EDIT 10/11

Orion Black walks purposefully towards the house of another Black. Twilight has settled in, and he must complete this task swiftly, or his wife will unleash another tantrum. He had been away from their house for a week, finalizing the documents needed for the official introduction of the Heir of the Black House. He traveled overseas, visiting various banks and properties to name his eldest son as the Heir apparent.

After the laborious work, he had finally managed to return home, only to discover that he needed to start from scratch.His dear wife had blasted their son from the family tapestry, an immediate disownment of a pureblood heir. Orion wasn't privy to all the details, and he had no intention of questioning his wife. He knew she tended to be overly dramatic when it came to their eldest son. He needed to inquire with the right person, and coming here to Goldric Hallows seemed the right course of action.Orion knocks at the door of the house he intends to visit, and a young elf answers.

"Is Lord Black what you require, sir?" the elf asks.

"I demand the presence of your mistress, Dorea Potter née Black. Tell her that the Lord of the Main House of the House of Black is here," Orion responds.The elf bows and disappears. Moments later, a woman opens the door.

"Hah! Are you here to retrieve your son? Sorry, Orion, but I will not hand him over to you. Your wife disowned him, and now he is no longer the business of the Main House!" the fuming woman says.

"Nor am I, Aunt Dorea. I am here for different reasons. I hope you will grant us the privacy of your house, or would you rather talk here in the streets?" Orion suggests.

Dorea ushers him into the Potter Manor's living room. This is the second time he has set foot in this house. The first was attending a wedding where a commotion occurred between the siblings, his father-in-law, Pollux Black, and Dorea.

"How are you, Aunt?" he inquires.

"Cease your pleasantries and get to the point. Why are you here?" Dorea demands.Orion sighs.

"As you said earlier, my eldest son was disowned by my wife. I was not present when it happened, nor was my elf a witness to it. I am here to find out where and how Sirius is."

Dorea gives him a piercing look."Aunt, please, I am here as a father, not only as the head of the house."Dorea studies his demeanor. After a long pause, she relents.

"Sirius is not here, Orion. You know how the boy is. He's at St. Mungo's right now, recovering from the aftermath of prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse. I haven't spoken to Sirius yet; he just appeared in front of the house early this morning. Apparently, he tried to Apparate and Splinched himself. The only words we got from him were, 'Not Black. Mother. Free!'"

Orion is seething behind his calm facade. The only indication is his knuckles turning white. "I see," he replies."

"I see?" Dorea exclaims. "Is that all you can say?" She stands and paces back and forth, trying to calm herself. She faces him and points an index finger. "You good-for-nothing father! Your son could have died! And all you can say is 'I see'!"

"Stand down, Dorea," Orion says while gritting his teeth. "I will not let you insult me. You may be my aunt, but as per pureblood custom, I can hex you right now in response to your disrespectful behavior, whether or not we are under your house roof."

"Go on, then! I'm not afraid of you. Dont "Stand down" me like I am a common mule! Your threats mean nothing to me! Now, get out of my house! You are no longer welcome here, nor is your wife, ever," she says. An elf appears. "Escort Lord Black outside."

"There's no need for that, Flimsy. I can see myself out," Orion says. He turns towards the door and pauses. He glances at Dorea. "Before I forget, there will be a ball on August 8 for the Official Introduction of the Heir Apparent of the House of Black. Rest assured that you and your family are not invited." He opens the door and walks several steps outside the wards and Apparates.

Orion finds himself outside the house of another Black. Alphard Black is the head of the Black Branch Family. Alphard opens the door, looking puzzled. He shrugs and lets Orion into the house.

"What do I owe this pleasure?" Alphard asks.

"Before anything else, I am here as a father, not as the head. Sirius is in St. Mungo's. He is no longer part of the Main House."

"What? I mean, um, I see. How is he?" Alphard stammers.

"That I do not know. All I know is that he Splinched himself while trying to Apparate, getting away from Walburga's prolonged Cruciatus Curse."

"What?" Alphard exclaims. "No offense, Orion, but your wife is utterly mad! I know our family delves into the dark arts, but casting them upon your own son is sheer idiocy! Does she wish to be sent to Azkaban?"

"No offense taken. Sending my wife to Azkaban is another matter I need to prevent. I am here for a different reason."Alphard eyes him warily.

"What is it?"

