Author's Note:
I have this head canon that the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight is basically equal to aristocracy in the wizarding world in terms of wealth and official titles and they kind of lord it over everyone — an impression I got mostly from the grace and poise that is Jason Isaacs in his role as Lucius Malfoy, but also from the books in the way that Draco talks about his father and his home life. So, I have thrown this idea into the ring and made up some titles to use (the Malfoy title based on the fact that their mansion is supposed to be Wiltshire) and I just kinda picked other random other names. I've dropped a few of them already with the Longbottoms being Cumbria and Sirius being Falmouth, but it will all be explained at some point more clearly, I promise.
For those of you wondering and asking, this is a complete list of Sirius Black's tattoos in my universe. What they are and where they are located.
1 - over his heart (moon chart that changes with phases of moon)
2 - over right shoulder blade on back - Gryffindor house crest: where dwell the brave at heart is written around crest
3 - over left shoulder blade on back - Marauder crest - i solemnly swear that I'm up to no good
4 - inside left forearm written vertically - runic symbols: family ᚠᚨᛗᛛᛚᚥ; friendship ᚠᚱᛛᛖᛅᛞᛋᚻᛛᛈ; and marauder ᛗᚨᚱᚨᚢᛞᛖᚱ
5 - around runic symbols - footprints from marauders map leading up to Whomping Willow on bicep
6 - inside left wrist beneath runic symbols - phoenix engulfed in flames silhouette
7 - entire right arm a sleeve of a wolf howling at the moon with stag, dog, and rat with Hogwarts above it
8 - Celtic knot bracelet around right wrist beneath sleeve
9 - right shoulder above sleeve - star chart of Sirius and of Orion
10 - across centre of collarbone in cursive - mischief managed
11 - over right ribs - motorcycle with 3 stars surrounding it
12 - over left ribs written vertically - Prongslet, HJP, July 31st, 1980
13 - left shoulder prison number ᛈᛉ-390 followed by Nov 2nd, 1981-April 22nd, 1986
14 - beneath Harry's birthday, date: May 11th, 1986
Reviews and Comments: To Mattelle: Thank you! I'm glad you love Sirius' new tattoos. To Claire Fraser: Thank you for saying that Sirius and Harry are so cute, I definitely agree! Harry being worried about Ron knowing he has bad dreams and Sirius saying even grownups get scared, all important I think so thank you for noticing. It won't be the end of Althea, no. Thank you!
Thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you!
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN:
The One With the Viscount of Falmouth
A few weeks later, as June bloomed and spring finally seemed to rear its head with summer not far behind, Sirius found another surprise in the post. This one coming from the Daily Prophet and written by this snarky quack of a reporter named Rita Skeeter.
Sirius had accepted the Daily Prophet from the post owl as he ate breakfast at the table in the morning. He never bothered to do more than skim the paper until after Harry was in his lessons with Remus, but as his eyes glanced at the front page, they widened in surprise.
HEAD OF BLACK FAMILY DEATHLY ILL
He grabbed the paper quickly as his eyes read over the article.
Lord Cygnus Black, Viscount of Falmouth, 49, was admitted to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries last night, delirious and dazed, suffering from a severe attack of scrofungulus, which as the reader knows is a very contagious disease that often presents with severe swelling in the neck, making breathing difficult. It then moves on to affect the brain and can cause swelling in other parts of the body. Once it manifests within the system, the disease can last weeks or years and unfortunately is often deadly.
Lady Druella Black refused to comment when asked about her husband's illness and well-being. As one of the most influential families in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, all eyes are on the lovely Lady Falmouth to learn what will happen if her husband succumbs to the illness.
Lady Narcissa Malfoy, youngest daughter of Lord Black and wife of Lord Lucius Malfoy, Earl of Wiltshire, was seen exiting the hospital early this morning looking distraught. The Blacks have two daughters, but the eldest, Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus Lestrange are currently residing in Azkaban Prison for crimes including murder and torture in the name of He Who Must Not Be Named.
If the disease proves to be fatal, the question on everyone's lips is who will inevitably pick up the mantle of the Viscount of Falmouth. Sirius Black, nephew of Lord and Lady Falmouth, is the only living direct male relative left in the Black Family line — will we have a new Viscount under his name?
Sirius spit his orange juice out, startling Harry.
"Sorry, Prongslet," he muttered staring at the paper in horror. What was Skeeter playing at printing something like that?
