Emotional Turmoil

Amelia put the second will down. "How could he justify what he's done? According to Sirius, Hagrid was going to take Harry to his aunt and uncle's yet the wills of both parents clearly forbid such a thing. And you, Mr. Lupin to deprive you. It names Peter Pettigrew as secret keeper, he disappeared in June 1982 his apartment was trashed and there was blood but no body and there was no motive that we could determine. That Albus said nothing at Sirius' mockery of a trial! If I could have a copy of these two documents I could do a fair amount of housecleaning at the ministry and clear His Grace."

"Alas Madame the documents cannot leave the bank they are private files for internal use only. To allow them out of the bank represents a treaty violation, and the last thing any of us desire is a war between Wizards and Goblins I have already bent the rules as far as I can. Somehow the Ministry must be forced to unseal the wills."

Remus took the job offer and visited the various properties belonging to Sirius and Harry. He found himself at a loss of how he should bridge the emotional distance between himself and Sirius created by his previous belief in Sirius' guilt in the death of James and Lily.

He was afraid even to try. He sent reports of his findings. He sent a report that Dumbledore himself voted the Potter Wizengamot seat that he had appointed Elphias Doge to the Hogwarts board seat and another old friend to the 's seat and had taken the Chairperson of the foundation seat for himself.

Templeton Peck, The Potter Family Solicitor, he discovered was missing. He had last been seen on Oct. 29, 1981 and his partner Hector M. Murdock didn't have the initiative to do anything with the Potter files so Remus asked Amelia for a recommendation for a new wizarding solicitor for the Potter and Black families.

Andromeda was happy that she could help her cousin by voting the Black seats but found herself on the outskirts of society and influence because her marriage to Ted distanced her from the pureblood families and her maiden name distanced her from anyone else. Only Amelia seemed willing to socialize with her.

Amelia was able to make some progress. She contacted Lady Augusta Longbottom and started encouraging her out of the isolation that Lady Augusta had lived in except for Wizengamot meetings. Inviting Lady Longbottom and Neville to small gatherings at their London flat or the cozy country cottage that Susan had inherited from her parents.

After five months she had found out that Augusta had withdrawn from public life to fend off suggestions that she wouldn't be a good guardian for Neville because she was too involved in public life. Amelia traced the rumors to their source Albus Dumbledore. Sirius would win his bet.

.....

The magical President and his wife were fighting, and he had been banished from their bed. He had spent twenty eight years married to Maryanne and this was the first time in all that time when they had been under the same roof but were in different beds. He couldn't quite figure out how it happened; they had been having their monthly Sunday night dinner with the family and all of his sons portkeyed in from their various homes around the States.

After dinner Beth had pulled out the photos from her trip to show Nic, Carson and Thomas.

"Beth, baby, what are those?"

" Don't call me baby I'm thirty two for heaven's sake. They're pictures from my vacation Daddy."

"Put them away now! I don't want to see pictures of you and that...that criminal."

"No one said you had to look at them and just because you don't want to see them doesn't mean everyone else here feels the same way. And Sirius isn't a criminal, he's a good man!"

"That Criminal can't even enter this country because if he does his soul is forfeit! What kind of person gets that assigned as a punishment? I said put those pictures away now young lady or I'll make you!"

"They're just pictures..." Maryanne tried to placate her husband.

"Incendio!" the pictures burst into flames.

"How could you? You... I HATE YOU!" Beth left the room.

The hurt on his daughter's face at that moment had made him feel guilty, but Sirius Black was a criminal and there was no way he would allow his precious daughter to soil herself by associating someone of that caliber. His son Nic had stood, given him a dismayed and disgusted look and bid Maryanne goodnight and left. His other sons were too confused to voice an opinion they couldn't understand why he was so upset by pictures. Maryanne had glared daggers at him while bidding the rest of their children goodbye.

The argument that followed in their private quarters rattled the windows. It had ended when Maryanne had walked to the door and opened it and said in a voice so cold Antarctica would seem warm by comparison, "I have been your wife for twenty eight years and I have always supported you even when I didn't necessarily agree with you. There have been many times when I put you first instead of the children which is as it should be because you are my husband. BUT this time Rick, I have to side with my daughter.

She is a woman grown not an awkward adolescent or a baby as you so often call her, and I have read the file security put together. Beth has a good head on her shoulders and despite being a squib, she is a capable person. I will not put you ahead of her this time, you may rejoin me in our bed when you have made amends with our daughter and I would suggest you start by reading the file that security has put together." She gave him a shove out the door and then closed and magically locked it behind him.

Elsewhere in the castle after exiting the bathroom where she had just lost her dinner Beth called, "Bess!" The house elf popped in. "Bring my trunks!" She went back to her bathroom and started to pack her toiletries. When had gathered them all, she stepped back into her bedroom. The two trunks sat waiting. Beth loaded her belongings from the bathroom into the trunks. She moved to her closet and started on her clothes. She systematically went through and packed all her belongings into the two trunks. The last item she packed was the large photo of her and Sirius. Mentally she thanked God that she had only taken the pictures that she had taken, not any of the ones Harry had sent. She would be able to get reprints tomorrow, She glanced at her watch, make that today. George would have just come on duty two hours ago. Winry would be off in another two. Beth used her cell phone to call her boss' voice mail and let him know that she wouldn't be in that day. She called for Bess, "I need you to get George and Winry to join me." A few minutes later a knock sounded on her suite door.

Winry opened the door, "What do you need Beth?" there was a half second pause then it was followed by a "What the...?" As she realized that none of the touches Beth used to personalize the suite were in place.

George came in and he looked at the two trunks in the middle of the floor. "Is there a trip I'm not aware of?"

"No however I have every intention of leaving the castle today and I will not return even if that...Jerk that calls himself my father manages to pull his head out of his ass. You've got two hours to figure the best place, I'm inclined to go to Nic's. He won't mind my crashing there until I get my own place, and he already has appropriate security in place. Thought's?"

George looked at Winry as a mind healer he was aware of how stressed Beth had been for the last couple of weeks. He and Winry had been keeping a close eye on Beth, "Your brother's is an excellent idea at least for short term. How about you contact him so his security doesn't go crazy when we show up, and I'll arrange for a car."

He looked at Beth's very pale skin then asked. "Will you let Winry run a scan once we're there?" He actually wanted to run it now but he could tell in her current mental state odds were good in wouldn't be accurate anyway due to stress.

Beth nodded. She moved to the land line in the castle and then remembered her suspended phone privileges, and frowned at how adolescent that phrase sounded. Then pulled out her cell phone. She let the phone ring. It was a dozen rings before Nic's sleep fogged voice came over the line.

"Whosit?

"Nic It's Beth I'm moving out today. But I've not had a chance to find a place is it possible for me to crash with you until I find a place after what happened last night I can't stay at the castle anymore. I'm all packed I just need your okay and for you to tell your security I'm coming."

"Beth? What? Give me a second...So you're on your way here?"

"If that's okay with you."

"Well that's better than running half the world away. I'll see you when you get here. What time is it anyway?"

.....

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