The Future of House Black

by The Katanna Twins

The war is finally over. Harry now needs to figure things out. He discovers things hidden from him, and for once makes a decision not guided by the manipulations of another. He's accepted the Lordship. Now it's time to work towards his future. To pull his family away from the brink of extinction. He has decided. Rated T for now...

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

The Future of House Black

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Was there anything else you had planned to do whilst away for this trip now that you have met with Lady Potter?" Marcellus asked the next morning as the four of them sat down in the dining room of the Black Cabin for breakfast.

"Well, I am almost finished with sorting through the investment proposals thanks to Marcus helping me last night, and I've already written a letter to the Headmaster or mistress of Illvermorny. I doubt I'll be able to visit the grounds of the school on such short notice so I'll need to arrange another trip here for that. I suppose we can schedule for a return portkey within the next few days unless one of you has something else you need or would like to do while we are here." Hardwin said thoughtfully between bites of his eggs.

"Ilvermorny? Why would you want to visit the North American School of Magic?" Marcus asked as he cut into his breakfast sausage.

"I have been doing some research into my bloodline. My mother was from squib lines of Houses Black, Montague, Nott, Prewitt, and Gaunt. House Gaunt is where my parseltongue comes from. Your father suggested I look into the school while I am here as he informed me of the rumor that Morrigan Stewart was a descendant of Slytherin as well." Hardwin said as he spread a bit of strawberry jam onto a warm crumpet.

"Yes, I had heard of that rumor as well. Is there something you are hoping to find there?" Marcellus asked curiously and Hardwin shook his head.

"Nothing in particular. It has been almost three hundred years since Morrigan Stewart's death, but I'm curious to see if I can find any information to confirm a connection between her and House Gaunt. If she was a very distant relative then I would appreciate seeing the school she created. Britain's view of parselmouths has been blackened over the years whereas in other parts of the world, such as India, it is a talent that is worshiped. I would like to change that if I can." Hardwin admitted and Draco nodded.

"I understand what you mean. Any child or descendant you have could inherit the ability from you. If one of the founders of Illvermorny was a parselmouth then it would do a lot to show that not every descendant with the blood of Salazar Slytherin was dark. I mean, she was married to a muggle, wasn't she?" Draco asked as he tried to remember what he had read about Illvermorny when he had been curious about the other wizarding schools several years ago.

"Yes. I haven't found the name Morrigan Stewart while mapping my ancestry but there is an Isolt Stewart nee Sayre from a cousin branch of House Gaunt around the right time period. Her husband isn't listed so there is a good chance he was a muggle. They had twin daughters, Rionach and Martha Stewart. Now, Rionach's line ends with her, but Martha was a squib. She went on to have three children, but each of those lines ended within three generations." Hardwin said as he thought back to what he remembered finding from both his ancestry test as well as the limited information he had been able to find about that branch of the family.

"Is there a line from House Gaunt still active?" Marcus asked curiously and Hardwin grimaced.

"Other than my mother's squib sister and her son, no, I haven't been able to find any others from the line still living. I have been looking into squib lines, but most of the squibs I could find in that particular family tree died shortly after their eleventh birthday." Hardwin explained darkly with a frown at the turn this conversation was taking.

"Didn't the main line of House Gaunt end some time ago?" Marcellus mused only to look up from his plate as Draco flinched and dropped the knife he had been using to butter his crumpet onto his plate with a loud clatter, drawing the attention of everyone.

Hardwin did sigh then as he shook his head while Draco looked at him in silent apology and question.

"The last Lord of House Gaunt was Morfin Gaunt. Morfin died childless in Azkaban sometime in the late nineteen-forties or fifties. What many didn't know was that his father, Marvolo, had a daughter. Merope Riddle nee Gaunt died in childbirth on the thirty-first of December in nineteen twenty-six. She gave birth to a son she named Tom Marvolo Riddle after his father who was a muggle. He had no children and died in the Battle of Hogwarts a few months ago. His death ended the Blood War." Hardwin told them as he put down his fork of eggs; his appetite gone though at least he had almost finished.