He glanced at the clock. Remus would be arriving any minute he thought, which was good because he desperately needed to speak with Andromeda.
Fifteen minutes later, he was knocking on the front door of the Tonks' residence in Shoreditch and Ted opened the door, a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Good morning, Sirius," he said with a smile. "What can I do you for?"
"Hi, Ted. I really need to talk to Andromeda."
Ted merely moved aside and Sirius hurried into the house. Andromeda was coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a short pink apron.
"Edward, dear, you didn't finish your breakfast," she said, eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Sirius. "Sirius, what are you doing here so early?" She hurried over to kiss his cheek. "Want some breakfast, love?"
Sirius shook his head, taking her hands in his. "No, no, I'm fine. I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"
Andromeda nodded, untying her apron. "Of course."
Ted smiled at them and finished his coffee. "I have to get to work anyway or I'm going to be late." He kissed Andromeda softly on the lips. "Love you, be back tonight."
"Love you too," she called out after him as he stepped into the fireplace and vanished in a twirl of emerald flames. She turned back to Sirius, her hands in her lap. "What's going on?"
Sirius simply passed her the newspaper.
He watched as she read over the article with wide eyes and then she passed it back to him. "I see Skeeter is still writing absolute balderdash."
Sirius reached over to squeeze her hand. "You weren't even mentioned!"
Andromeda shrugged, tucking a strand of her long black hair behind her ear. "Did you really expect me to be? I was disowned from that family long ago. Though I suppose if Skeeter wasn't above making a scandal, she may bring it up." She stared at the paper in Sirius' hand for a moment. "Do you think he has the deadly strain? Is he going to die?"
"I don't know, Andy," he said softly. He remembered how close Andromeda had always been to his Uncle Cy. She had been the little princess, the spoiled and the pampered Daddy's little girl — all three of his daughters had been. But Andromeda and Narcissa had always been coddled much more than Bellatrix. The moment Andromeda had told her father that she was in love with Edward Tonks, her father had coldly and efficiently shut her out of his life: Socially, financially, and emotionally.
She closed her eyes for a moment. "Viscount of Falmouth, eh? Would it really be that bad?"
Sirius let loose such a stream of curse words that Andromeda's mouth actually opened in shock.
"You kiss your godson with that mouth? He better not be repeating any of those words, Sirius Black," she said with a chuckle.
Sirius merely smirked. "The last thing I need is to become Viscount of Falmouth. I'm still not entirely sure how I ended up as Head of House Black to begin with after my mother blasted me from the family tree."
Andromeda shrugged. "Toujurs pur, Sirius. You are the last pureblood male in the Black family. Bella never had any children — which is a blessing considering her sanity — Cissa's son could technically inherit it all, but he is already a Malfoy and therefore will one day inherit the earldom as Lord Wiltshire. Uncle Orion left it to you because you were his firstborn son and heir and even knowing that you had betrayed him by becoming friends with known blood traitors, he still left you in second place to your younger brother, who we both know should have lived a long life. Uncle Orion had no way of knowing that Regulus would be killed only a few months after his own death."
"Doesn't it bother you that you're not included, Andy? It's completely old-fashioned that it can only pass down to a male to begin with," Sirius exclaimed, his fingers tapping impatiently on his thigh.
She shook her head. "No, it doesn't. Ted is my life. Nymphadora is my life. I don't need an outdated aristocrat lifestyle and neither do you. If… if Papa does pass away, you will become Viscount, Sirius, whether you want it or not."
"Not," he muttered, thinking of the ramifications of that.
His own father had been Viscount of Falmouth, the title was something that he had always known he would inherit, but then he had been disowned. Then Orion had died; then Regulus, and the title had moved to Orion's younger brother, Cygnus, strictly because Sirius Black, future Viscount of Falmouth, had been in prison. But Rita Skeeter had it right, if Cygnus Black died, Sirius would de-facto be once more, Viscount.
But he was pretty sure that he had a way around that.
"Sirius," Andromeda said with a smile. "It's not the end of the world. And… Pa —" she swallowed carefully. "Cygnus Black isn't dead yet."
"I know," Sirius said, sighing deeply. "I guess the article just shocked me. I ran from this life, Andy. Euphemia and Fleamont, they took me in, they gave me a home unlike anything I had ever experienced before; they called me son and they loved me. I guess I always thought that my choices then had stopped me from having to deal with this shit."
