I'm sorry this chapter has taken me so long, it's fought me every step of the way. I'd love to hear what you guys think, I know that things are moving slowly and I promise that we'll soon start to pick up the pace.
Anyway, let me know your thoughts! - Kiad :)
In the Light of The Dark
How to Raise Wolves
Chapter Thirteen – The Moon or the Pasture?
When Sirius found his mate, curled up with Alice and the two boys, the following morning; he couldn't help the feeling of absolute love that bubbled up in his chest. It was crazy to think that it had only been a little over a week since they'd affirmed their love for each other, wrapped up in the bed in their tiny flat in Oxford. It seemed like an age ago, so much had happened since then. He was loath to wake them, but he knew that the manor would soon be starting to stir; and he hated to imagine his grandmother's reaction if she found them like this.
He gently shook Alice awake; lifting Neville from his place between her and Remus and greeting the stirring boy with soft words and a stroke of his brown hair. The little one yawned and stretched out his pudgy arms, almost hitting him in his face, and he chuckled at the surprised expression that came to his face when he realised, he was in Sirius's arms instead of his mother's
"Hello little Dagda." Sirius greeted. "Did you sleep well?"
"Morning." Alice mumbled, stretching out her own muscles.
"Good morning. I thought I'd better come and locate my mate before my grandmother found him sleeping in an unrespectable place. I was pleasantly surprised to find this little one also snoozing with his Uncle Moony." He tickled Neville's stomach, producing a giggle from the boy which promptly woke his aforementioned uncle. Alice by this point had made it to her feet and lifted Harrison into her arms, greeting the small boy sunnily. Remus on the other hand groaned as he sat up, and Sirius called on Flip for a strong, black coffee with plenty of sugar. The little elf was back in under a minute and passed the cup to Remus, only to watch in horror as he downed it in one.
"Master Moons should not bes drinking this so fast!" She said in alarm. "Its being bad for him!"
"Its okay Flip." Sirius said soothingly. "He practically lives on caffeine and books."
"Does Master Moons need another one?" She asked, her ears wiggling in her distress.
"Yes, please Flip." The werewolf in question replied, handing her the now empty mug. She was once again back in under a minute and by this point his mate looked almost awake enough to move.
"We should get going and get dressed before your appearances cause a scandal in the household." He said, expertly swapping boys with Alice so that she could take Neville to get dressed. Remus nodded and got to his feet, sipping on the second mug of coffee with an appreciative nod to Flip.
"I'lls be sorting clothes for the Masters and bes telling Pelly that the little Master is awake. And, I'lls also bes telling Tufty and Pip the same for Master and Mistress InValley and Little Master Neville."
"Thank you Flip." Sirius said, allowing the small creature to pop away to her duties. "Now you two, we need to move. Grandmother will be up any minute."
O_o_O_o_O
"Am I to take it that your night was as unpleasant as ours was?" Narcissa questioned; in lieu of a proper greeting as she breezed into the family dining room, her husband and son following behind her. She was, as always immaculately dressed, and looked as though her night had been anything but unpleasant. Lucius however, seemed to be still half asleep, glaring at his son through bleary eyes as if he was Mordred incarnate. Remus instantly offered the Malfoy Lord a mug of coffee and grinned when the blond merely nodded and collapsed into a chair, next to Frank.
"I have no idea what happened last night." He muttered to the other man. "But the little thing would not stop his infernal racket." Frank grinned at the Malfoy Lord, and lifted his own mug of tea up in a salute.
"Welcome to fatherhood." He said, laughing when Lucius's head promptly hit the table.
"Get your head off of the table young man!" Melania shrieked as she glided into the dining room. "Learn some manners, honestly I don't know what Abraxas has been teaching you."
"My apologies my Lady." He responded, lifting his head to take several large gulps of his coffee. Melania tutted at him before taking a seat near the head of the table.
"I take it Alice showed you in?" Remus said, standing to greet Narcissa.
"She did. We apologise for dropping in unannounced however, after the events of last night I thought you might want all hands on deck, so to speak."
"It is not a problem." Remus assured her. "You are welcome here any time." He glanced towards Frank as he said this but the man merely nodded his head.
