My Child

Chapter 6

Healer Rowle lurched forward, bodily grabbing the former Lord Arcturus Black and prevent him from sprawling across the floor in his weakened state. The wizard had in his befuddled state, attempted to get up unaware that his body was in no shape to comply with him let alone hold his weight (even if he had lost some during his comatose state).

"Charlus? Dorea? Are you well?" he asked, his voice commanding and calm, as he skilfully eased the weakened wizard back into his rather dusty bed for the moment.

Arcturus groaned, coughing as he breathed in particles that shouldn't be breathed in.

"I'm fine," Charlus replied, voice low, clearly, he'd dove to the ground, "Dorea?" his voice becoming a little higher in his worry for his wife, whom he couldn't see or hear.

"I'm here," Dorea's voice was curt but not angry. "What happened, Healer Rowle?"

"Is everything alright in there?" Marius called out from behind the closed door, voice slightly muffled.

"We're fine, Marius, I'll be out in a moment," Dorea rose her voice so her worried brother could hear her, was the door locked? Something pinned against it?

A sudden pop, and everyone knew a House-elf had entered the room. Their entrances and exits were very well known amongst the upper echelon of society. It was a mark of being in upper echelon when you owned House-elves, and despite the fact Dorea and Charlus didn't have the wealth they were born into, they were still upper echelon.

The room, no the house, was so quiet that you could literally hear (somewhat) the muttering the House-elf Summer, and with a click of her fingers the room was free of the moats of dust, plaster and such. They could see once again, their attires were dirtied, their hair and skin a mess, whiter than it ought to be for some, Arcturus' hair looked entirely white now with barely any black visible.

"Is Harry alright?" Dorea turned her expectant gaze upon Healer Rowle.

Healer Rowle startled at Dorea's words, momentarily caught of guard, ensuring that Arcturus was not in any danger of falling off the bed he moved. It was only five steps he had to take in order to gain access to Harry. All was quiet as Rowle placed a hand upon Harry's forehead, and did a wandless, wordless scan to find out how the child was.

Dazed and disorientated, Arcturus muttered a few words unintelligible. He made no effort to move, but there was something he wanted to tell them. Unfortunately, Dorea and Charlus couldn't make out any word he was saying.

"Summer, I need the room corrected and cleaned, begin with Harry's bed he needs somewhere to rest and I would rather it be here." Dorea declared, "So that Healer Rowle can take care of both his patients until Harry is fully recovered." wiping Harry's forehead of the dust that had gathered everywhere.

Healer Rowle gave a small barely discernible smile, grateful that she was taking him into consideration.

"You'll be pleased to know that the last of the blocks Dumbledore had on Heir Harry Potter are gone." Rowle said pleased, "It would seem that the removal of one caused a domino effect and cascaded down the remainders and frankly exploded the blocks to smithereens."

"That's hardly normal," Charlus commented, in fact he'd say it was as abnormal as it could possibly get. "Given Dumbledore's power levels even more so."

"Very true, but I do believe that the trauma of that night…may well have woken Harry's magical maturity earlier." He explained cautiously, "I have no proof, we won't know until he's older whether he gets a boost or not." there was no signs, no written word, no diagnosis that lets you know. It simply was.

"Are you telling me you believe he's more powerful than Dumbledore himself?" Charlus asked incredulously. Giving Harry a look of disbelief, it couldn't be, could it? "At the age of one?"

"Not necessarily at such a young age, but now? right at this moment? Yes. He's right up there with Dumbledore and the Dark Lord in terms of power." Healer Rowle explained, "I do believe he may even have a few…powers that have trickled in through the family. Best keep an eye out for them."

"Powers?" Dorea asked, "There aren't really any known from the Potter line." Unfortunately, the Potter's greatest powers have been forgotten, ultimately due to the change of last name when the Peverell's continued to only have girls, it became the Potter family. Nobody had really investigated the Peverell vaults which only had books, furniture and such, the money had long since dried up. The Potters made their own money anyway, so it had never seen the need to bother with the single Peverell vault attached to the Potter ones.

Healer Rowle glanced at Charlus curiously.

