The Family Tree

Monday meant the start of classes for the week. Narcissa found herself excited to be back in the dueling hall with Harry. So excited in fact that she rushed down the hall to get to the classroom before the other students.

She found Harry coming out of his quarters, I wonder if Bella is inside...She frowned slightly trying to push down the jealousy she felt at the thought. She put on a smile as she closed the door and locked it with a timed charm then crossed the distance to her future husband. I'll just give him a little hello.. That hello took the form of a deep kiss. A kiss that turned into her pushing him down onto his chair and straddling his lap.

"Narcissa, class will beginning soon.." He said. She grinned and brought her hand up to his cheek, "We have fifteen minutes before the beginning of class, the door is locked and won't open until that time.." She kissed him again, "Bella had you for the weekend, I only got you for part of yesterday...I think I've earned a little uninterrupted time with you.."

Fifteen minutes turned out to not be nearly long enough. Next time I'll skip Binns class and come see him right after lunch.. She sighed and pressed a final kiss to his lips before rising and smoothing her robes and then his own. "Arrange for the house elves to bring your dinner here, I want to share a meal with you.."

She grinned at the slightly flustered face before her. When the students came into the classroom they were surprised to see that the desks were still in their rows. Normally Harry had them pushed aside so that he could begin with the practical side of class. But Harry had been distracted by his fiancee, so he had to flip the usual order. "Good evening class, please find a seat. For the first half of class I would like you to write down the three spells you do best and the three spells you have the most difficulty with." He said, "Once you have those, please bring them to my desk."

Narcissa's smirk only grew as she saw that Harry was reluctant to rise from his chair. She began to wander around the room, ostensibly keeping an eye on the students but in reality she was watching Harry watch her. I might have to share with Bella, but that doesn't mean I have to like it...

Scene Break

Bellatrix sat outside of Gringotts watching the flow of customers into and out of the bank. She was disguised by a glamour, having taken the appearance of a middle aged witch with short blonde hair and a rather average looking face. No sign of Rabastan today either...good. If I reapply this glamour once I'm done, I could walk past him and he'll never know.. She moved from against the wall she had been leaning on and began to walk across the street.

Entering into Gringotts she made her way to the teller counter, "Bellatrix Lestrange would like to make some changes to the Lestrange Vault." She said, dropping the glamour as she spoke to the Goblin teller.

"Very well, Madam Lestrange. What sort of changes would you like to make?" The teller asked once she presented him with the key to her vault.

"I would like all the money inside this vault moved to a new vault. My husband is no longer with us and I do not trust my brother in law to manage the family vault." She said looking towards the door.

The Goblin shrugged, "Madam Lestrange, would it not be simpler to just remove your brother in law from the list of account holders? You are after all the titular Head of the House."

Bellatrix thought for a moment, Hmm..I could do that and then once Harry and I get married I could merge the two accounts..The thought of marrying Harry brought a small smile to her face, one that she quickly forced back down returning her face to its neutral haughty expression, "Do it then. Rabastan Lestrange is no longer deemed a member of the Lestrange family and has no claim on any money or property owned by House Lestrange."

With a few notes on a piece of parchment, and a signature from Bellatrix with a blood quill it was done. She had effectively turned Rabastan Lestrange, Rabastan No-Name... into a non entity as far as mainstream magical society was concerned. "Will there be anything else Madam Lestrange?" The teller asked Bellatrix who shook her head.

"Not at this time.." She said before turning and reapplying the glamour once more taking the appearance of the middle aged blonde witch.

Back outside she saw a very familiar person walking out of the Owl Post Office, she dropped her glamour and raised the hood of her cloak instead crossing the street and heading towards her sister Andromeda.

Andromeda Tonks was surprised to say the least when she saw her sister Bellatrix coming to meet her. More so was the look on her sisters face, I haven't seen Bella smile like that since...since before she was married.

"Hello Andi," Bellatrix said, "It's been too long."

Andromeda wanted to hug her sister, Blacks don't hug in public..That was what their mother always told them. But she had missed her sisters terribly.

So she hugged her sister. Bellatrix froze for a moment and then returned the embrace, "I've missed you too.." She said quietly.

When the hug broke the two began to walk towards the Leaky Cauldron, "So, Cissy told me about the duel." Andromeda asked her sister.

