Author's Note: Happy Saturday! Enjoy!
Chapter 22:
Beautiful Day
Tuesday 25 July 1994
"As I said to your father, I can't make any promises that Harry will be willing to speak with you," Sirius said to Arthur Weasley and the twins, Fred and George. They were meeting in Muggle London at a coffee shop, which Arthur was fascinated with. For someone who was the head of the department that dealt with Muggle items, he had no clue what things were. A coffee cup was a cup. Sirius thought someone, maybe Andi and Ted, should take him out into the Muggle world and teach him a few things, like how not to point. He'd always liked Arthur, but currently his behaviour was annoying Sirius.
"We can't blame him," one of the twins said. Sirius had no clue how to identify each, but apparently Harry could. "We don't know that we'd want to speak to us either, that said, we've left home and we're living with our Weasley grandparents."
"By the way, Gran said hello and you must come to tea one day. She wonders if you're in touch with your cousin, Andromeda?" the other twin asked.
"I am," Sirius said with a smile. "I looked it up today, and your gran is my third cousin. She was first cousin to my grandfather, Pollux. She was also first cousin to my favourite great-aunt, Dorea Potter. She married Charlus Potter, Fleamont's cousin, and when James and I were at Potter Manor we always had a grand time visiting with them." Then a thought came to him. "Arthur, you might want to call your Uncle Marius and have him help you with your work? He's lived in the Muggle world for years, working as a physician."
"That's a brilliant idea, Sirius," Arthur said. "I will use the fellyphone –"
"Telephone, Arthur, telephone."
"Yes, telephone and give him a call."
"But about Harry," one of the twins said. "We know his birthday is coming and we have a gift to give him."
"I can take it to him. Is there a letter or something inside?" Sirius asked, not wanting to broadside his son.
"Yes, we both wrote him and apologized on behalf of ourselves and our older brothers, even though Harry has never met either of them," the second twin said.
"Our embarrassment over Molly's actions is high," the first said. "We never knew she was…that's why we're living with our grandparents, and dad's parents at that. We are never going back. If we must, we can go and live with Charlie in Romania and finish our education somewhere else. We've written our OWLs."
"I see. Harry won't forgive your younger siblings without their –"
"We aren't asking him to, just the four of us. Percy can ask for himself, although he's not at home either. He moved out when he got his job at the Ministry," the second twin brother interrupted.
"Tell him he shouldn't forgive them anyway," the other twin said. "They're talking about giving him potions to make Harry forgive Ron. Worse, Ginny wants Harry to fall in love with her, since she's believed she was to be his wife and thinks that it is the only way the future will unfold. Molly has filled her head with lies since she was a baby."
"I didn't know this about your siblings," Arthur said, bewilderedly. "Resorting to potions?" Sirius felt for the man, as he looked overwhelmed by this information.
"Dad, Molly has been brewing more than bruise paste and Pepper-Up lately. We don't know what it is, but one of them smelled very…enticing," the second said.
"Love potions?" Arthur said, close to tears.
"What's the gift boys?" Sirius asked, trying to change the subject.
"New Quidditch gloves with better grippers. Can't have that Firebolt flying out of his hands!" They said in unison.
"Excellent choice. I'll deliver it and I'll make sure that he reads the letter. From what he's told me, I don't think that he's angry at either of you. Let me have a moment alone with you dad, okay?" Sirius asked the pair nodded and then stood and left with their overly sugared coffee drinks.
"Do you really think Molly is brewing love potions?" Sirius asked. "If she is, that's a violation of our agreement and –"
"Sirius, I don't honestly know, but it wouldn't surprise me. I'm on the verge of going to live with my parents too. She rails against you and Remus, stating that you aren't good role models and Harry should be with her. That it wasn't stealing since Dumbledore told her to do it, and he was Harry's guardian. I know, he wasn't but she believes he was. She believes everything that man ever told her. Ginny and Ron have bought into what she says. They're both… my older sons are such honest and trustworthy men who are excelling in their careers. Percy had the third highest grades in his class last year and has started his career in the Minister's office and then there are those two," Arthur sighed. "Fred and George might make mischief, but their grades are strong and some of their inventions are genius.