"Remus is correct." He said, when it became obvious that Narcissa had caught Remus's slip. "If Sirius's plans come to fruition, we may all be living under one roof somewhere in the near future. Our doors will always be open to you until then; especially when it concerns the safety and wellbeing of our children." Melania looked thrilled at that announcement and took the opportunity herself, to sneak a glance at her grandson and his mate, both looked pleased, if a little cautious and she couldn't help but feel pride in what Sirius was trying to build here.
In all honesty, both she and her husband had known that re-establishing Sirius as Heir to the Black throne was going to be a gamble of epic proportions. He was in line to inherit eventually anyway, but re-introducing him into the old-ways would ensure that their house didn't die out. Neither of them could have imagined how big of a coup this would turn out to be, as Sirius had not only established a running household, he was working towards growing it into something quite special. The house of Black had seen only two other multi-family households in all of it's quite considerable years, and neither had been quite like this one.
The respect she held for the young Mr Lupin was also growing with every encounter. He would make a fine addition to the family, in her opinion. The obstacle of them not being able to sire heirs was already negated with Harrison and Athena, and the introduction of the rest of the Five was only going to provide the family with the opportunity to grow further. She was, for the first time in quite a few years; hopeful for the survival of the house, and it was all thanks to the pair, currently sitting at the head of the breakfast table. The pair who; after being re-introduced to the family a little over a week ago; had secured a Ministry source, a Hogwarts source, helped to push the re-introduction of a lost daughter through and had already built a respectable household. She was not just hopeful, but excited to see where the pair were going to take the family next, it should turn out to be quite the spectacle.
O_o_O_o_O
"I want to know who your contact is." He said bluntly, as he watched her secure the menagerie of animals back into their various cages, around her classroom. He was leant up against the door with his arms crossed, having glared at the last class of the day as they filed out of her classroom.
"All in good time Severus."
"I am being serious Minerva!" He snapped. "You tell me that you have access to information that you know I want, and you ask me for protection in return, and yet you refuse to divulge the source of your knowledge, which leaves me in the dark as to whether the information you have shared is even truthful."
"You are asking for something which I am not at liberty to divulge Severus." The woman replied, finally locking the last cage and turning to face him with pursed lips. "I am under oaths, andI would have thought that you would understand what I can and cannot divulge. You have spied yourself, and therefore know the importance of choosing which knowledge to share, and which to keep to yourself. I keep the knowledge I have, because sharing it could see several children put in needless danger. Do not ask me again or I will have to find myself a different partner."
"I want to know the truth."
"And you will, in good time, but I have to discuss the information I share with my contact before I share it. You are just pushing against a brick wall Severus. I have given you the information I promised, you have received Lily's journals and yet you still seem to want more. Honestly, you are acting more like a lion than you are a snake, stay patient and stop harassing me for information; especially where we can be overheard."
"Forgive me if I don't believe that you are not spreading this around our colleagues." He hissed. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that Flitwick doesn't know." She froze at that and he allowed a smirk to pull at the corner of his mouth.
"Our arrangement is at it's end." She replied coldly, her eyes hard and her lips pursed tightly. "Please leave." That stopped him in his tracks.
"Minerva…"
"Get out!" She snapped, cutting him off. He bowed slightly and left her to her anger, berating himself for pushing her. He would have thought he'd learnt his lesson by now, for when you toy with lions, you are almost certain to get mauled.
O_o_O_o_O
"Have you found anything yet?" Amelia whispered to Remus as he flicked over another page with a frown. Melania had excitedly revealed to them one of the many secrets of the manor that morning, in the form of a hidden bookcase door in the library, that opened to a huge drafting room, complete with a circular conference table and a magical, rolling chalkboard. Over twenty seats were spaced evenly around the circumference of the stone table, with space in between them to spare, and not even Lucius, who was the tallest in their company by quite a large margin; was able to reach the dead centre. Remus was quite overwhelmed at the sheer size of the thing, and had been more than a little tempted to get up on the table and crawl across it to reach a book some hours earlier.
