CHAPTER {273-275}

****SMART-CHOICES (VI)****

Andi and Sirius were left completely speechless after Narcissa finally finished explaining what the Ritual truly entailed… Sirius simply opened and closed his mouth, unable to form any words. He knew that his cousins were batshit insane, but he always believed Bellatrix to be the most insane among the three of them, but now he probably needed to reevaluate his beliefs.

'She was always the prim and proper one… Maybe, that was why she was able to hide her insanity for so long' Sirius wondered with a frown on his face. While he had no love for Snivellus and wanted to see the man suffer and die, especially after learning that the man was responsible for setting the Dark Lord after the Potters, he didn't know how to feel about sacrificing the man for a Ritual.

Sirius wasn't going to lie… He loathed his Family and everything they ever stood for, but there were some perks of being a member of such a Dark and messed-up Family… He knew exactly what it meant to Sacrifice a human for a Ritual… Snivellus wasn't going to die. There wasn't going to be any afterlife for him. He would simply cease to be… His Soul would be sent into oblivion.

And that was not a fate he wanted for someone, even for a man as nasty as Snape…

"...What the hell, Cissy?" Andi finally managed to voice something while looking completely stumped.

"Yeah, Cissy? What the hell?" Sirius repeated drily while giving her youngest cousin a bland look. He was somewhat relieved to find that Andi didn't seem to be quite on board with the Ritual plan. 'Maybe, I would be able to dissuade them' Sirius mused, feeling hopeful.

"Don't look at me like that" Narcissa huffed, looking slightly offended at the looks Sirius and Andi were giving her. "To be honest, his skills are way too valuable to lose and since Harry was going to kill him either way, I don't see a problem" Narcissa casually explained.

"Cissy, killing someone and sacrificing someone are completely different things" Sirius said in a grave tone. "You have also read the books on Sacrifices and Rituals. You know what is going to happen to Snape if we Sacrifice him. His Soul would be plunged into oblivion!" Sirius finished with a growl.

Narcissa gave him a cold as she started to speak. "You hate the man. You hate his guts. You tried to get him killed at Hogwarts, and now, all of a sudden, you care for him?" Narcissa asked with a scoff. "You call him Snivellus for Merlin's sake… You have called him that for years and now he is Snape to you?" Narcissa finished with a scowl.

"No! I don't care for that little piss stain! He can go and jump off a cliff and I will be there to cheer him on, but that doesn't mean that I am okay with Sacrificing him!" Sirius finished heatedly.

Narcissa seemed to fume, but she didn't snap at Sirius, instead, she simply stared at him with a cold glint in her eyes. "Why do you care? Even if his Soul is plunged into oblivion, so what?" Narcissa asked. "He is no longer useful to any of us… At least, this way, his skills are going to be put to good use" Narcissa explained haughtily and Sirius felt his eyebrows twitch at her words.

"Your use, you mean?" Sirius asked while scowling.

"Of course, my use means good use" Narcissa nodded her head in agreement without any ounce of shame on her face.

Sirius didn't have any retort to that, so he simply decided to look for Andi's help… He failed to convince Narcissa to drop the idea, but maybe Andi would be able to dissuade her sister. After all, if Andi refused to participate then there wasn't much Narcissa could do. "Come on, Andi… Help me here!" Sirius whispered furiously while giving Andi a meaningful look.

Andi who was busy glaring at her younger sister finally snapped out of her thoughts when Sirius finally spoke to her. Andi regarded her younger sister coldly… "Do you really have so little faith in my skills?" Andi asked in a cold tone, making Sirius smack his own face in frustration. He had been wrong!! So wrong!

Andi wasn't angry because Narcissa suggested Sacrificing Snape for a Ritual, she was angry because her sister suggested that her existing skills may not be enough…

"I never said that" Narcissa pointed out. "I simply said that Harry was going to kill Snape either way, so I asked if there was a way to pass on his skills and talent to someone else" Narcissa explained calmly and even though Andi was still regarding her sister with a cold look on her face, she was starting to calm down. "You are the only one I could trust with his talent and skills" Narcissa finished with a sigh.

