The Institute for the Healing Magical was situated in the clear air of the Alps in Switzerland. Meadows of mountain wildflowers stretched out around the sanitorium. Patients were allowed to wander among the gardens of the place which had been built within the meadows. Some patients sat near the mountain brook that ran through the garden while others lounged in the warm summer sun.

Sirius had taken his breakfast on the terrace that morning before retreating to a little gazebo where he could meet with Axel and Teddy in relative privacy.

After twelve years as a prisoner of Azkaban, surrounded by Dementors and the North Sea, the ability to be out in the sun was still a novel feeling to Sirius. The fresh air, the breeze, the calmness of the institute did as much for his healing as the potions he had to consume and the sessions with the mind healer he had to talk through. His animagus ability had been what saved him in Azkaban, but it had made processing emotions and thoughts as a human more difficult. Unlike Peter who had been in his rat form near constantly for twelve years, Sirius had been back and forth between his two forms, depending on where the Dementors were, but it had still affected him. Dogs could feel complex things, but not on the same levels as humans, and he had to figure out how to process the passing of time and everything that was being dumped on him. He did not have time to take things slowly, he felt, he had a little boy back home waiting for him. Needing him to get well as quickly as possible.

Axel set a bank portfolio in front of Sirius who sighed and flipped it open. He had not expected to be Lord Black when he left Azkaban. After he had run away from home, Regulus had managed to communicate that their mother had blasted Sirius off the family tree. Sirius had taken that to mean that he was officially disowned, like Andromeda and his uncle Alphard. Apparently, his father had pulled one over Walburga though.

The estate was still in good order. The goblins had made sure of that, even though there had been little movement within the accounts besides interest accumulation from various vaults and investments. The Blacks were still as rich as they had ever been. He could see the movement of monies in the cadet branches of the house, everything looked in order there. He would need to decide what to do with some of the homes that the Blacks owned. Did he want to return to Grimmauld Place or not? Perhaps, he thought, he could get Axel to start the process of redesigning the place. Maybe, if the heads of elves were not on the wall and the dark colors were replaced with something bright, the house would be less dreadful.

The next portfolio Axel handed Sirius was for the Potters. As Harry's guardian, he now oversaw the Potter estate on his behalf. Dumbledore had removed some money from the Potter vaults and sent them to Harry's Muggle family to help with his upkeep, but from what little Harry had said, it was clear that the Dursleys had not spent a knut on him. Sirius was tempted to bring the Dursleys up on fraud charges. Thankfully, it seemed that Dumbledore had not been able to access the bulk of the estate, so heirlooms and Potter homes were untouched. Now he would need to set a proxy up for both the Black and Potter seats. He was not able to sit for either at the moment as he needed to focus on his healing.

"I want to reinstate some Black family members," Sirius told Axel, looking over the extensive family tree. "Andromeda Tonks is the priority. I want her fully reinstated. I know her vault was absorbed by the estate when she was disowned, and I'd like to create a new vault for her and put the same amount back into the vault with interest. I want her daughter, Nymphadora to be given her own vault with . . . how old is she . . . 21? Yes, 21 years' worth of yearly allowance."

"How much yearly allowance are we talking about?" Axel asked as Teddy scribbled down all the information.

"I know Narcissa got 50 Galleons a month allowance while we were in Hogwarts, so I suspect her sisters would've received the same. So that's 600 Galleons a year for 21 years. Sorry, my mind's not too quick with math just yet."

"It's all right, Lord Black," Teddy said. "That's 12,600 Galleons. A solid chunk of cash."

"It doesn't seem like a whole lot," Sirius muttered.

"Only because you were the heir of House Black," Axel said. "Even your cousins were not as rich as you were. If I recall, Andromeda Tonks in a well-known and well-regarded Mind Healer now and her daughter is an auror. The extra cash will be beneficial and a show of goodwill to them and for the public to see, but they haven't been destitute."

"No, I think Uncle Alphard also helped Andromeda when she eloped. Oh, I want him restored to House Black too. I know he's dead, but it's the principle of thing." Sirius looked over the family tree. "And Cedrella Weasley. Just to stick it to our ancestors."

"I'm certain Lord and Lady Weasley will still appreciate the gesture," Axel said. "Speaking of family, though, Healer Tonks has been wondering if she could come and visit you."

"Of course, she can! Did she really feel like she couldn't?"

