Bijinesuman
(The Businessman)
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Rambling and Dribbles: A dribble that I hope some enjoy.
All updates are now in in Chapter 1
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Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter does not belong to me.
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Premise:
Sirius is a bit more a responsible godfather and gets Harry to help as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he still has a burning sense of revenge, leaving Harry with his cousin, Andi. Soon she finds she is now raising her daughter, Nymphadora, and a fifteen-month-old Harry Potter.
Desperate to protect him and her family, she finds the only way she can think of and calls on an old alliance with the Greengrasses. Circumstances lead to the Tonks fleeing Britain with Harry with the younger Greengrass brother, Grover, and his family as he is offered a position to take over the Greengrass operations in Japan. It will be a mutually beneficial agreement that includes the potential of a betrothal between two heirs of prominent houses.
This will be a story that shows different cultures, magics, fluff, politics, conflict, family, young love and forces that could change a world stuck in a time that sees them drifting more and more from the muggles.
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Chapter 1
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October 31, 1981
Great Easton, England
Andi palmed her wand, her seven year daughter holding her hand as she was barely awake as some maniac pounded on their front door. She was scared the Death Eaters had finally found them, but she hadn't felt anything wrong with the wards except two people passed over the line. Since the wards hadn't gone off, it could only mean they didn't mean her family any harm.
Ted gave her a worried look.
"ANDI! Open up," the frantic voice of Sirius came through the door.
"What's the safe word?" Ted called back.
"Damn it! Resmor… Ramadra… no. Blood hell! Andi open the door! Remora! That's it!" Sirius yelled at them.
She nodded her head, her wand coming up to cover her husband. He opened the door. Nymphadora's hair was starting to turn a lavender to match the wallpaper in the hallway. When it opened, a dishevelled looking man with shoulder length hair, long side burns and the grey eyes of a Black pushed through the door.
"Close the door. Andi, lock the house down," Sirius ordered.
"Wait just a minute! What is going on here?" Ted demanded.
"Andi, please. We don't have the time. Lock down your wards," Sirius pleaded with her. He had a bundle in his arms.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"My godson. He needs your help but I don't know if anyone is after us," Sirius said. He noticed tear streak on his face.
"Ted, lock down the house," she ordered. "Nymphadora, go back to bed."
The girl yawned. "All right mum," she said before wandering back down the hallway.
Ted looked uncertain. "Ted, now!"
Sirius looked grateful at her before rushing over to her. "Andi, it was him. James…" his voice cracked. "James and Lily… oh Merlin, Andi. Their gone. I don't know what's wrong with Harry but I can't stop the bleeding on his forehead and he looks so pale. He stopped crying about ten minutes ago as I was flying my bike over here."
She took the eighteen month old boy, knowing she need to be the healer. She could mourn her cousin and his wife later, and deal with the distraught Sirius once she knew what was wrong with Harry. There was a cloth around his head. It was already soaked through with blood from a spot over his right eye. He did look very pale.
"Ted, get me some warm clothes, my bag and all the potions we have in the cabinet. Sirius, in the closet in the hallway get me some towels and a duvet," she ordered, moving over to the couch. She lay Harry down and began running her wand over his head. Her scans showed some very dark magic. His core was unstable. He had lost a good amount of blood for his small size.
Sirius stood in the middle of the room, looking shell-shocked at whatever he had been through so far this evening. "Sirius, the towels," she snapped, needing him to move and not just look over her shoulder.
"Towels. Right," he said as though dazed.
She worked on Harry for a while, eventually having to cut out a strange scar on his forehead. When she did, a black ooze and a release of magic through them back. Harry started to wail. She scurried back to her knees. Luckily he hadn't ben through from the couch, but within minutes had recovered much of his colour and his core stabilized. Healing him after that was easy.
It was close to one in the morning when she finally wrapped him in clean blanket and sat on the couch with him cuddled to her chest. The poor boy was exhausted. She had had to use more potions on a child his age than she liked, but knew he would be alright now.
Bloody towels, rags, empty potion bottles and the black tissue in a bottle she had taken from the wound on his head were all at the her feet. Feelign exhausted herself, she leaned her head back.
Sirius sat on the edge of a chair, looking at them. He was rubbing his hand together when he wasn't trying to pull his hair out. Ted came over and gently put a hand on Harry's back. "Is he going to be alright now?"
"Yes. He's just tired and probably near magical exhaustion. He should be all better within a few days," she told her husband.
"Do you want me to just vanish all this stuff?" he asked.
"Keep that junk in that bottle, otherwise we can replace everything else," she told him.
Ted nodded and then did a few quick wand movements. Sirius looked at her with half crazed eyes. "He's going to live?"
"He will. What happened, Sirius?" she asked.
He leaned over and pulled on his hair. "Oh, Merlin, Andi. It's all my fault," he said, fresh tears coming to the twenty-one year old man's eyes. "It's all my fault. James and Lily… He came for them. Wormtail had have told. I couldn't find him. I went to check. He wasn't there. James…" the man let out a small sob. "James… he was at the bottom of the stairs. He was just looking up, a determined look on his face. His wand was snapped. The ground floor was destroyed… Merlin, Andi. Their dead!"