Andi tapped her finger on the armrest with a contemplative look on her face… Andi knew that she wasn't as skilled or talented as Severus when it came to Potions, but she hated being compared to him straight up… It was the pride of being a Black rearing up its ugly head, she knew that, but that never made it easy for her to accept her inferiority.

"Andi! You can't be thinking about this!!" Sirius protested loudly looking aghast, however, all of his protests went unheeded.

"Cissy isn't wrong, you know? Harry is going to kill Severus either way, the loss of his skills and talent is going to be huge for the world. At least this way, we would be able to preserve his talent and skills and put it to good use" Andi said while nodding her head, earning a weird look from Sirius.

"You are not saying all the rubbish to convince yourself, are you?" Sirius asked suspiciously. From the look on her face, Sirius was certain that he had been spot on, however, Andi promptly decided to ignore his words, making him throw up his hands in the air in frustration and exasperation.

"I am glad that you see it that way" Narcissa beamed at her sister, looking extremely pleased with herself. "I will talk with Harry and set up a date" Narcissa added.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet" Andi raised her hand to stop her sister from making any further plans.

"You are not?" Narcissa asked as she inclined her head with a confused look on her face.

"No, I am not" Andi confirmed, however, it was clear that she was simply stalling for whatever asinine reason. The excited glint in her eyes was a dead giveaway. Meanwhile, Sirius was wondering about his next course of action. Talking with Harry wasn't going to help. Talking with any of his friends wasn't going to help, but talking with Nymphadora might help. "I just need some time to think this over" Andi added.

Yes, Sirius decided that he needed to have a chat with Nymphadora as soon as he could…

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****A-DATE-NIGHT (II)****

~~Nott Manor~~

Voldemort palmed the letter in his hands with a cold glint in his eyes. 'Did he really manage to complete the mission or is he lying to me?' Voldemort questioned himself as he took another look at the letter. He started to tap his finger on the armrest with a thoughtful look on his face.

'A Malfoy would never hesitate to jump a ship if they realized that the wind is blowing the other way' Voldemort mused. He had heard that Abraxus when they were still at Hogwarts and Lucius was just as cunning as his father. There was a chance that Lucius might have betrayed him since he had asked the man to use Draco to poison someone close to Potter.

After thinking for a bit, Voldemort realized that no, he couldn't trust Lucius… If the man really managed to poison someone close to Potter, then all was well and good. He would keep remembering Lucius and his useless spawn from time to time, but at the same time, he needed to think that Lucius failed and make his plans with that in his mind.

He crushed the letter and it caught fire before turning into ash… Then with an indifferent look on his face, he started to tap his finger on his armrest before his gaze finally focused on the edition of Daily Prophet… He held back a snarl when he caught the headline. He wanted to gut that Skeeter woman and fuck her neck hole so hard that her eyes popped out, but unfortunately, the woman was nowhere to be found.

'How dare she mock me? Lord Voldemort!!' Voldemort snarled in anger and obliterated the offending piece of article with a wave of his hand. He slammed his fist on the armrest, startling Nagini, but when the snake realized that Voldemort was simply throwing another one of his regular tantrums for whatever reason, it decided to lie down and take a nap.

It took Voldemort a whole minute to calm down and now that he was finally calm, he started to contemplate over the whole situation with a clear head… It was obvious that thanks to his second defeat at the hands of the Potter boy, people had stopped fearing him. Even the Vampires and his Death Eaters have started to act too uppity. He needed to do something and he needed to do something really soon.

'Maybe, it is about time to remind them they better fear me' Voldemort hummed thoughtfully as a plan started to form inside his mind. At midnight, Diagon Alley and Muggle London would be teeming with people, celebrating the end of the year. The streets would be filled with happiness and joy… If he wanted to sow terror and discord, he wasn't going to get a better opportunity than this.

