My Darling Wife,

You're deranged cousin has escaped from Azkaban Prison. Please bring my son and heir home immediately so that I may guarantee both your safety.

Your Most Faithful Husband.

Narcissa huffed and set the missive from Lucius aside. She had not married Lucius out of love but because her family had arranged for her to do so. She had in time learned to love her husband, despite his many follies. It was not the mad passionate love she had dreamed of as a child and if it ever came down to a choice between her husband and her child, she wouldn't hesitate to throw Lucius to the wolves. But still, she did love her husband she just didn't always like him, and this was one of those times. Dismissing the letter from her mind, she opened the one from her niece hoping it might contain more information than the one Lucius had sent.

Dear Lady Malfoy,

I hope this letter finds you well. I know you and mum do not talk often and I appreciate both your reasons for it. However, given what's happened I felt it was only right to reach out to you myself.

Our cousin, Sirius Black, has escaped from Azkaban prison. I've persuaded mum and dad to place their house under a Fidelius as a precautionary measure. I feel the need to advise you to ensure that the wards on Malfoy Manor are raised to their highest level until more information on the threat he poses can be gathered.

I will write again as soon as I have more information for you.

Be safe,

Tonks.

More informative than Lucius's letter and appreciated given that she rarely spoke with her sister and had never actually met her niece. The contents however were nothing good, if Sirius had escaped then she would have to have a conversation with Maya that she had hoped to avoid until she'd turned seventeen. Evidently, fate had other plans.

Dear Lady Malfoy,

Earlier today it was discovered that Sirius Black was missing from his cell. A search of Azkaban was made, and it was concluded that he had escaped from the prison. A manhunt has been launched and we hope that he will be apprehended and returned to the prison with all due speed. Those are the facts that we are making public.

Narcissa, we have never directly spoken of it, only alluded to it, but I am well aware that you know the location of Maya Potter. I don't require you to tell me where she is, I do ask that you warn her and whoever is caring for her of the danger she is now in. When we went to investigate Black's escape the guards informed us that he had been muttering the same words in his sleep for a while now.

'…at Hogwarts… at Hogwarts…'

It was never made public knowledge that Maya did not return to Hogwarts last year and the current supposition is that Black escaped Azkaban and intends to go where he believe he will find Maya, which is Hogwarts. Unless we catch him, he will undoubtedly discover that Maya is not at Hogwarts, and he may have more of an idea where to look for her than the rest of us did. Therefore, I feel it is my solemn duty to ensure that she is warned and that precautions are made to ensure her safety. I charge you to do that.

I would also appreciate it if you could make yourself available to me at your earliest convenience. Sirius is your cousin, and you may be able to tell us some information that would aid us in recapturing him before anyone is harmed. I would be willing to come to you, if that is preferable, just let me know by owl as soon as possible.

My regards,

Amelia Bones,

Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Narcissa inhaled deeply. Amelia was a sharp woman and had made it to head of her department through hard work, grit, and cleverness. Unlike most of the department heads in the ministry who got the job because of who they knew. Amelia wouldn't suggest Sirius would go after Maya unless she was certain it had a high probability of happening. Narcissa would read the letter from Ragnuk first and then she would speak to Damon, they needed to make some decisions.

Lady Malfoy,

Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban.

I am aware you are currently in New York City. Please bring Mr Salvatore and yourself to a meeting at Gringotts, tomorrow morning at 10 am sharp. Lady Aradia and Director Picquery have also been requested to attend the meeting so we may discuss how best to protect Miss Potter.

Ragnuk.

Well, that was succinct, at least Ragnuk had saved her the trouble of organising a meeting herself. She tucked the letters inside her robes and left the room she had retreated to so that she could read them whilst Damon wrangled the kids for the present unwrapping before they all went home. She needed to speak to him, but it could wait until the party was over, she refused to spoil Maya's day. He shot her a concerned look when she returned but she just shook her head, mouthed 'later', and pasted a smile on her face as she watched Maya unwrap the presents, she had received.

Damon waited until Maya and her friends were tucked away downstairs in the lounge for the night before confronting Narcissa about the content of the letters she had received. He'd seen the look on her face when the goblin had spoken, he knew the content couldn't be anything good. The way she'd watched Maya after she'd come back, well he'd known there and then that it had something to do with her.

