Ch34. Andromeda's blunder

Andromeda entered Grimmauld Place 12 with a tear-stricken expression twisted in sorrow. She absentmindedly headed towards the Black Library, the most probable place Lord Black would occupy. She was so distraught she did not even notice Kreacher popping next to her to offer greetings and just walked past him without a word, making him scowl. The closer to the library she got, the slower she dragged her feet behind herself as guilt due to her inability to provide the results her Lord desired weighed upon her.

She entered the library, stifling her sobs as she located her Lord sitting in a comfortable chair by the warm hearth, reading an obscure book. Andromeda came closer and slid into the chair opposite him, silently waiting to be addressed. Her behavior was more out of remorse and shame at how her first day of Regency turned out than subservience to her Lord. He, after all, did tell her to treat him as a friend. Not that she would do that, not entirely. She might have been disowned but she was raised as a proper Black.

It took a few seconds but eventually, her Lord put the books down and curiously arched his eyebrow at her. It was so cute, Andromeda even stopped sobbing!

"Judging by the way you look, it didn't go all that well, did it?" He asked tiredly.

Andromeda gave him a wry self-mocking smile.

"I-, no. It did not, my Lord." She deflated and shuffled her feet.

"Did Dumbledore delay the trial?" Her Lord, Hadrian, asked in an exasperated tone, completely expecting a sound 'yes'.

"No," Andromeda informed him, making him frown. "Sirius is... dead."

"Dead?" Hadrian looked at her blinking in an uncomprehending shock. "He was innocent. Veritaserum would prove that. How the hell did those incompetent idiots they call Aurors, screw up so much to result in his death?" He questioned in complete exasperated astonishment.

"He was found dead in his cell when Aurors came to bring him to the trial." Andromeda released a barely audible sigh as she again teared up. "A sick twisted coincidence, really."

"The cause of death?" Hadrian's brows furrowed.

"No, he was not murdered, my Lord. No one could have gotten to him in time. His trial was announced and twenty minutes after that the Aurors arrived at his cell only to find his corpse. The healer declared he died ten minutes before the Aurors arrived. According to them, it was either a killing curse or heart attack." Andromeda told him, running her hand through her hair and shaking her head in denial. "No. No one could get to him in time to murder him. Not through the Azkaban wards. Not in the time-span of ten minutes."

Andromeda looked sad now that she told it aloud but Hadrian, oddly enough, looked thoughtful and drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair but after a while of pondering shook his head.

"Impossible. He was definitely killed. Tell me everything, Andy. Start at the beginning of the meeting." He ordered her.

Andromeda frowned but obediently started recalling the meeting.

"I was called to prove my Regency..." She started and it took her entire hour to go through all agendas of the meeting. It was only when she was explaining how Dumbledore called for a pause, Hadrian stopped her.

"Wait... he just... said time-out and the Wizengamot listened?" He asked incredulously, making Andromeda widen her eyes.

"Well, to be completely honest, Sirius did need time to be called and prepared for his trial." She looked at Hadrian but behind her eyes, a hint of suspicion started to grow. "But yes. Now that you mention it, Chief Warlock can not call a pause of the meeting by himself. Not like that. No matter the reason."

"Yes." Hadrian nodded and continued in a drawl. "You should have been tightly pressing your butts to your seats until Sirius arrived. It doesn't matter if it would take hours. And yet, the pause was called and nobody said a word. Damn, they must be quite used to Dumbledore doing whatever he wants."

"Do you suspect Dumbledore of killing Sirius?" Andromeda asked, completely flabbergasted, her eyes showing her disbelief. "You know I do not like the man. Oh, how I dislike him but killing? No matter our opinion, he is the Leader of the Light. Surely he wouldn't really stoop so low as to kill someone defenseless. That would be too 'dark', wouldn't it?"

She looked weirdly at Hadrian. Andromeda didn't particularly want to believe his hypothesis. After all, her own daughter idolized the man! Her own daughter attended the school the man supervised. If he could murder a man he in cold blood just because he couldn't stomach him being free... Andromeda shuddered.

"He would. He totally would." Hadrian hollowly smirked, somewhat without any positive feeling. He realized this round goes to ol' Twinkles, and it grated him. "Sirius being free would crumble his plans like nothing else. Everything was connected. If Sirius came out of Azkaban and started poking his head where it didn't belong... Dumbledore would have to explain so many things he would lose all his political ammunition at once and then some." He sighed wearily. "Well, I suppose his death is on my hands now. I didn't realize Dumbledore would be so desperate or that he would be given time to react."

