A/N-*Scratches forehead slowly* I don't like this chapter. I think I did a terrible job on it and it was only written because I needed a transition chapter to the kids first year at Hogwarts. Regardless Dancia is kinda stuck in limbo at the moment what with her not really being able to manipulate anything until school starts yet I still had all these background characters to flesh out, which I'm kind of failing at since I hadn't ever fucking planned on doing that.
When the hell did this stop being a drabble and become an actual story? I don't even have an outline for this damn thing but it, and Dancia in turn, have somehow become one of my personal favorite projects!
Ugh...whatever. Like I said, I do not like this chapter, I consider it poor work, and I just got it out of the way for the sake of getting it the hell out of the way so I could have fun again. At the very least, I hope you enjoyed it.
Though coming up with Andromeda's background was kind of fun, I really enjoy the idea that the nicest Black sister is the most brutally sadistic member of the currently living family.
It seemed fitting.
When Lord Sirius Black stepped out of the floo into the Tonks modest home, he very nearly tripped upon seeing who was sitting in the large parlour, quietly chatting while sipping tea. Thankfully he had enough of his wits about him to play his surprise off as a simple reaction to the magical form of transportation, as he continued walking in order to allow his wife and daughter to follow him through.
Taking little Susan's hand while Amelia brushed the soot from her shoulders, he glanced back at the rooms occupants all while resisting the urge to let out a forlorn sigh.
All three of the Black sisters were here, which was just, ugh, terrifying.
While he was technically the Lord of the House of Black, he was always more than a little wary of his cousins, primarily because of how utterly intimidating they each were in their own right.
Bellatrix, once broken from the Hades Contract her bastard father had her forced into with the now extinct House of LeStrange, was even more unsettling then she had been as a mind slave to Voldemort. Brilliant, beautiful, sadistic, and with scruples that could generously be called 'dubious', the often times taciturn witch could elicit both lust and fear in a wizard with just a smile.
Sirius stuck with a healthy dose of fear, treating her like a sleeping dragon he had no intention of waking up. No one had ever found need to question his reasoning for that.
Narcissa was the quintessential Pure-Blood wife, poised, demure and politically savvy. She had also gained her Mastery in Runes, Charms, Potions and Enchanting before she was twenty, alongside her constant research partner Lily Potter. That she openly associated with a Muggleborn and received no censure for it, said something about her ability to twist the perceptions of her critics to her benefit.
The fact that she was the brains behind the Malfoy family's financial successes didn't surprise Sirius in the slightest.
Andromeda was frankly scary as hell. When her father had tried to put her in a betrothal contract similar to what he eventually did to Bellatrix, Andi had, upon realizing the man had a vial of her blood to seal her to it, burnt the family home down with fiendfyre. Her reasoning? If you can't find something, are reasonably sure of where it is stored and know it is likely magically protected, then wipe the entire building holding it off the face of the world and be done with the problem in total.
Even after getting kicked from the family, which hadn't bothered her in the bloody slightest, she moved on to gain a half dozen Mastery's, attended muggle and magical medical schools and proceeded to become the top healer at Saint Mungo's.
During the war Voldemort had only gone after her once for being a 'Blood Traitor', the four Death Eaters sent to 'teach her a lesson' were owled to their families in pieces over a month's time.
Still living pieces mind, since one of the Mastery's she had earned happened to be Necromancy as it turns out. The last pieces sent out were mailed directly to Voldemort, which in on itself should have been impossible and the fact the severed heads were still aware as they silently screamed in agony was just, ick, he didn't like thinking about it.
All the while according to Bellatrix the Dark Tosser was so amused by Andi's reaction to the attack, that he ordered his minions to leave her be, since if he ever got bored later, he could just send some curse fodder new recruits after her again to see what she did to them this time.
In short, the Black sisters where not people you ever wanted to fuck with and they were technically his responsibility as their head of house.
He did not whimper, but it was a close thing.
Before anyone could react to their arrival the floo flared bright green once again and out stepped a pair of blondes, which caused all three members of the Black family to smile.
"Alice! So good to see you! And Neville, you're getting so tall little man, soon enough you're gonna give your ol' man a run for his money!" Sirius said this as he wrapped Alice Longbottom in a tight hug, before releasing her and ruffling Neville's hair much to the boys chagrin.
Amelia said much the same as she too held Alice in a firm hug and also ruffled the now resigned Neville's hair. A moment later Susan quietly greeted Alice, then her long time friend thankfully leaving his hair alone, while presenting a pleasant smile for all.
Their families had all been formed and unified in strife and conflict after all, unlike others they had all become stronger despite it, rather then letting hardship break them. Family looked after family after all.
"Hello Siri and Amy, it is pleasant as ever to see you two," Alice began, as she glanced down at the little redhead standing between them. "Susie that dress is adorable, your father will have to beat back the wizards approaching your manor in search of a betrothal in only a few short years!" Sirius looked like he was about to declare exactly what would happen to anyone who tried that, but he was promptly ignored by the gathered women, such was his lot in life. "So I guess I now know why Frank had to stay behind at the office, if both of you are here as well, any idea what this is all about?"
Before either the Lord or Lady Black could reply to Alice, Andromeda approached, earning pleasant smiles of greeting from her newly arrived guests as she cut into the conversation.
