Being here, watching the back and forth , tit for tat kind of negotiation slash power play between Albus Dumbledore and Abraxas Malfoy sickened him.

Like all the time in the manor, with Arcturus neglecting him and lusting after a married woman, neglected and forgotten, stood Orion Black, watching from the audience stance how they made his son, Severus , a bargaining tool, a thing to be owned.

"Headmaster, you must have conveniently forgotton that neither Longbottoms or Bones have an off-age heir?"

Malfoy careless use of headmaster showed he had wrong footing. Dumbledore was neither senile nor powerless , and it would cost him.

Watching as Dumbledore failed to ascertain dominance over Malfoy was disturbing while it was also refreshing . was the man taken by surprise that his once student became semi- competent as him in manipulation? he couldn't be certain if it was a feigned weakness to draw Malfoy out so he would put all his cards on the table.

True, He had made a deal with Malfoy to get the brat out of his hands, but now he didn't like the odds. Malofy cared too much about this , he was getting on dumbledore's bad side for a boy that wasn't even his and smelt like dragon dung.

Orion wasn't brought up at Arcturus knee for nothing, and he could sense there was something not right with Abraxas desperately trying to become Severus's guardian. The man didn't get much in the deal he had made with him , only trouble looking after another child.

Was having the future most powerful pureblood Patria of magical Britain enough?

There was something, and his gut told him it could not be any thing good. Dumbledore while pretending to be as barmy as a bat , was certainly not gullible. If he wasn't the way he was, and really cared about this newly orphaned student of his, Orion might have given the boy to him, but he wasn't . Orion feared he wanted the boy to make him a sign, a paragon and a tool and whatever bone he had to pick with Arcturus and his betrayal, he didn't want the boy to die over Albus stupid power plays.

His mind still reeled over the fact that Arcturus let him raise his half brother's bastard as heir, and what an heir Sirius was.

He shuddered as the memory of the prank he pulled over Andromeda's wedding. How childish he could be to free more than a hundred frogs near the lake it was going to take place just the night before?

He was 12! Orion and Cygnus would have been flogged if they had done such a thing, or tasted how it felt to be on the other side of Arcturus wand.

At least Regulus had enough tact to warn them, and then he had to go and stun them one by one and clear the lake. Because of course Berga couldn't be bothered during the night she was supervising on Andromeda's hen night, and Cygnus was the bride father and couldn't look battered tomorrow and it was way beneath Arcturus. The first marriage between a muggleborn and a Black in history, – even justified by getting a metamorph in the end-and all were nervous. Including him. The dark side were reluctant, but who could they complain to when Arcturus himself allowed it, and the light side were on edge , because it was very un-Black like.

He was nervous both for the wedding, and the completion of the plan he made, the plan to thwart his father's plan to make Evelyn's grandson the future Black heir. He had made a deal with Abraxas, and another with Eileen to make it happen.

He didn't have anything on the boy, but he didn't want Arcturus to smirk at him like the day in the manor when he revealed his treachery. He would try his best to make his son- the one he had raised and was his- the heir. Regulus was soft, but one could do a lot in the next 7 years to harden a child.

Regulus begged to invite his friend – maybe he unconsciously felt the sibling bond- but he didn't allow. Andromeda was more cautious in her suggestions but that was met with disapproval. He was tempted to do so, when he was asked why he looked ragged and Arcturus answered instead of him " cleaning the mess his son made" with Alphard the bastard sitting right next to him.

So, he didn't, and then completely forgot about Eileen – all she had to do was to call on Kreacher and show the deal they made on paper with his magical signature- until two days later when the three day wedding was done.

Well, the four day to be exact, because Edward Tonks had to shed his name and Take Blacks, and Arcturus had to adopt him with a ritual and add him to the wards lest they burned him alive if he stepped one foot inside Black residence.

And he was informed via the evening paper special edition.

Eileen was dead, alongside her daughter, the muggle filth killed them and then himself.