"I think she wanted to make sure you were settled and that you had had time to visit with Harry and Remus before she came. I will let her know that you will welcome her visit at any time."

"Good. Now, what's the next business? Has Dumbledore been causing problems?"

"A little, but the Ministry is too intent on ensuring they stay in your good graces." Sirius snorted. "Plus, after your comments at your compensation hearing, Madam Bones had been the warpath and may have discovered that the Potter wills were never opened."

"They weren't opened, or they were sealed?"

"No, the ministry records show that the Chief Warlock read through the wills, but when she went to Gringotts to subpoena copies, the seals were unbroken. So, Dumbledore's coming under fire for that. Not enough that I think he will be ousted, he's too well respected and popular still for that, but it's enough that I think a few . . . neutral . . . parties are beginning to take notice."

"Good. I have half a mind to sue him for leaving me to rot in Azkaban. I did so much for his Order he should have at least wanted answers!"

"Let's settle a few more things first. There's plenty of time for us to discuss bringing justice to you."

"Not just me," Sirius muttered. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It would do no good getting worked up.

"What about Remus?" he asked. "I know for a while The Daily Prophet was printing articles about my sanity and Remus' ability to keep Harry safe."

"Yes, but there was international backlash from several journalist societies the paper is a part of," Axel said. "Plus, your statement did a lot to cool tempers and fray nerves. Like I said, the Ministry is bending over backwards at the moment to keep you happy, and I think we need to capitalize on that for as long as possible. On top of that, there are rumors going about that the Ministry is getting a lot of international complaints regarding a few things such as the Quidditch World Cup, so by cutting down on the werewolf visceral they're able to keep some pressure off of themselves."

"What other international concerns?" Sirius asked.

"Not quite sure yet. Teddy's going to go and do some snooping in another day or two so hopefully there will be more answers. But it's important that you set up a proxy for both the Black and Potter seats while you're recuperating."

"Remus can sit proxy for House Potter for the moment as co-guardian. I'd like Andromeda to sit proxy for the Blacks if she is willing. Or Ted. He always had a good head on his shoulders. And it'd make some of my ancestors spin in their graves for a Muggleborn to sit in that seat."

"I'll let Healer Tonks know when I tell her you want to see her," Axel promised.

An orderly came up to the gazebo, carrying a tray of lemonade.

"There is a Madam Bones at the visitor's desk," the orderly told Sirius. "She is wondering if she can speak with you, Lord Black."

"Of course. Could you also inform the visitor's desk that Andromeda Tonks and her family are approved visitors so they can be sent straight to me whenever they arrive."

"Of course."

Axel and Teddy packed up their parchments and bid Sirius good-bye, nodding to Madam Bones as she was escorted to Sirius. He poured her a glass of lemonade.

"You are looking much better, Sirius," she said as she settled in a sunny spot. "The Alps are doing you good."

"The Alps do everyone good," Sirius acknowledged. "I feel like a new person. But I doubt you're here for pleasure. We were never that close."

"Ah, you've got me there. Ever astute. No, what I want to speak to you about could have been done in a letter, but then again, it's not every day I get to come to the Alps on the Ministry's dime."

Sirius laughed.

"I just wanted to let you know that for the moment no one is going to both you and Mr. Lupin about his . . . condition. There's too much pressure from other sources that the ministry really cannot afford to keep having scandals and ruckus happening so I and others have managed to minimize the issue regarding Remus' co-guardianship of the Boy-Who-Lived."

"I'm glad to have you on my side."

"Truth be told, I was very hesitant at first. I've dealt with enough werewolves to be cautious. But Susie was very adamant that Remus was a good person and that he and Harry had gotten close over the school year. As had Neville Longbottom. My niece was very upset at how people treated Remus."

"She's just like Edwin," Sirius murmured. "I don't know if he knew, but he was always extra kind to Remus."

"Susie is her father's daughter all right."

"Shame about the Longbottoms."

"So, you've heard about them?"

"How could I not? My cell was right next to Barty's and Bellatrix's voice carries." Sirius leaned forward. "I do want to speak to you about Barty, Amelia. Before he died, he told me some things."

Amelia Bones leaned forward.

"Am I going to need a Pain Relief Potion for the headache that will no doubt develop from whatever it is you want to tell me?" she asked.

Sirius grinned.