She couldn't quite follow what he was saying.
Ted asked, "James and Lily are dead? You are saying You-Know-Who came for them?"
As her husband asked, she felt a sliver of fear come through her. She clutched Harry to her and reached for the wand she put on the cushion next to her. "You were their secret keeper," she said slowly.
Sirius wildly shook his head, his hands doing their best to pull his hair out. "No. No. No. I told them to switch. It's all my fault, Andi. I told them to choose Peter," he said, a certain harshness coming over his voice. "I told them choose the rat. I was too obvious. Fecking Morgana's tits! Peter had have told!"
He looked up and for the first time Andi saw the telltale signs of the Black madness. Her wand came up and she moved to protect Harry. Ted looked uncomfortable, unsure what to make of it. "Sirius, you need to calm down."
Sirius glared at her. "It was Peter, Andi. For fuck's sake! I thought Moody was the traitor." He shot out of his seat. "I'm going to kill him."
There was no doubt of his intentions in those words.
She got up, angling Harry away from Sirius. "Sirius, calm down. You can't go running off at the moment. You need to go to the DMLE to prove you weren't the secret keeper and you have Harry to worry about," she said in a calm voice.
The dangerous gleam in the man's eyes dimmed for a moment. He looked to the sleeping boy in her arms. His hands went to his hair again. "They're dead, Andi, and it's all my fault."
"Sirius, you didn't do this. Were the Aurors called?" she asked.
"I have no clue. I got there just as the roof was blown off. I found Harry and knew that James and Lily would want him protected. He was crying and bleeding and the only thing I could of was you," Sirius told her.
"Right. Harry is safe for now. He'll be better in the morning. Why don't you sleep on the couch for the night and Ted and you can contact the DMLE in the morning," she told him.
The poor man looked lost. He was grieving. He was betrayed. There was a rage waiting to be released only tempered by his godson. She had seen that rage over take her relatives in the past. If she could get him to stay and take care of Harry, she knew it would pass. After a moment, he nodded. "Sure. I'll have to go to the goblins in the morning. Go to the ministry. I need to contact Dumbledore. He'll want to know."
"No," she said rather forcibly.
Sirius looked at her confused. Ted gave her a look that she knew all to well. About the only thing they had ever fought about in their marriage was Dumbledore and Ted's desire to fight with the illegal Order of the Phoenix he led. She understood. Her husband wanted to see Muggleborn free. She shared that sentiment, but she wanted him to still be alive to give her another child, to raise Nymphadora and be her love.
"Andromeda, we should let him know," Ted said.
She gave him a had look. "I am not getting Dumbledore involved in this. This is a family affair. Harry is Sirius godson. He will find out soon enough about the Potters and I won't give him the chance to potentially manipulate a boy that has just lost everything."
Sirius looked at her, then nodded after a moment. He understood, even if he didn't like his family, that to a wizard, family and blood was everything. It didn't matter what your blood status was, but if you were related, then blood was blood, and magic passed through the blood. Ted, bless his soul, still say things the Muggle way.
"Why is this a family matter to just let him know what happened?" Ted questioned.
"No, Theodore. We will not let Dumbledore or anyone know where Harry is. He is Sirius's godson and our second cousin once removed. To my knowledge, there are no other Potters and Lily had no magical relatives. It is our responsibility to care for him now," she said. "We will notify child services after we talk with the goblins and ensure this placement."
Siruis let out a long breath. Tears were still falling down his face. "If I'm staying, do you have some fire whiskey or something?"
Ted didn't look pleased, but relented. He still balked against many of the traditions of their world. She didn't like them either, but she would use them in any way needed when it came to protecting her family and kin. She may have been disowned, but that didn't mean that didn't still share blood with Harry and Sirius. No one could disown her blood or magic, only her name and family connections.
"I'll get us a dram," Ted said.
He walked out of the room and Sirius sank back into the chair. When she was sure that he wasn't going to run out on them, she sat down. It was a heavy silence as she tried to parse through what Sirius had said while he still looked on the verge of total collapse or murderous intent. It might be both, knowing the Black madness that plagued much of their family.
Ted returned with a mostly full bottle of scotch and three tumbler glasses. He handed out some to each of them, then held his up. "To the Potters," he said rather solemnly. Sirius half heartedly raised his glass before downing the two fingers in the glass. He held it out for more. Ted gave her a look and she gave him a small nod. Sirius needed at least this much.
-oOo-
November 1, 1981
London, England
Andromeda was livid. She had fallen asleep on the couch last night with Harry in her arms. Nymphadora had woken her this morning while playing quietly with Harry on the carpet and Ted making brekky in the kitchen.
Nymphadora had loved her cousin the few times they had met and this morning was no different as she giggled as he clapped his hands at her changing her hair. She was getting better at controlling her ability, and Harry had her trying hard.
After checking on him to make sure he was well enough, she followed her nose into the kitchen. "Morning, luv," Ted said.
"Morning. Where's Sirius?" she asked, hoping he was just in the loo or the shower.
