AN: And here is the next one. Be aware that updates will likely be sporadic a the holiday. I am mostly editing at night. I will also be posting this on A03. Same username as over here but with no spaces. Right now I'll post on both sites roughly the same time, but that's subject to change.

Chapter 14: First Encounters

Bern, Switzerland

Sirius Black was impatient. He wanted to leave this stupid facility he wanted to go home to his son: Harry.

He still couldn't believe it little Harry was his son.

Alas, he would not be leaving Bern anytime soon. His mind was not fully healed and even though his body was slowly healing, he had at least another few more months before he was deemed in normal condition both mentally and physically.

It was a shame that his muscles were so atrophied from Azkaban the slopes were freaking ridiculous here and at one time he loved to go skiing. But his muscles were nowhere near as messed up as his mind.

He had already missed so much.

Ten years. No eleven years. He had already missed so much. Way too much.

Narcissa had promised that as soon as Harry was able to, she'd take him to see him.

He frowned thinking of all the injuries his son had suffered. He had pretty much demanded the boy's records as soon as Narcissa told him about his encounter with the troll. Looking at all the damage his son had suffered in his short life made his blood boil. He could only imagine Bella's reaction.

Bella…

Narcissa hadn't had any updates on his wife's situation. Other than her case had seemed pretty opened and shut. Apparently, Lucius was going to look at it, but he could tell Narcissa didn't hold out much hope.

"You didn't attend the trial," she said.

"Because I was likely already carted off imprisoned without one by then."

Cissy rolled her eyes.

"Just pointing out it's no fault of my own."

"I know, but you weren't there. She was."

"Crazy," he said. "I saw her after…well, whatever happened. I can only imagine how she was in court."

"She bragged about what she did to the Longbottoms," Narcissa grimaced. "Said she'd be happy to go to prison to prove her loyalty for her lord. That she wasn't like other blood traitors…"

"Was she referring to Lucius?" He asked knowing that Narcissa's husband's association with Riddle was complicated to say the least.

"Maybe. Or Andi. She was there."

Sirius grimaced.

"It was not a good day, Siri."

It made him so angry. Bella didn't deserve this. She clearly was not in her right mind. He imagined Potter had done at least as much to her as she had done to him.

She had twisted his reality made him essentially someone he was not so she could steal his son. And twist the knife in a little further by having him named godfather. He wondered if that was some sort of weird fucked up joke on her part.

Sirius still didn't know how she did it and neither did Narcissa, but it was pretty obvious that was what happened. It definitely explained why she freaked out when Harry had called him "Daddy".

He was glad the bitch was dead otherwise he'd likely be headed back to Azkaban for an actual murder.

He took a couple of deep breaths and trying to get his rage under control. Instead, he focused on reading his son's letter again. He didn't know how many times he had read it over and over again.

He desperately wanted his family.

He was still thinking of how to write back. It should be easier than it was, but still there was so much to say. Finally, he settled on a response:

Harry,

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. I'm getting better here too, though the healers say it might be a while before I'm released.

I'm hoping that when you get well enough you can come visit. The skiing here is apparently excellent and there's skating and other things like that here too. I haven't really been able to do too much due to my health, but the center makes really good hot chocolate with magical marshmallows. Don't know if Cissy has let you tried some magical candy yet, but magic marshmallows are some of my favorite. I'm going to see if I can send some to you and maybe some other candy if you like that sort of thing.

Your Mother liked the jellybeans—the every flavor ones. I think she got great joy of giving me the earwax flavored ones. I advise never sharing a box of beans with her.

You look like her. Your Aunt Cissy showed me your picture. You have her eyes—I'm sure Cissy and Andi have already told you that though.

I understand being bored. There's not much for me to do either. I've been trying to catch up on some reading myself. Like your aunts, I was a healer once upon a time. What's your favorite book you've read so far?

Love,

Dad

It felt so weird, yet so right signing the letter Dad. He had agonized on whether or not about what to put in the letter. It was, after all, the first communication he had with his son.

His son.


She had a visitor.

Bellatrix never had visitors unless you counted the one-time Lucius came to have her sign papers and she really didn't remember that. That had been a haze.

She hadn't exactly been herself then.

She still wasn't herself.

Last night had been exceptionally brutal. Between her new cellmate's ranting about freaks all night and her own memories of him…she didn't get much rest.

Not that Azkaban was exactly a place to get beauty sleep.

Imagine to her surprise when it was Lucius again.

He was looking at her oddly.

"Well, I'm sorry we all can't be Narcissa," Bella snapped wondering why he was staring at her so intently. It couldn't be because she looked like a mess. He already knew that.

What did he want?

"You sound almost normal," he said.

Then again, she guessed she did. She had a vague recollection of not exactly being in her right mind when he was here the last time. She grimaced thinking how she sounded, though really what did he expect. She was in Azkaban. Insanity was expected. As well as bad hair, smelling horrible, and feeling dreadfully cold all the time.

Regaining sanity though…

"What do you want?"

"Your sister is concerned about your welfare and wished for me to review your case."

"Goody," she said. "I'm sure you told her it was pretty much a done deal when I spelt my guts at court."

She had recollections of herself screaming that she was proud of her guilt at her trial. Practically, spitting at everyone who she thought was a blood traitor including her own sister and Lucius of all people. She also recalled calling Cissy weak for never taking the Dark Lord's mark. She really had not done herself any favors in retrospect. But the her she had become didn't care since the object of her obsession (Riddle) was gone.

She wanted to vomit anytime she thought about that man.

"My lord, I'll do anything you wish."

He smirked, "Bow down, pet."

Pet he always called her pet. When they were in private. She had loved that name not realizing that was what he viewed her as. A pet who he had do humiliating things. Things she did not want to even think about doing, but sometimes it was all she could think of.