He knew they would put together to whom he was referring. There had only been one death that had the ability to end that bloody war. A thought that was quickly proven correct when both Marcus and Marcellus's movements froze as they looked at him; their eyes widening. Draco grimaced as his eyes flickered down to his covered forearm before turning away and setting down his silverware. The room grew quiet and Hardwin grabbed his napkin to wipe his mouth gently before sighing.

"Anyway... I cannot send the letter until the crow returns from the Potters. If it doesn't return before we leave then I will just tell Portia to send it out when it does. Otherwise, my business in this country is finished unless there is anything else you all would like to do." Hardwin said as he tried to move on from the subject of Tom and the war.

It had been such a good morning, too.

"I have already finished with what my father asked of me." Draco said as he laid his napkin down before sipping at the milk in his glass.

"I only have a dinner meeting with an associate set for this evening. I can leave as early as later tonight once it has concluded." Marcellus replied as he set down his silverware.

"I'm ready to return to Britain whenever you are. I came to spend some time with you and to get our contract signed." Marcus said simply as he finished his breakfast, and Hardwin felt warmth in his chest that his intended had come because he'd wanted to spend time with him when he hadn't needed to; the contract signing could have waited until his return.

"Alright. I'll finish organizing things here and we can schedule our return portkey at the Ministry. I need to get back to see what Kingsley has uncovered." He said before excusing himself and standing to make his way upstairs to the office in order to make arrangments for his investment proposals to be sent to Gringotts and notifying the American branch to forward correspondence home to Black Manor, arranging for their travel back to Britain, and to make Portia's orders easy to carry out once the crow had returned by having the letters ready to be sent out.

123

They'd had to wait two days while the paperwork and approvals were processed but Hardwin, Draco, Marcus, and Marcellus had taken an international portkey back home to Britain after a floo call with Leanne to let her know they were leaving. They had just finished eating lunch, but with the time difference, it was nearly time for supper when they arrived in the United Kingdom. Hardwin had again had trouble with the portkey, but luckily, Marcus must have noticed as his arm quickly wrapped around his waist and kept him from falling and making a fool of himself. Hardwin's cheeks warmed in embarrassment as he peeked up at Marcus from under his lashes to see the man smirking down at him.

"Portkey's do not agree with you, I take it?" He asked as Draco and Marcellus moved out of the arrival room before Marcus pulled Harwin gently to follow them and make room for the next scheduled portkey arrival.

"I have always hated them. I'm fine with apparating, and I have almost mastered floo travel by this point. I don't think I will ever feel comfortable using a portkey after my fourth year at Hogwarts." Hardwin admitted quietly and Marcus gently squeezed his side at the admission.

He didn't know the details of what Hardwin had gone through, but he did know that it was what had led to the Dark Lord's revival and his family's flight from the Isles. He gave Hardwin a moment to pull himself together as they left the relative privacy of the room to step into the international portkey office at a sedate pace. Marcus's arm shifted from its place around his waist for Hardwin to take his arm now that they weren't alone with only the members of their family to see them. Hardwin grasped the larger man's arm gently after taking a second to adjust his cloak and check that his hair hadn't come out of the clasp that held the half-plait out of his eyes. They stepped into the office and followed Draco and Marcellus to the desk where they turned in the porkey and each of them waited to have their wands checked as this was the Ministry building. Those arriving here needed to have their wands checked just like anyone else who came through one of the other entrances.

"Ah! Lord Black! Welcome back to Britain. I hope you enjoyed your trip to the United States!" The witch chirped from behind the desk as he gently set his holly wand in front of her.

Hardwin almost winced as her voice raised in excitement when she focused on him with a look that made his skin crawl before he was able to smooth his expression completely. Green eyes flickered to where a copy of the quibbler rested at the corner of her desk to see the article printed on the front page. The lettering was in large bold print over a picture that Andromeda had taken two weeks ago and had sent to Luna for the article. Hardwin stood in his study in Black Manor before the mantle where Arcturus's portrait was hung. The Crest of House Black could be seen proudly displayed at the base of the portrait where he was speaking to his great-grandfather before turning to look at the viewer and pausing to give a small nod before the image looped back to where he had been speaking with the portrait. He remembered that Andromeda had been telling him that Narcissa would be coming for tea.