"It's true, we were always known for our magical abilities, transfiguration and potions mostly, but nothing extraordinary. Not like for example the spell crafting and spell weaving the Princes' were known for, or the Crabbe family being known for it's true healers." Rowle had received his natural healer abilities from his mother, Lady Rowena Rowle nee Crabbe."

Rowle inclined his head with a smile at the compliment.

"Me…" Arcturus murmured, sounding more delirious or perhaps desperate.

"Charlus…a little help, if you please?" Healer Rowle begun tending to Arcturus pleased with Harry's vitals. As useful as House-elves were, they couldn't help when it came to seeing to a wizard of Arcturus' stature. He was a very tall man, and he needed more help than a House-elf could offer. He wasn't able to do anything on his own, and wouldn't likely be able to for quite some time.

"I'll wait outside," Dorea insisted, glancing at Harry who was being wiped down by Summer, their House-elf before glancing at the Healer and her husband who were easing Arcturus up out of the bed. "I shall prepare the sunroom for tea." She added, without another word, she left, as she closed the door, they could hear her talking to Marius.

"Arcturus woke up a few moments ago," Dorea explained, watching her brother closely.

Marius swallowed, glancing at the now closed door, heart pounding, "I guess I should leave…" even at his old age, the fortune he made…he was still terrified of his family for the condemnation they seek to repeatedly give him if they saw him. He'd been a young child, so vulnerable to their disgust, eleven-years-old child. It was terrifying the effect they still held on him and he hated himself for it. "I'll just leave…"

"Marius, I need you," Dorea said, hating herself for it, snatching his sleeve, "I need you." she repeated, it was an awful thing she was asking him, she knew.

"You don't know what you're asking of me," Marius's hoarse voice rasped out, his hands making claws before they wrapped around Dorea's wrist, giving her a small measure of comfort. In all their years she'd never asked him for anything, nothing, not a damn thing. No money despite him having a million times more than her, he'd tried she refused to accept it. She'd just wanted to get to know him again, be in his life, and it had meant more than anything in this world to him.

Now she asked this of him.

To face the former Lord Arcturus Black as if it were nothing.

He was metaphorically shaking in his boots. Emotionally in extreme turmoil, he did not want to do this.

"I will leave if he says anything," Marius warned her, he wouldn't allow himself to be stripped of his identity again.

Dorea nodded emphatically, "I understand, I understand, I'll even take you home, I promise," and she would take him home, by Portkey or Floo she'd do it.

Marius, pale and shaken, gave her one definitive nod, "Very well," he wasn't that little boy anymore. He was a self-made man. He had millions upon millions in the bank, he'd pulled himself up by his bootstraps on his own and made something of himself despite all the obstacles that came his way.

"We're going to the sunroom, let's just actually eat something, hmm?" Dorea said, making her way there with her brother trailing behind her. The moment she was in the room, she requested her House-elf to bring new refreshments. "Shaw? Fresh pots of coffee and tea, and perhaps a cake instead of biscuits?"

"Right away!" Shaw agreed, and within a few seconds of a click of fingers, the pots and biscuits were gone, and a second more Shaw was as well.

"How is Harry?" Marius asked, genuinely worried about the child. Just because he didn't have magic didn't mean he was stupid, he understood all too well what kind of damage had ultimately been done to the boy. "That was some…explosion earlier, from what I remember it isn't normal." He'd seen his siblings perform their first feats of magic as toddlers or children. It differed from child to child but to that extent?

Dorea softened, just thinking about Harry brought out her long thought dead motherly instincts. Maybe it's what had happened to him, maybe it was just the fact Harry was as close to family as she'd ever get. Either way, she wanted this with a capacity that surprised her, perhaps she had been a bit hasty in her absolute denial of adopting. Maybe it was the hurt that she couldn't give Charlus and her what they wanted…for more than five days. "Healer Rowle was removing the first block when it…shall we say backfired? And pulverised the other blocks to smithereens to use his phrase. He has full use of his magic, his magic saturated everything…including Arcturus."

Marius reared back a little at that, "You mean the child is the reason you suspect Arcturus woke up?"

"Arcturus woke directly afterwards, its one coincidence that cannot be overlooked." Dorea informed him, solemnly. "How would you like your brew today? Milk and sugar?" grateful that the House-elf had brought their refreshments, she felt the need to do something with her hands.