He could also use the attack to distract Potter and the Ministry so that Pettigrew could go and grab his Horcrux from Hogwarts, unless he tipped Potter by moving too soon since the boy could track his Soul… Maybe, he could get the Dementors to attack the Muggle gathering in London to celebrate the end of the year while the Vampires and Death Eaters would attack the people gathering at Diagon Alley.

Then they could escape as soon as Potter arrived… 'Yes, that would work and the world would learn to fear Lord Voldemort once again…' Voldemort smiled softly with a cruel glint in eyes as he started to dream about the ways he was going to torture the Potter boy…

<Line Break>

~~Malfoy Manor~~ (A few hours later)

"Uhh… So, how do I look?" Tonks asked nervously as she twirled around to show off her dress to Harry. She was wearing a dazzling black sleeveless dress reaching down to her thighs and Harry was quite certain that Tonks had increased the size of her bust so that the dress could hold onto her or maybe, she simply wanted to look more enticing.

Harry was completely awestruck when he first saw her… He never thought that Tonks would be able to rock the classy woman look so easily. Her short shoulder-length blonde hair and her pale blue eyes were enhancing her looks to another level."Umm… Wow! You look great" Harry finally answered after he managed to get a grip on his emotions.

After all, no matter how well-disciplined he was, at the end of the day, he was still a hormonal teenager…

At his words, Tonks finally breathed out in relief… "Thanks… I was really nervous" Tonks mumbled in a low tone as she reached out to Harry and pecked him on the lips.

"I told you that you are going to knock him dead" Andi commented from the side, sounding extremely pleased with herself.

"With her being able to change her own looks, we simply needed to give some time" Narcissa added softly while staring at Tonks at Harry.

"Well, I would have been happier if I hadn't had to play as your dress-up doll" Tonks huffed, but there was no heat in her words. "I am just glad all of that is finally over with" Tonks sighed, looking slightly tired, but she was being really conscious of the way she was acting since she didn't want to change her looks by accident. After all, she had seen herself in the mirror and she was looking drop-dead gorgeous.

"I am glad that you gave them the time" Harry said with a smile. "You look stunning" Harry added passionately, making Tonks blush. "By the way, we should get going" Harry said as he extended his arm. Tonks smiled at him and snaked her arm around his.

"Take care, you two" Andi said as she waved at the two of them.

"Have a nice time" Narcissa wished as she waved at them.

"My Godson has already grown up… I am so proud" They heard someone mumbling in a low tone, only to find Sirius tied at the edge of the hall with tears rolling down his eyes. The man was making a nuisance of himself with his comments, so the Black sisters decided to tie him up before gagging him.

"Same to you, guys" Harry said before he turned toward Tonks "I hope you aren't afraid of heights" Harry said with a cheeky grin on his face. Tonks' eyes grew wide, but before she could say anything, the two of them disappeared with a soft crack…

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****A-DATE-NIGHT (III)****

"Whoa!" Tonks exclaimed loudly in surprise as she stumbled a bit at their arrival, and she would have lost her footing if it wasn't for Harry, which she was really grateful for. After all, she didn't want to ruin her image by planting her face on the floor at her arrival.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked softly, looking concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah. I am alright" Tonks nodded her head, looking slightly bashful. "Now that I think of it, I shouldn't have worn heels" Tonks mumbled furiously while childishly glaring at her own feet.

"You look beautiful in them" Harry complimented, breaking Tonks out of her trance.

"Really?" Tonks asked, but moments later, her eyes grew wide and her jaw hung open as she realized where she really was. "Whoa! Are we really on top of the Eiffel Tower?" Tonks asked excitedly as she removed her arm from Harry's and tried to rush toward the edge, but she ended up getting smacked on the face by an invisible barrier.

"Sorry, I didn't want you to trip over" Harry apologized as she walked up to her. Tonks rubbed her head with a frown before glaring at Harry, but she didn't try to retort. Knowing her own lack of balance, there was a huge chance that she could have tripped and toppled down to her doom before Harry could have done anything.