"But how do you know it was him?" Andromeda pressed for answers. "You sound pretty sure of yourself but he would not have time to do it..."

"Phoenix." Hadrian interrupted her.

Andromeda's expression swiftly turned to grim understanding and her eyes hardened. There weren't many who knew of the flaming abilities of the chickens of fire. But Andromeda grew up as Black. She knew well what Hadrian meant.

"So? Any plan to retaliate?" She asked viciously, with hope Sirius would be avenged.

"Retaliate?" Hadrian looked at her funnily. "Surely you jest, my dear Regent." He smirked. "Of course not. Dumbledore might have won a fight but he lost the battle. Anyway, how come you don't particularly mourn Sirius?"

"Ah, that." She gave him a sad smile. "I didn't know Sirius enough to miss him. Yes, he was a family but by the time he started Hogwarts I was at the end of my studies, and shortly after I was disowned." She slightly shook her head in sadness. "I didn't have a chance to get to know him enough to care."

As Andromeda wallowed in her past and sunk herself in self-pity at not having a chance at knowing the only member of her family who would not discriminate against her for the choice of her husband, Hadrian gave her a knowing look.

"Yes... same here." He plainly stated. "I know I should probably feel a loss but... I did not meet the man even once. No hard feelings here."

That earned him a sympathetic look from Andromeda which made him roll his eyes.

"Back to Twinkle-doo." Hadrian quickly changed the topic.

"We do not need to proactively retaliate. Send letters with our suspicions to other Lords, give whatever evidence, no matter how circumstantial to Skeeter and pay her, say, a hundred galleons, and voila, his reputation WILL take a crippling blow. Especially if she spins a story about how 'coincidental' Sirius's death was and adds a touch of lies about the sole reason for his incarceration being Dumbledore. Speculate how that helped him get the guardianship over Harry Potter and If Dumbledore still manages to keep his position of Chief Warlock after such a public debacle and a few rightly worded letters and monetary 'gifts' to the Minister from our House... yeah, not happening." He snorted in derision.

"I see." Andromeda acknowledged. "Won the fight but lost the battle. How... Fudging." She mocked.

"Well, anything else, Andy?" Hadrian asked as his legs that didn't reach the floor swayed back and forth. "What about the... negotiation," His lips twitched upwards. "with Malfoy and Lestrange?"

At first, Hadrian was expecting to see her laugh her ass off, ridicule them, or even boast about how she taunted them while telling them they have no choice but to sign. He knew well she outright hated Malfoy and wouldn't pass up an opportunity to act like a bitch around him.

That's why it was such a surprise when instead of seeing her expression lit up like a Christmas tree, a nervous grimace appeared as she winced. Andromeda anxiously rubbed her hands and it was obvious a thousand thoughts flash through her mind.

Hadrian, nevertheless, patiently waited for her to tell him what was wrong. It took her a few minutes but in the end, she just resignedly sighed and her expression sunk.

"Congratulation, my Lord." She exclaimed in fake-cheer, making Hadrian tilt his head. Andromeda released sigh yet again with another slight wince. "You are now married."

Hadrian's mind short-circuited momentarily, making him tilt his head at her.

"Come again?" He asked and raised his eyebrow.

"You are married." Andromeda hesitantly said again.

"You don't say." He deadpanned and snarked sarcastically. "I wasn't informed I agreed to the marriage. Who is the lucky gal?"

Andromeda shakily handed him the contracts.

He looked it over. Frowned.

Looked it over again. His left eye gained a noticeable twitch.

He looked at the contracts over the third time and became completely still.

"How?" He croaked at her, genuinely lost.

"I don't know. Honest!" Andromeda confessed. "Somehow they did not sign over only the ownership but the entire marriage itself!"

Hadrian folded from the sheer shock and supported his head with his hands as he groaned. Not even having the energy to argue or be angry at her.

"How do you even imagine it could work!" He whined quietly but then raised his voice. "I am eleven and they are... what? Over forty!?"

"Well, yes, my Lord. It might be a little too much now that you mention it. While physically you may look like a... starved house-elf, mentally, at least, you are a lot older! It could work..." Andromeda tried to sound cheerful, getting only a deadpan look in return. "Never mind. Good night!" She squeaked and hurriedly vacated the room.