"I'd like to help them."
Theo's head shot up. "What?"
Draco looked nervous. "Black and Lupin. I hear they're doing some digging into how my father and yours got off. I might be able to help."
"Oh. I'll owl them then. Have you thought about what you're going to do about Astoria?"
Draco shook his head slowly and sighed, "It doesn't make sense! Nothing about her gives the impression that she agrees with my father's views. What if…what if she didn't? Not really?"
Theo frowned. "I don't follow."
"What if he ensured she did to keep me in line?"
Theo paled, wanting to deny that Lucius was capable and realising that he couldn't. "Fuck. that's….really fucked up."
Draco snorted. "It's hardly a surprising conclusion though is it?"
"No." Theo agreed softly. "Maybe we should talk to Scorpius….even if he doesn't know, maybe we might pick something up in what he says?"
Draco hummed. "After dinner then?"
"After dinner." Theo agreed torn between hoping that Lucius was not that cruel and wanting there to be a reasonable explanation for Astoria's behaviour.
"Scorp?" Draco voiced hesitantly, "I wondered if you'd tell me about your mother?"
"What about her?" the boy frowned.
"I was wondering if perhaps the views and behaviours you saw were not her own." he voiced carefully. "It seems….out of character for what I know of her now."
"Oh. I..well…I don't really remember her being any different." Scorpius said with a shrug.
"No odd behaviours or habits?" Draco asked, slightly desperately.
"Beyond an overdeveloped love of shopping and her obsession with her mid-morning tea? No."
"Mid-morning tea?" Draco queried.
"Oh, yes. She gets irate if the elves don't give it to her at exactly eleven. It's happened for as long as I can remember."
"Is it a whole tea service?"
"What? No. it's just a cup. It's the only time she takes it black and sugarless."
Draco froze. "How does she drink it the rest of the time?"
"Milk and one," Scorpius replied with a shrug.
"Every other time?" Draco pushed.
"Why are you asking?" Scorpius frowned.
"Because…fuck. You don't think it's strange that she drinks that cup completely differently from any other? Is anyone else with her when she drinks it?"
"Um…me sometimes. I'm sure Grandfather has been there when it's been delivered."
"Me? Your Grandmother?"
Scorpius' frown deepened. "I…I don't know."
Draco hummed. "Don't worry about it."
"You think there's something in the tea?" he asked quietly.
"Maybe." Draco sighed, "It's…suspicious. Especially if you don't remember your Grandmother or I being there while she drinks it but you definitely remember your Grandfather."
"Oh," he replied in a small voice. "So I might not cease to exist after all?"
"What?" Draco barked.
Scorpius sighed, "I'm not stupid. You're not going to willingly tie yourself into a loveless marriage just for me."
Draco gaped. "I…fuck. When you put it like that…." he ran his hand through his hair, "Look, there wasn't ever a plan that didn't involve you, ok? We'll….figure something out. Granger's good at that sort of stuff."
"She seems nice….Hermione, I mean." Scorpius ventured.
Draco winced. "Maybe she is." he sighed, "It's…difficult. Ignoring the things your grandfather taught me. I'm trying. Theo seems happy with her…and Salazar knows she's been more than fair with trying to sort out this mess."
"You could just admit you were wrong and you like her Dad." Scorpius grinned at Draco as he scoffed.
"How likely is it that the goblins will talk to us, do you think?"
Remus looked at Sirius like he was insane, making him wince. It wasn't too far from the truth. They'd been looking into several of the Wizengamot members, some of them, like Yaxley, Crabbe, Goyle and Travers were clearly with Lucius of their own accord, others though, like Ezra Greengrass, Solomon Carrow and Lucinda Fawley, seemed to be offering their support reluctantly and he wasn't sure if it was blackmail or bribery keeping them in check. Silently, he handed over the list as it stood. The numbers were too close and in the last month they'd been getting closer.
Remus ran his eyes down it and sighed, "I think we both know it's unlikely."
"What if we offered them proof? You know what they're like, the removal of Muggleborns, the rules the twins said Malfoy placed on them in terms of currency exchange…..they're not going to like it. It cuts down their profits. It might just be in their best interests."
Remus groaned, "For fucks sake, Pads. You can't believe that's a good idea!"
"It's the best we've got!" Sirius argued. "I'm so fucking scared we're not going to manage this. I have no idea how the fuck else to prove what hes doing!"
"And if it's blackmail not bribery?"
Sirius let out a long, slow breath. "Then I'm taking her and moving us all to a private island. I'll take the Nott boy if I have no other option; I'd prefer her to come willingly, but I will not allow that life to be the one she has."
Remus nodded carefully, "And the other option?"
"I'll do it if I have to." Sirius replied finally. "It's not as if he'd be any loss."
"No." Remus sighed, "Have the Weasley twins come up with anything?"
"No. There's no bloody proof!"
"We knew it was likely."
"I know but fucking hate it! The legislation is getting worse. They passed the bill to charge muggleborns for Hogwarts, did I tell you? The one to segregate them from Purebloods was seriously fucking close last time. They're also talking about trying to introduce a mandatory length of time before a muggleborn can be promoted, I think it was ten years, Moony! Ten years in an entry level job so they can 'fully immerse themselves in our world and understand it completely'. And people are buying this bullshit!"
"I know." Remus sighed, "Its fucking terrifying and I know."
"It's more than terrifying! They almost passed that bill to remove muggleborns from their families in the interests of safety when it was reintroduced. There was barely anything in it!"
"Fuck," Remus hissed."The twins didnt indicate that it all happened this quickly."
"No." Sirius agreed, "But…he made Minister, I suppose it must have. These things take time to implement properly and he had to have had significant support.."
"Ok." Remus exhaled,"Let's go speak to some goblins." Sirius blinked at his rapid change of heart. "I love her too, you know." Remus murmured by way of explanation.
Nooding, Sirius stood. "Let's go."
"I wish to speak to Garlang." Sirius announced, "House business."
"Very well, Lord Black." the goblin agreed, eyeing him suspiciously, "This way."
They followed him into a small, stonewalled room. Inside was dominated by a desk with a large spear prominently displayed behind it, the two seats in front of it were the rooms only other furniture.
"Lord Black." the goblin greeted, settling himself behind the desk.
"Garlang." Sirius bared his teeth in an approximation of an acceptable goblin greeting. Garlang nodding his approval.
"You requested this meeting Lord Black," the goblin prompted.
"I did." Sirius admitted, "But I find that I'm not quite sure how to go about starting it. If..If I had a way to prove that at some point in the future, the Ministry began interfering in Gringotts, stopping the exchange of currency, limiting who could use the bank, would you be able to help us prevent it?"
Garlang sat in silence for so long Sirus began to fidget. "And what help would you be expecting Lord Black?"
"I…I don't know exactly. We think that perhaps there is some bribery involved but we can't prove it."
"You wish to see transactions from another's vault?" Garlang sounded scandalised.
"Ugh, yes but I gather that isn't happening."
"What is your proof?"
Sirius froze, weighing up his options. "If this got out it would mean the death of innocents." he warned, desperately hoping this was not a mistake.
The goblin inclined his head. "It will not get out."
Sirius nodded, "Students had a mishap with a time turner. The picture they paint of their lives is bleak."
"I see." Garlang mused, "I will discuss it with the Horde. We do not usually involve ourselves in Wizarding matters but if it also affects us….I will be in touch, Lord Black."
"Thank you for even considering it." Sirius murmured, allowing Remus to drag him from the room.