Ted pursed his lips. "There's a letter on the table for you."
Said letter was now in her hands as she made her way down Diagon Alley. The news had broken late this morning in a special Daily Prophet and on the wizarding wireless. Witches and wizards were all over the half boarded alley celebrating the downfall of the Dark Lord. His body had been found, as had James and Lily. For some reason there wasn't any mention of Harry beyond he was the one that destroyed You-Know-Who.
In the commotion, she was trying to not be noticed. There was something odd in all this, even if the monster had been defeated. How anyone could think Harry had beaten the Dark Lord and that there was no mention he was missing was not what she was expecting.
Finally getting to the steps of the bank, she was stopped by the goblins on the steps. "Only those with business allowed in today," a surly goblin said as two halberds were lowered before her.
She held up the parchment and a key. "Great horde commander, I have business with an account manager."
The goblin looked to her, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the key. After a moment, he nodded and the halberds lifted. "Any violence will be met with violence, witch."
"May your enemies blood run hot through your hands," she said. The goblin gave her a tooth grin before giving her a slight decline of his head in deference.
Inside the bank, the teller hall was almost empty on this day. The few talking with tellers looked haggard or extremely happy. At a far teller she could see Albus Dumbledore arguing with the goblin. She pulled the hood on her cloak up and over her head as she approached the closest desk. This wasn't a desk for tellers. The smartly dressed goblin looked up from the ledger he was writing in. "Tellers are over there," he said in a gruff tone.
"Account Representative, I am here to talk to an account manager about two accounts. This letter will explain it," she said, holding the letter out and hoping he didn't say anything.
The goblin took the letter, read it then held out his hand. "The key and the ring," he demanded.
She placed a golden key in his hand and the took reached into her hood to remove a necklace. Her grandfather may have disowned her, but he left her her heiress ring so that she could be recognized.
The goblin looked at the key and the ring for a moment. "This way," he said suddenly jumping out of his chair. She hurried along as Dumbledore seemed to be getting perturbed with the goblin he was arguing with.
She was led through a door she had to duck through, as it was built for goblins. The hallway was luckily tall enough she didn't have to duck on the other side, though she couldn't walk as tall as she would have liked. They turned twice before the goblin knocked on a door. After about ten seconds later a knock returned. The goblin handed the letter, the key and her ring back to her. "Hand these to account manager Knockcrag."
She inclined her head. "May you find a great treasure," she told him.
The goblin snorted at her. She was sure if it was in mirth or disgust before he moved back the way he came. The door opened and she stepped into a nice office. She could see a normal door on the other side of the room. A goblin in a fine business suite a hundred years out of date with lots of gold and goblin silver chains and earrings sat behind a large desk. Looking back at the door, she realized that she had been led in through the secret back passages of the bank.
Looking back to the account manager, the goblin was staring at her. "It has been many years since one was let in this way," he said to her.
She gave him a small bow. Obviously, this goblin was important and she had been given a rare honour. "Good day, Account Manager. May your blade find the blood of your foes and your vault grow from your cunning."
The goblin gave her a wicked grin. "I see that your grandfather at least gave you the proper training to treat those that hold your gold in the proper way."
"My grandfather was a great man that unfortunately suffered from my families afflictions at too young an age," she replied.
"A truer statement I could not agree with more. Sit. There are things to discuss and I think not much time, grandniece of Arcturus, daughter of Cygnus, lady of the new house of Tonks," the goblin said.
She sat as he rang a bell. The door she came through opened just a few seconds later. "Retrieve the Potter's will and that of the late Lord Black."
She felt a quick jolt of panic go through her. "Grandfather is dead?"
Knockcrag grinned. "Not yet, but he abdicated to his son, your uncle, Orion in nineteen-seventy-nine. He died three months later. His wife has tried to claim head of the family, but she has been unable too."
Andromeda looked at him confused. She hadn't heard about this, but then again, she hadn't been paying attention to the Wizengamot and Sirius was the only one from her family she still was in contact with.
"I don't understand. Why would grandfather do that and if my Uncle Orion was named Lord Black, why wouldn't my father not now be lord?"
The goblin grinned as though he knew something she didn't. "Why indeed?"
It didn't take long for the runner to return with two satchels. They shared a quick conversation in Gobbledegook. Knockcrag didn't look pleased. "We have less time than I thought. I will give you this copy of your uncle's will. It will be important," he said, putting one of the satchels before her. "I would suspect that you are here not for this, but because of the Potters, if you have that key."
Her ire came up. She took a second to tamp it down. "I am. It should be my cousin to come to you, but he has run again."
"I know that was a disappointment of your grandfather. You have been authorized to hear the Potter's will and enact anything you need before the formal reading in a month. Do you wish to hear it?" Knockcrag enquired.
"Yes."
Ten minutes later, she was sitting there with pursed lips. Sirius had been correct. "How many know that Peter Pettigrew was their secret keeper?"
"Until now, I would say the Potters, Pettigrew and whomever they told," Knockcrag told her.
"I want this filed with the ministry, just in case another is there. I will be taking over the guardianship of Harry Potter until Sirius can do so," she told the goblin.