She smiled sympathetically. "Not quite." She kissed his cheek. "Now, stop stressing over it as there's nothing to be done about it at the moment anyway. Tell me about your plans for Harry's seventh birthday party."
Sirius simply grinned at her. "It's going to be epic as fuck."
Andromeda laughed. "I expect nothing else from you. So, let's hear it."
~ ASC ~
As the weeks passed on, the paper continued to vaguely comment on the illness of Cygnus Black, but from what Sirius could see, the idea of it being deadly had been overly exaggerated. He found himself rather relieved to hear it.
After his talk with Andromeda however, Sirius had been jolted into action and spent the next few days following his talk with her going through his considerable assets.
But it still didn't stop his surprise when at the end of June, an owl bearing the Malfoy family crest flew into his kitchen.
Sirius,
I implore you to speak to Mother about the Black Family Estate. She is not knowledgable in any of it and Papa is very ill. The healers say that he will be able to come home soon, but his mind is very confused and he no longer has the mental capacity to handle any financial or business ventures. I know it's rather bold of me to write and ask this of you, but you are the Head of the Black Family Estate in all but name while Papa is still alive.
Will you come for tea at Malfoy Manor on Saturday afternoon to meet with Mother and I?
Sincerely,
Cissa
Sirius stared at the letter and let out an exasperated sigh. He had expected this if he was completely honest with himself, which is why he had been organizing everything. He had already detailed his decisions concerning the Black Family's assets and had decided what to do with everything.
He had just spoken to Remus about it the other day and Remus had suggested he talk to the Malfoys about it. But Sirius still thought that it was the last place he'd rather go, but they needed to know where his decisions had landed.
He flipped the parchment over and quickly scribbled a response.
Cissa,
We both know that I have no desire to lead the Black Family anywhere. Harry and I will meet you and Aunt Druella at Malfoy Manor for three on Saturday.
Sirius
And as he watched the owl fly off, he grimaced at the thought of the meeting he had no desire to attend.
By the time Saturday came around, Harry was eager to go. Sirius had told him he was visiting his cousin Narcissa Malfoy as they had some stuff to talk about and that Harry would be joining them for tea. It was the last place he wanted to bring Harry at all, but Remus had actually scored a date on Saturday with a woman who worked in the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad. Her name was Veronica Riley, but she went by Roni.
Remus had met her at the market in Diagon Alley, apparently they had laughed over some fresh cannolis. The woman had said something about how they were the dessert that dreams were made of and Remus had responded in typical corny fashion with: We cannoli hope. They had laughed like loons, introduced themselves, and grabbed an ice cream together. Needless to say, Remus hadn't been spending too many of his nights alone as of late.
Sirius wanted to be annoyed at his friend, but he was too pleased that his friend was finally out there and enjoying himself for once. Even though he already knew, Remus was going to push her away in a few weeks, either before or just after the full moon. The man was predictable as shit about that. He never gave anyone a chance to be around longer.
Sirius sighed as he strapped Harry onto his motorbike. He'd worry about Remus and his future relationship troubles later, right now he had tea to attend and he had decided to drive there, mostly out of spite. He could imagine the horror on his cousin's face when he showed up on a Muggle motorbike.
It was roughly a three hour drive by road, but using his jury-rigging skills, he figured he could get there in just over an hour if he flew. He made sure that Harry was strapped in tightly and he used the invisibility shield to hide them from view as he levitated towards the sky and took off at high speeds, using the Muffliato Charm to dim the noise of the bike. He blared Queen from his speakers as they headed towards Wiltshire and an hour and a half later, landed in front of the large iron gates of Malfoy Manor.
The house was white, big black iron gates hiding it from view. The mansion was three levels, long and expansive with extensive grounds and fixtures. It had been in the Malfoy family for almost six hundred years. Sirius had to admit, it was a beautiful manor.
The gate opened to allow him access and he rode the bike through the gate, parking in front of the steps.
Narcissa stepped outside just as he shut off the motor, her lips pursed as she stared at him.
He was in faded denim, holes in the knees. His black leather jacket with a black cotton dress shirt open to reveal his white tank, black combat boots, and his perfectly styled long locks surrounding his face and falling just so to give him that carelessly handsome look. He had intentionally dressed down, also out of spite.
Just because he had agreed to attend didn't mean he was going to dress himself up to their standards.
He helped Harry off the bike and smiled brightly at his cousin. "Cissy! So lovely for you to invite us over," he remarked as she merely stared at him.