"Not yet." He replied back, just as quietly. The research team had all been taking shifts, flitting between the books and looking after the children, who had been watched over by Dan and Emma for most of the day. Remus had paired off with Amelia, Narcissa with Melania, Alice with Andromeda, Ted with Arcturus; and most surprising of all had been the pairing of Lucius and Sirius, who were drafting a large family tree on the blackboard, their handwriting being scarily similar. Remus stood to allow Amelia to take his seat and pointed out the line he was working on. "Eight women have used the surname Svansdotter in the last two centuries." He said, pointing out eight lines on a relatively new (considering they were looking at books five times that age) page.
"Why the name of Merlin do we have a copy of the Norwegian census?" She hissed quietly.
"Because my child," Melania started, showing that either she hadn't been quiet enough, or her thoughts on the matter were loud enough to hear. "Norway is one of three northern countries; our ancestors have made it to. Our best estimate is that, these women could be descendants of a man, taken by Vikings in the early ninth century, during one of many raids along the coast of Ireland. We believed his line dead until Mr Lupin here discovered that his surname may have simply changed to a Patronym."
"So why are we looking that far north?" Amelia asked.
"Because we think that one of these women may have made it here." Remus replied quietly. He pulled another large book towards them and opened it near enough in the centre. "Duva Svansdotter is listed in a southern British census only once, for a marriage to…" He trailed off as he read the surname and glanced at her nervously.
"She married a Bones, didn't she?" Amelia asked with an air of defeat.
"We're going to need a copy of your house census and a family tree my dear." Melania chirped happily.
"But Susan had no reaction to the prophecy last night."
"You're getting ahead of yourself." Remus said soothingly; standing up and putting his hands on her arms. "We have no proof that this is Susan's ancestor, she may be from another branch of your family altogether."
"I can only think of a handful of families we have married into." Amelia said faintly, her complexion pale as the weight of this information settled inside her. "And even fewer in the last century."
"Don't panic." Remus said forcibly. "We are here, whatever happens, but we need a ledger." Amelia called for Rot, her eyebrows lifting when Flip popped in seconds later.
"Flip is being making sure Rot isn't beings disrespectful to Master Moon." She squeaked, much to the amusement of the room's occupants. Rot looked quite put out but soon turned his attention back to his mistress.
"What cans Rot be doings for Mistress Bones?" He asked.
"I need the family ledger and a copy of our tree." Amelia responded. "And, I think you owe Master Moon and Miss Flip an apology."
"The female is being telling Rot to wash his pillowcase." He replied, unhappily.
"You is being disrespectful of Master Moon." Flip replied, looking quite ashamed of herself.
"Apologise Rot." Amelia almost growled, her nerves fraying.
"Rot is being sorry to Master Moon for calling him a pet-mate." The elf in question said with a bow in Remus's direction. "Rot isn't being knowing that the wolf was a Master." Flip huffed at that.
"And, an apology to Flip please Rot."
"Rot is being sorry to Flip for disrespecting her Master."
"Then Flip is being sorry for telling Rot to wash his pillowcase." Flip replied bashfully, holding her hand out for the other elf to shake; which he did, after a stern glare from Amelia. He nodded and popped away to find the documents requested, and as soon as Flip followed both Alice and Lucius broke into laughter at the other side of the room.
"Are they all like that?" Ted whispered to Melania.
"Do you mean, are all house elves bat-shit crazy?" Lucius asked, wiping his eyes. "The answer is most definitely yes. House elves are born with a hyper gene that ensures their lunacy." He shot an apologetic glance at Melania who had tutted at his use of language, grateful when Ted promptly continued the conversation.
"I've only seen the ones at Hogwarts."
"They are delightfully helpful little creatures." Melania replied. "Black manor has forty of them."
"We have twenty-one." Remus replied. "Not including the elf that Amelia brought with her." Rot popped back in and handed a large book and a capped scroll to his Mistress before popping back out, not wanting to stick around and risk another encounter with the crazy female elf. Amelia dropped the documents onto the table and opened the ledger near the recent, front pages.
"Okay, we've had marriages into the Abbotts, the Greengrasses, the MacMillans and the Lovegoods." She said with a sigh. "It is unlikely that we are looking at the Abbotts, as the only line surviving there is Jonathon's and he married my cousin which makes Hannah a descendant of the same line as Susan."