"Very good, Madam Tonks. Give me a few minutes to get the documents together."
While he did, she started to look through the other documents in the folder. Deeds, bequethments, statements, vault logs and other important information were all in her hands.
"If you would, I first need to make you regent of Mister Potter's estate using the authorization of Scion Sirius Black."
She signed the document.
"This will give you guardianship of Mister Potter."
She took in a sharp breath as the blood quill bit into the back of her hand again.
"This one is the standard contract that he Potters asked for to allow you financial and family decisions as long as they are in the best interests of Mister Potter. Once you sign, you will have access to everything but the family heirlooms and magic," Knockcrag explained.
She signed again.
"This is the last one, Madam Tonks. At the request of the last Regent Potter, this authorizes Gringotts to locate and reclaim any heirlooms, properties or monies that the Potters are owed."
She just got done signing, the back of her right hand red raw from the blood quill, when a knock came at his door. The goblin snarled. "I'm afraid our time is at an end today, Madam Tonks."
"What else do I need to know?" she questioned.
"I'm afraid you do need to leave. I will be happy to schedule another appointment with you soon," he said before ringing his chime. A knock came at the large door again. A few seconds later the rear door opened.
She could sense that there was a danger here she didn't understand. Getting up, she put all the documents into the satchel for the Potters, took up the ones from her uncle, then moved towards the door. As the goblin in the passage moved to close the door, the one in the office opened.
"I am not pleased with these delays," she could hear the distintive voice of Dumbledore, then the inner door was closed.
"Follow," the goblin in the passage ordered. She moved as fast as the goblin did. Soon she was let back out into the lobby and left he bank as fast as she could. The crowds in Diagon Alley were larger than before, and more rowdy. It took her almost a half hour to make it to the apparition point and then back home. Ted would have to help her go through everything later.
-oOo-
November 3, 1996
Great Easton, England
When Sirius had come stumbling into her house at two in the morning supported by the werewolf she had been livid with her cousin. To see his pallid complexion had her own drop. He was holding his sides, beads of sweat on his forehead and a glassy look to his eyes.
Three hours later she stepped out of the room they had been converting for Harry. For now he was sharing a room with Nymphadora Ted saw her and got up. Remus looked up from his head in his hands, a hopeful look on his face. She closed her eyes, leaned against the wall and then slid down it to a crouch, the wall keeping her up.
Ted rushed to her side. "Andi?" he trepidatiously asked.
She sniffed. "There isn't anything I or anyone else can do," she said, her stomach clenching hard.
"What are you saying?" Remus asked from over Ted's shoulder. She looked up, catching the sad look in her husband's eyes, before looking up to Remus. She didn't care to have a werewolf in her house, even if she held nothing against those infected, but she had two young children that wouldn't be able to protect themselves if he ever lost control. She had never seen Remus with the typical anger control that most of his affliction had, but you could never tell when someone was stressed.
She sighed, a stinging at her eyes. "He's been hit with a core rotting curse. It's already taken root and taken half his magic. I don't know anyway of reversing it on my own, and the few I know Saint Mungo's to possess would require a major moon phase and a few days to prepare. When is the next full or new moon?"
Remus lost most of the colour in his face. "You know?"
She gave him a rather unimpressed look, not even deigning an answer.
"November eleventh is the next full moon," he said.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "The person that cursed him was powerful. He will only last another two or three days," she told them.
"Dear god," Ted said.
Remus just stood in the hallway looking lost and destroyed.
After a moment, she opened her eyes again. "Tell me what happened," she demanded in a low voice.
Remus scrunched his face, pinched his nose and leaned against the wall. The man took a few moments to collect his thoughts. "I thought Sirius had told You-Know-Who about Godric's Hollow. I went to hunt down Sirius after Albus told me what happened. I caught up with him in the afternoon… or was it yesterday? I don't even know what time it is. Either way, I caught up with him. We got into a duel before he was to convince me that he wasn't the secret keeper. Shortly after that, we went to hunt down Peter."
The loathing in the man's voice for their friend was palatable. Neither Ted nor Andi said a word as Remus went on. Though questions were already starting to roil up.
"We managed to track Peter to a bar. We didn't know he was meeting with a few other Death Eaters. The Lestranges and Barty Crouch Junior were there. We got into a duel. I think we killed Crouch and one of the Lestrange brothers, but Sirius was hit with two curses from his cousin, Bellatrix. I was only just able to get him out of there and to you. Is he really going to die?"
She tried to keep her tears at bay. She wasn't going to sugar coat this. "I'm going to call up one of my Head Healers later. Maybe there is a method I don't know about, but it doesn't look good. When you say Albus, were you talking about Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Remus rubbed his face. "Who else would it be?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Why does he think Sirius was the secret keeper? As far as I know they didn't tell anyone." At least that was what Sirius had indicated the other night.
"He says Sirius was the secret keeper and is going completely mental trying to find Harry. If I wasn't hunting down Sirius I would be looking for him as well," Remus replied.
Ted looked about to say something, but changed his mind with a look from her. "Why hasn't this been in the papers and why isn't the DMLE involved?" Ted enquired.