Narcissa looked just as beautiful and elegant as he remembered. She wore a navy blue dress with a white jacket, white heels and her hair was pinned back in an elegant bun; pearls at her ears and her throat. She looked very much the lady of the manor.
"Sirius," she said as she gestured him to follow her inside.
Harry held Sirius' hand, eyes wide as he they stepped into the manor. He followed Sirius through the grand entranceway, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, white columned arches surrounding the room as Narcissa led them across into the sitting room with its hardwood floor, settees and large portraits on the walls.
Sirius took a seat on the settee as Harry sat next to him, still looking around in awe. He only raised an eyebrow when Narcissa didn't sit with them. "Too good to sit with me, cousin?"
Narcissa pursed her lips again and Sirius could see she was trying not to roll her eyes. "I'll let Mother know that you've arrived. The house elves will bring tea in momentarily."
Then she was gone and Sirius and Harry were left alone in the sitting room.
Harry slid closer to Sirius. "It's so big in here!"
Sirius chuckled, draping his arm over the boy's shoulders. "Yeah, it is. Mrs Malfoy is a very rich lady, Harry, and she and her husband are involved in all sorts of different business opportunities."
"Nice way to explain it," Lucius Malfoy said from the doorway, moving to take a seat across from them. "Sirius," he said, offering his hand.
Sirius shook his hand and offered a small smile. "Lucius. Cissa looks well, guess you're treating her with the respect she deserves."
Lucius only nodded curtly. "Obviously. I see you are still dressing like a teenage rebel."
Sirius took in the black dress pants, black silk shirt outlined in silver with silver buttons and his black suit jacket with a silver tie. His silver-blonde hair hung just past his shoulders, but was currently pulled back in a low ponytail with a black ribbon. "We can't all look as good as you in a suit, Lucy."
Lucius' eyes narrowed at the name. "Charmed, I'm sure."
He stood up when Narcissa came back into the room with Druella and Draco. Two house elves hurried in after them with trays of tea with biscuits, tarts, and scones.
Once everyone was seated and served, Narcissa crossed her elegant leg over her other one, eyes on her cousin. "The fact that you came here today tells me that you are interested in discussing this."
Harry shifted on the settee and Sirius gave him a small smile. "I am. Why don't we let the boys go play? They hardly want to listen to this."
Narcissa hesitated, but Lucius nodded. "Agreed. Draco, why don't you and Harry run off and find something to do? Maybe go outside?"
Draco nodded, standing up. "Come on, Harry."
Harry looked up at Sirius for confirmation and Sirius smiled warmly at him. "Go on, Prongslet. Have fun with Draco while we chat."
Harry hurried off with Draco and Sirius turned back to the room.
"So, what are you three proposing?"
Lucius leaned back in his chair, a look of ease and elegance about him that showed exactly how aristocratic and entitled he was. "Cygnus is no longer fit to be in charge of the estate. Orion left his share to you and when Cygnus dies, as the last Black male relative, his share will also be transferred to you. We don't agree."
Sirius leaned back as well and crossed his right leg at his left knee. "I didn't exactly ask for all of this to be thrown onto my plate. I didn't even know that I was going to inherit until a letter from the Ministry came informing me that I was the sole heir upon my mother's death. Imagine my surprise when the very family that disowned and disinherited me somehow left me everything anyway."
Druella sneered at him, making eye contact with him for the first time since she had stepped into the room. "You don't deserve it. You're a traitor to your blood; to your family."
"Mother!" Narcissa snapped, placing a hand on the arm of Druella's chair. "We're not here to judge Sirius on his choices."
Sirius' eyebrow rose in surprise. "Well, bully for you, Cissa, never expected you to be completely on my side."
At the look she gave him, he couldn't help but smile. He had been close to Narcissa and Andromeda growing up. Narcissa had been a fifth year at Hogwarts when he had started off and he remembered how despite his mother's promises that his cousin would be reporting all of his troubles to her on a regular basis, Narcissa had straight up told him that she wouldn't rat him out. He had always respected her and liked her. He could see that even after being married to Lucius Malfoy for thirteen years she was still just as much in love with him as she had been in school. It pleased him that she was happy.
"I'm not on your side, Sirius, I'm merely saying that what you've done in the past is just that, in the past," Narcissa told him, sipping her tea. "Uncle Orion and Aunt Wally may have overreacted at blasting you off of the tree."