"It won't be the MacMillans." Melania chipped in, moving around the table to peer at the ledger.
"Here," She said; pointing at the marriage record for Allard MacMillan and Hertha Bones. "Allard died in the war against Grindelwald and Hertha followed soon after of Dragonpox. They never birthed an heir."
"So, we're looking at the Greengrasses and the Lovegoods." Remus said with a sigh. "At least we're back in Britain with this line, the French one is looking to be a lost cause."
"I'll second that." Alice replied, closing her book with a thump. "The only Black still recorded as living in France is Cassiopeia." She trailed off and glanced at Melania. "How is she doing?" She asked quietly.
"She's been moved to another of our estates and is being looked after by the healers." Melaina replied, somewhat stiffly. "Pollux has barely left the manor and seems to be blaming himself for her situation." Alice and Remus glanced at each other with that comment, and a picture of how the LeStranges came to avoid capture was starting to form. "We will know more when she wakes up. Until then, we need to focus on the task at hand." They all nodded and Lucius turned to start drafting a copy of the Bones family tree on another section of the blackboard.
"Everything will be okay." Remus said, allowing Amelia to slip into the seat which he'd vacated. He squeezed her shoulder and she nodded at him, turning to the back of her family ledger and preparing herself for a long hour of research before Remus came to take over from her.
The system had been working well, with someone from the other group coming to take over every ten minutes or so, ensuring that the research team was constantly changing, allowing them to bounce ideas off of each other. They had been at it all day, and as dinner approached; Amelia began to wonder if they would have to pick it back up in the morning.
O_o_O_o_O
Sirius started slightly when Flip popped into the sitting room and told him he had a visitor. His mate had not long since returned from the drafting room and informed them of the situation with Amelia; and he was still digesting the news. He'd wanted to rush in and find out more but, Remus had advised him to let her and Lucius sort out her family tree before charging in and taking over. She was going to need some time to come to terms with the information, and the since Lucius himself had only just taken over from him, he needed a break himself before going back into research mode.
"Mistress Minnie is being here to sees you Master." She said, bouncing slightly on the spot. "Should I bes letting her in to sees you?"
"Show her in Flip, please." He replied with a smile. At least a visit from Minerva would take his mind temporarily off of the situation at hand.
"Do you need the room?" Arcturus asked, looking over at his heir.
"Of course not, what she knows, we all should know."
"And what of Athena?"
"She is in our confidence." Remus reassured the man. "She has protection from the old man."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that Mr Lupin." Minerva said, catching the end of his sentence as she breezed into the sitting room. She greeted Sirius and glanced around at the unusual number of people, scattered around the settees.
"It's a long story." Sirius replied, in response to her unasked question. "Take a seat and tell us of the news from the castle."
"I'm afraid it isn't good." She replied.
"We've heard from Augusta on the subject of Dumbledore's issues." Remus said.
"Where is she?" Minerva asked.
"Out running political errands." Sirius replied. "I think she's rather enjoying the incognito stuff, we fed her Polyjuice before she left."
"She's taken on Madame Black's duties until she can return to the political ring." Arcturus said, watching as Minerva's eyebrows rose.
"We didn't want to beak your confidence on the matter." Sirius said with a wince. Arcturus nodded and explained the situation with Cassiopeia to the Hogwarts professor.
"If these two are willing to trust you with their information then I see no reason not to trust you with mine." He said with a nod. "Sirius has declared you family, so you have a right to the knowledge."
"Thank you for trusting me with this Lord Black." Minerva responded bobbing her head at the man. "I am willing to take an oath to prove myself trustworthy."
"No need my dear." He said; waving away her concern. "I trust you to continue to be discreet."
"So, what has happened since your last discussions with Augusta?" Remus asked. "You wouldn't risk being here if it were not of concern."
"Severus refuses to be satisfied with the information I have given him. He wishes to know my sources."
"You haven't told him about us?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows raising.
"To be fair, if she were to tell Snape that it was us supplying her info, he would more than likely cut ties with her." Remus said with a shrug.
