23

AN: Several people have written in their reviews questions about the slap form Narcissa. My view was that she was shocked by what she learned, shocked that she had made a not so subtle proposition to someone who she just learned was a student with her son, and the thought unnerved her, and her response was to take it out on Westley.

Also, going forward, as per the recent edits (3/2024) older/time travelling Harry will be Westley (or Hydra per Arcturus and only Arcturus) and young Harry will be Harry. Hopefully that avoids any further confusion for everyone, including myself.

MiB

Monday, June 30

It was day after the announcement about Westley's heritage to the immediate members of the Black family and to Amanda. It was a quiet one around the Black Estate. Narcissa had removed herself from any direct contact with anyone. Sirius was off by himself not even watching the youngsters playing their version of Quidditch.

Amanda had made her way to Hogwarts as she had her interview with Dumbledore for the position of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Westley was sitting in Arcturus' office as they were discussing what to do next with the ones who had been captured trying to kidnap the youngsters.

"If we do not hear anything from the DMLE by early this afternoon, I will personally go find out what those idiots there are doing with that cursed group," he growled. "And you are welcome to come with me," added Arcturus.

Andromeda walked into he office and sighed. "So, all of the recent news has Sirius in a slump. More of slump than his usual one that is."

Arcturus rubbed his forehead, "It was a lot for all of you to hear about Hydra, or Westley, last night. It has affected everyone. But I do believe that it is for the best that we are not keeping this information a secret from the four of you. You are all too important to our family, to our future."

Andromeda smiled at Arcturus' words. She then turned towards Westley. "I guess I just want to thank you for what you are doing. We all saw a possible future that none of us would like when he heard your story last night. But you are a good man. You are determined to make things right, to make things better, for so many. Not just for yourself, or your younger self that is." She paused briefly before adding, "I am sure James and Lily would be proud of you for all that you have done."

Westley nodded slightly and smiled at her words. "Thank you, Andromeda, that means a lot."

She smiled back and added, "I thought I told you to call me Andy. Andromeda just sounds too formal. Kind of like my grandfather calling you Hydra." She then gave a quick smile to Arcturus before turning and leaving the study.

"The cheek of that one," snapped Arcturus as he stared after his granddaughter.

Westley shrugged at his comment. "At least she is in good spirits."

"Not sure why any of them would not be," said Arcturus. "It's not like this hurts any of them in any way. They now understand who and what you are. And they can already see the positive changes you have made, for this family, for each of them, for all of magical Britain."

MiB

Monday afternoon

DMLE headquarters

Westley and Arcturus arrived at the DMLE offices and were escorted to a small conference room by Kingsley Shacklebolt. "I know you want to speak with the director, but she and some of the staff are concluding their interrogations of those that were captured. She will be with you as soon as she is able once they have completed their questioning."

Arcturus muttered, "Well at least they seem to be doing something."

Westley and Arcturus waited in silence for over ten minutes before a very agitated Amelia Bones entered the conference room with Scrimgeour right behind her.

"You seem to be a little upset," Arcturus commented by way of greeting her.

"Upset is hardly the word for it, Lord Black," she said, not hiding her frustration and anger. "Scrimgeour even had a couple of Unspeakables assist with the interrogation of the individuals who were apprehended, and they do not have any knowledge of exactly who had hired them for the attempted kidnapping yesterday. They were paid up front, in galleons, but there is no way that we have found to trace who paid them, as all of the transactions were done outside of Britain and apparently not involving any branches of Gringotts."

"Do you have any of the men identified?" asked Westley.

"Sadly, we do not," replied Scrimgeour. "They are not from Britain, and it seems they have been working for various mercenary organisations. No more specific information has been forthcoming, despite everything we have tried."

"I presume that it was Nott who was behind this, but he apparently has done a more than admirable job of covering his tracks on this," said Arcturus who was clearly agitated.

Amelia Bones nodded slightly, "I understand your frustration, Lord Black, as my niece was among those whom they tired to apprehend."

"I don't suppose you would let me question these men, using some Black Family techniques," commented Arcturus.

Scrimgeour and Westley both raised eyebrows at the comment.

Amelia Bones simply rubbed her forehead briefly. "Even though the idea sounds entertaining to try, and might provide for some vengeful satisfaction, as the head of the DMLE I cannot condone or allow such actions."

"Very well," grumbled Arcturus, "I truly do not wish to jeopardise your position and authority."

MiB

When they arrived back at the Black Manor, the children were again playing outside, racing around on their brooms. The adults watching over them seemed more relaxed than earlier in the day. When Sirius saw Westley walking out to meet them, he quickly spoke with Andromeda and left her to watch the children. He took Westley by the elbow and pulled him inside.

"What is this all about, Sirius?" asked a slightly startled Westley.

"We need to have a little chat, you and I," said Sirius, whose tone was more serious than usual.