He zoned out for a minute, then half an hour. He couldn't believe they were dead. He had spoken to the woman right before the damned wedding planning started and yet..

The first thought he had was to apparat and get Severus. The guilt he felt was making him break apart.

Why he had not invited him when he had been the one to save Regulus? He could pretend he was another eternal friend and be done with it. The bride and the groom had also requested it and he declined out of spite.

If he found out, if Severus ever found out about him and Eileen and his part in the disaster that became his life, because these things always found their way to light Orion knew better to expect his relationship to the boy never be revealed, would he ever forgive him?

Could he?

He didn't think so. Arcturus had not done such a vile act , abandoning a child just because of his pride and Orion couldn't forgive him because of Sirius, this was way above forgiveness.

Damn Arcturus. Thrice damn the bastard who was now resting because of the toil the magical adoption took of him. The useless sack of bones who hadn't at least informed him of having a son with Eileen . married or not severus was his.

And look what came of it.

A muggle raised half-blood orphan who had enough of a hard time already, thrust into the rule of a grown-up, because there would be no cuddling involved in where-ever he went if he wanted to survive.

Then the next blow.

The papers wrote everything. Everything but him being the father. He wanted to find Eileen and strangle her with his hands.

He was abused. Beaten repeatedly by the filth named Tobias Snape. Why Eileen never came out with this? Why she didn't say a word about him being in danger?

The mad bitch.

Had she really thought that being with a muggle was better than be his second wife? Had she really thought that he would be no better than Arcturus or her own father? How in merlin's name she thought the muggle who raised his hand to a child was better than dealing with him?

Pride for sure. In his case it was also the contract with Walberga that didn't allow him to marry if she was with child.

And for his pride and hers, the boy, his boy had suffered. Grew up in the muggle world, was abused and then saw his mother murdered.

Could he ever make it up to him?

Was being the second wife that hard? He remembered his decision to separate from Berga – she had not given him an heir for many years- and the arrangement with Eileen. It all fell apart when Berga said she was pregnant.

Why Eileen didn't say anything? Why Arcturus had not?

He listened as Malfoy go on and tell the council about how Bones or Longbottoms couldn't take on Severus now that he was a Prince. They did not have an heir – Amelia didn't count in the old ways as she was female- and it was the definition of line-theft. Malfoy then mentioned him having Lucius and him being off-age.

"you can not deny that a parent who had already raised a respectful young man, one who has more to offer in comfort and guidance and has a blood tie is far better than those. I can also offer tutelage in lordship as young mister prince would be needing it in later years"

Malfoy was winning.

Maybe he could get the boy himself?

Or no. Blacks faced an scandal in Sylwan, and then the muggle-born Tonks now Black, the family couldn't handle another this soon. Maybe all his worries was for not, and Malfoy didn't have a malicious ulterior motive in mind.

Albus stood up " then what about me? I have his guardianship over the 9 monthes of the year as it is the case with all half-bloods, another 3 wouldn't hurt"

Then he added " seeing as I myself am a half-blood, and have a brother to inherit , not that I am a Lord but anyway. I have served as the Mugwump many years so I can offer a guiding hand to his, also not in danger of any heir or line-theft"

"headmaster" Malfoy stuttered.

And he upped the game.

"and just remembering the day I was made Mugwump, being a half-blood and all that, I yet have another idea. As the motion suggesting Severus becoming lord Prince passed with all members approval, I find myself eager to suggest yet another one"

Oh merlin and morgana it better not be what he thought .

"I present you another solution, as of last month the wizingamot had been short of a member, with once Lord Sylwan losing all his titles and his seat, just yesterday we have installed young mister Prince as to be lord of the house…"

Oh clever clever man. You devious demon. Letting him say all he wanted, then use his words against him. It was as if he was anticipating his words, the lordship tutelage. Who would be better in those than a half-blood , the Mugwump himself who unlike Abraxas, was not in danger of using his charge seat to his gain at all.

Adding him to the wizingamot seats was just the salt on the open wound..

Malfoy lost the round.

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