Harry Potter's True Name: The Secret His Parents Kept to Protect the Heir of House Black! By: Luna Lovegood

Hardwin Potter-Black reveals the truth of his parentage! Lord to Most Ancient and Noble the House of Black and scion of the Ancient House of Potter!

'Damn. I forgot that the article would be published soon. I guess that was today.' Hardwin thought as he straightened with a subtle breath before speaking in an even tone.

"It was a pleasant trip, yes." He replied before raising a brow as the witch just stared at him; her eyes flickering over his face instead of checking his wand so they could move on.

"I understand that Lord Black is well known, but he isn't here to be on display. Do you think you could do your job so we may continue with our business sometime today?" Marcus's deep voice startled the witch out of her admiring of Hardwin, and he couldn't help the small smile that curled the corner of his mouth before he squeezed his betrothed's arm gently in appreciation.

"O-Oh... Yes. Yes, of course." The witch stumbled as she finally picked up his wand to put it on the scale.

Hardwin glanced over to see Draco subtly rolling his eyes as he turned away to speak quietly with Marcellus who had been watching the whole scene with a raised brow. It wasn't surprising, really. He had always received one of a few reactions from other witches and wizards in the UK. It had been rather refreshing to walk around Landfara Way as he shopped in New York with the others and not have people staring at or watching him overly much. Hardwin's shoulders relaxed a bit at the feeling of Marcus gently brushing his fingers and glanced up at the taller man. Their gazes connected, and Hardwin felt the tips of his ears heat at the look in his dark eyes before turning back to the witch as his wand was handed back to him over the counter.

"All done! Here you are, Lord Black. I have a note here that Minister Shacklebolt requesting for you to go to his office upon your return from your trip." She said as her finger brushed a piece of parchment that Hardwin knew must have been one of the missives that were spelled to fly to specified departments like little birds.

"Very well. Good day, ma'am." Hardwin said as he took his wand back and gave her a short nod before he and Marcus turned away to follow Marcellus and Draco, who had been watching and waiting, out of the International Transportation Department.

"I suppose we'll part here. You shouldn't keep the Minister waiting. When do you think you'll be done with your business? I'll notify Aunt Andromeda we've returned." Draco said as they reached the hall and started moving toward the lifts.

"I may be a while. I'm unsure how long this meeting will take to get through whatever information the Minister has uncovered. I had thought to make a stop at Weasley Wizarding Wheezes to speak with George, but... I think I need to wait until I have a bit more information. I truly don't want him to feel he's being put into the middle of the situation." Hardwin admitted as they entered the empty lift.

"Do you think he was involved?" Marcus asked and Hardwin shook his head as the lift doors closed and his grip on the man's arm tightened a bit to keep himself steady on his feet as the lift lurched.

"I don't believe so. The twins... They worked so hard to get the funds for their shop before I gave the start-up money. I don't believe they would have needed to do so if they were being paid from my vault like their mother, sister, and Granger were." Hardwin admitted as the lift jerked to a stop and he stepped out with the other three into the atrium.

"I'll let Aunt Andromeda know you may be a while then." Draco said as the conversation ended when eyes everywhere turned to look at them; many staring at Hardwin as a flurry of whispers started all around the atrium.

"Our time at the Black Cabin was enjoyable, Lord Black. I suppose we will be seeing you very soon." Marcellus said with a glance toward his brother who hadn't moved away from his intended.

"I'm pleased you enjoyed yourself, Heir Flint. Thank you, Draco. I will see you both later." Harwin replied before the two of them both stepped away and then turned his attention toward Marcus.