"I think I'll need it," he nodded, stomach twisting uncomfortably. He hadn't felt this way since he began to scramble his way up the ladder and create a life worth living.

Dorea passed it over, placing her hand delicately on his, "Things are different now, Mar, it's going to be just fine, I promise." The Black name was all but gone, what was remembered was madness, disgrace and death. The once proud Black name was in ribbons, and they only had themselves to blame. The higher you are the harder you fall and all that.

Marius glanced pensively at his sister, not buying it, this was all going to blow up in their faces. Why was he here again? Oh, yes, he couldn't deny Dorea anything, not after she alone had reached out to him. Loved him unconditionally.

"Me…" was the only thing Arcturus seemed able to say.

Between the Healer and Charlus, they had Arcturus in the bathroom, stripped and eased under the shower for a quick scrub. Spells really could only do so much, as could sponge baths by a House-elf. If the sound of relief coming from the former comatose patient was anything, he enjoyed it. Rowle and Charlus did not end up wet, the water beaded on up and off them easily. The spell ensured they didn't get wet while helping the wizard.

"Me…" Arcturus tried to say once more.

"Take your time, you're going to be alright," Charlus tried to ease the wizard. Even with magic it was a tight fit to squeeze the three of them in here, but luckily not too big a squeeze.

They barely stayed in the cubicle ten minutes, before they were both awkwardly trying to clamber out slowly as not to cause any more pain. Luckily the rest of the process was much easier, as they used spells to dry and dress the wizard, he was at least marginally more presentable, not in clothes he was used to. They were far inferior to his taste, but Charlus had bought them with no idea whether Arcturus would ever recover enough to wear anything. It wasn't something he intended to waste good money on.

"Well done, Sunny," Charlus muttered, surprised by the difference in the room already. "Are you sure he should be up?"

Arcturus grunted, very much disliking being spoken to as if he was not even there. He also disliked the pain he was currently experiencing and judging by the length of his hair…he feared knowing what the date was. Unfortunately, for some reason, he couldn't quite get the words out, but he'd said a whole sentence earlier, so it was befuddling. He wanted to be angry, to rage, to scream, but that required energy that Arcturus just did not have. It ached to think, but he refused to sleep, he wanted to know everything. One question more importantly than the others.

"L…Sir, I'm going to give you three potions, this will give you an energy boost," Rowle explained, giving it to the wizard, "This is a level eight pain relief, which will have you resting within the hour. So, anything you want to ask best be asked before the hour." Arcturus greedily drank that down, even if his jaw was beginning to ache, and all he was doing was swallowing potions! What on earth had happened to him?

"This is a nutrition potion," which luckily, wasn't a problem, it would seem as if Dorea and Charlus had been getting good potions and administering them correctly. He would recover, the most difficult part would be physically, as good as they had been to ensuring Arcturus' long-term health, regaining his motor functions wasn't going to be a simple or easy thing.

Arcturus really probably should be staying in bed, but considering he'd only be up for an hour and on a comfortable seat he'd be fine. It would be no worse than sitting up in bed, which most purebloods would never allow. They were seated at a table, and never had family seeing them ensconced in bed. If he knew anything about the Blacks it would be that they were stubborn to the core.

"Sunny?" Charlus called to the female House-elf who had been Arcturus' primary carer throughout his time here.

"What can Sunny do for Master?" Sunny asked, staring beseechingly at Charlus. Worried about what would happen to her, but she was hopeful that she would get to remain on or be taken on by Arcturus Black, after all, he still needed a House-elf.

Sunny had joined the household to care for Arcturus since Charlus and Dorea couldn't be there every minute of the day. They still helped take care of him, it just…allowed them some rest without being a carer twenty-four hours a day.

"See to it that Arcturus gets comfortably situated in a chair in the sunroom," he told her.

"Bring a glass of water, and if you've got any, throat soothers," Healer Rowle suggested, "Continue giving him bland food, slowly, very slowly, introduce proper food into his diet again." If he didn't know better, he would have sworn Arcturus looked balefully at him for that comment…but surely, he imagined it?

With her orders complete, Sunny took Arcturus' hand and popped them away. Neither concerned since they knew the House-elf could do anything she was asked.

