Summer 2022

"But mummy, I'm going to be 17 this year. I'll be able to apparate wherever I want to go," Cassiopeia Bellatrix Black had been following her mother through the various rooms of the manor for the past hour, trying her hardest to convince her that she was ready.

"Exactly, Kitten. You can apparate. You don't need to learn how to drive one of those muggle death traps," Bella finally settled on the library as her holding ground for this all too familiar argument. She walked over, sat down on one of the couches and held out her hand as a book silently flew into it.

Cass rolled her eyes when her mother started reading, essentially cutting off the conversation she was so desperately trying to have, "it's a car, mummy," she sounded frustrated which only added to Bella's amusement. "Mum said she would get me ready. Mum has been driving forever. It's not fair." She had particular interest in the subject because her girlfriend Sam had her drivers license and they spent most of the summer driving around when she was allowed to visit her at the Crusoe household. Bella only recently learned about the girlfriend having her license and responded appropriately when she found out her daughter was riding around in those muggle death traps. She told Cass she wasn't allowed back in the car with Sam until the girl proved her driving abilities. Surprisingly, Bella found her to be a decent driver. Sam was particularly proud of herself when she got the okay to start driving Cass around again.

"Your mother is an exceptional human being and can do as she pleases. Remember when you begged and begged and begged for that bicycle and we had to rush you to St. Mungos because you decided to jump the double set of stairs and you broke your arm," Bella smirked, "and your leg."

"I was 13!"

"13, 17," Bella shrugged, "48… it won't matter. No means no." She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She saw her daughter sit back against the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. The girl's inky black curls falling in front of her face, covering her pout. "What did your mother say?"

"Does it matter?"

"Humor me."

"She said she was okay with it as long as you agreed," Cass side eyed Bella but didn't dare to look at her directly. "Said she she'd even teach me. Aunt Andy also volunteered and Mum said no to that very quickly."

"Your mother is a smart woman," Bella cackled.

"Please mummy," she knew she sounded desperate but at this point she didn't have anything to lose.

"The answer is still no."

"But I want to take Sam on a proper date and it's really hard when she's always the one driving," she pouted.

"There's the floo network. She's 17. Did she pass her apparation test?"

"You'd trust me to apparate with Sam before you'd trust your own daughter to drive?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Bella went back to reading and didn't see the familiar smirk cross her eldest daughter's lips. "I think you are just scared," if she couldn't get her mother to agree then she would just have to goad her into it.

"Scared of what?" She asked, sounding unamused.

"Scared that your 16 year old daughter will actually be better than you at something and you, Bellatrix Druella Black, heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black can't have that now, can you?"

"Excuse me?" Bella raised an eyebrow and put her book down, turning to meet the unwavering gaze of her daughter. This girl would be the death of her one day. She was such a little shit and was positive she wasn't this manipulative as a child but thankfully most of those memories were gone though Cissy and Andy were more than happy to recount every way in which Cass was like her.

"You are afraid that I'd be a better driver than you."

"Ridiculous accusation," Bella waved her off. "I have no desire to drive a muggle death trap. I can apparate and travel by floo. Plus there are plenty of people who can drive if need be."

"Oh," Cass smiled. "So you are scared. I get it now, mummy. You aren't afraid of me being better but you are afraid that the muggles are better."

"You know that thin ice your Auntie Andy is always skating on?" She watched her daughter nod. "You are on it and from what I recall, you also broke your ankle ice skating. I will say this one last time. Muggle. Things. Aren't. For. You. Kitten," she enunciated each word as she spoke.

"Fine," Cass got up dramatically. "Be scared."

"You need to teach me to drive," Bella had announced to her wife when she dropped in on her unexpectedly at work. Hermione's pen slipped out of her fingers as she looked up at her wife in shock. In all their years together, she would never get used to Bella's antics. Just when she thought she knew what to expect, the dark witch would come out of left field with another hair brained idea. "Close your mouth, you'll catch Phoenix shit, pet."

She snapped her mouth shut, "pardon me?"

"I need to learn how to drive, immediately. Do you have time now?"

"Right now? In the middle of my work day."

Bella looked around and shrugged, "you don't seem all that busy."

Hermione shook her head, decidedly not engaging in the argument as to why she was in fact very busy as Minister for Magic, "why do you all of a sudden have an emergent need to drive or operate a muggle vehicle?"

"Your daughter said…"

"If you are referring to Cassiopeia, I believe you mean your daughter."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Look, our daughter basically told me I was afraid of muggles, her and cars. That's just not happening. It's unacceptable."