"We can't be sure the there aren't still Death Eaters or sympathizers in the DMLE. Sirius and Harry are all that I have left," Remus said, sounding close to breaking down. He rubbed his face again.
A rustle from down the hallway caught their attention. She wiped her head around. Nymphadora was standing in her doorway in her night gown. She was still half asleep as it wasn't six yet. "Harry's having another dream," her daughter said.
The werewolf stopped. The man sniffed the air. Andi was alarmed and struggled to get up. "Ted, go help them," she ordered. Ted looked slightly reluctant for a moment as she rose, her wand up. "Remus, did Sirius tell you where Harry was?"
The man looked at her. In his grief, she saw a manic light in his eye. The wolf was peaking through. "He only said Harry was safe and would tell me where he was."
"Are you going to tell Dumbledore?" she asked.
"He needs to know. He's Harry's guardian," Remus said.
"No, he isn't," she stated.
The man growled. "Andromeda, if you have Harry he needs to go somewhere safe."
Her eyes narrowed. "He is somewhere safe and Dumbledore is not his guardian."
"That isn't your decision," Remus told her, standing up to his full height.
"In the room," she hear Ted coaxing Nymphadora.
"Remus, Sirius brought Harry hear. I am his guardian until Sirius gets better," she told him, knowing how hopeless a statement that was.
The man growled. "You want him dead. Where is Harry?"
"I want you out of my house," she warned him. She took a step down the hall, her hand on the wall. When it touched a small stone full of runes by her bedroom door, she started to channel magic into it. Remus advanced on her.
"Once I have Harry, I'll leave," he said.
"Remus, I don't want to hurt you. Sirius looked on you as a brother. Harry is safe. You can't tell Dumbledore," she told him.
"Give me Harry," the man said in a dangerous tone.
She took in a deep breath before channeling more magic into the stone. Remus must have suddenly sensed the magic building. His eyes widened and he looked around liked a frightened dog. "What are you doing?"
"Protecting my family. Get out," she told him.
Remus looked at her, the feral part of him retreating. For a moment all there was was the broken, heart sick man that was losing everything he held dear in his life. "Andromeda, I didn't…"
"You are no longer welcome here, Remus Lupin. You have threatened by family. Get out," she ordered.
The man took in an angry breath before deflating. His head dropped. "Can I atleast see him? Just one last time?"
She thought about it for a moment. Her entire life was in that room. She couldn't risk it. "I will contact you in a week if you do not tell Albus Dumbledore about this."
The man looked torn. "I can't do that."
"Then leave and never come back."
"Please, just let me see him once more," the man pleaded.
"Can you swear on your magic that you will do nothing to remove him from this house, endanger him, try to convince him to leave or do any harm to my family?" she offered.
The man was torn. He reached up and grasped his hair. After a moment, he said, "I have made other oaths."
"Then no," she said harshly.
After a moment, Remus sunk back into himself. He looked at the room the held Harry, then towards Sirius room. After a moment, while looking away from her, he said, "Tell Sirius that he is still my brother. Tell Harry that I love him."
"I will," she promised. She could do atleast that for a man that had been friends to Sirius and James. She had a feeling the oaths he was talking about were to Dumbledore. She was wondering if some of the affliction that was destroying Sirius's core was from a similar type oath?
Remus stumbled as he turned and was soon out of the house.
"Mum?" a small voice said. She turned to look into the emerald green eyes of a young boy that looked totally lost. He looked like he had been crying. Ted was standing behind him, his wand still in his hands and a hand firm on Nymphadora as she hugged her father. She knelt when she was sure Remus had left the property. Harry fell into her arms.
"I'm sorry, Harry. You're mummy's not here," she said.
"P'ongs?"
She didn't know who that was. "I don't who that is."
"P'ongs," Harry said again.
The door down the hallways opened. "Prongs was James," a weak voice said.
She snapped her to Sirius. Harry started to squirm in her arms. "Pa'foo! Pa'foo!" the small boy yelled, his agitation lessening as Sirius gingerly lowered himself to lean against the door way. Harry ran to his arms, hugging Sirius for all he was worth.
Sirius must have known how bad it was. He was hugging the small boy for all he was worth, tears in his eyes. After a moment, he looked up to her. "Promise me you will do everything you can to protect him," he said in a faint voice.
"Pa'foo. Where P'ongs? Where mum?"
Sirius looked on the verge of breaking down. "They had to go away for a bit, pup. I'm sure they'll be back as soon as they can," Sirius tried to comfort Harry, kissing the top of his head, then the bit of his forehead that was still a little pink from whatever ever she had removed from there.
Sirius gave her a pleading look. "I swear I will love him and protect him as my own," she told him.
Sirius gave her a satisfied nod after a moment before putting his head on the top of the crying boy.
-oOo-
November 10, 1996
Rotherham, England
The last several days had been more than stressful. She was taking a leave of absence to deal with everything.
Sirius was dead.
He couldn't last the eight days they needed. She had done all she could, but he had passed two days ago.