"I will write to you soon. I do not plan to wait another three weeks to see you again." Marcus warned and Hardwin had to suppress the urge to smile as the man grasped his hand and pulled his knuckles to his lips to brush a kiss across the skin right there with everyone watching.

"You're going to have them talking even more than the article Luna wrote... I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up in the paper tomorrow." Hardwin mumbled in embarrassment as he glanced around to see several witches and wizards watching them and the whispering growing louder.

"I do not care. The announcement of our engagement will be made public soon enough. Let them talk. It will not change anything." Marcus replied as he pulled Hardwin's hand away from his lips and brushed his thumb over the betrothal band on his thin wrist hidden under the cuff of his robes.

"You are right, of course. I will wait for your owl." Hardwin said with a small smile and a nod of acknowledgment of the possessive gesture before he stepped back and Marcus released him with a nod of his own before turning away to join Draco and Marcellus to leave the Ministry through the floo system.

Hardwin watched them go for a few seconds before releasing a sharp breath and turning on his heel with the next as he headed toward the lifts to take him to Kingsley's office. He ignored the crawling feeling on his skin from all of the eyes watching him as he entered the floor for Level One. The trip didn't take long and Hardwin stepped out of the lift into the hall and headed toward the Minister's office. He passed the wizard in red auror robes standing near the door with an exchange of nods, and a murmured "The Minister is expecting you, Lord Black.", only to pause in surprise at the familiar face that greeted him in the secretary's office.

"Mr. Weasley..." He said as his gaze met the blue eyes and freckled face of Percy Weasley as he shut the door behind him.

"Ah... Lord Black. Yes, the Minister did say you would be stopping by within the week." Percy said softly as he set down the parchment he had been reviewing and the room went quiet for a moment as he seemed to be gathering his strength with a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. For the wrongs my family has committed. Truly. I... I honestly had no idea what was happening until I spoke to the Minister a few weeks ago. Even then, I know he hasn't told me everything. I consented to questioning under veritesurm to clear myself of any involvement, and have been avoiding my family since so as not to interfere with the investigation. It isn't right... What my mother and sister have been doing." Percy seemed to stumble and ramble before Hardwin held up his hand to stop him; green eyes softening and his shoulders relaxed as he gave Percy a small smile.

He had been gone for over a week, but he did remember what Kingsley had told him before he'd left. After Hardwin had informed Kingsley of the theft and his other suspicions the man had started his own investigation through the auror office as both theft and possible attempted line theft were serious matters. Kingsley was determined to stamp out the corruption within the Ministry and their legal system. Arthur and Percy, as Ministry employees, had both been suspended with pay while the Aurors 'quietly' investigated if they had any involvement in the collusion with Dumbledore due to the known involvement of their wife/mother and daughter/sister. Arthur had questioned the suspension but had done nothing to aid the investigation to clear his name while Percy had done everything he could to return to work as quickly as possible.

Gringotts had done something similar with both Bill and Fleur. They were both Gringotts employees, and the goblins disliked that they had two of their workers coming under suspicion of involvement in theft. Bill and Fleur had both been suspended as the Goblins combed through their account looking for any connection to the matter. Hardwin had to assume that they had found something off though he couldn't say what that was. The only reason he knew anything was off was because the couple were still suspended from work weeks later. If Bill was involved then Hardwin didn't think Fluer knew about it. Hardwin and Fluer had got on well after they had survived the Twiwizard, and he didn't think the French witch would have stayed silent if she had known that the family she had married into was stealing money from him.

It was a shame that Fluer had been caught up in all of this if her husband was involved.

"I'm sorry, too. It's not your fault, but you've been pulled into this mess. You didn't deserve to be suspended or under investigation because of the actions of a couple of members of your family. Your relationship with them was already strained. I told Kingsley so, but he wanted to clear any doubts of your integrity." Hardwin said softly and Percy sighed as he nodded.

"Thank you. I actually appreciate that my name can be cleared of this mess. At least this way I've been cleared of any suspicions, and when the papers get ahold of it I don't need to worry about my job. Please, don't apologize to me though. You're the one who has been wronged by my family." Percy sighed as he fidgeted by straightening the files on his desk.

