Sirius awoke first he checked on Maggie asked after her incessantly in fact. Until Aurora gave up being nice and ordered him to get himself some lunch before she put him back in the healing bed for a whole new reason. Sirius slunk off reluctantly, grumbling all the way about overly pushy healers.
Maggie would wake up sometime tomorrow once her body and magic had time to adjust to the changes having a new father would bring. Already her hair previously golden blonde was now half platinum, half black, where it would settle or if it would remain that way was yet to be seen. Her eyes once checked had taken a cloudy/stormy quality indicating that they too would change in the end, it looked to Aurora that they might darken slightly from their baby blue.
Her magic was swirling peacefully around the changes in the colors that usually indicated whether or not a core leaned light or dark were fluctuating slowly; nothing to be concerned about yet but Aurora made a note on her chart to check it later for anomalies. It seems she might have inherited some the Black's metamorphmagus traits, only time would tell by how much.
Caellum's test's were all back and Aurora took the results to her work station and began searching through her medical texts to formulate the best treatments possible. She wasn't a master healer, her knowledge level was firmly in the journeymen's category. It terrified her that she might mess up so like with Sirius she triple and quadruple checked everything. She referenced every book she had access too compiled all the information to make sure she had correctly identified every charm, potion, transfiguration, and hex she had found afflicting Caellum. She even consulted Sirius on some of them, and Sirius brought out portraits of past Healers and curse experts that they had descended from and Aurora consulted them as well adjusting her treatment plan accordingly.
To limit the amount of mistakes she could make she tackled one problem at a time and ran diagnostic tests after each round of treatment to make sure she hadn't missed anything or messed up. She concentrated first on anything that effected his mind. Three spells and potions each that reinforced loyalty to Augusta Longbottom and Albus Dumbledore. Two potions that reinforced his hatred of the Lestranges. Once compulsion to attack either verbally or physically depending on the situation anyone that didn't stand against the Dark lord and his forces.
Removing the compulsions first then carefully countering all the spells, took delicate precision. They were still easier than getting rid of the potions because all the potions had to be gotten rid of at once or neutralized before she flushed them from his system. The Neutralizer that got rid of the loyalty potions reacted badly to the potions that created a mild artificial love whenever he thought of the Longbottom family and the potions to get rid of that reacted badly with the ones that would get rid of the blood based potions that helped hold together the spells to make him look like Alice and Frank Longbottom.
So she would have to get rid of them in precise order, use a mild flush to get those potions and there counters out of his system then move on to the other more complex potions starting with the blood based one. She would then have to flush the blood based potions before undoing any other or she risked boiling his organs. The care it took to handle all that meant she'd spend the next two months healing him. She would start school before it would finished, but he needed constant monitoring. She brought her dilemma to Sirius to help find a work around.
"I did tell you before that I would teach you a way to manipulate time that wouldn't cause time sickness." Sirius looked thoughtful "I also wanted to start tutoring you and Mags on several essential things before the two of you start school."
"Two of us? I thought Maggie was just going to do homeschooling?"
"That's what she thinks at least but I've already entered her and Caellum into Athena's with you. They are just waiting for her, and his, International OWL's before its all official. Before you say anything I know she's not quite ready for those which is why I originally brought up teaching you both to manipulate time. I will bring out the reading for it and walk you girls through the process then you can help me set it up essentially we will be creating a new ward within the property within the 'ward' we will spend two months healing Caellum and tutoring Mags, but outside the 'ward' only four days will pass. Its more complicated than that mostly because we have to set up an artificial day and night system, but we can go over that later."
"That's great but will they be ready for those tests in only two months? Caellum will sleep throughout the process and Hogwarts curriculum is in no way on par with what Athena expects?" Aurora doubted.
"No its ok, we can do this with little magic as many times as we need will just have to change locations every time we need to do it. Once we set up and use a time 'ward' here we will have to wait six months before we can use this house to do it again. Not really a problem in our case because we have plenty of other properties at our disposal. It's two and a half weeks until Hogwarts starts, and everyone starts asking questions about where Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom are. It's six weeks until Athena's starts and so long as we have those test results in three weeks before term its ok. We will just spend every weekend somewhere new spending a 'month' tutoring twice before they take the test that should be plenty of time teach all of you what's needed. If not we can do a few mid week as well. I would rather not do it so often if we can help it." He paused in thought, "If need be we can post pone some the family stuff until after they take their tests."
"You are sure its safe?" Sirius rewarded her with a 'look' so she changed directions. "Ok , we do this but what about your new mother and her visit?" Indeed Cassiopeia Cedrilla had sent them a letter telling them she was thrilled to have a son and more so to have a granddaughter, it had also informed them that she would be visiting and when to expect her.
Sirius though waved off her concerns "She will get to spend more time grooming and testing you and Maggie she won't care at all I'm sure."
"And have you discussed Maggie's tutoring and schooling with Maggie yet?"
Her guardian gave her a sheepish smile. "Well no, but I'm her father now so she'll just have to except that I plan on spending loads of money on her and everything I think she might need or want or enjoy. I'll talk to her about it when she wakes up in a few hours. How is she doing?"
"Well her looks have changed more than we anticipated, she appears to be a cross between a true Selwyn and You. Her hair has done that same weird thing Narcissa's did and half of it is pretty Silver blonde and half is as Black as night just like yours is. Her cheek bones are sharper more traditional Black, her lips and eye shape are all Selwyn that is to say full and pouty rose red for her lips and large almost roundish eyes but their coloring is yours they are stormy grey with hints of the original baby blue. Her nose hasn't changed all she'll be glad for that she was afraid she'd get your."
"There is NOTHING wrong with my nose!"