"He accused me of consorting with Deatheaters." She said primly, smoothing her tartan skirt.
"He really thought you were talking to the Rat?" Sirius asked angrily. "Why in Morgana's name would he think you want anything to do with the bastard?"
"Language Sirius." Remus muttered, shooting a glance at Arcturus, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"There's more." She said. "And, I'm afraid I owe you both an apology."
"This sounds like something we shouldn't be privy to." Andromeda said, rising with her sister and nodding to Frank, Emma and Dan to do the same. "We'll get the kids out of your way so that you may talk in private." She herded the small group out and closed the door, leaving the three men and the professor in relative silence.
"They seem edgy." Minerva finally said.
"So do you." Sirius replied. "Tell us what has happened, don't worry about anything, we can take care of it, if it's a real problem."
"Filius knows about Harrison. I'm afraid that I haven't been hiding my feelings on certain matters very well, and it turns out that I'm a terrible actor. He guessed that the child was still alive, before working out who has him. To be honest, you are both the obvious choice for anyone who gives it serious thought. There's been a lot of backlash in the papers over Harry's death, and a lot of questions asked about why he went to the Dursleys and not to you."
"Okay, there's a lot to unpack there so we'll start out with the simplest; do you trust Flitwick?" Sirius asked.
"I trust him to be loyal to me, however, I don't know if I trust Dumbledore not to be messing with his mind as well."
"Then we obliviate him." Sirius replied, glancing at his grandfather. "I know he's your friend but we can't take a security risk like that. If there is any chance of us getting found, we need to eliminate it."
"It is your decision Sirius." Arcturus replied.
"I agree with him." Remus said quietly. "We need to make sure that the kids are safe."
"I understand." The woman said nodding her head. "How do you propose we complete this task?"
"How do you feel about looking after your niece's dog for the weekend?" Was Sirius's answering question.
O_o_O_o_O
Severus paced his sitting room as he tried to work through the dilemma he was now faced with. Having effectively burned his bridges with McGonagall, he was now flying blind onto what was happening outside Hogwarts. Dumbledore was evidently in a mess of his own making, and he had a pretty good idea of how that had come to be. The old man was not the sort to give up on the greater scheme of things, and the spanner in the works, regarding this damned prophecy was not likely to keep him slowed down for long. He would start looking towards other solutions, and Severus knew that the Longbottom boy had also been a candidate for the parameters set by the headmaster.
What he really wanted to know, is why in the name of Avalon wasn't the boy with his godfather? His own bond with Draco pulled on his core if he was unable to look after his charge, and Black's would have been doing the same, as soon as the brat was behind all of the illegal blood wards Dumbledore had no doubt erected around Privet Drive. What he needed was a way to get to Black, to find out exactly what had happened on the night of Samhain. He needed to see whether McGonagall's information was factually correct.
What he didn't realise was that his mission was mirroring the headmaster's, and in his case, it was a mission he had no need to be on. Fate had given him the tools he needed to do his job; it wasn't her fault that he refused to acknowledge them in his thirst for information. Sometimes, even she had to admit when she was defeated but she had to ensure that he stayed within her deck, or risk leaving his fate to chance.
O_o_O_o_O
She gazed around the room, somewhat astounded to realise just how many people were currently in the manor. She had seen the pair of Black sisters earlier, as well as an unfamiliar couple, but to see the sheer size of the group was another thing for her, already overwhelmed senses to take in.
"It's quite a sight isn't it?" Alice asked as she reached out for the dish of peas, helping herself before offering them to her.
"How have they managed it?" She asked, taking the dish and spooning some onto her plate before passing them to Augusta on her left.
"We're connected by a common cause." Alice replied. "Little Draco is one of the five supposedly mentioned in this damned prophecy; as is Athena, so naturally Emma and Dan were brought here.
"And, the Lady Bones?"
"Attempted to contact Sirius, got Remus instead and promptly moved herself in, following an invite. We're becoming quite a ragtag bunch."
"You don't say." Minerva replied, watching Lucius discuss the day's activities with Sirius. "That is something I never thought I would witness."
"We're coping." Alice replied with a hum. "It isn't perfect but we'll get there."
"Are they moved in?"