"Now that Sirius is no longer a member of the Main House, I cannot openly support him. Cassiopeia, Cygnus, and your father, Pollux, would definitely object and use it to further pressure me to join their cause," Orion explains.

Alphard nods in understanding.Orion continues, "Sirius is under the protection of the Potters. But in the pureblood community, he will be treated as a nameless wizard who has been disowned. This will soon affect his future after Hogwarts. Thus, I ask you a favor, Alphard, as a father. Please grant my son asylum. If you do so, he can retain his ancestry and the Black surname. Then the law will allow me to help him in his career if he chooses to enter the Ministry, support him financially, and he will still be able to inherit the trust fund I set up for him. If you acknowledge Sirius, our other relatives will not be able to question any assistance I provide. Tell me you agree, Alphard."

"Of course I do!" Alphard immediately replies. "Sirius is my favorite nephew, and I will not abandon him," he reassures Orion."

Thank you, Alphard."

"No problem there. I would do it anyway, whether you liked it or not. Now, I need to go to St. Mungo's. Do you have any message for your son?" Alphard inquires.

"No. Nothing. Though one last thing: I expect that what we talk about will remain a secret," Orion insists. Alphard nods."Then that is all. I'm off to Gringotts," Orion says, turning towards the door.

"Orion, wait," Alphard calls out. He stops and looks at Alphard. Alphard walks towards him and pats his shoulder. "You're a loving father, Orion. I know the choices you've made for the betterment of the House. If Cassiopeia and the others pressure you with the same things they pressured me with, don't let them talk you into it. The House of Black never bows. We are the masters of ourselves."He looks at Alphard, and both men nod in understanding. Alphard releases him, and Orion Apparates away from the place. His mind is a whirlwind of emotions.

This is a hellish week. At least he was able to finish the work for Sirius in a single day. Now he has to face his wife.

Orion Black walked through the dimly lit corridors of his home. The air was heavy with a sense of tension, one that had become all too familiar in recent days. He approached the door to his study, its ornate carvings bearing the emblem of the House of Black.

With a deep breath, he knocked, and the door creaked open.

"Orion," Walburga's voice was icy, her piercing eyes fixed on him as she sat behind his mahogany desk, surrounded by countless family portraits that lined the room. If it is any other man in their society, his wife probably would be hexed for the audacity. But he just can't bear to hurt her.

"Good evening, Walburga," Orion said calmly as he entered the room. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" She spoke curtly, her tone leaving no room for small talk.

Orion chose his words carefully. "It's about Sirius, our son."

Walburga's nostrils flared. "Our disowned son, you mean."

Orion pressed on, unfazed. "Yes, he's disowned, but he's still our blood. He's in St. Mungo's, recovering from what seems like a brutal ordeal that you put him through!"

Walburga's expression hardened. "It's none of our concern now. He's no longer part of this family."

Orion sighed, a hint of frustration seeping into his voice. "Walburga, he's our flesh and blood. He's suffered, we have been over this even before I arrange the official declartion of Heirship."

She glared at him, her eyes ablaze with anger. "The boy is weak, and he brought shame to this house and you still consider him to be prime candidate? He wreck havoc in Hogwarts! I can barely held my head over other Pureblood!"

Orion's patience waned. "He's a child! Have you ever wondered why he acts this way? We've clearly done something wrong in raising him! Your overbearing and controlling to the children! Can you at least express some compassin as a Mother? You subjected our child to a cruciatus curse! Walburga, and he's been subjected to unimaginable torment. This is not a matter of strength or weakness; it's a matter of compassion and family."

Walburga stood up abruptly, knocking over an antique inkwell. "Compassion? You dare to preach about compassion to me?"

Orion took a step closer to her, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I dare, because I've seen the darkness within our family's obsession with blood purity. I won't let it consume our children."

She scowled, her grip on the desk turning her knuckles white. "You would defy the traditions of our ancestors for that boy?"

Orion's gaze never wavered. "I would defy anyone, even you, for the sake of our children. That's what being a parent means."

Their eyes locked, a silent battle of wills. Finally, Walburga gave in, her anger subsiding, if only slightly. "Very well, you may do what you think best for the boy.. But do not expect me to join you."

Orion sign in defeat. He nod and left alone. He feels like in he can never be a good husband and a good father at the same time.

I don't own Harry Potter. This is Fanfiction obviously.