"Oh," realization hit the brunette. "Cass asked if she could learn to drive."

"Precisely."

"And it didn't go well?"

"She threatened me, Hermione. Our daughter threatened me," she threw her hands up, "Bellatrix Druella Black, threatened by a teenager. Talk about humiliating."

"Bella?" She waited until her wife stopped pacing and looked at her. "Sit down."

"So," Bella reached across the desk and took a bite of the soup that had been sitting next to Hermione's pile of paperwork then cringed when it was cold. She whispered under her breath and steam rose from the cup of soup. "Eat that. The heating spell won't last forever."

Hermione's heart clenched at the small loving gestures from her wife, "I will." Bella handed her the spoon and waited expectantly for the minister to take a bite. Hermione conceded knowing arguing wasn't going to get her anywhere, put the spoon down and picked up the bowl, taking a sip from her now warmed tomato soup. "Thank you, love."

"Now," Bella seemed happy with Hermione eating so she continued on her original train of thought. "When can you teach me to drive? Now? Tonight? Tomorrow? I need to learn."

"I don't think this is the best idea," Hermione let the words fall out of her mouth before she changed her mind.

"Why?"

"Bella," Hermione put her soup down and reached across to hold her wife's hand. "I love you. More than anything. I'm a very patient person and you are a very capable woman," she chuckled when Bella nodded and smirked. "But I don't think driving a motor vehicle is for you."

"Well that's rude," she snatched her hand away.

"You hate riding in cars. You can't let your daughter get to you like this," Hermione tried to hide her smile.

"She called me scared. I'm not scared. You will teach me."

"No I won't," Hermione wasn't budging on this one. If she had to think of one of the most unpleasant activities in the world, well the first one was being hit with the sectumsempra with teaching Bella to drive being a close second.

"Fine," Bella stood up quickly. "I'll ask someone else."

"Bella, don't be mad at me." She waited for Bella to remark on her statement but she never did. Hermione noticed a softness in her eyes though and she knew that they would be okay. Pressing her luck seemed like the perfect trying to do, "if you are going to learn to drive, does that mean I can teach Cass?"

Bella threw her hands up in the air, "betrayal from all sides today." She stormed out of Hermione's office not looking back to see her wife laughing at her. She walked straight to the lift and rode it down to the fourth floor, entering the DMLE with a slam of the door.

"Oh," Kate looked up from her desk. "It's you. Aren't you supposed to be retired? Spending time with your children or some bullshit?"

"What have I told you about speaking to your betters, Kate?" Bella sounded harsh but her smile told Kate everything she needed to know. "I'm here to speak with my nephew."

"Draco isn't here."

"No," she scoffed. "I'm not here to see Dragon. I'm here to see my other nephew. My capable and devoted nephew. Is he here?"

"He's in your office. Remember you told him he could be in charge now which Harry shot down?"

"Semantics," she walked past Kate, patting her on the shoulder before making her way to her office.

"Auntie Bella," the blue-haired young man looked up from his laptop. Bella contained her eye roll at the use of electronics in her office. "What are you doing here?"

No matter how old he got, he would always be little Teddy Lupin, the curious two year old who wormed his way into the dark witch's heart 21 years ago. He practically grew up with her and for most of his life, he did live in her house so she liked to think that she helped raise the boy. She was quite surprised when he graduated from Hogwarts and decided that he wanted to attend a four year muggle university in London. Whatever made the boy happy is what she often told herself. He seemed to like living in the muggle world but as soon as he graduated again, he had shown interest in law enforcement and Bella snatched him up quickly before he could join the Aurors or Salazar forbid a muggle police department. He had been working at the DMLE for just over a year and he was the best rookie in Bella's opinion. "I came to see you, kid." He smiled up at her as she walked around and looked at the pictures and music posters he added to her walls. Andy did say how much he took after his mother, she assumed this is what she was talking about. Well that and his penchant for falling. "Love what you've done with the place," she laughed.

"I think it looks cool in here. Would you like me to change it back?"

"It's no worry. I actually came here to ask you for a favor," she smiled at him. Poor kid didn't know what was coming.

"Anything for you Auntie. You know that."

"I'm glad to hear it," she smirked and he looked a little worried.

"Cass isn't in like legal trouble is she? Did she finally get arrested?"

"No silly boy," Bella waved him off. "Nothing like that. Cass is the little shit she's always been but she's doing fine. I need a favor for me," she thought of the best way to broach the subject. "You know when you lived with the muggles?"

"Yes. I still live in muggle London."