Druella's eyes widened in shock. "NARCISSA!"
"Mother, you know that I am right! He was friends with James Potter and Aunt Wally just tossed him out," Narcissa exclaimed, her eyes flashing in annoyance. "Has he really actually done anything to be removed from the Black Family?"
"Thanks, Cissa," Sirius said in surprise, a small smile on his lips. "According to my dear mum, I did a hell of a lot to deserve being blasted off that tree, but being friends with the blood traitor Potters was definitely high up on that list. And I was okay with it. Euphemia and Fleamont Potter were better parents to me than my own were. My only regret is that I didn't take Reg with me when I left. If I had, he might still be alive."
"At least Regulus had the decency to stand up for his blood! He followed his true path with the Dark Lord!" Druella insisted, her eyes flashing.
Lucius held his hand up and to Sirius' surprise, his aunt immediately shut up. "The Dark Lord is gone, Druella. Mistakes were made years ago and arguing about them now is not going to change the present. Sirius, do you have any plans with the estate?"
"No."
Druella's eyes widened. "You have kept everything?"
Sirius nodded. "I thought about selling it all off piece by piece, but Remus convinced me to keep it. I completely emptied Grimmauld Place: It is now devoid of all dark artefacts, all furniture, and literally everything else. It is an empty shell of a place, but I've decided to keep it. Remus made a good point about my father and grandfather, being the extreme paranoid sons of bitches that they were, made that house safer than even Hogwarts. It's not a bad idea to hold onto it and to keep it as a safe house of some kind in case anyone ever needs it, especially with Harry."
"Why would you need a safe house?" Narcissa asked, brushing back a stray golden blonde hair.
"I am the legal guardian of Harry James Potter otherwise known as The Boy Who Lived."
"The Dark Lord is gone," Lucius said, his grey-blue eyes watching Sirius.
"For now," Sirius said, his own eyes meeting that of Lucius. "He was the darkest wizard the world has ever seen, are you telling me that you really think he was killed by a fifteen-month-old-infant? He's out there somewhere and if not him, someone with enough hate to want to hurt Harry for the Dark Lord. Not to mention my old friend, Peter, the fucking bastard who betrayed our friends, got James and Lily killed and me sent to Azkaban for a crime that I didn't commit… so, yeah, I think a potential safe house is a good idea."
Narcissa nodded, her eyes meeting her husband's. "Abraxas doesn't think He Who Must Not Be Named is gone either, Lucius."
Lucius ignored his wife, but his eyes narrowed slightly at the name. "We're not here to talk about loyalties in a war that's over. Yes, we were on opposing sides, but this is about something entirely different."
Sirius wondered why Lucius looked rather uncomfortable at the mentioning of his father and his beliefs, but decided it was best to change the subject. "Look, let's get to the bottom line here, what do you want to know? How much money there is? How many properties are still about?"
"For starters," Lucius said, reaching over to touch his wife's hand.
Narcissa linked her fingers with her husband's. "Sirius, we're not looking to take it away from you, we just want to know what you're planning to do with it. You're not married. You don't have your own children. If you take the controls over the estate, will Lucius and I have any say in any of it? Will my mother?"
Sirius nodded, leaning forward and taking a bite of a strawberry cream cheese tart, chewing and swallowing slowly as he contemplated what she was saying. He had looked over everything over the last few weeks; reacquainted himself with what was his after reading about his uncle in the paper. He had known the question would come down to this.
"I'm not going to deny you anything that you are due, Cissa. I wouldn't do that. As to controls, I guess it will stay with me. I don't plan on getting married any time soon or having my own children, not saying never, but no immediate plans on either one. However, I do have plans for the estate; plans that I put into motion a week after I heard about Uncle Cy."
Narcissa's eyes widened in surprise. "What kind of plans? What did you do?"
Sirius merely smiled at her and reached into the bag he had brought with him, pulling out a folder and passing it over to Lucius. Lucius accepted it and quickly flipped it open, his eyes pouring over the documents there. "As you can see, everything is in order and perfectly legal."
"What did he do?" Druella demanded, her eyes on her son-in-law. "What did he do?"
"Calm yourself, Druella, he's hardly the villain you lot make him out to be," Lucius stated calmly, his eyes on the documents. "Black has merely broken up the estate."
"HE DID WHAT?" Druella exclaimed, glaring at her nephew in horror. "That estate has been held in high regard for centuries! How dare you!"