She continued on s though she hadn't heard him. "Not that it would matter as she has also inherited a limited Metamorphmagus abilities. She can change her hair, nail and skin color and make minor alterations to her features nothing drastic just enough for her to have fun experimenting with. She has also inherited Purringtongue so she will have to be careful around felines. The moment it began to manifest in her magic my kneazle kits went crazy trying to check her out they won't stay out of the infirmary now. We won't know if she can fully speak it like I can parseltongue until she wakes but at this point I'm pretty positive she can."
"Can I sit with her now I would like to be the one to explain it all to her." Siri asked hopeful.
"You may, the adoption process is fully finished we just have to wait for her to wake up. Don't go poking at any of Caellum's stuff some of its highly volatile I won't have you ruining it." She completely ignored his innocent 'who me? I wouldn't do that' look. By now she knew better. She went about cleaning up and getting Caellum ready to start his treatments.
Sirius was right when he said Cedrilla wouldn't mind the time manipulation more time she'd get to spend with her new family. She had arrived the day after Maggie had awoken via flying carriage (Her Granians were terrified of Auroras Nightmare and gave him a wide birth).
Cassiopeia Cedrilla Black was gorgeous and timeless in her looks it was clear to anyone who'd been raised in wizarding world that she was much older than she looked. In fact her new family already new she'd been born in 1897. She appeared in muggle terms just over middle aged. Her hair like Maggie's was two toned, silver and Black, Cassiopeia had hers in a twisted bun on top of her head with curls artfully spilling out here and there. Her dress while conservative was also the height of fashion.
She'd tutted over the state of there clothes and happily informed them that she had rolls of Acromantula silk, dragon hide, and Tebo hide. She even had various furs for winter wardrobes including yeti and dire wolf. "Not to worry four of my house elves are specialized seamstresses. We can fix you all up in no time. They'll use the time dilation to get to it and that'll give you two time to learn how to walk and talk right, heaven knows you need lessons in it, thank goodness I came." She then swept passed them up the stairs "I'll just settle in before diner."
Neither girl was sure what to make of her, but Sirius Black loved her completely almost immediately; she called him Ori or my sweet boy, and would baby talk to him when she thought he was being childish. Grams as she insisted they call her also wanted to know everything about them. She helped set up the time 'ward', explaining in simpler terms when one of them didn't understand Sirius. She was a socialite publicly but a master potioneer professionally.
To say Grams was angry when she found out about Caellum, and learning Aurora had rescued herself and Sirius with only Maggie and an elf for help, was like saying nesting dragons get testy. The only thing that had stopped her from finding Dumbledore and flaying him alive while slowly roasting him on a pig spit, was the fact they had already entered the time ward and no one could leave until it had ran its course in four days real time, which for them would be two months.
Sirius just hoped that would be enough time her to cool down. Cassiopeia happily reviewed Aurora's notes and made sure there were no mistakes as far the potions were concerned she had some medic-witch training and was happy to lend a hand, tweaking the potions for maximum effect where possible and helping to speed up Caellum's recovery. Of course she was also quite impressed with what Aurora had so far. The treatment plan was solid and even emergency's and things going wrong had been prepared for, to the point that it wasn't so much plan A as it was plan A through Z.
Cassi looked over her family and sighed. "Alright I have several concerns and hopefully their solutions to address, first things first, Aurora darling girl I know referring to my son as his original name is comforting, but you must stop." She held up her hand to forestall all protests and comments for now. "Someday you will slip up to the wrong person, and they will investigate, our whole family, all of our dealings legal and not will be put in danger. This can not happen. To that end we will practice for these two months we will with great care begin to pierce together our past I've brought temporary de-aging potions, children's clothes, and props so we can stage various rooms and activities to photograph and make memories for others view should it be nessicary, this process may even help you beat Veritaserum in the right circumstances."
"I understand, I do, its just hard, when I chose my freedom I left everyone I cared about even a little behind. Siri is all I have left. I will work on referring to him as Orion from now on, even in my head."
"I wanna know what you meant by learning to walk and talk!" Maggie declared.
"Darling granddaughter our family is worth billions, Orion himself is worth a couple hundred billion, a paltry sum compared to my own worth of six hundred billion. That's just our part of the family some are worth more or a bit less but never by much. A family like ours teaches our children how to walk and talk to make every little move scream I am your better bow before me."
"Now that doesn't mean you need to be cruel or look down on others, so don't get your knickers twisted but she has a point no one is going to believe I raised the two of you as we are now." Sirius agreed with his mother. She also had a point about his name even he still referred to himself by his original name and not just in his head. He would have to train himself not to respond to that name any longer.
"So how do we fix that?" Maggie asked. With what else but a spell, yes a spell that once applied to your person zapped you every time your posture was anything but perfection. Grams was rather gleeful to apply it to them all including 'Orion' who complained profusely.
"You are only making so much noise because you KNOW you have been slipping up and acting like a common street urchin. You will renew your lessons and set a better example for our girls and for that poor boy upstairs who has only ever had that dreadful bitch to immolate!"
"Mother your language!"
"Now girls we will devise a study plan to get Margose up to speed for her education and will work on pronunciation, grace, and etiquette for both you from now on. Their will be no study time in that regard as I expect both of you to live it. That's the best way to learn after all."
That was exactly how their next two months went by. Caellum slept and healed a little more every day. Sometimes the others would sit nearby and watch as she worked on him offering help where ever they could. Other times they offered only silent comfort. After all the spells and potions affecting his brain and how he perceived reality were removed Aurora gently placed the Potter family Occlumancy Helm upon his head. With any luck he would watch those old memories and realize that he no longer felt the same about them as he did before. Maybe it would help him not only acknowledge, but embrace who he truly was in the end.