31 26: Consequences of Yule

The consequences of the coven's Yule were wide-reaching, though most went unnoticed by those involved. There were the direct effects of the ritual Atlas and his coven performed. And then there were the effects of that ritual's effects…

The five participants of the Rebirth of the Sun experienced all the benefits promised by the ritual. They were Winter's Chosen. A title that was not exclusive to them but still granted advantages that they would not have had if they had not participated. They were not even the only ones at Hogwarts who received that title this Winter. A pair of Durmstrang students — one of whom could be called 'Champion' — also performed the Rebirth of the Sun that Winter's Solstice.

Regardless, for this Winter, the five of them joined the niche group of Witches and Wizards who would herald the return of the Spring sun.

A chilly wind followed where they walked. Overcast clouds could be seen in their eyes. If one looked closely enough, they might even catch the barest sprinkle of snowflakes in their movements.

To be put into tangible terms — ones that could be understood by those used to reading a certain System —, the title of Winter's Chosen and its corresponding ritual granted physical, mental, and magical boosts to the five of them. They were boons, protection from the cold darkness of Winter so that the chosen may last until the season changed.

It was also a responsibility, for Winter could not act on its own. They did not act for it, per se, simply speaking in the season's name. The five of them were tuned into the naturally potent, magical concept of the coldest and darkest times of the year. A sensitivity that made itself apparent the very next day when they could feel that afternoon's snow before it clouded the horizon.

But what went unnoticed was arguably more important than the ritual and its granted boons. Heather found herself feeling more whole in the wake of the ritual. Her scar closed up and quickly began to fade. Her world felt smoother and less strained in the most imperceptible of ways.

Far away from Hogwarts in a rundown shack of a mansion, a twisted magical construct writhed in naked pain. So similar to the 'fetus' purged by the coven's ritual, it cursed existence itself. The loss of something essential, a sliver of itself, plagued its every waking moment. An icy chill weighed heavily on the creature that used to be Human, augmented by a soft warmth that burned its shattered soul like nothing else. Only a rat and a snake answered the creature's tortured cries.

Even farther away, the sound of cracking could be heard in a chamber deep below a major metropolitan area. An opaque orb — one of thousands — showed hairline fractures as fate broke around it. One could say the fractures were almost… 'Systemic'. No one noticed this change. Surely, it couldn't be that important…

IIIII

Winter's break had come to Hogwarts and despite the lull in lessons, I had the feeling I was going to be very busy. Well… it was less of a feeling and more of a certainty.

There was no other outcome to having seven Witches in my life. And that wasn't even including my promise to take Heather to Gringotts or the Black family reunion that was scheduled for the break.

The day after the Yule Ball was a rest day for the entire Castle. I would say it was almost normal if that word wasn't an oxymoron when it came to my life. Still, Heather, Hermione, and Aurora were integrating themselves into the coven well (read: being doted upon by Bella and Luna). Something I was beyond thankful for at the moment. It gave me a chance to recover from last night's ritual and gather enough energy to go see Dumbledore about a few things.

Surprisingly, I didn't find him in his office. The gargoyle in front of his office informed me that he was out at the moment. My next idea was a Patronus Message and it didn't take long for him to respond that way.

"I'm down by the Lake, Atlas. Come join me. The weather is wonderful," The ghostly phoenix said in Dumbledore's voice.

The weather was most certainly not wonderful. But there would be no telling Dumbledore that. And so I trudged through the inch or so of still-snowing snow to meet him by the Black Lake.

Thankfully, Dumbledore was as impossible to miss as always. Today, he was wearing a robe that almost hurt to look at. Not in the way that it was too bright or garish. But in the eldritch-horror sense…

Tentacles reached up his back and down his front. Eyes blinked in and out of existence. Mouths with too many teeth licked their lips. The thing was an affront to existence and good sense so, of course, Dumbledore wore it proudly.

"My god, man, are you trying to blind people with Eldritch truth?" I asked as I approached Dumbledore on the shore of the Lake.

"Oh? Do you like it? It's new. A masterful bit of crafting and charmwork too. It was made by an intern at Twilfitt and Tattings recently. I believe he was found in his flat the day after it was finished, trying to make some kind of tome out of his blood and skin. The story was wonderfully macabre enough to catch my interest and I purchased the robe right away," Dumbledore smiled as if he hadn't just explained the beginning of a H.P. Lovecraft novel.