"Not yet. I think Remus wants them in before Yule though."
"We believe it would be beneficial for them to have a teething period before the Yule celebrations." Augusta chipped in. "And, with recent events, we've all had to come to an unwritten agreement to try to get along." Minerva glanced around the table once more, Frank and Dan chatting together; Neville and Athena balanced on their laps, Emma, Narcissa and Andromeda deep in discussion; Nymphadora and Draco watching on with wide eyes, Remus and Amelia entertaining the Lady Black, and Arcturus joining Sirius and Lucius in their own discussions.
"This is quite a sight." Minerva said faintly, her dinner going largely ignored, in favour of watching the spectacle unfold in front of her eyes.
O_o_O_o_O
As the Black family dined together, Hadrian Greengrass was busy watching his own spectacle unfold. His wife had just announced her most recent pregnancy with their respective parents, and he honestly couldn't tell whether her mother looked more furious or was simply trying to hold in gas. He knew that his father wanted them to sire a male heir, but he loved Daphne with all of his heart, and had no doubt that he would love his next child as equally, be them a daughter or a son.
"But she's barely one!" Naomi's mother finally shrieked after his own parents had gushed over their news. She turned to him with a vicious look on her face. "Couldn't keep it to yourself, could you?" She hissed, much to her husband's horror.
"May I remind you just who is in charge within this household." His father said, raising from his seat. "To berate the husband of your only heir in front of said husband and parents, is inexcusable."
"I apologise for my wife Lord Greengrass." Matthew Selwyn said, bowing his head to the other lord. "She means well."
"Just as you meant well for this family when you took the mark of a terrorist?" Wyndam Greengrass shot back. "Describe to me just how taking the Dark Lord's mark has benefitted this family. Tell me what the Knights of Walpurgis have done for my grandchildren; current and future."
"Please father, do not concern yourself with Lord Selwyn; I'm sure the Lady is just concerned for her daughter." Hadrian turned to the female with steely eyes after soothing his father. He was in no mood to take any prisoners. "I am aware on your thoughts regarding children, and I understand where your concern comes from, birthing a squib is traumatic for any family, and I cannot imagine the pain you must have endured; the Greengrass line however has always birthed strong heirs, male and female. My wife and I are confident in our ability to raise children, and I hope that you will come to see this child for what it is; a blessing upon the family."
The Lord and Lady Selwyn had gone sheet white at his speech, certainly not expecting for their family's dirty laundry to be aired at the dinner table. With their only son in Azkaban for crimes committed in the Dark Lord's service, and their youngest child having been sequestered away to a pair of muggles, some years prior; Naomi was the only heir they had left, and it seemed as though the Greengrasses had all intentions of looking after her. Matthew did the only sensible thing he had done in some time, and stood to bow to the rest of their company.
"I apologise again, you are correct in that our own circumstances have been allowed to cloud what should be a joyful occasion. We will take our leave, and wish you both all the very best." He nodded to his daughter, who had barely looked in their direction since his wife's outburst, and dragged his wife to her feet, heading towards the Floo parlour with as much haste as custom would allow.
He silently cursed the Greengrasses for what they had taken from him, and promised revenge for what the son had done to his family. Hadrian Greengrass was nothing but a jumped-up ministry lackey who would soon come to learn what it meant to cross the likes of a Selwyn. Little did he know that he would never receive the Chance to even touch the young Lord for his supposed transgressions, as Fate was about to intervene on his immediate plans in a big way.
O_o_O_o_O
Pandora cooed as her nine-month-old daughter stared at her with huge, blue eyes. She could hear her husband's printing press running above her head and smiled as she leant down to relax on the handmade throw she'd spread out on the floor. She'd Seen what Fate had in store for the moon of her life, and promised herself that she would value this time with her daughter to her fullest extent before Fate carried out her plans. Her little life here in Devon with her eccentric husband and her beautiful baby girl, hadn't quite been what her grandmother had envisioned for her, when she'd travelled back to this country, almost a century ago; but Pandora wouldn't trade her quirky house and loving husband for anything else.