"Here, let me help you" Harry said as he extended his hand toward her.

With a faint blush on her face, Tonks accepted the hand and then Harry led her outside the invisible barrier, only to be hit by strong winds and noise. "Wow…" Tonks breathed out, looking impressed. She had never been outside Britain, and now she was at the top of the Eiffel Tower. One of the most romantic places in the world.

This was going to become one of her bragging rights, Tonks decided…

"There are so many people down there!" Tonks exclaimed loudly when she realized that she could barely hear herself due to the wind. "Can they see us up here?!" Tonks screamed as she turned toward Harry.

"Yes, right now, they can, but as soon as we return inside the barrier, they won't be able to" Harry answered with his voice laced with Magic as he didn't want to scream like Tonks. "This place isn't open to the public, Mundane or Magical, but with Magic, anything is possible" Harry added with a smile.

"Mum is going to be so jealous!!" Tonks screamed at the tops of her lungs as she threw her hands in the air, but she immediately regretted her choice as she stumbled, but once again Harry managed to catch her before she could embarrass herself. "Whoops. My bad" Tonks mumbled, looking embarrassed.

"I thought you would like something private, but still something special" Harry said as he gestured toward the pair of chairs and a table sitting in the middle of the floor. The table was neatly decorated with flowers and candles along with some decorated cutlery. "So, what do you think?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.

However, instead of answering, Tonks simply smacked her lips on Harry's… Harry happily returned the kiss and the two of them finally separated from each other after a whole minute. "That was wow!" Tonks breathed out, looking flushed.

"Yeah. That was, but maybe we should hold back for the time being" Harry explained as he didn't want to get too raunchy before the dinner and they had decided to take everything slowly.

"Yeah" Tonks nodded her head in agreement. While she wouldn't mind getting naughty, she wanted Harry to grow up a bit more before finally doing the deed. "The wind is ruining my hair, let's go back" Tonks said, trying to change the mood.

"Yes, of course" Harry agreed and led her back inside the barrier.

"What does this thing do?" Tonks asked while glancing toward where the invisible barrier was supposed to be.

"Nothing much, but it does stop the cold and the wind from getting inside. It stops anyone Mundane or Magical from seeing us, and it also prevents the noise from bothering us" Harry answered with a smile as he continued to lead her toward the table. He pulled back a chair for Tonks. "After you" Harry offered.

Tonks beamed at the gesture even though she was screaming like a schoolgirl in the confines of her mind. 'This is so freaking romantic!!' Tonks squealed internally as she took the seat. Up to this point, the date had been amazing and she only hoped that they could end the date on a high note. "Thanks" Tonks mumbled a thanks.

"My pleasure" Harry said as he went to take his own seat. "So, do you want to chat or order something?" Harry asked. He knew that he didn't get to spend much time with Tonks as he was busy with other stuff most of the day, so he thought that Tonks might want to simply chat with him.

"What can we order?" Tonks asked, looking excited. While she loved to eat junk food, she had never eaten high-class food and considering the theme Harry was going for, she was certain that she was going to get a high-class treatment. Instead of answering, Harry simply grabbed the thick-looking book from the side and handed it over to her.

"You could order a Starter" Harry said as Tonks opened the book, only to find a luxurious menu card with life-like images of dishes floating around. The food looked mouth-watering just from the pictures, so Tonks had to force herself not to drool. Tonks found the Starters menu, only to reach a startling conclusion.

Everything was in French, which meant everything written on the menu was beyond her comprehension… Tonks started to panic, but she managed to regain her bearings pretty quickly. 'Get a grip, Tonks. It is not the end of the world. There are freaking pictures floating around!' Tonks chided herself inside her mind.

'Simply order the most delicious-looking thing in there and Bob's your uncle' Tonks decided inside her mind, feeling extremely proud of herself…

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