"That would be my fault I'm sorry to say. I needed you all to be here and Franklin is, shall we say, less invested in the news I bear, than the three...well five of you."
Glancing towards the back gardens she smiled and motioned towards Bellatrix and Narcissa, "How about we have a cup of tea before we get to the item of necessity that caused this gathering, shall we?"
Sirius remained courteous if slightly cold to his cousins as he drank his tea. Eventually the tiny figures in the yard began moving towards the house and soon entered the back door, forever changing... everything for the Lord Black.
"Mum, little brother won, so we're gonna have to have chocolate cake tonight!" Dora yelled this out with a broom held across her shoulders, while the dark haired boy beside her rolled his eyes in obvious exasperation.
"Don't worry about it Auntie, she made the bet up after the fact, she just wants cake she didn't have to bake herself."
Dora let out an angered "Oy! Don't you be ruining my free cake scheme Har-bear!" which was promptly ignored by the boy who turned to meet Sirius's gaze.
"Oh, our guests are here! Hello, I'm Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you! And you are?"
Sirius couldn't help himself, he fell to his knees, reached forward and pulled the green eyed boy to his chest thankfully not sobbing like an idiot in the process.
"I...I'm Your Godfather, Prongslet."
Harry for his part shot Dany and his new sister a panicked look, "Ummm...is this a bad touch thing? Cause I'm kinda freaking out now."
Dora just fell over giggling, Dany rolled her eyes and Andromeda coughed out a laugh into her hand.
Harry darkly reflected on the fact that all Black witches must be absolutely barmy and/or find the idea of wizards being accosted like this vastly amusing. Regardless of the truth, it was patently not fair that they could get away with it, also he was still getting hugged by a stranger which was just not ok on so many levels.
Sighing Dancia approached the pair and pulled Sirius's arms from Harry's shoulders, pushing him away while shaking her head which sent her snow white tresses flowing in the process. Harry immediately sidled up next to the young witch and much to her surprise wrapped his arms around her.
She honestly had no idea what that meant, it was just... weird, for Harry acting possessive and all that. Maybe he was using her as a human shield? Whatever, something to think on later.
"He means you no harm Harry, he is just an immature man-child, so really nothing to worry about."
Dany honestly couldn't think of a more polite way to describe Lord Black, frankly her mother would not have even bothered going that far and the man could easily dissolve her marriage if he wanted to.
"Hey I resemble that remark!" Sirius stated, earning a tired sigh from his wife, while his adoptive daughter rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"I am well aware," Dancia stated flatly, as she shook her head, trying her best to keep her consternation in check.
"Harry, this idiot is Lord Black, or rather your godfather Sirius Black also known as Padfoot. This is his long suffering wife the Lady Amelia Black nee Bones and their niece slash adoptive daughter Susan Bones, Heiress to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Bones. She is the Lady Alice Longbottom nee Prince and also your godmother, meanwhile this is your godbrother the heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, Neville Longbottom."
Rubbing her fingers into her temples trying to stave off a migraine, Dancia turned towards the newcomers and did her best to smile and failing hilariously at appearing accommodating, "Everyone, this is my friend, Lord Harry Potter. Let me explain how I found him and what we're going to do keep him safe."
As things stood after the introductions and explanations, which were annoying as hell yet thankfully ended quickly enough,Ted Tonks had the grill blazing, using the gathering as an excuse to cook up copious amounts of red meat, while everyone gossiped and learned more about each other.
During the process, Dora held Harry in her lap as Alice and Sirius chatted the boy up, comfortable in the confines of his adoptive sisters arms as he cheerfully explained his strange abilities to alter his hair length and color, along with being able to talk to snakes.
Whoops.
Dancia wasn't sorry in the slightest for letting that get out early, but whatever, she'd lie about it if necessary.
Still, Neville and Susan quickly adopted Harry into their small circle and managed to drag Dancia down with them, as they plotted the best ways to sneak around their parents.
Dany couldn't help but cheerfully think of her friends and cousins as the next coming of the Marauders and silently cackled to herself about it.
Eventually Sirius approached the quartet of little witches and wizards and after throwing back his drink and tossing the glass aside, he took a knee and stared down at Harry, who for his part looked rather weirded out.
"Hey...umm...would you like to hear some stories about what your dad and I used to get up to?"
Harry perked up a bit at that, "I...I'd like that..."
As the pair walked off, Dora appeared at Dancia's side, grinning widely as she swayed back and forth slowly.
"Soooooo..." she began, Dancia turned to her cousin while raising a single snow white brow before replying.
"So what?"
"Have you ever had a professional manicure before? You know, get your nails done and all that?"
'Ok what the hell?'
"Uh, no, I'm eight."
Dora grabbed her hand and quickly dragged her towards the house, "Excellent! I get to pop your cherry, now do you prefer green or blue?"
"Wait, what the hell?! What the f-" Dancia's protests, as logical as they may have been, were quickly cut off as Dora dragged her into the house, leaving poor Harry at the mercy of his Godparents.
It was only Bellatrix who realized this turn of events had come to fruition, but she kept silent on the subject, since she found the entire lark funny as hell.
It was, after all, just another day in the house of Black.
Fact, Harry is going to have to deal with a house composed almost entirely of bored, perverted, and playful witches who thoroughly enjoy screwing with everyone around them.
There is a reason the Potter family is so heavily invested in the whiskey business.