Andromeda hesitated in front of the Institute for the Healing Magical. Except the for moment at his compensation hearing, she had not spoken to Sirius since he had been declared innocent. There was so much she wanted to say to him. Apologize for believing that he had gone the way of the rest of their family, apologize for not visiting him in Azkaban. She wanted to talk about Nymphadora and possibly get her some Black family funds. She and Ted did decently as they were both healers and Dora was no slouch either, but a young auror did not make as much money as the senior aurors and she knew that Dora wanted to get out and be more independent and one needed Galleons to do that.

She took a deep breath and climbed the steps.

When she gave her name at the visitor's desk she was immediately taken into the sanitorium to her surprise. She thought they would have to go and ask Sirius if he wanted to see her. Of course, she knew he did, Mr. Axel Lawrence would not have contacted her about it if he didn't, but she did not expect to be escorted back immediately.

It seemed Sirius was taking an afternoon tea in the gardens. She stared at him as he sat still, something she had rarely ever saw him do as a child, face turned towards the late afternoon sun. He was pale, and still very thin, but his hair was neat and clean just like the rest of him. She watched as an orderly came over with a tray of potions which Sirius immediately took before spotting her.

"Andromeda!" he cried, a wide grin spreading across his face, making his appear years younger. She choked on air as she stepped closer. He stood, arms wide, and embraced her. They tightly held each other for a long time before Sirius pulled back first.

"It's good to see you," he said.

"Likewise," she managed to say.

"Sit, there's much we need to discuss," Sirius told her. He poured her tea and offered her cookies from his little tea tray.

"I wanted to apologize," Andromeda said before Sirius could keep speaking. "I should never have believed that you would have turned on James and Lily."

"No, you shouldn't've," Sirius agreed. "But I forgive you." He gave her a sad smile. "Besides, I'm not sure what you could have done. You don't really have that much weight to push around."

Andromeda nodded.

"I don't blame you for leaving me in Azkaban," Sirius told her. "Please don't take that burden on yourself. There are other people who should have also known better who were in better positions to bring me justice who did not."

Dumbledore, Andromeda thought.

"But that is not what I want to talk to you about," Sirius said. "I've begun making changes as Lord Black. I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I am glad that I was not officially disowned by my father. I'm reinstating you into the Black Family."

Andromeda gasped.

"I'm also giving your vault back to you," Sirius continued. "Well, it's a new vault but it will have all the money you should have by now, plus interest. I'm also creating a vault for Nymphadora."

Tears pricked at Andromeda's eyes. She did not even have to bring up the topic, her dear cousin had already thought of it!

"I also would like to know if you would take on the job of Black proxy while I'm recovering," Sirius continued. Andromeda stared at him. Her? Black proxy? So many people would be horrified to see her taking a seat on the Wizengamot! Most of all Lord Abraxas Malfoy. She had jilted Lucius by eloping with Ted. Not that Lucius or Narcissa had minded. Lucius had already been head-over-heels for Narcissa, and she for him.

"You sure you want me to be proxy?" she questioned.

"Why not? You'll be reinstated so there will be no issue. You just have to sit a few seats down from Abraxas and Lucius."

"Lucius, I don't mind so much," Andromeda answered. "We all know he was in love with Narcissa, and my elopement allowed for them to get married. It's Abraxas I don't care for. He was in Azkaban too you know."

"I did not know. He was probably in the non-dementor infected area of the prison. Low level prisoners get that luxury." Sirius sipped at his tea. "So, will you be my proxy?"

Andromeda nodded.

"Of course," she agreed. "It has been a while since the Black family caused a scene. The wizarding world needs to be reminded who is on top."

"That's the spirit! Now, tell me all about Ted and Nymphadora. She's an auror, obviously, but is she seeing anyone? What made her want to be an auror?"

The rest of the afternoon was spent in easy conversation with Sirius. Andromeda almost felt that, if they had been in any place but a sanatorium, would have been like almost no time had passed. Sirius was just as easy to talk to as he had been when they were children.

When she left the institute in time for Sirius to go to dinner, Andromeda promised to return with Ted and Nymphadora, though she did warn Sirius that her daughter, for unknown reasons, disliked her name and simply went by her last name. Andromeda was not sure why this amused Sirius like it did, but she put it down to him being tired and still recovering from twelve years in Azkaban. Nymphadora was an excellent name.