"Not all of them. I only know about your mother and sister. I don't think your older brothers had anything to do with it. Nor the twins. They worked too hard for their dreams. If they had been benefiting from my vaults then they wouldn't have needed to work quite so hard." Hardwin said and Percy gave him a sad smile.

"I notice you didn't say anything about Ron. You think he...?" He trailed off and Hardwin bit his lip before catching himself and releasing it with a heavy breath.

"Honestly, I can't rule him out. Who better to watch me than the one I thought of as my best friend? I know that Granger was involved as well, and they are dating. Then there are a few other things that have happened over the years... I can't help but feel that he at least knew or suspected something even if he wasn't directly involved." Hadwin admitted and Percy's expression became pinched as he spoke.

"I can understand why you would feel that way. What about my father?" Percy asked and Hardwin shook his head.

"I'm not sure how much Mr. Weasley knew or knows now. The only reason I have cause to doubt him is some paperwork that was found in my files at Gringotts that have his signature." Hardwin admitted and Percy looked alarmed as his brows raised and he gasped.

"He... He signed something that was filed at Gringotts into your accounts? No... No, don't tell me any more. I will find out eventually either way. I don't want to be any more involved." He sighed in disgust as he waved his hand before rubbing at his eyes.

"That's fine. I just felt you deserved to know. You are innocent in this situation, but it is affecting you as well." Hardwin admitted, feeling a bit bad for the Weasley's who hadn't been involved but yet were being affected.

This investigation would impact their lives as well as their careers until they were cleared of any involvement. Percy had been suspended until he had volunteered to take the truth potion to clear any doubts from himself and then take an oath of secrecy until the investigation had been concluded. Bill and Fleur had been suspended from work at Gringotts for weeks now, and Hardwin doubted the goblins were paying them as the Ministry had done for Arthur and Percy. Then there would be what the public would be saying about their family as a whole when the information was made public and Hardwin's solicitor cleared everything to proceed with a lawsuit and take those involved to trial.

He detested being a public figure because the public opinions could swing in either direction. Right now things were positive so soon after Voldemort's defeat, and he didn't doubt there would be an uproar with the information currently being released. The old Houses would be incensed if Lucius and Narcissa's reactions were anything to go by.

"Is Kingsley in his office, or will I need to wait for him to return from somewhere else?" Hardwin asked after the room grew quiet between them.

"Oh, yes, he's in his office! Just a moment." Percy replied as he moved around the desk to knock on the door; opening it when he heard a muffled response from inside.

"Lord Black is here to see you, Minister." Percy said as Kingsley looked up from where he was scowling at some forms on his desk.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Please send him in." He said with a nod as Percy opened the door wide to let Hardwin through before closing the door behind him and leaving the two of them alone in the office.

"Good afternoon, Kingsley." Hardwin said as the Minister motioned for him to take a seat in the chair on the other side of the desk.

"Good afternoon, Hardwin. Did you enjoy your time across the pond?" Kingsley asked as he sorted the forms into a file and set it aside before opening the drawer of his desk and pulling out a separate file.

"It was... productive. I did enjoy the ability to wander Landfara Way without my every move being watched." Hardwin admitted and Kingsley nodded as he knew how much the younger wizard disliked the attention he got when out in public.

"Yes, well, I've looked into the matter you brought to my attention regarding House Potter though it took quite a bit of digging. They made sure these were deeply buried. Here's what I've found." Kingsley said as he held up the file for Hardwin to take so he could see it for himself.

"Let me guess, it has HIS fingerprints all over it." Hardwin said; knowing that Kingsley would know exactly who he meant.

"His and four others. I don't know how they managed to push this through. It's not the least bit legal. How they thought they could exile a Lord and his family without a full trial by the Wizengamont for a crime deserving of it, I can't understand. Even then, exile hasn't been used since before we started using Azkaban as a prison in seventeen-eighteen. Exile was only used for the worst of crimes when the death penalty wasn't applicable as a punishment." Kingsley said as he watched Hardwin look through the file; his green eyes flickering over the pages as he read through them.