As she got up to brew a bottle she called for Xeno to pack his work away for the evening, it was getting towards time for putting Luna to bed, something they made sure to do together every evening. As soon as she heard his footsteps on the winding staircase; she held out Luna's bottle for her husband to take; knowing that he enjoyed feeding their daughter as much as she did. His face lit up when he saw her, and they shared a 'private' moment before starting to tend to their duties as parents.
Pandora knew that it would soon be time for Fate's plan to be put into motion, and as she watched her husband feed their daughter, singing a song his mother had taught him; she wished that she could drag these days out forever.
O_o_O_o_O
Fate looked down upon the two families with a mixture of excitement and regret. She knew that one family's bliss was about to be torn apart, and she wished that she could see another way forward. One of these girls was about to lose a parent; the other would have to be abandoned to the cruel judgement of Chance; there was nothing she could do to stop the inevitable; and it was up to her to keep the balance of life. Magic was starting to get restless, and Time was growing weary. It was up to her to decide which way the pendulum would swing.
O_o_O_o_O
"So, which do they think it is?" Minerva asked, sipping on her single malt as Augusta went to retrieve the bottle, in order to top them both up.
"They have no idea." Her friend replied as she rummaged through her bottles; her voice dripping with regret. "I truly feel sorry for Amelia, she has dodged a bullet with Susan, only to find out that the last child will be born of her family anyway."
"Who do you hope it to be?" Minerva asked, swirling her last mouthful of amber around her glass, before downing it and allowing Augusta to top her up.
"I can't in all good conscience wish this fate on either of the possible children. I'm not sure I've come to grips with my grandson being put in such danger, never mind hoping it to be one girl or another. The Lovegoods would be easier to work with, but the Greengrasses lean more towards the old ways, I'm not sure which I'd prefer."
"I don't like the idea of any of those bairns to be put in harm's way either." Minerva rebuked. "But we cannot fight against what we cannot control, we can only hope for the best outcome for all parties involved."
"You've never put any stock in Prophecies in your life."
"And, look at where that's got me. James and Lily are dead, your son and Alice almost followed them, all because of one man's belief in a bloody Prophecy. At least we know that this one is real."
"In the unlikely event that she brings nothing else to the table in this whole debacle, I will forever be in Amelia's debt, just for confirming the validity of said bloody Prophecy." Augusta replied. "I couldn't imagine what Sirius would do if this one was fake as well."
"We'd never see either of them, or little Harry again." Minerva replied. "Sirius would have him half way around the world before any of us knew what was happening."
"I'm still not sure it isn't the right course of action for any of us." Augusta muttered. "With you having to dog-sit, just to keep us safe, and the fact that your bridges with Snape have all but been burned; I don't think any of us are truly as safe as we think we are. I just have to hope that the old gods are watching over us, and that the forces that be are on our side."
"I think that's all any of us can do." Minerva replied with a sigh, and the two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they finished their drinks. It wasn't until Flip had taken her friend back to Hogwarts, a good few hours later; that she realised that Minerva was more or less now helpless up at the castle. She would be sure to rectify that with Sirius first thing in the morning.
O_o_O_o_O
"How are you feeling?" Remus asked quietly, into the darkness. He could both hear and smell that Sirius was still awake, and he desperately wanted to know how his mate was coping with the events of the last couple of days.
"I just want this over Moony. I thought when we'd moved back into the family, and gotten settled here, everything would be okay, now I find out that this Prophecy is the real deal, and that our kids are going to be put into danger. I've never really seen myself with kids, or seen myself as the responsible one, but I'm now responsible for the lot of you, and these kids are going to be put in danger no matter what I do to try and prevent that. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle."
"You're not alone Pads." Moony whispered. "We are all here for you as well. You don't have to try to take on the world on your own." Sirius sighed and rolled over, wrapping his arms around his mate. "We're here for you Sirius. I'm here for you."
"I love you Moony."
"And I love you, you great big lump. Now please try to get to sleep, your breathing is keeping me awake." Sirius groaned once before promptly falling asleep, his head tucked into his shoulder and his breath tickling his skin. Remus sighed and resolved himself to do the same, comfortable with his mate in his arms.
So the Moon or the Pasture, which do you think it'll be? Let me know in the comments!