Sorry about all the delays in my updating, my work has been rather hectic with research papers etc. I shall try to be more regular updating (hopefully...).

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter 7:

Just over a week after the three Black plotters started to see the results of their conspiracies, they all found themselves once more in the Chateau of House Black surrounded by books, family trees and papers (as well as some rather fortified coffee).

Cassiopeia lent back in her chair, "Marius, how was Sirius when you saw him this morning?"

The squib pierced his lips as he looked down to his cup and saucer, "His health is certainly better, he has recovered more feeling in his hands, and has put on a good amount of weight all things considered. Mentally though... I do not know. Those damn dementors did a good job at destroying much. I believe we should get him out of the hospital as soon as possible. He needs more structure, more routine and basically more hope. He needs to see Harry I feel."

Phineas nodded, "I agree. I think it would actually do Harry some good too. If you think about it, Sirius is going to be as close to a father as he will ever have, he needs that...they both do."

"You are both right..." Cassiopeia said as she sipped her coffee, "If the Healers say that Sirius is physically fit enough to come home with us, then he comes home. My personal healer can see to him whilst he is here and we can play 'dysfunctional family'."

Marius and Phineas both snorted at the old woman's cynical end comment, "This from 'Aunt Cassi'" Marius said.

"Well, you try listening to the boy mangle your name one to many times... Ask Phineas, 'Cassi' is better than 'Phinni'!"

"As interesting as this conversation is..." Marius started, "We have world domination plans to consider..."

Cassiopeia nodded, "Of course. I feel some lists are needed."

"Agreed. Number 1: Find a way to have Crouch gone/fired/etc."

"Good one" Phineas said as he gestured with his quill, "Number 2: Find some companions of sorts for Harry. He could do with some interaction with children his own age."

"Number 3: Think about schools" Cassiopeia said as she sat back in her chair. At this both men stopped and sighed.

"Hogwarts is asking for Dumbledore to meddle...Durmstrang would be good but it would mean Harry would be considered a dark wizard...unhelpful considering the circumstances. Beauxbatons..."

Cassiopeia interrupted her cousin, "...Beauxbatons is the only option in Europe really otherwise. It ranks higher than Hogwarts in the league tables but not as high as Durmstrang, their is a much better arts and cultural elements there than any other school. However, we should not discount Durmstrang, it would be the most private and discrete of schools for him to go to. Few people would ask questions."

"What about further abroad?" Marius asked, "I know we have never had much involvement or interaction with the schools further afield but Ilvermorny, America would be good for contacts, it is after all considered one of the more...liberal of schools."

"True" Cassiopeia mused, "As with all these things though, it is probably better we get to know the boy's character and abilities first, there would always be the option of home schooling him. We are all quite capable and could prepare him far better than if he were in large classes... Sirius would probably want him to go to Hogwarts, so let us not raise the subject with him quite yet."

"Am I the only one who feels bad for planning out the entire life of a child?" Marius asked, swirling the dregs of his coffee.

The response from both his sister and cousin came at once as Phineas said, "Yes" and Cassiopeia called "No".

When the two men looked at her, the woman shrugged. "What? It is not like we are leading him down the wrong path and we will certainly plan his life out better than anyone else. Imagine if Dumbledore had? Likely the poor boy would have apparently random tests each year to ensure he was suitable 'trained'. At any rate, we have not done anything drastic yet, only as much as every parent does for their child...except the whole 'making him a lord' thing."

"Likely true, however, we should give both Sirius and Harry a say. Otherwise they might both run away and that would put a bit of a damper on your plans." Phineas said as he settled back once more into his chair. "Anyway, we have other things to consider."

"Like what?" Cassiopeia asked, "I feel this may be one of those circumstances where it is best to go with the flow, or whatever the expression is."

Marius looked to Phineas, "We did check for polyjuice potion didn't we? Because that is certainly something I would never expect to hear from our dear Dark Lady..."

Phineas smirked, "Oh it definitely is her cousin, who else has that glare? Other than a Black of course. Might be Sirius in disguise I suppose. But you can tell a Black by their glare and a Malfoy by their sneer."

Cassiopeia sniffed, "I wonder in that case what that Malfoy boy would have, the glare or the sneer."

"Well I hope it is not a mixture of the two...that would make the boy look like he had a stick up his arse." Marius said. He promptly looked away as the infamous Black glare was fixed on him by an irritated Cassiopeia.

"We are trying to bring up a child...stop with that language."

"Overprotective guardian" Phineas said in a sotto voice.

"Good morning Harry" Marius said as he entered Harry's room.

"Good morning sir." The boy in question said as he sat on the floor playing with a few soldiers. "I mean 'Uncle Marius', he corrected himself.

"How are you today?"