"And just what are we needing to talk about?" asked Westley.

Sirius led him to the lounge and pushed Westley onto a cough and he sat down in a chair facing him. "I have some questions, about what happened to me in my future that was your past. And then, well, then we're going to talk about you and your friend Amanda."

Westley furrowed his brow at his words. "What about Amanda? She is a friend. She is the best friend I have in this time, no offence Sirius."

"No, first, we're going to talk about me," said Sirius, who was sounding quite serious.

"I'm not sure I should be telling you about what is not going to happen," said Westley.

"How do you know what happened to me is not going to happen to me, again," Said Sirius. "Damn, this is already getting weird."

Westley took a deep breath. "I'll tell you why I know that. You didn't get out of Azkaban until I was about to start my third year at Hogwarts, that would be seven years from now. Seven more years of your being prisoner in that place, dealign with dementors, staying in your animagus form as much as possible."

Sirius swallowed hard as he listened to what Westley was telling him. "You decided to try and escape when you saw a picture of a wizarding family that included Pettigrew as Wormtail on the cover of the Daily Prophet. You realised he was still alive and you escaped, and everyone thought you escaped to track me down and kill you. Kind of made my entire third year a little miserable. Eventually we found out the truth, I saved the both of us from dementors by casting a patronus, which itself is another long story. You never got a trial, and I completely blame Dumbledore for that. Is that what you wanted to know?"

Sirius shook his head slightly, "No, you already told me some of that. Other than not getting a trial, and being stuck in Azkaban an extra seven years, what happened to me?"

Westley took a deep breath. "This information is part of the Fidelius, as far as I am concerned," stated Westley. "You were holed up at 12 Grimmauld Place for basically my fifth year. At the end of my fifth year I stupidly went to try and save you from being captured at the ministry, and you were not there. It was a set up by Tom Riddle to have me get the stupid prophecy that started the entire attack on my family. And you died. You were sent through the veil of death, and I blamed myself for that."

Westley took a deep breath, "So, yeah, I blamed myself that someone knocked you back into the veil of death. And that entire fiasco started because I didn't speak to you with the mirror you gave me."

Sirius leaned back and smiled slightly. "So, perfect Harry made a mistake. I made more, many more, and my mistakes were much worse. And you, you're the one who came back in time all by themselves to try and fix that, and everything else. You're one man trying to fix everything. Oh, you made it clear, you did this to protect someone you left behind. So yeah, you're essentially a noble git."

Westley shrugged his shoulders,"Perhaps."

Sirius nodded slowly, then he pulled a coin out of his pocket and examined it and then held it in front of Westley. "So, you said that your best friend, or former best friend, made this, or taught you how to make this. Isn't that what you told us?"

Westley nodded, "Yes, she did."

Sirius nodded in response. Then he continued, "And if I remember things right, she is the one who married your other best friend, but as I recall, you said they weren't good for each other."

Westley sighed as he recalled Ron and Hermione's relationship. "Yeah, he was always lazy in school. Whereas she was the brightest witch of our year. Hell, he even betrayed me a couple of times. But she didn't, she was always by my side even if she didn't agree with me." A soft smile came across Westley's face as he remembered how Hermione was always by his side. "She was like a sister to me."

Sirius nodded again before he continued. "So, the one who figured out how to make these coins, the one you say was the smartest witch of your time, you really think of her, or thought of her, as a sister?"

Westley considered the question, then replied simply, "Yeah, yeah I do."

Sirius frowned slightly. "But you never had a sister, or a brother."

Westley stiffened at the comment, "Well, no, I didn't. You know that. And my cousin who I grew up with sure as hell was never a brother or even a friend to me."

Sirius stood up and paced back and forth in front of Westley. "Then how do you know what a sister is like? I know you said you left someone else behind who was very close to you. And you said you do things to help people, to save people. I get that. I understand that. And I appreciate that. For all I know, you're trying to arrange for your younger self to have a relationship with her, the one you left behind that is, from when you two are young. And that might work, but also it might not. But I think, deep down, you will always wonder if your friend could have been, should have been, something more. The one who taught you how to charm these coins. The same one who you said was always by your side, always."

Westley just stared at Sirius now. "And what is the point of telling me all of this?"

Sirius shook his head for a moment and then rubbed his forehead. "You are the one, who by your own admission, does not, or has not, had many friends. And you are very protective of your friends. That much is clear, both here and in your past, or future is it? Damn this can get confusing. Whatever, but what I am trying to say is this. Don't rule out a friend as someone who can be so much more to you."

Westley raised an eyebrow. Then he took a deep slow breath.

Sirius stopped his pacing and turned and stared at Westley who had gone silent. "What? Something wrong with what I said?"