"Bagnold, Fudge, Dodge, and Diggle... Are any of them still alive after the war? I haven't heard anything about Fudge since he was ousted as the Minister a couple of years ago." Hardwin said as he looked at the five signatures that included Albus Dumbledore's on the forms as well as the dates.

Forms exhiling Lord Henry Potter and his immediate family from the United Kingdom. Forms illegally signing 'Harry James Potter' into Albus Dumbledore's magical guardianship. Forms stripping House Potter of their Wizengamont seats and giving the Dumbledore family the right to preside over those seats to use the votes due to their exile. Forms giving Dumbledore access to "Harry Potter's" Gringotts vault to 'provide for the minor child', signed by the now deceased goblin who had managed the account and executed by goblin law, and other forms giving Dumbledore rights to decide the child's housing.

There were even forms where Dumbledore had tried to claim the Black seats and access to the vaults after Sirius's incarceration, though that one had been denied due to the fact that Arcturus was still Lord Black. He had apparently tried again after Hardwin's great-grandfather's death, and been denied again as Hardwin was the heir and not Sirius. The attempt had failed as Sirius was not the one with rights to them, and SilverClaw guarded his position as the Black account manager by denying all but the rightful heir access. It had been the one thing that had saved the Black seats as they could not 'strip' the heir of rights when they didn't know who the heir was. Most of the forms were dated November 5th, 1981, and renewed in 1990 after Fudge had become Minister. All were signed by Albus Dumbledore, Lord Dedalus Diggle, and Lord Elphias Doge as members of the Wizengamont while some of them held Millicent Bagnold's signature and others were signed by Cornelius Fudge.

Not a single one of them was either ethical or legal.

"Former Minister Bagnold has been confirmed to be one of the casualties during the last year. Doge and Diggle were the only two members of the Order other than Flecther who didn't show up for the Battle of Hogwarts though they both survived the war. Fudge... We will need to look for him. I think he might have left Britain after the fiasco a few years ago. I have already filled out the paperwork to issue arrest warrants for all three of them." Kingsley explained as he gestured to a file on his desk.

"What about Lord Potter and his family? What will it take to rescind the exile?" Hardwin asked as he closed the file and handed it back to the Minister with a small scowl.

"As the paperwork is not legal I can remove House Potter from the list banning them from obtaining an international port key. I will need to inform Head Auror Robards of the situation, and when they return to Britain then the spells placed on their names that alerted the auror office of their attempts to enter the country can be removed. The Auror department as well as a few other departments are still in shambles due to being so short staffed so it may take a few days. I've been too busy weeding through each department for un-marked Death Eater sympathizers to worry about recruitment." Kingsley said as he thought about the current situation with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

After two wars Britain's Auror force was smaller than ever. It didn't help that the years between had seen fewer and fewer Aurors passing the training to actually become Aurors. What had remained of the auror forces after the last year were now down to only a handful once Kingsley had weeded through the entire department.

"Have you considered sending a request to recruit assistance from the nearby countries for the next few years? At least until things are more stable. Maybe offer a few benefits if they decide to relocate on a permanent basis?" Hardwin suggested and Kingsley looked thoughtful as he nodded slowly.

"Yes... We shouldn't accept just anyone, but it is an idea to help bolster our forces in the auror department until we have more applicants from Hogwarts graduates. You've given me something to think about. Are you sure I can't convince you to come work for the Ministry as an auror?" Kingsley smirked playfully at Harwin who huffed and shook his head.

"I already work for the Ministry. I'm just a consultant for the RCMC, but it still counts. I'll always be here to go over ideas with you, Kingsley, but I can't be an auror. I've been fighting for years, and I don't want it to be the rest of my life. I also have more than just myself to think about now." Hardwin admitted knowing he just might have folded to the pressure to join the auror forces if he didn't.