Narcissa was in the Living Room, as was everybody else, none of them speaking, and Damon knew that he wasn't the only one who had noticed something was very very wrong. He waited as Dobby served everyone tea and settled down into his own little chair that Stefan had made for him. Narcissa's eyes widened slightly but she didn't say anything, for which Damon was glad, Dobby was as much a part of their family as the rest of them.

Narcissa took a sip of tea before placing the cup back on the saucer and setting them both to one side, the slight rattle giving away that she was more shaken than she appeared to be.

"The letters I received; they all brought the same news from Britain."

"Which is?"

"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban prison at some point last night."

Damon frowned, the name was familiar, a relative of Maya's given the surname, but he'd heard the first name before as well, he just couldn't quite place it.

"Who is he?" Stefan asked.

"My cousin. A few years younger than me, he was in the same year as Jasmine. They were the best of friends, so much so that when Jasmine had Maya, she named Sirius her godfather."

All the pieces suddenly clicked into place in Damon's head. He'd never met Sirius, had seen him from a distance at Charlus and Dorea's funeral, but they'd never actually met. Dorea had written to Damon about him a few times, her young cousin who had run away from home aged sixteen and been taken in by Charlus and Dorea. Sirius was the one who had named Maya as the heiress to the House of Black. Damon hadn't thought to question what had happened to him or where he was, and he was kicking himself for that now. Still, no time like the present.

"Why was he in Azkaban Prison?"

Narcissa inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly.

"About two days after the… after Jasmine and Luke were murdered. Thirteen people, twelve non-magicals and a wizard by the name of Peter Pettigrew, who was also a friend of Jasmine and Luke, were massacred with a single curse. Sirius was arrested and sent to Azkaban."

"He murdered thirteen people? Why?"

Narcissa looked at Maggie and shook her head slightly.

"Maya asked me last year why Sirius hadn't got custody of her after her parents died. I told her he was in prison; I didn't tell her why."

Damon knew by the way Narcissa was avoiding answering the question that it wasn't good.

"Why did he murder them, and why didn't you want to tell Maya?"

"It's not widely known. Most people think he was a Death Eater who went mad when the Dark Lord was destroyed, massacred a bunch of people, and was sent to Azkaban."

"Narcissa." Damons tone was as sharp as a knife edge. "What. Did. He. Do?"

"Sirius Black betrayed Jasmine and Luke Potter, he told Voldemort where to find them, then he killed Peter Pettigrew when the idiot confronted Sirius about what he had done, taking another twelve out along with him."

The cup and saucer in Damons hands shattered into dust and broken shards.

"I can see why you didn't want to tell Maya." Maggie said eventually.

Narcissa nodded.

"I was never planning on keeping it from her forever, but I was at least going to wait until she was seventeen, a legal adult. Now…"

"We'll tell her together tomorrow." Damon said. "Maggie?"

"I'll call Sam and see if she can fit Maya in for an emergency appointment tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"Now. What else did the letters say?"

Damon and Narcissa entered the conference room the goblin had led them to. Ragnuk was already inside, as was Aradia.

"Lady Malfoy, Mr Salvatore, thank you both for coming. We're just waiting on Director Picquery and then we'll be able to discuss how to handle this situation. Lady Malfoy this is Lady Aradia, Headmistress of the New York Academy for the Gifted."

"A pleasure, I only wish we'd been meeting under better circumstances."

"Likewise, Lady Malfoy, I've been very impressed by your efforts to better Hogwarts this past year. I understand that the school is once again looking for a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher though, I can make some recommendations if you like."

"That's very kind, Headmaster Dumbledore has already interviewed someone for the position and the Board has approved his hiring. I'll keep your offer in mind in case it doesn't work out."

A sharp knock landed on the door, and it was pushed open allowing entrance to Director Picquery who was accompanied by Director Calhoun.

"Welcome, thank you both for coming. This is Lady Narcissa Malfoy, Lady Malfoy this is Director Picquery of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and this is Director Calhoun of the Department of Magical Mysteries. As everyone else already knows each other let us begin."

The two directors quickly seated themselves at Ragnuk's direction and waited for him to speak.

