truly wants to think him trustworthy, but I am under no illusion that we have a long way to go to prove that; and after dragging us into this I am making it my mission to see that we succeed." The pair fell silent after that, both lost in their own thoughts.

O_o_O_o_O

Yes, the Black family was going to take some re-assembling before our story's heroes could begin to come into their own. But Fate was patient, she knew that this would take no small amount of finesse if it was going to become the family unit her children needed. Sirius was starting to more than earn his keep and his mate had already proven himself to be no slouch in the diplomatic department either. The next month was going to be make or break for her plan, and she knew that she would need to keep her finger on the pulse if she was going to prevent Chance from sneaking another curveball into the fabric of Time.

The attack of Bellatrix LeStrange could have spelled catastrophe for her plans, but she was pleased to see that Chance's Stratagem had worked to her advantage. She was now playing with a full deck of Black Queens, whilst Chance was left with a couple of Jokers in the shape of the LeStrange brothers.

Sometimes it was easy to manipulate things to her advantage, though she knew that she would have to keep a closer eye on things if she was to protect her deck.