Harry was being difficult, not that she blamed him. In ten days he had lost everyone he called family. He may only be eighteen months old, but even a child of that age could understand that mummy and daddy weren't coming when he called or cried. Luckily he was taking to Ted and Dora while already calling her auntie.
The death of Sirius was hitting him harder though. His death had thrown everything she was already dealing with into a total tizzy, but gave her an option she hadn't had before.
Dumbledore was pressuring her to give up Harry. He hadn't been able to get the Wizengamot to agree to usurp Sirius's signing of guardianship to her yet, but she wasn't sure it wouldn't be long before he did. The man was obsessed with the cute eighteen-month-old. She was only lucky that between the Potter's and Sirius's letter to Wizard Child Services, she had the magical right to custody. The fact she was blood, even distantly, just reinforced her claim and kept most the older families on her side.
As much as she was mourning Sirius, his death had opened up the possibility of her using the Blacks to save the green-eyed boy, and most likely her family as well.
She took in a deep breath, checked her formal robes to ensure that both the Potter and Black crests were on her sleeve close to her shoulder, showing she was the acting regent of both houses, the took a pinch of green powder.
"Good luck," Ted said to her. He sat at the table nursing a cup of tea while Dora was in the sitting room quietly colouring and Harry was blessedly taking a nap.
"I will need it," she said to him. She threw the Floo powder into the fireplace. "Greencross on the Meadows."
The fire flared green and she stepped into it. A long moment later, she gracefully stepped out of the fireplace into good sized entryhall. The fireplace was in the corner, with a wood panels wall next to her, an elegant carpet, a few pieces of very well maintained and dark wood furniture and a few tabards on the walls. She recognized the tabards as those of the Greengrasses, represented by the harvest and pestle on a forest green field, the Bones, a wand and sword on a burgundy field, and the Blacks, a white raven and wand on a black tabard. This was the old alliance that her aunt had tried to break, but the Greengrasses had stood firm.
She only hoped that the Lord Greengrass still felt the same.
Standing tall after brushing the soot off her fine robes, she stood to look for a house elf. She was surprised to see a young man about the same age she was. Grover had been two years ahead of her and Ted. Being in Ravenclaw, she had never had the chance to really get to know him outside some balls and functions that her parents had pulled her too with her Great Uncle Arcturus.
Grover Greengrass had the typical light brown hair of most Greengrasses, hazel-blue and a strong build in an average height body. She knew her great-uncle would have liked to marry her to this man, but her father wanted her to become the slave to Lucius Malfoy, a snot nosed brat that was two years younger. She latched onto Ted when he gave her a way out. If she had known that her younger sister would have been sold to the Malfoy's instead, she would like to think she would have done the right thing to save Narcissa, but where her younger sister wanted to be the debutante wife, Andi wanted to work. She wanted a career. She wanted everything that Ted was offering her that Muggle women had. In the end, she had been a true Black and gone with was best for her and what satisfied her ambitions. She regretted what happened to her sisters, but they could have made other decisions too. Their parents were not like Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga. Instead, they decided to go along with her father's insane plans to support the growing pureblood movement.
Grover gave her a rather regal bow. "Misses Tonks, it has been a long time."
She curtsied. "Scion Greengrass, thank you for taking my request for a meeting."
The took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Please, Andromeda, I always thought you the best of your sisters. My father had been hoping to from Sirius Black. We were notified that he had been declared regent of the house after the passing of Lord Black."
Andromeda's face fell some. "I'm sorry to say that my cousin passed two days ago."
The man looked shaken. The death of her cousin had been kept silent so far and she wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible. If Dumbledore knew before she could secure a safe path forward, then he might be able to finally convince Bagnold and the Wizengamot.
"I'm so sorry to hear that. We haven't heard," he said, a genuine grief in his tone.
She stifled her sadness. "I have not notified anyone yet and the goblin's have agreed to honour the traditional thirty days to officially read the will. I would love to exchange pleasantries, but I do have business with Lord Greengrass that really can't be delayed."
"Of course. I understand," Grover said. He held his hand to indicate her to go through a doorway into a long corridor. It was stone and dark woods, with a few chairs, paintings, suits of armour and stands with heirlooms.
She was led towards the end of the hall to a door on the left. He opened the door for her. "Father, Misses Andromeda Tonks to see you."
"Thank you, Grover. Please join us today," a man in his sixties said. The Lord Greengrass was still an impressive figure for his age. Grey played at his temples and a streak down the centre of his head. For all that, he had an affable smile on his face as he got up from his desk. "Misses Tonks, it is a pleasure to see you. I think the last time I saw you was the Christmas you were to graduate from Hogwarts."
The man came over and she extended her hand. Instead of taking it to kiss it, he took her hand in both his, gently putting one over the top. The man's usually hard eyes were soft. "I'm sorry to hear about the Lord Black and now Sirius in the past year."
"Thank you, Lord Greengrass. It has been hard to lose the last of my family," she told him, not speaking out that they had been the last of her family she considered family.
"I'm sure it has been. It has hurt my heart to see the downfall of your house these last twenty years, but to receive your missive yesterday saying you are Regent Black has given me hope," the man said.