Westley took a deep breath, and let it our slowly. "No, not at all. There's nothing wrong with what you said. It's just the sort of advice I think I always needed to hear. Advice I needed to hear from my godfather."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at those words. Then he ran a hand through his long hair and looked Westley deep in his eyes. "Well, then, so, if I was on the run, in your past, for years, like you said; and people, including Albus Dumbledore, didn't get me the chance to have a trial, like you already did for me, this person standing here in front of you; well, that tells me that I was one of the people you knew and cared about who didn't survive the Battle at Hogwarts, or even survive to make it to that Battle."

Westley stood up from the sofa and was about to speak.

Sirius waved off Westley from saying anything in reply. "I am just as much your godfather as I am little Harry's godfather. And now I have the chance to make up to you what you missed when you were younger."

"I'm not sure I need a godfather right now," said Westley sombrely.

"That's hippogriff dung and you know it," replied Sirius. "You need a godfather who can tell you to stop being an ass, and help you to realise that Amanda is not just a friend. You don't want her getting involved with your next best friend because she can't have you because you view her as some sort of sister. And, besides, this godfather can take you, my godson, out drinking. Sure as hell can't do that with the younger version of you, or at least not any time soon. And for everything you have done for me, for this family, well, I think I owe you that. One night out drinking."

Westley rubbed his face with both hands. "Um wow, just wow." He took a moment before he said something more. "That is the most serious conversation I have ever had with you Sirius. And I think you may have had some pretty decent advice."

"About the drinking?" Sirius asked with a smile.

"Merlin, no, not the drinking," snapped Westley. "Look what happened the last time you went out drinking. The kids were nearly kidnapped, you freaking idiot," he continued. "But the other stuff, about my previous best friend, and my current best friend. I think I needed to hear that and I will definitely need to think about that."

"But not the drinking?" Sirius asked again.

Westley sent a silent wandless stinging hex at Sirius. "No, definitely not the drinking, you stupid dog."

The next morning the group of children had gathered again and Sirius had them all outside flying around on their brooms.

Andromeda was about to bring out some snacks for them when she noted her sisters staring out a large window at the activity of the children.

Andromeda called to Narcissa, "So, Cissy, I heard that you slapped Westley."

Narcissa turned to look at Andromeda, and she took a deep breath.

Andromeda placed the tray of snacks down on a nearby table. Narcissa looked back and forth between her sister and the snacks. "I thought you were bringing some treats out to the children."

Andromeda waved it off, "I was, but don't worry, a house elf can bring it out them." As she spoke an elf popped into the room, grabbed the tray and popped away again.

Andromeda smirked at her sister. "So, slapping the young man who will be the next lord of this house?"

Narcissa shook her head slightly. "He was being, I don't know, he is a jerk."

Andromeda tilted her head, "And just what exactly did he do, that was being a jerk? Last I knew, you were going to offer yourself to your future lord and provide him, how did you say it? Oh, yes, offer to provide for him a true heir to the Black family."

Narcissa's eyes widened for the briefest of moments and then she regained her composure.

"That was before he started being honest with us," snapped Narcissa.

"And just what was so offensive about his honesty and telling is exactly who he is and what is going on?"

Narcissa shifted slightly from one foot to the other as she considered her sister's words. "He lied about who he is, or was."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "So, he was Harry Potter, and now he is Westley Black."

"But he is Harry Potter," said Narcissa, "he made that more than clear."

"And that's your problem with him? His honesty?" asked Andromeda.

"He was a classmate of my son," stated Narcissa, not hiding the anger from her voice. "To be with him, that would be like being with one of Draco's little friends."

Andromeda started to laugh.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at her older sister. "And what in Merlin's name is so funny?"

Andromeda shook her head. "You, you are just overthinking this, everything."

"And exactly how am I doing that?" snapped Narcissa.

Andromeda put her hand to her moth for a moment to stop herself from laughing. "Westley, the young man whom you fancy, and I can tell that you do fancy him, Cissy, so don't even try to deny that." Before Narcissa could interrupt, Andromeda continued, "Westley, when he was younger, went to a version of Hogwarts, and he apparently attended classes with someone named Draco. He had adventures, he even defeated a Dark Lord. But Westley, this young man, he is not the same as little Harry Potter." She held her hand up to stop Narcissa from interrupting her. "They are not the same. Once Westley and Arcturus freed the young boy we know as Harry Potter from the relatives who were abusing him, just the way Westley had been abused, they became two distinct individuals. Westley and Harry that is. They are not the same person."

Narcissa stared at her sister for a minute and then let herself collapse into a chair that was near her.

Andromeda walked over to Narcissa, and noted she had a couple of tears in her eyes.

Narcissa, looked up at Andromeda, "Oh, Andy, what have I done?"

MiB

AN: This story is not abandoned. Work demands have made it difficult to work on it, plus the problems with certain issues in the story (name changes which almost all of you readers hated fir starters), but I have finally gone and fixed the name issue.

Chapters 7 - 22 have been edited and updated over the past couple of weeks...