Lucius looked at her and then she felt something or thought she felt something and then it was gone.

"What the fuck…" She said, "Were you trying to read my mind, Lucius?"

He looked at her, "You're not as insane anymore."

She gave him a look, "Disappointed?"

He shook his head, "No, but now it means I can't just tell Narcissa I tried and failed."

"Tried and failed at what?"

"To get you out of here."

"You're joking" She laughed probably sounding a bit insane. And as far as she knew she was. Just not as insane as before.

Although, she sort of missed the singing and dubbing the blonde, Luscious Lucius, it had its uses. Like not dealing with him.

It wasn't that she disliked her brother-in-law. In her former life they got a long well enough. It was just that Lucius was dreadfully dull and proper—perfect for Cissy. But such a bore to be around with. Especially when your attention span had been whittled down to that of a gnat's because of dementors.

"I hardly would joke about such things. Or come here if I wasn't serious. When did you have a moment of clarity, Lestrange."

"Don't call me that," she snapped.

He smirked.

That confirmed it. He knew.

"So, you'd prefer Black then?"

"How much do you know, Lucius?" Bellatrix said not really wanting to play cat and mouse with him.

One of his favorite games.

She may have loved playing it a bit herself when she hadn't been imprisoned and insane for over a decade. Now, she just wanted to get to the fucking point.

"I know you weren't willingly the dark lord's whore." He said looking at her, "Or married to the pounce."

She was almost too focused on the fact that he had knew about her and Riddle to focus on the fact that Lucius knew she wasn't in her right mind, but she recovered somehow.

"Snap out of it, Black," he said looking at her. "It wasn't only Narcissa that sent me here. Someone else made the request."

"Who?"

"Your husband."


Lucius Malfoy liked to win.

It was one of many reasons why he sorted in Slytherin house.

What was the point of doing anything without winning?

It was a mantra that made him a very successful businessman and attorney. He usually didn't get involved in projects and cases that weren't winners.

And Bellatrix's case was not a winner by any means.

He had mostly came to see the crazy ass bitch for Narcissa's sake and he guessed because Black's husband's had paid him quite a bit of galleons to as well. But it really was for Narcissa's sake he even catered taking her on as a client.

Cissy was a sore sport for him, though he'd likely never admit it to anyone. Secretly, he had been glad when Andromeda had broke their agreement so he could wed the sister he preferred.

That being said, he was surprised when Black was lucid and told him she knew that he rcase was about as bad as he knew it was.

He had been there the day of the trial.

The whole thing had been a farce. He felt bad for the barrister who had been assigned to represent Bellatrix since she was most definitely the client from hell.

She had all but presented herself as a monster and there was no sense of sympathy for the woman as she laughed about the atrocities she committed against one of the families in the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

She was insane.

But not in the sense where criminal culpability could be denied, or at least that was how it seemed at the time. Or it wasn't brought up—which it probably should've been.

Then again, her barrister had hardly gotten a word out edgewise. She had after all pled guilty, relished in it.

It was a complete shit show. He still remembered Narcissa's face during the entire thing more than anything else.

He was surprised how much Bellatrix had realized she had fucked up. Then again, he was surprised with how sane in general Bellatrix was acting that day.

Really, Lucius couldn't remember the last time he had been around a strange Lestrange…no, Black.

Whatever had been done to everyone else, had been done to him as well since he still often conflated what he had known about the woman for over a decade with what he knew now.

When he mentioned that Black sent him there he was surprised the look on her face almost reminded him of Narcisa.

"Siri…Siri's okay."

"He is fine," Lucius said inwardly rolling his eyes. There was no point letting her know that her husband had been locked up in the same hell hole that she was in until a few weeks ago. He needed to keep her calm to see if there was anything that could be done.

While it was pretty clear that some of the crazy ass bitch's sanity had been somewhat regained, he didn't know how he was going justify it enough to reopen her case. She had laughed and bragged about cursing Augusta's son and wife after all. And like it or not, Augusta Longbottom was a fairly prominent member in society, and it was unlikely that unless there was new evidence he'd even get the loon a hearing.

She's not a loon, a voice in his head that sounded like Narcissa's said.

He inwardly rolled his eyes, though knew that inner voice had a point. The version of Bellatrix that was in front of his today, was not crazy. Or as crazy as she usually was. She seemed Azkaban sane. Was there such a thing?

"You look uncomfortable, Lucius," Bellatrix said eying him.

He rolled his eyes, "Of course I am, it's bloody Azkaban."

"Surprised you never joined me on the island. He favored you as well."

Yes. He was aware he was dubbed a "lieutenant" of that halfblood's as well, but that was more of Father's doing than his. Father funded the lunatic and had all but given him Lucius on a silver plater.

Not that she was wrong though. He had done just as many atrocities as she had done. Maybe he hadn't been as loud about it, but he had done his fair share of sins. He only never bragged about it.

"What was your defense again?"

"I was cursed," he said using the official story he had used for so many years. The lie almost came natural now.

She raised an eyebrow, "Amazed they didn't check on me to see if that was the case…"

"You wouldn't let them check on you if you were given the option," He snapped.

Even sane she still annoyed him. Though he knew that hadn't always been the case. He had had some decent conversations with her in the past. However, those days were long gone.

She shrugged. "They wouldn't have bought it anyway."

She was right. They wouldn't have.

"Which begs to question how did you get out of it?" She stared at him for a moment before she asked, "Did you give them a present?"

There was something about the way she looked at him that he realized she knew.

She knew that the dark lord had given him a part of his soul.

What she said next might've surprised him even more, "I might be able to give them a present too."


Chapter 15 Preview: Augusta has beef with Lucius over more than one issue, Sirius does some shopping and runs into a familiar case, and Hermione new treatment plan starts.