"Yes, well. We all make mistakes. Do you still have the car your granny bought you for graduation?" He nodded. "Good because I need you to teach me how to drive it."

"What? Me? What?" When Teddy pointed at himself Bella nodded. "Teach you how to drive? A muggle death trap?"

"I know it sounds mad but I need to learn."

"How do I know you aren't under the imperious curse right now?" He looked suspiciously at his aunt.

"For a year after Cass was born, you insisted on sleeping with crookshanks so he wouldn't feel like he was being replaced."

He cleared his throat. The pink on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed. "Yes, well."

"You sound like me, kid. So what will it be? I'm an excellent student."

Teddy was about to speak up when Kate cleared her throat at the door, "I could help overhearing because I was purposefully listening in but I could help you guys out. I can drive. My husband, Mark, you met him numerous times…"

"Get to the point, Kate."

"We have a lot of cars. Well three. We have three cars and I'd be more than happy to let the two of you use one of them."

"If…" Bella knew Kate wasn't doing anything out of the goodness of her heart.

"I want to be there. I desperately need to see him teach you how to drive. It will be the highlight of my life."

"Your world must be really small," Teddy said before he could stop it from leaving his mouth.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Bella cackled.

"Tomorrow after work," Kate rolled her eyes but ultimately let the insult go. "We can use one of Mark's cars and I'll just sit quietly in the backseat and watch the magic unfold."

"There's magic involved? Perfect."

Teddy gave his aunt a small smile before turning to Kate and giving her a knowing look as if to say what did I get myself into.

That night at dinner Cass hadn't spoken a word to Bella as the family of four sat at the dinner table with their permanent house guest, Andy. The silence was pointed and Bella was being equally as childish as her 16 year old daughter.

"What happened between those two?" Andy broke the silence turning to her younger niece, knowing Minnie would spill the beans.

"Cass is mad because mummy won't let her learn how to drive and mummy is mad because Cass said she is afraid of muggles and their technology or something like that."

"The tea," Andy cackled. "I agree with Cass," she shrugged when she saw her older sister glaring at her. "But I also agree with Bella. Do you remember the bike? And the ice skating incident. Oh," the excitement in her voice was palpable. "Let's not forget when she fell off of the balcony upstairs because she thought she would try her hand at flying without her broom."

"Thank Godric Winky was up there with her," Hermione chuckled.

"Why?" Cass looked at her aunt with betrayal in her eyes.

"Oh toughen up, sugar." Andy took a sip of her wine.

"You can learn to drive," Bella finally spoke up and four heads simultaneously looked at her. "I've thought it over and you can learn."

"What?" Minnie and Cass asked at the same time.

"Don't make me regret my decision. Your mother said she would teach you so let her teach you."

"Mum?" Cass turned to Hermione with the biggest smile.

"We can start this weekend."

After a moment, Bella added, "I, too, will be learning to drive." Andy snorted her wine through her nose and started choking. "Stop with the dramatics, Andromeda. It's very unbecoming at the dinner table."

"I already said no, Bella."

"Believe me," Bella gave her wife a look. "I'm well aware of that. Not to worry. I've found someone equally capable to teach me how to drive."

"Who?" Hermione sounded almost insulted.

"Teddy."

"My Teddy? My precious little baby boy is going to get in a car with you behind the wheel?!"

"Yes."

"Absolutely not. I will not let this happen," Andy scoffed. "You won't put his life in danger like that."

"Have a little faith Andromeda. He said he would be happy to teach me. He's a capable boy."

"You've threatened him. Cursed him. Tricked him into this," Andy accused her sister.

"I simply asked him and he said yes. We are using Mark's car. Tomorrow evening. Kate will be there: everything will be fine. Don't worry so much, you'll go gray."

Andy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "brilliant so the whole company is involved." Then she added with a mumble, "I'm not going gray."

"Can I come?" Minnie asked trying to hide her laugh.

"Of course," Bella smiled at her youngest daughter.

"No," Hermione spoke up. "I'm not having my daughter die in a car with her mother, cousin and the lovely yet dangerous hufflepuff."

"I never get to do anything fun and dangerous."

"You can come with us," Hermione patted her daughter's hand. "It'll be a much safer and equally enjoyable experience."

"Doubtful," Minnie rolled her eyes. "Are you going with them?" She looked over at her aunt Andy.

"Doubtful," she parroted back with a smirk. "I'd rather not watch my grandson die."

"Always with the fucking dramatics," Bella rolled her eyes. "Nobody is going to die. I'm just going to learn how to drive. Then she added in a whisper, "better than my daughter."

"Doubtful," Cass smirked.