"Then I look at my youngest two and wonder what went wrong. I wonder if I should send them somewhere other than Hogwarts. The discount with four of them there makes it my only option, but if Fred and George go to live in Romania and attend elsewhere then…" He trailed off. "I think I need to get them away from my wife and perhaps stop her brainwashing. I just can't stand being…" Arthur stopped mid-sentence as he was struggling to hold his tears in.
"Arthur, between you and I, I'm not sure Harry will be able to return to Hogwarts in the fall. His magic is massively overpowered from having the blocks Dumbledore placed on him removed. He'd blow a hole in the wall of the castle by doing a Reducto spell. We only let him practice outside at the moment.
"Goodness, I didn't realize he was so…but Ron has never said that his magical core was…Hermione was always the strongest of them," he rambled. Sirius was concerned for the man.
"His core had two different bindings on it, one placed by James when he was one that should have been removed when he was ten, it wasn't, nor was it taken off when he came to Hogwarts. Then there's the one Dumbledore put on him when he was eleven. Harry was working about half strength, and he still produced a corporeal Patronus," Sirius explained.
"Sirius, that's astounding. No, I can understand about the adjustments. Tell Harry I'm thinking about him, and I'm so ashamed of Molly." He looked close to tears. Sirius reached over and put a hand on his shoulder.
"How long have the boys referred to their mum as Molly?" Sirius asked.
"Since they learned of her crimes," Arthur admitted. "They packed their bags and went to their grandparents that night. Bill and Charlie came home long enough to berate their mother, tell her what her actions did to their reputations and then went to see the twins. I don't think either were here longer than eight hours. I can't blame the boys either."
"What about you? What are you going to do?"
"I honestly don't know, Sirius. I can't live with her acting like she does and if she does anything else so rash, I will lose my job. If she's brewing love potions – I'll need to either turn her in to the authorities for doing something that violates her agreement with the DMLE or leave her." Arthur was quiet for a long moment. "Sirius, how does Amortentia work?"
"I'm not entirely sure. From what I remember it's pearlescent looking, although easily hidden in liquids that aren't clear and it smells different to each person, like their perfect match," Sirius said, sounding like a professor. Thank goodness Remus wasn't with him, he'd take the mickey for sure.
"Would it make you notice someone you'd not before?"
"Yes," Sirius said slowly. "Why?"
"I need to speak with my wife," Arthur said, abruptly standing. "Thank you for meeting with us." The redhead quickly turned and left the establishment, leaving a confused Animagus behind.
Friday 29 July
"Why do I have to wear dress robes again?" Harry yelled out his bedroom door at his father as they prepared to go out for their evening repast.
"Because, we are going somewhere very fashionable, and dress robes are required," Sirius said calmly. "Do you need help with your tie?"
"No, I had asked Mr Weasley how to tie a tie when the twins came to get me before my second year," Harry explained. "Hermione tied it for me once in first year, and I just slipped it off over my head at night and then back on in the morning. I figured I needed to learn."
"Why did you ask Arthur?" Remus asked, coming out of his room. Harry turned red before answering.
"Because Uncle Vernon had explained it to Dudley, but I didn't have a father to ask. I figured it was one of those things that boys needed to learn. Hermione couldn't keep tying my tie. He was the closest thing to a father-figure I had," Harry said while rubbing the back of his neck. The three were quiet for a minute before Harry looked up. "Now I have a dad and an uncle to ask these things." Sirius came over and threw a casual arm over Harry's shoulders.
"Any other burning questions of the young man variety, Harry?" Remus asked kindly.
"How do you ask a girl out?" Harry said very quietly, and immediately wished he hasn't asked.
"Oh, Harry, I have been waiting to have this conversation with you since you were born!" Sirius said, deliriously happy. He let go of his boy and did a small jig.
"We will both give it to him, Sirius," Remus interjected and Sirius looked at him, a bit like a lost puppy. "Lily made me promise."
"I dreamt of giving him the 'little wizards talk' in Azkaban. It kept me going."
"Sorry, Dad, but Uncle Vernon beat you to that one. Made sure to add lots of graphic details just to make me squirm, too," Harry said, turning a deeper shade of red.
"Harry, why don't the three of us and Neville sit down and you can both ask your questions. There are certain discussions of a magical nature which Muggles don't need to concern themselves with," Remus said. "Now, I'm headed downstairs as the Grangers, Longbottoms and Bones' will be here momentarily. You two finish up, yes?" Father and son nodded, and Remus descended the stairs. Sirius grabbed his dinner jacket and over robe and then went into Harry's room. Harry was just putting his robes on over his expensive, new suit.