Lucius merely held his hand up again and Narcissa reached across to touch her mother's arms.
"Mother, shush!"
"Druella, stop ranting before you give yourself an apoplexy," Lucius stated smoothly as he flipped through the paperwork. "Sirius has divided the estate very well."
"Thank you, Lucy," Sirius said with a smirk, leaning back in his seat.
"Don't call me that, Black," he said simply, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "It says here that the estate is to be broken into four separate quarters with small trust funds made out to the appropriate parties. Forty percent of the wealth and the properties will be given to Draco, forty percent given to Andromeda's daughter, ten percent given to Harry Potter, and the remaining ten percent to be given to Remus Lupin. Why Lupin?"
"He's my oldest friend and for what he does for Harry alone, he deserves something for it," Sirius said simply.
Lucius merely nodded. "A trust fund has also been established for Druella Rosier Black, all funds belonging to Cygnus and Druella Black will remain hers until her death and then will be given over to her grandson, Draco. The properties include: A summer home in Greece, the flat in South Africa, the large penthouse condo in New York, the Black Manor in Sussex, and the summer home in Tuscany, which will all be held by Lord Sirius Black until Draco and Nymphadora reach the age of twenty-one and then they will be divided accordingly between them or sold and the funds divided evenly between them. The Manor in Sussex will however be controlled by Druella Rosier Black until her death. It is quite well defined actually."
Druella merely stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "Forty percent will be left to that filthy half-breed?"
"She's your granddaughter, Mother," Narcissa said quietly.
Druella glared at her youngest daughter. "She is not! Her mother made a choice and that choice was the wrong one."
"Your opinion doesn't matter to me in the least," Sirius told her honestly. "Andromeda is a Black and she deserves to have some of what belongs to her rightfully, not that she'd ever take it. She was pretty adamant about that when I spoke to her about it, but if I leave it to her daughter, she won't have a say in the matter. Now, I have already established a trust for Harry and as his guardian I am also in charge of the Potter wealth and gold and properties, but as my legal son he is also entitled to what the Black name gives him. You have two legitimate Black grandchildren, whether you acknowledge them both or not, and I am more than happy to give them almost the entire fortune. Are we clear, Aunt?"
Druella looked like she was swallowing bile, but she nodded.
Narcissa smiled, clasping her hands together. "Well, see, this was quite a good idea then to get this all out in the open like this. Mother, you still have Black Manor, which is what you wanted."
Druella simply stood up. "I'm going to have a nap. Sirius, I hope that we don't meet again."
As she left the room, Narcissa glanced at Sirius sympathetically. "I'm sorry about her."
"Don't apologize, Cissa. I know what she's like," he told her. "As Lucius said, it's all legal and its formalized and approved so this is my plan. I made the trust for them when they turn twenty-one as opposed to seventeen merely for maturity sake, but at the age of seventeen, if you or Andromeda feel that they are responsible enough, it can be given early. But as I hold controlling shares until they turn twenty-one, I get the final say. "
Lucius nodded. "It looks good to me, Black. I think you took care of this very well. As to the title of Falmouth —"
"I absolutely do not fucking want it," Sirius insisted, putting his hand up to interrupt. "If something should happen to Uncle Cy, the title will pass to your son when he comes of age. I will hold the title only until then."
Narcissa's eyebrow rose. "Draco Abraxas Lucius Malfoy, future Viscount of Falmouth, the Earl of Wiltshire, it does have a nice ring to it?"
Lucius smiled. "Yes, it does. Thank you, Sirius. What if you sire a child?"
"If I ever decide to have children, the title will revert back to them, but otherwise, it will go to Draco. Deal?"
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a look before they nodded. "Deal."
Sirius nodded, reaching for another tart. "These are delicious by the way." He glanced back behind him. "So, think the boys are getting along?"
~ ASC ~
The boys were getting along.
Draco had left Harry outside in the yard where the stables were. They were brushing the horses.
"Father says that Malfoys should always have horses. These are Arabian horses. This white one is mine, his name is Aquila," Draco explained as he nuzzled the horse. "Do you have your own horse?"
Harry shook his head as he gently stroked the neck of the beautiful animal. "No, but I have a golden retriever. His name is Marauder. He's pretty great."
Draco nodded, a small smile. "I always wanted a puppy, but Grandfather says dogs are mangy beasts and no one should be forced to suffer their company especially a well bred gentlemen."