"As you have all been informed Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban Prison. The British Ministry of Magic has launched a manhunt to find him, however there is some evidence that he may be after Maya Potter. It is believed he will strike at Hogwarts first, but it is likely that he will discover she no longer attends the school. Due to his history with the Potters, it is highly likely that he would be able to make some accurate guesses as to whom might have custody of her, namely Mr Salvatore."

"How likely is that?" Director Calhoun asked, turning his gaze onto Damon.

"I met Henry Potter in 1871 and have remained friends with the Potter family since. I fought in the war against Grindelwald alongside Charlus and Dorea Potter. Not only was Dorea a blood relative of Sirius Black but she and Charlus also took him in when he ran away from home as a teenager. I have no doubt that they mentioned me over the years, and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine that I might have custody of Maya, since he was in Prison and the Longbottom's were unavailable."

"There is also the fact that he may well have been aware that Lady Magic declared Mr Salvatore a godfather to Miss Potter, as Black himself was made a godfather by Jasmine and Luke."

"Lady Malfoy, what is your thoughts on this? Black is your cousin is he not?"

"Yes. Sirius is my cousin."

Narcissa took a breath and gave Damon a grateful smile when he squeezed her hand supportively.

"I received letters from my husband, my niece, Madam Bones, and Ragnuk yesterday informing me that Sirius had escaped from Azkaban. Madam Bones, as you can imagine, was able to give me the most details. Before his escape Sirius was heard muttering "at Hogwarts" repeatedly in his sleep. Madam Bones agrees with Ragnuk's supposition that Sirius will go after Maya, first at Hogwarts and then elsewhere if he discovers she is not there. Madam Bones also concurs with Damon's thoughts that Sirius might have more of an idea where Maya would be than they did when they were searching for her. She is aware that I have knowledge of Maya's location and requested that I warn Maya and her guardians of the danger and ensure that all appropriate precautions are taken to keep Maya safe from harm."

"The Potters were all aware of my address in New York" Damon added. "And that I was born and raised in Mystic Falls. If Black does come looking for me to find Maya, he would likely try either of those first…" Damon cut off with a vicious curse.

"Damon?" Narcissa laid a gentle hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"

"There are still Salvatore's living in Mystic Falls. If Black goes, there looking for me…"

"He'll find them." Narcissa finished grimly.

"I have to warn Zach. He has a wife and kids, there all in danger."

"We can help you protect your family Mr Salvatore. All your family." Director Calhoun assured him.

He turned to Director Picquery who'd been listening carefully.

"Thoughts, Selene?"

"Many."

Selene steepled her fingers and regarded them all one after the other.

"My primary thought is that whether or not it is likely that Sirius Black would come looking for Maya in America. We should proceed as if he intends to do exactly that."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Director Ragnuk, as the one who called this meeting, I'm sure you have some suggestions to offer."

Ragnuk's smile was sharp, and his eyes were flinty.

"Maya Potter is under the protection of the Horde. We are willing to help ward a property of Mr Salvatore's choosing and to provide warriors if and when they are needed to protect Miss Potter."

"The problem being that Damon and Maya currently reside in a townhouse on East 19th Street." Aradia added.

Damon wasn't sure why that was a problem and by the look on Narcissa's face she was confused as well. Selene noticed their confusion and explained.

"MACUSA laws state that buildings owned by Wiccan in densely populated No-Maj areas, may only have basic wards added to them so as not to unduly affect their No-Maj neighbours. Furthermore, buildings or homes that share walls, floors, or ceilings with other buildings or homes may not be warded in any manner. Meaning it would be impossible to sufficiently protect your current home. Is there anywhere else you could go?"

"Preferably somewhere quiet, remote. A small town maybe, with a house that is at least a mile away from the closest neighbours, to enable us to maximise the protective wards." Ragnuk suggested.

"You mentioned Mystic Falls, do you still own property there?" Director Calhoun asked.

"Yes. But –"

"Is it remote enough for our purposes? How close are the nearest neighbours?"

"About two, two and a half miles. But –"

"It will work then."

"Wouldn't going there just put Maya in harm's way?"

"Or it would be the perfect way to set a trap."

Damon growled at the thought.