"Albus…" I said flatly, trying to avoid looking at the robe as much as possible. "Never… ever… wear that robe again. I'm already half-convinced that it's an entrance method for an Eldritch God to invade our plane of existence. Actually, just burn it now."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mischievously, "It's nothing like that. Don't worry. I already checked. Quite thoroughly. The robe itself was merely a stroke of cosmic inspiration. And I made sure the Department of Mysteries knew about a potential Eldritch breach. The Unspeakables will take care of the rest. That is their job, after all."

That was more worrying than it was comforting, "Does… Does this sort of thing happen often?"

"Hmm, let me answer your question with a question, Atlas. Where do you think the Veil of Death leads to?"

"Are you implying that we feed our prisoners and criminals to some vague, unknowable Eldritch God?"

"Well… It's certainly never been confirmed to be false."

"That is terrifying… But considering some of the Death Eaters, I'm surprisingly okay with that."

"Do not worry yourself too much. As far as we can tell, it is a one-way street. Still, smarter and more callous people than I figured it was a good idea to keep whatever is waiting on the other side sated and entertained just in case."

"Again, that is a terrifying concept. Thank you for introducing me to it, Albus…" I paused as a revelation entered my mind. "Oh, Merlin… What about Dementors?"

Dumbledore adopted a considering expression, "I'll be honest, Atlas, I've never approached them from this angle. I suppose it is possible that they are the remnants of an ancient Eldritch breach. Though, it is just as likely that they are Fae-like creatures of misery and suffering."

"Is that any better?"

"No. Very much no. Eldritch and Fae are two sides of the same coin. One is simply unknowable by choice instead of by nature."

"This isn't even what I meant to talk to you about but now I can't stop thinking about Magical Creatures and their potential origins," Shuddering, I tried to change the subject. "What are you even doing out here in the cold, Albus?"

That damnable twinkle returned to his eyes, "Why, feeding Jimothy, of course."

That answer didn't explain much, "Jimothy?"

Dumbledore waved off my question, "Oh, I'm sure you know him. You've just never heard his name before. I actually took inspiration from my new robe for this activity. He must be so lonely now that students don't visit the Lake due to the weather."

My growing premonition was quickly proven correct when a giant tentacle breached the surface of the Lake, waving at us. Soon enough, an eye as wide as I was tall joined it. It crinkled at us like it was smiling, despite the fact that it didn't have an eyebrow… or even an eyelid.

As always with Dumbledore, I felt like the only thing I could do was go with the flow of things. He walked over to a conveniently placed rock on the shore and I followed him, sitting down when he did. Then he produced a whole loaf of store-bought bread from somewhere within the abomination he called a robe and began banishing it to the squid in the Lake. After a moment or two, I shrugged and joined him.

"If you did not come to discuss the still mostly theoretical origins of Magical Creatures and Magic in general, what did you come to talk to me about, Atlas?" Dumbledore asked.

"Right," I snapped my fingers as I was reminded of my original purposes. "I need permission to take a student off the Castle grounds at some point this break. I promised Heather we would visit Gringotts."

Dumbledore nodded, "Granted. It is good to see young Heather finally taking an interest in her heritage. She never broached the subject before and I was starting to get worried she was purposefully shunning that part of herself because of bad experiences with Pure-Blood rhetoric."

I looked at him strangely, "She didn't know about her heritage until the Line Theft incident. Not a clue."

Dumbledore was shocked by that news, "Truly? Oh my… That is concerning. I was so sure she was simply taking her time to process things in her own way…"

"This is what happens when you assume something and never even think to confirm it," I sighed.

"Yes, 'tis my folly," Dumbledore chuckled. "Even at my age, it seems some mistakes are just Human nature."

"Thankfully, it's not too late. Heather knows now. I'll be taking her to see her heritage before lessons start back up. It will let me do the same as well. Though that little… adventure will likely have to wait until I've met with Narcissa and gotten a rundown on House Black's current situation," I had no qualms with explaining my plans to Dumbledore.

"Will I see you at the New Year's Wizengamot session?" Dumbledore cheerfully inquired as he banished a slice of bread straight into Jimothy's beak.

"Merlin, I hope not," I shuddered. "I'm thinking of pawning that responsibility off on Narcissa or another proxy. I'd rather spend my time on something actually productive. After that farce of a trial, I don't believe the Wizengamot qualifies…"

"You'll have to attend at least one session to have your position recognized and appoint that proxy," Dumbledore pointed out. "Also, some of this upcoming session will be dedicated to deciding the fate of your parents. You may want to attend for that reason as well."