Sirius had spared no expense for this night, and it began with clothing for everyone except for Neville and his gran. While he offered, Augusta laughed at him. Lord Black was wearing a suit as dark as his name, although the black had a deep navy iridescent thread woven through so in certain light it gleamed a bit. The inside was lined with a deep silver-grey material. In the lapel hole, he wore a jewelled pin of the Black crest. His over robes were in the matching material from the lining of his jacket. He'd pulled his wavy black hair into a ponytail with an obsidian encrusted pin and holder. His black shoes were custom made in Italy. Overall, he not only screamed old money and power, but he would have looked at home on any Paris runway.
Harry, by nature of being younger and hipper, had on suit with a subtle green plaid. Dark grey, forest green and navy blue of the jacket was paired with matching trousers with a forest green tuxedo stripe. His shirt was green, a shade lighter than his that in his suit, while his tie was navy blue. His outer robes were forest green as well. Harry's hair had cooperated using Sleekeazy's – thank you Hermione for that bit of information. He'd noticed she'd look less frizzy this summer. Unlike his dad, Harry did not have any jewellery, nor did he have custom shoes. Maybe once his feet stopped growing a decade from now.
"Ready?" Harry asked his dad and Sirius nodded before they headed downstairs. There was champagne for the gathered guests, although Susan, Neville, Harry and Hermione were limited to a half glass. Amelia looked stunning in her beaded, one shoulder gown in midnight blue with black velvet robes. Her dress matched his suit perfectly. Sirius presented her with sapphire earrings and a matching bracelet. Not to leave Susan out, he gave her a silver and peridot bracelet that coordinated with her bright green dress and shimmery gold robes. Amelia removed the simple diamond solitaires she had worn over. Sirius enjoyed showering his fiancé with presents. He'd missed out on many years with her.
"You didn't have to give me anything, Lord Black," Susan said politely.
"Susan, dear, you do not need to call me Lord Black. You can call me Sirius like Neville and Hermione do or Uncle Sirius if you'd prefer my name to match your Auntie's. I don't expect you'll call me dad; Harry does, because is my adopted son. Although, if you'd like me to adopt you after your aunt and I marry, that is something we can discuss."
"You'd…really?" Susan said, stunned. "Auntie said that you both be willing to, but I thought it was just something she said after you became engaged. I never expected to have a father, or even a father-figure. The only man who came around our home regularly when I was little was Auror Moody."
"Alastor is not much of a role model," Amelia admitted, "but I always knew he was solidly moral and would never turn on us. The most important thing in my life was keeping you safe." She came over and rested a hand on her niece's shoulder.
"Alastor might be many things, but fatherly he isn't," Sirius agreed. "I want you to think about being adopted, it isn't a choice to make hastily." Susan nodded and then looked at the bracelet.
"You don't need to buy my affections," she quietly said.
"I know that," Sirius said just as softly. "Consider it being spoiled by a rich uncle."
"Okay then." Susan said while smiling brightly. Amelia then went over to Harry.
"Harry, I don't want you to think we're leaving you out. If you'd like me to adopt you too, I'd be thrilled. I knew your mother and father and they were fine people. While I'm sure they wanted to raise you themselves, it didn't work out that way and I feel confident in saying they'd want you to be happy." Harry nodded, unable to speak. He'd never thought about having a someone mother him, and not in the way Mrs Weasley smothered him.
"One last gift," Sirius said. "Harry, I had this made for you. I know you wear your ring, but you are the heir to two important houses. This is for you." He handed his son a box that was four inches square. Harry opened it and was stunned. Inside was a jewelled pin that had both the Potter and Black crests on it. He took it out, surprised at the weight of it.
"This is," Harry stopped as he couldn't come up with the words.
"Here, let me put it on you," Hermione offered, and she slid it from the box. The oval had a background made of rubies on which sat the crests. The Potter was on the top, a round aquamarine with the Potter heraldry carved into the flat surface. The bottom was an obsidian circle with the Black heraldry. Diamonds surrounded the entire rim.
"This is," Harry began again. "Thank you." Harry hugged his father.
"Well, we should be going," Remus prompted.
"Indeed we should," Augusta said. "You know how I loathe being late."