Grover looked a little put out to not be told any of this. "Father, why didn't I know?"
The man took her hand and guided her over towards a few chairs set before the fireplace. "Misses Tonks asked me not to until we could meet. As you are one of my heirs, my condition was to have you here."
Grover's brow furrowed. "Then why not my brother Anders? He will be lord when you pass."
"Because this does not involve your brother or sister. Not until we have decided," the older Greengrass said. "If we are to revive the old Triumvirate Alliance, then I insist you call me Ian. Do you mind if I call you Andromeda?"
"I prefer Andi when with friends," she told him, trying to show that she considered this a meeting between equals. The Blacks and Potters may be older than the Greengrasses, but the Greengrasses were arguably in the stronger position right now. A position she was hoping could protect Harry and her family.
"Andi it is. Would you like a drink?" he offered, moving over to a small cabinet in the shelves around the room. Opening it she could see a dozen different top end liquors.
She dipped her head, needing to keep her wits for now. "Not at the moment, Ian. I would rather not cloud our conversation until we come to an accord."
"Very well," the man said, moving back to the three chairs. Grover sat across from her and Ian sat to the chair to her left, the one that faced the fire. "I take it that you would like to get straight to business?"
"I'm afraid I must."
The man's look became grave. "Does this have to do with the Potter boy that Dumbledore and the ministry are all up and arms about?"
She was glad this man was so sharp, but unsure if she should be nervous of this or not. "His name is Harry. He is the son of James and Lily Potter, the last of the main Potter line, and named godson and heir to my cousin, Sirius Black."
She could tell the man knew the significance right away. Grover looked a little slower on the uptake. "That is a lot to put on one small child. Am I to assume you are regent to both the Potters and Blacks?"
"It is not an assumption. It is fact. Gringotts and magic has accepted my claim and guardianship over Harry. That has never stopped Dumbledore when he has put his mind to something, except the old houses and the old ways," she said, hating that she had to draw upon such archaic ways, especially since she had run from them.
A dawning comprehension was starting to show in Grover's features.
Ian gave a solemn nod. "I see. You were made aware then that my niece, Marley, had been betrothed to Sirius then?"
"I was. I was also made aware of the clauses of the alliance and the protections that were agreed upon more than two hundred years ago should one of the houses face a dire need. I have started the proceedings to disown my sister Bellatrix for harm to our house and have severed the heir rights to my nephew, Draco. As I explained, my cousin reinstated me into the house so I could become regent, meaning that only myself, my daughter and Harry are now in line to become head of house," she explained more for Grover than his father.
"Father, what protections is she talking about? And why is the betrothal between Sirius Black and Marley involved? If he is dead, then the contract would be voided," Grover said in a slow, deliberate manner.
Ian regarded her for a long moment. When he seemed to find what he wanted, he turned to his son. "Grover, as the secondary heir, there are things that you were not made privy too. Anders knows what I am going to tell you and agrees with my decision. If you wish to protest, then we will discuss it," Ian stated.
Grover's lips pursed. "Marley's and Sirius's betrothal wasn't wanted, and that was why they were delaying the marriage, wasn't it?"
"The alliance allows for the continuation of the line. It is not a mandatory clause, but the four times I have known it to be requested, the requests have never been denied. Marley is too old to be considered for this now. Not with Scion Potter-Black not being of age for another sixteen years. Daphne or Susan Bones would be the only ones of appropriate age," Ian said gently.
Grover pursed his lips. "You would have my twenty-month-old daughter betrothed before she is even of age to understand anything like this?"
"I would ask you to consider it, yes. The Blacks, Greengrasses and Bones have an alliance going back almost three hundred years. It is the only triumvirate alliance left. Arcturus did what he could to maintain the alliance, but he lost control of his house the Dark Lord perverted so much in the last fifteen years. We are being asked to consider our duties. If you are willing to go on, I would ask Andi what duties she expects the House of Black to fulfil," Ian said.
Grover took in a long breath before leaning over. His fingers were pressed together as he put his head down. They waited patiently. Andi abhorred this, but she didn't know a better way to protect Harry.
After a few minutes, Grover looked up. "Emily is going to make me sleep on the couch for the next month, but what are you offering?"
Andi suppressed a sigh of relief. "I would request that the alliance consider adding the Potters. The allies of his house have sold themselves out to Dumbledore. I talked with Lord Longbottom. He is unwilling to change his support of Dumbledore and said he backs the Chief Warlocks proposal for him to take over regency of the Potters. As does Corner and the McKinnens are all gone."
Ian took in a sharp breath. "They would break a blood sworn alliance?" the man questioned.
"They say they are doing what James wanted, but I can not get his will red until the end of the month, and I'm afraid that Dumbledore will have made his move by then," she told him.
Ian frowned. "I do not doubt you. He already had built up support and has driven up the populace with this Boy-Who-Lived nonsense."
Andi pursed her lips before saying, "I'm not sure it's nonsense."
Both Greengrasses gave her sharp looks. "Explain," Ian said after a moment.