"And I'm sure our father told you how it ended." Bellatrix replied, "Harry crushed my husband. He saved Cissy and myself from Auntie's schemes...and he loves me." She said the last part quietly, "He actually loves me...I never thought I would ever find someone who loved me..and then he falls into my lap."

There was a trace of jealousy in Andromeda's eyes, Bellatrix noticed, "So, how's the life of the other renegade Black sister?" she asked, watching the thoughtful look vanish and a small frown appear.

"Ted is busy. He's always busy. I know he's working to support us, but he's always working.." Andromeda sighed, "I just wish he'd care as much about me as he does that damned paperwork he's always doing."

Bellatrix thought for a moment, "It sounds like you need to get away for a while...why don't you come see us at Pounds House? Hell, stay with us for the week...I'll see Harry at dinner and get you permission to enter...then once I have permission for you, I'll floo you."

"That sounds nice, a few days of distance will give me a chance to stop being so angry at the sound of his quill." Andromeda said after a moment, "I can still go to St. Mungos for my shift during the day..and then come back to your house.."

"Word of warning, Walburga is staying there now.." Bellatrix said, "She tried to seduce Harry, when that failed she tried to blackmail him, when that failed she tried to accuse him of molesting her, and finally when that failed she was given to us as a servant until she'd repaid the debt."

"Oh really? And how is that miserable cow?" Andromeda asked, "Hopefully she's been put to something useful like mucking out the stables."

"Funny, we actually do have stables, but Harry won Malfoy's personal elf, and Dobby handles all of the cleaning. Auntie's job has been to get Harry's name into the hands of families on the fence about what side they support in the Wizengamot." Bellatrix replied, "But how she's been is..complicated.."

Bellatrix had used a disillusionment charm when she heard the sound of glass shattering. Cracking open the door of Walburga's room, she found her aunt sitting on the floor sobbing, an empty bottle of firewhiskey beside her, the shattered remains of a tall glass opposite her.

"Damn you James Henry Carver...you were supposed to run away to America..you weren't supposed to stay in England.." Walburga muttered miserably, looking down at her hands, "You were supposed to leave and get married and have a happy life..but you stayed..just like you promised. You swore you would wait for me..for us...and you died for it.."

Bellatrix found herself in a position she had never expected, she felt pity for Walburga Black. Walburga for her part had stopped talking and was instead laying on the floor crying now.

"I hope you're happy James...Sirius will never have a chance to meet you as an adult..he'll never know the truth.."

"I don't think she'll be quite as openly hostile to you as she has been in the past.." Bellatrix said, "I doubt she's going to run to embrace you as her long-lost niece, but right now, she's in a very precarious spot with Houses Black and Peverell.."

Scene Break

In the Gryffindor common room, Lily and Alice were studying for their potions exam. "You seem distracted.." Alice said to her friend. Lily sighed, "I just feel so bad for poor Professor McGonagall..the love of her life is marrying another woman.."

Alice raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure Professor Fawkes is the 'love of her life' Lily?" Lily nodded, "Haven't you seen the way she looks at him? She's always looking at him when he's not looking at her.."

"Worse still, it's Narcissa Black..I heard her talking to her cousin about it, she thought it was romantic that he killed a man.." Lily frowned as she remembered it, "What if she tries to make him turn dark?"

"I doubt he would go dark, Lily. He rescued her from Malfoy, that's not really a good origin story for a dark wizard." Alice said, "Besides she seems pretty happy about being the future Mrs. Fawkes. Frank was in the infirmary today when he sprained his wrist during quidditch practice, she didn't even roll her eyes at him."

Lily shook her head, "I don't trust her.."

"Any particular thing wrong with my cousin, Lils?" Sirius asked from his place by the fire. "Besides being related to you?" She replied, "She stole Professor Fawkes from Professor McGonagall."

"She didn't do anything. He saw my aunt ready to make her the slave of Lucius Malfoy and he put a stop to it." Sirius said, rising from his chair, "He made the choice to be with her. McGonagall could have said she wanted to be with him, but she didn't..if she likes him like that in the first place."

"Of course she likes him like that, look at the way she stares at him like he's the only man in the world." Lily said glaring at him, "Now he's been stolen from her."

"Why are you so against my cousin being with him?" Sirius asked, "She's a student!" Lily shouted, "She shouldn't be married to anyone, let alone of her Professors! Maybe she just wants an easy O in the class."