Harry looked properly offended. "Marauder's not a mangy beast! He's the best. He sleeps in my bed and everything."
His eyes widened. "Really? I'd like to meet him one day."
Harry smiled. "He's very friendly. You'll have to come see him. You can come play in my treehouse."
"A treehouse?" Draco asked, his eyebrow rising. "Why would anyone want to play in a treehouse?"
"Because it's the most brilliant treehouse in the world," Harry told him. "Uncle Sirius built it for me. It has a climbing wall and a swing and a pirate ship and canons and a place to sleep and play and a net tunnel. It's huge and so much fun."
Draco's eyes had widened at his words. "That does sound pretty fun," he admitted. "When I have scheduled play time, I usually fly on my broom or walk around the gardens."
"Scheduled play time?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Yes."
"What is scheduled play time? Can't you just play whenever you aren't learning?"
Draco shook his head. "No. Father says that I must always be learning, but he and Mother let me play whenever I want when Grandfather isn't around. Grandfather is very strict. A Malfoy must learn to ride like a gentlemen, must speak four languages, and must be able to discuss current events and politics with any company. When he's in France, my lessons aren't as intense."
Harry simply stared at him. "Wow."
"Don't you have such lessons?"
"No," he told him honestly. "Uncle Remus teaches me history and Latin and we read all sorts of great stories. Uncle Sirius teaches me French and how to be a gentlemen. But I get to play with Marauder every morning and afternoon and on the weekends with Marauder or with any of my friends."
"Sometime Blaise and Theo come over; that's fun as we race our horses or race on our brooms, but that usually counts as scheduled play time," Draco told him. "Theo usually joins me for my lessons as well and we only see Blaise when he's in England. He lives in Italy most of the year."
Harry grinned at him. "Well, your grandfather isn't here now, right?"
Draco shook his head. "No, he's at his house in France."
Harry's smile widened. "So, let's play tag."
"What's that?"
Harry grinned. "A lot of fun. I'll show you."
~ ASC ~
Sirius found Harry being chased by Draco fifteen minutes later, both were flushed and laughing and it made him smile to see it. He shoved his hands into his pockets, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he watched them for a moment. He jolted when Lucius came to stand next to him.
"The boys are getting along."
"I see."
Sirius smiled at him. "I know we're not exactly friends, but I see no harm in letting Harry and Draco be friends if they want to be."
Lucius merely smirked. "My father would drop dead."
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Sirius asked, half-joking.
He had heard the rumours for years that Lord Abraxas Malfoy, a loyal and true follower of Lord Voldemort, had bullied his son into following the so called Dark Lord and that Lucius had never truly believed in his cause. But Abraxas was a hard-ass and no one messed with him. He had been known to have people killed on a regular basis for grievances against him or his family; servants, neighbours, family, and political rivals alike. A Malfoy always found a way.
Lucius seemed different and Sirius knew that his cousin was deeply in love with the man that stood next to him and he could see that he obviously loved her in turn, but his father was still very much in charge, despite passing the title of Earl of Wiltshire to his son, and would be for many years yet to come and Sirius wasn't sure how that affected Lucius and Narcissa.
"The Boy Who Lived is not the kind of friend Draco needs, Black," Lucius said simply. "I think it's probably time for you both to take your leave now."
Sirius only nodded. "I'll give them a few more minutes. I'd like to say goodbye to Cissa first."
Lucius nodded curtly and Sirius thought he seemed pleased by this.
He headed back into the Manor and found his cousin still in the sitting room, speaking to one of the house elves about the dinner menu.
"Cissa."
She turned and gave him a small smile. "It was lovely to see you, Sirius, really."
He smiled at her. "Quite a change you presented today from when Harry and I ran into you in December."
She let out a long sigh. "I was surprised to see you then and well… you were disowned and disinherited and Mother has mentioned more than once how much of a blood traitor you became. Seeing you was a bit of a shock to the system."
"So, we're back to being besties?"
She did roll her eyes now. "Hardly. But maybe I'll send you a Christmas card."
He chuckled and surprised her by pulling her into a hug. "I guess I can accept that. Andy misses you, Cissa, and I know you miss her. You should think about that. Don't think about Aunt Druella or that tosser father-in-law of yours, think about yourself and your sister."
"Goodbye, Sirius," she said, but the light in her eyes made him smile.
"Bye, Cissa."
When he turned to go get Harry, he thought it had been a very strange but eventful day.