6 Dorea's Plan

The Morning After.

"So, how long will Hadrian be with us?", Dorea asked as she escorted James and Lily down the stairs and into the living room.

James and Lily shared an uneasy look. As if it were the one question that they had wanted to avoid the most. Dorea noticed, of course, and knew immediately that she would not like the answer they would give her.

"We're not sure," James said. "It depends on the methodology of the specialist we're visiting, really."

Dorea hid back a grimace, but it was painfully obvious that she was displeased. "Is that right…? And what does this specialist specialize in?"

"Magical theory, amongst other fields.", Lily offered. "We understand if it's too much to ask of you, Mrs. Potter – looking after Harry for too long would get bothersome I imagine, but we won't be gone for too long."

In her rant, Arthur – who had been sleeping soundly with his head resting on James' shoulder, babbled incessantly, before returning to dreamland once more.

Dorea shot them a tired look, it waned with both anger and defeat. They were painfully oblivious, and yet – they clearly thought they had the best intentions. She had seen this development before, in her own family. Albeit, it was different in this case.

The Blacks had always been so rigid and passionate in their beliefs that they ended up harming themselves and others in the family.

She watched as they clung to superficial things like honour and duty – whilst the house eventually fell into ruins, leaving Dorea (and Sirius, but he had denied the responsibility), to look after its falling pieces. If this proved to be a pattern in James and Lily's behaviour, it would only be harmful to the children.

Especially Hadrian, the poor boy.

"We will have Hadrian for as long as you can bear to part from him," Dorea promised. She said nothing more as they walked to the fireplace – even though she very clearly wished to.

Dorea was known to be outspoken at times, but it was when she became quiet that her true character was shown.

Born as a daughter to the Blacks, and a Slytherin student during her years at Hogwarts; Dorea was no amateur when it came to manoeuvring subtly.

As they stood at the fireplace, Lily looked at Dorea pleadingly and said. "You will let us know if you have any difficulties with Harry, won't you?"

Her face showed apprehension and tension, feelings that any new mother would display if they had to relinquish their newly born child to someone else.

She was relieved when Dorea greeted her with a comforting smile and a nod.

"We raised James, didn't we?", Dorea replied sarcastically.

Her comment had seemed to appease Lily, allowing for the tension to wash away as she smiled sheepishly and said, "That's what I'm most afraid of."

"We won't make the same mistakes, dear. I promise." Dorea chuckled, amused at her son's affronted expression.

"Mistake!" he scowled slightly, before adopting a cocky smile. "I'll have you know, I am the best Potte-"

Whilst James keenly protested Dorea's accusation, Lily grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and winked conspiratorially at her mother-in-law. She mouthed the words, 'Thank you', before throwing the powder at her feet.

The last thing Dorea heard before they were engulfed in green flames was James staggering in his rant and Arthur's gurgling.

'We won't make the same mistakes.'

With their departure, Dorea's plans were set in place. There was an indefinite time between the moment James and Lily left, and the moment they were to return, so time was of the essence. It had been something she started planning since the incident at St Mungo's, when Dumbledore had suggested Hadrian's separation from the rest of the family.

But it was only after they arrived yesterday that she thought to entertain it. It had been sitting in the vestiges of her mind, the muddled affairs of her family. Now that she had an opportunity, she couldn't sit still.

She knew her son extremely well, and though he was as righteous as they came, he was also entirely misguided. She had witnessed it during his years at Hogwarts, where he built up a reputation as both a bully and a prankster, to the members of her former house - no less.. It had been tiring to receive messages from his Head of House, Minerva McGonagall - for his misbehaviour during his first few years. But by the time he had reached his fifth year, Charlus and Dorea were unnerved and frankly disappointed in their Heir.

He did straighten up after that, but still, it had been daunting to see how wrapped up and obsessed he had become with fighting alongside Dumbledore and his Order. They had watched as their influence on their son began wavering, how he had grown to silently abhor their time together.

How he had found a new mother and father in Minerva and Albus.

How he had forsaken what he was taught, even to the extent of refusing to learn the family magic.

So it came as no surprise when James and Lily visited them for the first time in a month with an agenda relating to Arthur, Hadrian, and Dumbledore.

They hadn't sent a single letter regarding the progress of the children, in fact; all that they had learned of the family was what they were greeted with when they opened the newspaper.

He was their son, and yet he first denied them information that could have led to their demise, and then prevented them from seeing their grandchildren!

And she knew that in James' confidence he thought that he was doing the right thing. It wouldn't take him long to slowly make Lily more receptive to his ideas. Until she too would come to believe that Hadrian's life would be better if he was hidden away, at least until the Dark Lord and his followers ceased to exist. Even after she had subtly urged Lily to not allow anyone else to change her mind - she knew that the girl would not follow her warning.

With every passing day, Charlus and Dorea's hearts grew worn and heavy, and so they had no choice but to plan for the future. For the betterment of their grandchildren's lives. Well, grandson…Arthur would be well looked after, that was for certain. Knowing that after what they planned to do, they would have an estranged relationship with Arthur, hurt more than they cared to address.

It was Hadrian's future that eluded them, and it brought them no comfort to sit and stew as they waited for events to unfold.

So they intervened. Except, Charlus was never the kind to do that type of work, Dorea was always the cunning one in their partnership.

Dorea walked back to her room with a small sense of trepidation. She made her way through the winding paths that led to her quarters, lost in her head about how to proceed.

Eventually, she found herself back in her and Charlus' room, and immediately went and sat on his desk.

Charlus would sometimes carry documents back to bed, often related to his Wizengamot duties, or Gringotts Finances. Dorea always complained, of course, declaring that the bedroom was a place to rest, not toil over work, though Charlus never listened.

She reached into the lower part of the desk and retrieved some parchment and ink. She then dipped her quill into the ink-pot, and with loose cursive scrawl, began penning her letter.

...

Dear Lord Black,

I address you as your formal station, Sirius, because I believe this is an important matter befitting the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. As a former daughter of this old and cursed family, I had thought with your survival, and the subsequent death of the more disturbed members of our family, that I would finally get to see it flourish. Once you were bequeathed with the headship, as is your right, I knew that there would be no work done in reinstating our house unto its former glory. You had always absconded your duties, even as an heir. As such, I ask you to relinquish your headship to me.

I find myself getting older by the day, Sirius, and as much as it brought me pain, I feel equal amounts of love for this once-old and great family. Perhaps it's the pride that could only be attributed to members of our family, that refuses to let me rest. Whether it ends by falling into ruin and obscurity or reviving its once-great status, it matters not to me. All I ask is for the chance to fulfill my greatest wish. A chance that you have proven, time and time again, that you do not need nor desire.

Rest assured, I will take care of our own, and if I were to ever fail in doing so, then it would inevitably become a fallen house. Just as you've always wanted.

Regarding the matter of heir-ship, if you were so concerned, it will eventually be given to one of James' children. That is, if they desire it so. If not, then your cousins Andromeda or Narcissa will have one of their children inherit it. I'm sure that this condition is one that you would find ideal also.

As I understand it, this arrangement is something that you will have no trouble getting behind as it fits both your needs and mine. You will find the necessary documents placed in the other letter beside this one. Aside from signing your name at the bottom with a blood quill, and declaring the rite of house inheritance, you will have no other duty befall you as a member of our House, ever again. I hope you will keep this matter discreet, I do not wish to worry James about the workload I will now be facing in my new duties.

Toujours Pur, Dorea Violetta Potter (nee Black)