"Fine" Harry answered before correcting himself at Marius' raised eyebrows, "My back is a little sore but it is fine."

Marius sighed, trying to get Harry to admit he was in pain was difficult, he was getting better but it was still taking time, "We can get you some more pain potion. I think a little walk is in order, it is all very well being well but your muscles are likely stiff. A turn around the garden would do you some good."

Harry was excited, "Really, I can go outside properly, not just on the balcony?"

Marius smiled at the enthusiasm that was so different from his original condition, "As long as Mipsy goes with you then you can go outside whenever you want!"

Harry smiled, he had looked down from the balcony for the past week at the expansive gardens that twisted on for seemingly miles to his young eyes. The gardens were designed like a huge maze, that you meandered around, all Harry could think though was that they would be wonderful for games like 'Kick the Can'.

The boy was disturbed from his musings by the slightly hesitant voice of Marius, "Harry?"

"Yes, Uncle Marius?"

"Do you remember how we told you about your Godfather Sirius?"

"Yes..." Harry answered, aware of the tension that had suddenly permeated the room.

"Well, he has been very ill and is coming back from hospital today. He is still not well and he may be emotional and slightly difficult. But he really wants to see you..." Marius trailed off, unsure how to explain to a child that their godfather was mentally quite unstable and difficult.

Harry obviously had no such qualms, "So we have to look after him?"

Marius was slightly relieved at the easy to answer question, "Yes, exactly."

"Alright... When I wasn't well Mipsy would sit with me and tell me stories...Should we do that for Sirius?"

Marius wanted to chuckle at the innocence of youth but knew that it would be unfair on the boy, "He would love that. Now, shall we call Mispy and get you dressed? Once you have had breakfast I will take you out into the garden."

Sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, Sirius was almost shaking with a mixture of nerves and excitement. It was all very well that he was getting out of hospital but he was going to Chateau Black. And whilst he had to deal with his Black relatives he also got to see Harry. Truthfully, Sirius couldn't decide how best to react and respond. His bags were packed, as were several crates of potions, he would be on potions for the next three months at least and he had to see a healer twice a week. Sirius sighed, life was going to be difficult. He had trouble keeping his emotions in check and often felt like he was a pregnant woman, sometimes he was happy, other times angry, paranoid, sad; basically any point on the emotional spectrum he could experience within a very brief time period. He hated it, he hated the lack of control he had in all aspects of life, from his emotions to the shaking in his limbs from time to time to the fact he was essentially at the whims of his family for the first time in years. He had ran away to the Potters in his fifth year at Hogwarts and had really never looked back but now...well now he was back with the Blacks' again.

Looking up Sirius saw the door opened and the stern form of his Aunt Cassiopeia enter, she wasn't even his Aunt but since he was a child that was what she had been known as. Like many he was both in awe of her and terrified by her. She had more power from one book than many other families had in their entire family libraries and what she didn't know about politics and gossip wasn't really worth knowing. She could crush a man, a woman or a family as easy as one crushed a doxy.

"Good Sirius." Cassiopeia said as she saw the man sitting on the bed, "You are ready to go then." Without waiting for an answer the woman turned and gentility made her way down the corridor with Sirius following along with like a dog at the heel of its master. Briefly Sirius wondered whether he should not just make run for it, Peru sounded rather nice, or Alaska... But neither of those places had Harry and he didn't actually have a wand yet either so that was that planned scuppered. Plan two involved going to Chateau Black, finding Harry (and a wand) and running but he knew that that plan had about as much chance of success as Cassiopeia deciding she rather wanted to marry Dumbledore.

Even with Sirius slow and slightly uncontrolled pace, the pair reached the entrance of the hospital where all the floos were and Sirius was relieved to see it empty, likely Cassiopeia's doing. Following the witch's lead to the fireplace he mimicked her actions and called out 'Chateau Black'. Entering a warded house, even when one was granted permission to enter, was like trying to exit the fireplace through jelly as the layers of wards each granted entry. Chateau Black had some of the finest wards in Europe and Sirius found himself shivering as he bypassed some of the darker wards that checked intention and blood. He was glad that when he fell out of the grate, the steady arms of Phineas caught him, for by this point he was too drained to even consider moving his arms up to halt his fall.

Returning to a more conscious state twenty minutes later, Sirius found himself lying on a chaise lounge in one of the many drawing rooms of the castle with a pillow under his head and a blanket over his chest. Sirius was slightly surprised by this, he had expected that as soon as he was back in Chateau Black, the treatment he received at the hands of his family would change but at the moment he was slightly surprised although he did evaluate that it was likely not Cassiopeia who tucked him in.

His musings were interrupted by the familiar voice of Phineas from the door, "Ahh, you are more coherent then I assume?"

Sirius snorted, "As much as can be expected."

"That is good as we have someone we would like to introduce you to."