"Why did you bring me to a muggle graveyard? Seems a bit depressing if you ask me," Bella approached Kate's car.

"Teddy and I thought it best for you to start in an area where you can't kill anyone."

"Yeah, Auntie Bella. Everybody here is already dead."

"Cheeky," she sighed, "are we going to do this or not?"

"Climb on in," Teddy walked to the passenger side and reluctantly got it. Before Bella arrived he tried to talk Kate into sitting up front instead him. "I'm legally obligated to tell you that if you kill me, my granny will kill you. I sure got an earful from her last night."

"Your grandmother has been dramatic since the day she was born," she slid into the driver's side.

"Buckle up," Kate called from the backseat as she sat in the middle and buckled herself in with all three backseat buckles. "You too, kid."

Bella looked in the rear view mirror at Kate, "you weren't actually invited, you know? You don't have to be here. Three seatbelts? Nobody has any fucking faith in me."

"It's my husband's car. I feel a sense of duty to make sure you don't crash. Plus, this is way more fun than work."

"Whatever," Bella rolled her eyes, "keep your mouth shut back there or I'll kill you."

"Okay, Auntie Bella, first you want to check all of the mirrors to make sure you can see out of them," he waited until she adjusted the side mirrors with his help. "Then you'll want to put your foot on the brake. Yep. That one and then start the car."

Bella put her foot in the square brake pedal and turned the key. The car roared to life, "ha! I knew I was as smart as a muggle. Now what?" She heard snickering from the back. "She thinks I won't kill her."

"Ignore her," Teddy pointed to the column in the middle of the car. "You'll move this stick until it's in D which means drive. Then you will slowly take your foot off the brake and give it a little gas."

"Here I go," Bella sat, not making any moves. "Am I doing it?"

"You actually have to follow his instructions, boss."

"Oh," she looked down at the stick. "I thought I did it. Here I go." Teddy and Kate shared a look when she still didn't move.

Slowly, Bella reached down and shifted the gear to put the car in drive, "just a little gas. Barely touch it."

Bella did as she was told and the car lurched forward. She reacted, slamming on the brakes jostling all of them. "This is why I'm wearing three seat belts."

"Kate," Teddy gave her a look, "come on. She's trying. Plus, everyone sucks when they first learn."

"Excuse me. That was not me sucking," Bella wrinkled her nose at the sentiment. "I made the car go, didn't I?"

"Technically, yes."

Bella smirked, "then I drove."

"Okay," Teddy was careful when selecting his next few words. "And it was great driving, let's try it again and see if we can make it to that tombstone down there."

*Meanwhile in a shopping center parking lot across town*

Hermione, Minnie and Cass were sitting in her car that she kept at her parents house. "Okay now sweetie…"

"No need mum. I watched Sam do this a million times," she didn't even bother checking the mirrors before throwing the car in drive and stepping on the gas.

The car immediately stopped when Hermione cast a spell stalling the car, "no. That is not how we are doing this. Minnie, buckle up. Cass, there are rules and laws for proper use of a motor vehicle and I expect you to follow all of them. Plus, you'll need to know them to pass the driving test with the instructor."

"There's a test?"

"Two tests actually. A permit test which is knowledge based and a driving test."

"Can she take the knowledge portion for me?" Cass looked at her sister through the mirror.

"I'm afraid not, darling."

"You're on your own kid," Minnie laughed.

"Well this just became significantly less fun." She turned back to her mother, "you are the minister can't you just pass me?"

Hermione laughed, "unfortunately I have no jurisdiction in the muggle world and even if I could I wouldn't. It's important to learn the proper rules of the road."

"I already started studying the handbook," Minnie's smug face came into view in Cass's mirror.

"Of course you did, Minerva." She rolled her eyes, "fine I'll take the stupid tests but can I still learn while I'm studying? I really want to stick it to mummy."

"Right," Hermione chuckled. "First you want to check your mirrors…"

She went the same tutorial that Teddy had given to Bella except Hermione's was longer and it dragged on and on and on. "Okay," Hermione finally got down with her long winded explanation, "put the car in drive and slowly move your foot from the brake to the gas."

*at the cemetery*

Teddy had Bella driving around the cemetery for over an hour and much to everybody's surprise, she had been doing a decent job. The dark witch was following all of Teddy's directions. "This is pretty boring for me," Kate complained from the backseat after unbuckling two of her three seatbelts. "I was expecting a little action. You weren't actually supposed to be good at this."

"Blacks excel at everything," Teddy answered for his Aunt. After all those years living together, he knew what to expect from her.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," she flipped her signal on and made another left turn, taking them back towards the starting point. "I think I'm ready for a real street with actual living people."