That stopped Sirius cold, he shook his head and turned towards the stairs leading up to the boys dorm, "My cousin studies harder than anyone at this school. Maybe your problem is that you're jealous of her. She's smarter than you and she's with your crush.."

Lily wanted to reply, but Sirius was already gone.

Scene Break

Bellatrix stepped through the floo into Harry's office at Hogwarts. She found him sitting at his desk going through the Defense textbooks for next year, a mug of cocoa beside him.

"No coffee?" She said coming to his side and kissing him. "No, it's too late for coffee.." He replied kissing her softly in return, "So what have you been up to?"

"I disowned Rabastan. The Wards on the Lestrange properties will no longer accept him. Which means he will most likely try to set the properties on fire at some point soon." She grinned, "Imagine what your friend Amelia could do if she knew that a wanted criminal would be attacking one of our properties.."

"How many are there?" Harry asked, taking a piece of paper and preparing the write down the names.

"There's a townhouse in West London, there's a farm in North Ireland, and there's Lestrange Manor in Yorkshire.." She said, watching Harry scribble them down.

He folded the paper once it was finished, "Wobbly? Can you come here please?" He called out, with a pop the house elf appeared before him. "Yous is callings for Wobbly Professr Fawksey?" He asked bowing. "Yes, Wobbly, will you please take this to the owlery and give it to Brutus my owl?"

The elf took the parchment and vanished, leaving the pair alone. Harry drew Bellatrix into his arms, pulling her against him, "Anything else of note?" He asked her. Bellatrix put her arms around him, "Yes, I need you to give permission to my sister Andromeda to come to Pounds House...she's going to be staying with us for a few days while she cools down, she's a little angry with her husband at the moment.."

"Sure. She has my permission." Harry said, She was the closest thing I had to family before Rookwood killed her and Teddy.. He suddenly found himself thinking about that nightmare again.

Bellatrix noticed the look on his face, "Harry?" she asked concerned, "You alright?"

He shook his head, bringing himself back into the present or past..or whatever.. "I'm fine Bella, I just got lost in a memory for a second..if your sister is coming to visit us, then I'll make sure to come straight home tonight."

She smiled and kissed him, and Harry pulled her down into his lap, "I love you.." He said softly. She smiled and wiggled closer into his arms, "I love you too.."

Bellatrix left for Pounds House so she could floo Andromeda at St Mungos. A few moments later there was a soft knock on the door. Harry rose and opened the door, seeing Narcissa there.

Narcissa pulled him into an embrace and kissed him, "Is our dinner ready?" She asked, "I want you all to myself tonight.."

"Actually, I was thinking we'd go to Pounds House, we have a guest for dinner tonight..your sister Andromeda is going to be staying with us for a few days.." Harry said, watching as Narcissa's face went from annoyed at the concept of sharing him, to thrilled at the chance to see her sister for the first time since getting kicked out of the Black family.

"Sounds good, we'll need to speak with Professor Slughorn then. Since I can't have dinner with my fiance privately, then I'll just spend the night with him." She grinned, taking his hand and leading him out of his quarters and towards the Great Hall.

From her spot at the Gryffindor table Lily Evans saw Harry and Narcissa speaking to Professor Slughorn about something. Then Harry broke from Narcissa's grasp and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and Harry went over to Professor McGonagall, Come on Professor Fawkes, tell her the truth, that you love her and you want to marry her and not that bitch Black!

She saw Professor McGonagall nod and saw Harry making his way to their table. He stopped when he got to James Potter's group and spoke to Sirius. Sirius rose from the table and went with Harry and Narcissa. Lily decided it was time to be sneaky, she rose from her place and walked over to James Potter. "James, where's Sirius going?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, Okay, so he is slightly cute when he blushes like that..

"Uh, I think Professor Fawkes said that his cousin is visiting them, and wanted to know if he would like to spend the night at his house.." He said, looking into the eyes of his crush. She's so beautiful..

That scarlet woman has gotten Professor Fawkes to take her out of the Castle on a Monday evening? Lily frowned and withdrew her hand, "I can't believe they got permission..."

"He asked McGonagall, and she said it was fine as long as Sirius and Narcissa were back in time for class in the morning.." James replied to the question that Lily had been asking herself aloud.