"If it is another bloody doctor I will sledge down the Matterhorn on a dinner tray to escape."

This time it was Phineas turn to snort, "Whilst I do not doubt that you would indeed try to sledge down the Matterhorn on a dinner tray I suppose I should rephrase my earlier statement. We would like to re-introduce you to someone."

Sirius perked up, "Harry? Is is Harry?"

Phineas smiled as he looked at his great-great nephew, "Indeed, it is Harry."

"Where is he?" Sirius asked as he struggled to get off the chaise.

"Calm yourself. He will be here momentarily but we wanted to ensure that you were in a fit enough state to actually interact with him beyond vague moans and delusions."

Not three minutes later the door to the drawing room once more opened to reveal Cassiopeia and Marius Black who both strode into the room. Sirius watched the door avidly but after a few seconds there was still no-one new through the door despite Cassiopeia and Marius both watching it expectantly.

"Harry." Came the imperious voice of Cassiopeia, "Don't loiter in the doorway."

There came a squeaked apology from the corridor outside before a slight figure shuffled into the room looking at the ground. Sirius looked with hungry eyes at his godson, the very boy he had lived and survived for. He was small and looked rather like Lily looked at this age but with the mop of hair typical of the Potters, you could easily identify a Potter by their hair that looked like they had just come off a broom, just as one could identify a Malfoy by their blonde hair.

"It is nice to meet you, Sir." Harry said, for the first time actually looking at the man sitting on the chaise.

"Harry, I am your godfather, there is no need to call me 'sir'. It is beyond a pleasure to meet you again."

Their interaction was interrupted by the stringent voice of Cassiopeia, "Right. Now that this oh-so-touching reunion has happened can we please go and have some tea. We are already late for it."

Marius sighed, "Cassi, I know that you hate public displays of affection but really there is such a thing as being too stoic."

Cassiopeia looked at her brother and with a perfectly straight face replied, "And there is such a thing as being too Hufflepuff. However, we shall have tea and cake here as I would prefer to not have Sirius faint like a damn Malfoy on the way to the Garden Room."

The man in question felt the need to defend his honour, "Madame, I assure you that unlike my dear cousin, I see no need to associate myself with that family, even through my actions. Really, I thought you knew me better."

Half an hour later found the five still having a very gentile tea with buttered scones and strawberry tarts courtesy of Mipsy. Harry had been relatively quiet throughout the conversation, preferring instead to look at the man who was once best friend's with his parents and who was now his legal guardian who still reclined on the chaise lounge.

During a lull in the conversation concerning politics Harry turned to Sirius, "Siri?"

"Yes pup?" Sirius answered with a huge smile on his face as he looked at the boy who was the spitting image of his best friend and his wife.

"Uncle Marius said you were ill. Can I look after you?" Harry asked with a very serious expression on his still too thin face

If Sirius could have, his smile would have been even wider, "Of course. I would love that."

Cassiopeia looked at Sirius, "Yes. That would be helpful. Harry, you need to make sure that Sirius take all his medicine, he may forget to take them and get ill again." Phineas and Marius smirked and appreciated the blatant manipulation, this is not to say that Sirius was unaware as to what was happening if the expression on his face (somewhere between minor betrayal and appreciation) was anything to go for.

Harry however, had not yet learned the art of manipulation, "But you must take your medicine, I took all mine, so you must take all yours. I don't want you to be ill again."

Sirius had to look away from the pouting face of his godson who had obviously not learned how effective that expression was. "Of course I shall take all my medicines. I need to teach you so many things. Like..."

Sirius was interrupted from what was sure to be a very long list by Cassiopeia. "I am sure that we can discuss Harry's education later, however for now Sirius, you need to go for a rest. Harry? Would you take Sirius up to his room, it is the suite beside you, that way you can be near each other."

And so tea ended with Harry gently leading Sirius away off towards their rooms, Sirius following like an overgrown duckling.

"Well, that went well." Marius said as he thumbed his way through a rather large law book.

"Indeed" Cassiopeia answered, "Step three is underway then. Hopefully Sirius will be well soon, I hate dealing with sick people."

"And there is the Cassi we all know and love" Phineas answered, "Ever concerned about people and their health."

"The Dark Lady strikes again..." Marius said without looking up from his book, "On a side note. Did anyone ever get round to telling Sirius about the condition that we found Harry in and indeed where we found him?"

Cassiopeia looked at Marius who looked at Phineas who looked back at Cassiopeia. "Oops?"

Phineas stood up, "Well I don't know about you but I suddenly have to go and collect something from my house in Greece. I may be a day or so, that will leave you enough time to explain everything..." With that the man disappeared out of the room towards the floo.

There we go. Once again if you have any thoughts about pairings or events you would like to see, please do message me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.