"The good stuff," Kate smirked, reaching for her seatbelts. "Finally."

"I can't believe I was hesitant about driving. Are you sure there isn't more to this? This is so easy…" she looked up in the rear view to gloat to Kate when Teddy interrupted.

"Auntie Bella look out!!"

*at the shopping plaza*

After wrangling Cass into following the rules of driving, Hermione was impressed with how quickly she picked up on the basics. She was maintaining a safe speed in the parking lot and avoiding all of the muggles. "You weren't supposed to be good at this," Minnie's grumbling from the backseat sounded an awful lot like a conversation that had just happened across town.

"I am not surprised," Hermione patted Cass's leg. "She's always had an affinity for muggle culture.

"Everybody makes this seem so difficult," she said as she turned into the next aisle of parked cars.

"You still have to pass the written test."

"If Sam can do it… I can do it," Cass sounded very sure of herself.

"Well Sam is significantly smarter than you and spent many years thinking she was a muggle."

"Minerva, stop it. Your sister is perfectly capable of passing the test and she is just as smart as Sam. If you keep this up, I'm afraid I'll have to send you home."

"Yeah and let go of that stupid grab bar," Cass was eyeing Minnie through the mirror. "It's starting to piss me off."

"Watch your language sweetheart and eyes on the road."

"No problem, mum." Cass was laughing, "this is so easy…"

"Cassiopeia look out!!!"

*later that evening at St. Mungos*

Minnie and Andy were sitting side by side in a hospital room waiting for the results of their X-rays. Cass and Bella were in the waiting room after being properly chastised by Hermione for their reckless behaviors behind the wheel. "So," Bella glanced over at her daughter who looked very small, "how did it go?"

"About the same as you, I'm guessing." She crossed her arms over her chest sinking further down into the seat.

Teddy came into the waiting room and took a seat next to his cousin, "granny will be fine. Broken wrist to match Minnie's. The muggle doctor is in there casting them. Aunt Mione insisted on having the casts instead of just the skelegro potion"

"What was Andromeda even doing there? She popped in front of the car before I had time to react. It's not my fault her stupid ass decided to apparate in the most inconvenient location," Bella threw her hands up in the air. She was watching where she was driving. Being careful, looking all of the ways, and poof Andy jumps in front of the fucking car like a damned lunatic.

"She said she didn't trust you driving me around and wanted to come supervise."

Bella scoffed, "she supervised herself right into a fucking cast, didn't she?"

"For what it's worth, you were doing a really good job, Aunt Bella," Teddy gave her a small smile. "You picked up on it fast. I was really impressed."

"And Kate did say the Andy shaped dent would come out of the hood eventually," she tried to hold her laughter in.

"We could use my car next time," he offered.

"Oh no," Bella shook her head. "This one," she pointed to her daughter, "said there's a knowledge test. Driving a muggle death trap and learning about them are two different things. I know longer require your services. I do not wish to learn how to drive."

"So does that mean I win?" Cass suddenly perked up.

"Isn't your sister in that room with a cast on her arm as well?"

"Semantics," Cass tried to wave Teddy off. "She was the one grabbing the bar above the seat in a dramatic fashion. I had everything under control. It's not like that one way sign was there as anything other than a suggestion. And I haven't taken the test yet. I didn't know what that sign even meant."

"So you went down a one way road and then what?"

"Well I swerved so I wouldn't hit the old muggle man and I hit into one of those parked cars."

Bella was chucking at her daughter, "and you consider that a win? You actually think your mother will let you behind the wheel again?"

"She obliviated the muggle. Nobody else was around."

"You crashed her car."

"You crashed Mark's car!!"

"This is one of the most ridiculous fights I've ever witnessed," Teddy watched the two Black's glaring at each other. "Seems that whether or not your intentions were to cause harm, there is something inherently dangerous about the Black women operating a muggle vehicle."

"When did you become the voice of reason?" Bella stared at her nephew.

"Living in your house for 18 years… it was bound to happen to one of us. Can't expect it to be my grandmother," he laughed.

"Wise words, kid," Bella cackled.

"So," Cass interrupted, "about that license…"

"Forget it, love," Bella wrapped her arm around Cass's shoulders, "that ship sailed when you wrecked your mother's car." She smiled when she felt her daughter sigh dramatically, "face it, kitten. The muggle world isn't ready for the Blacks."

A/N: thank you to everyone who has read these one shots. I'll be back with the fourth and final part of the Shades of Grey series soon called The Great War.