"Maya is a child. Not bait!" Narcissa snapped.

"I'm very much inclined to agree with Mr Salvatore and Lady Malfoy, Galen. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that a quiet town like Mystic Falls with a remote home that can be warded to the hilt by both my department and the Horde would be the perfect location to both protect Miss Potter and trap Sirius Black if he does attack."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"There's no guarantee that Black is after Miss Potter. He could have been referring to many things when he muttered about Hogwarts. There is also no guarantee that he knows about Mystic Falls. Yes, we should proceed as if he does, but we also shouldn't miss an opportunity like this."

"Stop rambling Galen and explain." Selene barked.

Aradia who had been frowning in thought, suddenly looked towards Damon and then at Galen.

"Oh yes. That would be perfect wouldn't it. No safer place for Maya. Not anywhere."

"Hello Maya,"

Maya glanced at Sam and then away, her thoughts still bitterly focused on what Narcissa had told her about her other godfather. Not that he deserved the title.

"Would you like to talk? Or would you like to draw?"

She glanced at Sam again and knew she had to pick one. She really didn't feel like talking, not after what she had learned barely an hour ago.

"Draw."

Sam seemed prepared for her to say that and handed over the paper and pencils she kept for occasions like these. Maya picked out a pencil and pressed down with it on the paper. She paid little attention to what she was doing, allowing her fingers to move the pencil around the paper, her thoughts to consumed by grief and rage to concentrate.

"You've used a lot of black today, Maya. Would you like to tell me why?"

Sam's voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked down at the paper and realised Sam was right, she had used a lot of black. The picture wasn't really of anything in particular, to Maya it looked like a physical representation of the storm of feelings inside of her. She thought about Sam's question for a while, still idly sketching, before answering.

"When I was with the Dursleys, I felt grey."

"Grey?"

"Like there was no colour in my life because I wasn't allowed to feel anything. I wasn't allowed to be happy or sad, or anything. Most of the time I was supposed to pretend I didn't exist."

"Did you use a lot of black because you've been thinking about the Dursleys?"

"I don't… I was starting to be okay with it. Well not okay, but I'd just sort of accepted that it happened, and it was horrible. But the Dursleys went to prison and they're probably not gonna get out for a long time. So, I thought it didn't have to matter anymore."

"Why have you been thinking about them today?"

"I was thinking about how, if mum and dad had never died, I would never have gone to the Dursleys and it's his fault."

"Sirius Black?"

She nodded.

"They were hiding, and he promised to be their Secret Keeper. He was their friend, my godfather and he promised to keep them safe, and he didn't! He's the reason there dead! He's the reason I went to the Dursleys! I hate him!"

Maya realised a second before Sam offered her the box of tissues that she was crying.

"I hate him." She repeated quietly, "I hope he dies."

Sam nodded.

"You're entitled to feel that way Maya. A lot of bad things happened to you in the past and a lot of those things stem from the night your parents were murdered. Sirius Black holds a big part of the blame for what happened to them and to you. It's okay to hate him and it's okay to be sad and angry, because the Dursleys were wrong. You do exist and you are entitled to feel whatever you want to feel."

"He was there friend."

Sam nodded.

"I know."

"I love my friends; I could never imagine betraying them. So how could he do that?"

"I don't know Maya. Perhaps you will never have a satisfactory answer. War brings out the absolute worst in some people and the absolute best in others, and none of us can say for sure which way we'd go until it happens."

"Do you think he was lying the whole time?"

"Maybe. Or maybe he was just scared."

"He was supposed to be a Gryffindor, the House of the Brave."

"Oh Maya, what defines us when we're eleven years old doesn't decide who we grow up to be. Did I ever tell you that I went to Ilvermony?"

Maya shook her head.

"Well, I did. When I was eleven, I arrived at Ilvermony and I was sorted into Wampus, the house of the warrior. When I was eighteen, I graduated from Ilvermony and I decided to pursue a career in healing, the absolute opposite of the house I was placed in at eleven. As people grow up, they change, our experiences are what shape us, not the houses we're placed in at school."

"It still doesn't make what he did right."

"No, it doesn't. And like I said, you are entitled to hate him for what he did. Whatever his reason."

"Thanks Sam."