"As regent, I was notified by the Unspeakables that there is a matter of interest for Harry. You know that only means a few things," she told them. "I have not been to see them yet, but I don't think the Dark Lord's interest in the Potters was because they opposed them. Sirius told me that the man had tried to court them numerous times, most recently as a year ago. He wanted their support to take over the ministry without having to revert to any more violence. If he had known Sirus was regent, then the Dark Lord probably would have sought him as well to become a servant."
"You are saying there is a prophesy?" Grover questioned. He looked to his father. "And you want me to betroth Daphne to someone that is hunted by a dark wizard?"
"He was destroyed," Ian said.
Grover frowned. "Father, if he was destroyed, then why do the Death Eaters in the ministry's holding cells still have his mark? Magic like that should have dissipated within days."
A pit was forming in her stomach.
"What do you mean the mark isn't dissipating?" Ian questioned.
Grover looked grave. "As you know I am representing a client that is up for trial next week. While there, I witnessed a few prisoners with the mark, father. It's faded, but still clearly visible."
"This is disturbing news. Andi, how likely are you to see the Unspeakables?"
"If it is a prophesy, you know that only someone that is directly involved in it can hear them," she said.
"I can't commit Daphne to something like that," Grover stated.
"We are allies, Grover. We are being asked for help. To earn the alliance of the Potters would be a great boon. Another neutral house would be a major shift in balance," Ian said.
"I am willing to assign the Potter and Black votes to you or a designate," Andi said.
Grover frowned.
Ian sat back in his chair. They were all quiet for a bit. Ian spoke up first. "Grover, you have told me you wish to serve in some of our overseas operations."
Grover sat up. He gave his father a calculating look.
Andi looked at the elder Greengrass. "What are you suggesting?"
"Grover has studied law at my request, but he wanted to run the business when younger. We have a large warehouse and some farms in Japan. Erick is looking to retire and you could take over for him in a year or two. If the Dark Lord is not truly defeated, then you and your family could be far from hear and the boy can be protected until we understand if there is a prophesy or a family legacy that the Unspeakables wish to talk to Harry about," Ian said.
Andi frowned. "I would have to talk to my husband about this. I wasn't thinking about moving to the other side of the world."
Grover, on the other hand, was looking rather pensive. "You would allow me to run the Pacific operations as I wish?"
Ian only raised his brow. "I believe I said Japan."
"But there are the suppliers and farms on Borneo and Jakarta as well," Grover said.
"There is," Ian agreed. "I do not think you ready for all that yet."
"But in a few years," Grover replied.
Ian slowly nodded his head. "In a few years, perhaps."
Grover looked to her. "If you are willing to talk with your husband, I will talk with my wife. I am still unsure about a betrothal, but if I remember correctly, the Potters have suppliers or farms on New Zealand. If I am can manage them, then we may have a deal."
Andi pursed her lips. She looked to the rather ambitious Grover and the cautious looking Ian. "I always said you should have been in Slytherin like your brother."
"I like books and numbers too much. I would never have done well with all the politics," Grover replied.
Ian nodded his head. "You are most likely correct. Shall we meet in three days time to see if this deal is acceptable?"
"I would rather not wait that long unless we are going to the goblins on that day. I really do fear that Dumbledore and the ministry will move sooner than later," Andi said. She wasn't looking forward to leaving England, but to protect her family, she would do anything, and if the Dark Lord wasn't gone, then this might be her best chance.
Ian looked to his son. "Do you think you can talk with and convince Emily tonight?"
Grover looked to be deep in thought. "Will it be an open agreement?"
"No, but I will accept escape clauses when they are old enough to decide on their own. An open agreement will not be able to extent the protection of the alliance to Harry," she said, feeling like a huge fraud for pushing something like this.
"When would you want them to marry then?" Grover asked, looking surprised for a moment.
"By twenty-five," she said.
"No. It will have to be before Harry's twenty-first birthday. Harry will be eligible to take up his full lordship at that age and they would have to consummate the marriage before then if this is to be airtight," Ian said.
Andromeda frowned. "Why is that important?" she asked, not understanding for some reason.
"Until Harry can take up his full lordship, his status can be disputed. I know that the Blacks have family that could claim you are usurping the house. I am unsure if Harry has relatives on the Potter side, even if he is the last mainline Potter. If he is in a formal betrothal and married before then, then any dispute will have to be held off until he can stand before magic to take up his family legacy in the Wizengamot at twenty-one, and then prove he is incapable of siring a child. That will hold off any disputes until he is twenty-five. By then, he should be powerful enough to withstand any challenge," Ian answered her.
She frowned. She had been taught the ways of being a pureblood woman for years, but the inner working of the Wizengamot and patrimony had not been part of those lessons and she had never wanted to dig that deep into it, preferring to learn all she could about Healing.
"I would suggest that we meet again tomorrow afternoon. I will have our family lawyer draft up a proposal. Your husband should attend and I would think bringing Daphne and Harry would be a good thing to see if they are compatible," Ian suggested.
Grover dipped his head. "Yes, father. I think that prudent."
Andi felt a little over her head. "Tomorrow afternoon," she agreed. She needed to talk to Ted and maybe someone else? She just didn't know who.