Charlus stared at Rowle, "Are you feeling alright?" he hadn't even blinked, and even seasoned healers did.

"Let's just say I will need a moment to myself," Rowle informed Charlus, "And I will need to return home to inform my family that I shall be absent for the next week with my new patients. I don't want to worry them, especially my mother. I will also need to pack a bag for myself." Very subtle shaking of Rowle's fingers showed he wasn't as unaffected as he'd like Charlus to believe.

"Of course, take your time, if we need you, we know your Floo address, you still reside at the manor I believe?" Charlus questioned, he had gone to school with so many of them, so yes, he knew their Floo addresses, but he wouldn't be able to enter the manor, that took special permission which he did not have. The House-elf would get anyone he requested though, so there was that. "Perhaps return after dinner?"

"That would be appreciated," Rowle agreed as he was escorted to the Floo network.

"Arcturus," Dorea said smiling in relief, it wasn't just the relief of the lack of financial strain but the help as well. Watching as he drank half a glass of water with Sunny helping him, and then gave him a throat soother to aid his throat. His voice sounded far too guttural to be healthy, but given he'd just woken, it was understandable. "You must have so many questions…but we will answer what we can."

Marius remained impassive, keeping his gaze purposely averted from Arcturus. He knew it was childish, but he couldn't help himself. He would gladly stay mostly obscured and hidden throughout this conversation. It had nothing to do with him.

"Then you best answer very quickly, he has perhaps fifty minutes before he needs some rest." Charlus explained, "Rowle has left to gather his belongings, inform his family of where he's going…he'll be back after the evening meals."

Marius was honestly surprised to hear it would take that long; he was just up from his comatose state.

"Me..L…" Arcturus rasped out, grateful that he didn't feel like he was gargling with jagged edged stones.

"He's been saying that since he woke up, we don't know what he's trying to say," Charlus said, sighing softly as he sat down, grateful for the reprieve, he wasn't that young anymore and the past day had been…long to say the least.

"Oh, Charlus…" Dorea shook her head, already figuring out what exactly Arcturus was asking.

"Ouch!" Charlus grimaced in pain when Arcturus grasped his ring finger and squeezed rather tightly, for someone who had just woken up. "Oh," he murmured, when the wizard gave him a pointed look. He didn't need his wife to finish her sentence.

"It's Melania he's referring to," Dorea wasn't surprised that it would be the first thing Arcturus would think of. "I'm sorry…she's gone."

"No," Arcturus vehemently shook his head and became increasingly dizzy. His stomach tugged uncomfortably like he was being taken for an international Portkey. He was grateful to the House-elf that prevented him from humiliating himself by falling from the chair. He was even wrapped up in covers, and stiflingly hot, but not too uncomfortable. "Bond." He ground out.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Dorea said, kneeling down next to him, "Don't get yourself too worked up," she couldn't imagine Charlus being dead, so Merlin only knows what Arcturus was going through. She did wonder what this was about a bond though.

"Anima vinculum," Arcturus' voice shaky but the soothers were more than doing the trick now.

Dorea reared back, staring in shocked disbelief, "You soul bonded?" yet he'd put forth a marriage contract between his niece and son? It was sheer dumb luck that the pair had grown to love each other, or at least that was the image they portrayed to the world. People were different behind closed doors.

Dorea glanced up at her husband, he seemed just as shocked as she did to find out that Arcturus had soul bonded to his wife.

A/n – so, will we see Walburga soften in old age? 😉 Her portrait is only an echo of her, and she's often portrayed as a harpy, horrid banshee. Sirius was a teenager when he ran away from home…course he would exaggerate about his evil mother lol the reality is most people have expectations of how their kid will behave and act…she's not different, not really anyway. will she see forgiveness and die surrounded by family or will she be too bitter to let go of past hurts? I can just see Harry being able to soften the 'wicked witch' so to speak! As for Melania…is she really alive or is it Arcturus' own belief playing tricks on him not able to live without her? when I said I was going to have a lot of Black's I kind of meant it although, not as many that is in My Time but unfortunately, most of them are already dead by this point. R&R please 😊 and as I promised, I'd get a few chapters out by the end of the week so to make up for complete silence for a week 😉 enjoy