"You mean Teddy and your responsibilities as Lord of your House." Kingsley said slowly and Hardwin nodded.

"Remus and Tonks named me as Teddy's godfather because they wanted me to take care of him if they were gone. Andromeda and I are all he has left. I can't continue to risk my life when there are better and safer, options available. Then there is the fact that I am the last of the Black males. My great-grandfather wanted the line to continue. He came to an agreement with all three of my parents just so the line wouldn't end. Sirius said in his letter that it was my decision what I wanted to do, and I made my choice when I accepted the Lordship. If something happens to me while chasing down dark wizards then Andromeda and Teddy will be the ones to suffer for it. It's not a risk I can take." Hardwin said and he could see Kingsley understood from the way his posture straightened.

Kingsley was a scion of House Shacklebolt. His uncle was the Lord but hadn't had any children until five years ago. As such, Kingsley had been taught as his Uncle's heir for most of his life until his cousin had been born. He understood familial responsibilities and duty.

'Thank you, Narcissa for the lessons on the other old families.' Hardwin thought as Kingsley spoke.

"So you plan to marry and produce and heir." He stated and Hardwin nodded before smiling softly.

"It's about more than just an heir. I have my cousins now, but the one thing I have always wanted was a family. I'm lucky to have found a betrothed who wants more than just a marriage of convenience." Hardwin said and Kingsley's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I know you had Lady Malfoy arranging your betrothal, but you have signed a contract already? Who are you contracted to marry?" He asked and Hardwin nodded before explaining.

"According to my family charter I must be bonded before I turn twenty or I will be rejected by the family magic as Lord Black so we have been rushing the usual process a bit. The contract was completed and signed only a few days ago. It has yet to be announced, nor has the date been set, but I will be bonded to scion Marcus Flint within two years. We still need to discuss a date, but it will probably be next spring or summer as I cannot take my seat on the wizengamot until I've bonded." Harwin told him and Kingsley's brows knit as he leaned forward on his desk.

"One of Lord Flint's sons, or is he from a cousin branch?" He asked as he tried to remember the names of members of House Flint who were of age to be married.

"Marcus is Lord Flint's second son. We were a few years apart in Hogwarts so we were already familiar with each other through our positions on our quidditch teams." Hardwin told him and Kingsley looked thoughtful for a moment.

"He was with you at Arabella's... Does he treat you well?" Kingsley asked; that being the only thing he was concerned about.

He couldn't say he and Hardwin were close. They had been allies and fought together during the war, but had never spoken much. Even so, Kingsley knew that Hardwin had given up and lost a lot to the war since he was too young to remember. They got along well enough and Hardwin could make his own decisions when it came to his life, as was his right. Hardwin had said he wanted a family, and Kingsley couldn't begrudge him that desire. He only wanted to know if Hardwin was satisfied with his marriage partner because, Merlin knew, the young man deserved happiness in his life.

An arranged marriage wasn't unusual in their world. In fact, it was very much the norm for the old wizarding families in order to continue and preserve bloodlines. Most families waited until the children indicated a gender preference before arranging the betrothal. It was the best way to ensure a productive coupling rather than leave the marriage doomed to failure from the start.

"Very well. We are still getting to know one another, but our betrothal was something we both decided we wanted." Hardwin assured him and Kingsley smiled as he nodded.

"That is good then. I wish you find happiness in your coming bonding, Hardwin."

123456

Well, that is it for this chapter. I do apologize that it has taken so long. I had a block for a while and then my last pair of contacts ripped so I was blind for about two months. I had to wait to get a new script for both glasses and contacts, but it did take a while. I did get this typed up during that, but there were a lot of errors that needed correcting and other paragraphs that needed a complete rewrite.

Anyway, let me know what you thought. The interaction between Hardwin and Percy completely caught me by surprise. I had meant for Hardwin to meet with Kingsley before leaving the Ministry and having a conversation with George, but then another idea hit me for that scene and it needed to be pushed back just a bit. That scene will be coming within the next few chapters though!

~Ryu