I groaned, "Only a month and I'm already starting to hate the pomp and circumstance surrounding my new position."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Wait until your first high society social event. They're unavoidable and oh-so tedious at times. The matchmaking attempts alone… Well, let's just say I'm glad to be perceived as too old for most. Not even homosexuality could save me from those attempts in my prime…"

I glanced at him… 'queerly'… out of the corner of my eye, "You know, I don't think I've run into that topic in the magical world. How is homosexuality seen by Witches and Wizards?"

He sighed, "That… is a complicated question. It is not so much discriminated against as it is shunned and kept out of the public eye."

"Like covens?"

"Somewhat. Like with covens, it is treated as an intensely personal and private matter. A homosexual relationship may not be openly declared but it is not uncommon to see Witches or Wizards with life-long 'roommates' — so to say.

"Of course, continuing the bloodline is an important issue within Wizarding society. But so long as an heir is provided, most do not look too closely at the rest of the relationship. It's not a perfect arrangement but it could most certainly be worse."

He fell silent after that. His expression was momentarily lost to memories. Even as he reminisced, bread was still absently flung to the giant squid Jimothy. Like an old Muggle man in the park feeding ducks.

I let him think in silence for a little while. But something still lingered on my mind. Something that only Dumbledore could likely answer. He'd lived a long and eventful life, after all. Surely, he's seen something like… that thing. That impossibly grotesque fetus.

"Albus," I broke the comfortable silence. "I have a question. A concern, really."

He came back to me with a smile, "Ask away, my friend."

"Last night… was eventful for me and several others. We may or may not have performed a ritual to celebrate the Winter Solstice. It went well. But it ended with something none of us were expecting…"

His eyes twinkled knowingly, "Ah, yes… Winter's Chosen?"

I looked at him in surprise, "How did you know?"

"I recognized some of the familiar side-effects. Did you know you currently smell like snow and ice?"

"I… did not. I didn't even know the ritual's effect would be perceivable to others. Or that 'snow and ice' had a distinct smell."

"Oh, it's not especially noticeable. It's also a bit more esoteric than a physical scent. But those who are sensitive and familiar with the Rebirth of the Sun might catch a whiff every once and a while."

I paused to absorb that information, "… Moving along… As you can tell, the ritual itself went well. But after Heather's 'turn', something happened. Some kind of 'creature' appeared, only to be burnt to ash moments later.

"It was an ugly, twisted thing. So dark it almost hurt to look at. Like… Like a Dementor's ugly cousin in the form of a fetus. Or some kind of incomplete magical leech. Seemingly just being near the thing made Heather's scar split open. It was disgusting and I find myself utterly clueless as to what it really was."

Dumbledore hummed, "Heather's scar, you say? Hmm… Could it be…? Manic magical misfortune, yes! Atlas, I could kiss you!"

I'd never seen him so openly excited about something but still, I blanched at that idea, "Please don't. I'm not sure Septima would ever forgive me. Or kiss me again for that matter."

My deadpan delivery didn't seem to shake Dumbledore's excitement, "Hahaha! Of all things, I never thought it would come down to something as simple as a ritual! Eat shit, Tom!"

"Wait, what?!" I had to do a doubletake at his cursing. "Merlin, Albus, what is going on?"

He laughed as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, "You've given me the single greatest Christmas present I could have asked for! This is extraordinary and unexpected, Atlas! It confirms a theory of mine. One with worrying implications. But it also brings Voldemort two steps closer to his final demise!"

"V-Voldemort…? What do you-… No… Heather?" I went pale.

"I'm afraid so, my friend. But worry not. You've seemingly fixed the issue without even knowing about it!" Dumbledore reassured me as he saw my face. "Oh dear… Perhaps I should start at the beginning."

"I think that would be for the best. Quickly. Before I decide to find Heather and lock her in a room so she can never be hurt again."

"Well, it all started with this wonderful explosion the Muggles have calculated-…"

"Albus!"

He smirked before sobering dramatically, "Very well. I'm afraid this will not be a heartwarming story. It all really started with a young boy with an upbringing that was remarkably similar to yours, Atlas. A boy named Tom Riddle…"

IIIII

I stumbled back to my room, bearing the weight of Dumbledore's story. The weight of his sins and mistakes. The weight of a terribly troubled boy who grew into a monster. The weight of knowing something so important about Heather's life that she didn't even know herself.

Not that it would stay that way. Heather deserved to know about the prophecy. Even if it might possibly be broken now that the potential 'Horcrux' in her scar had been taken care of. She still deserved to know why Voldemort was after her. That the monster had ruined her life over a prophecy from Sybill Trelawney of all people.

Though I was hesitant to tell her about the Horcrux. It was already taken care of. And I didn't want to burden her with the trauma of knowing that she'd had a piece of Voldemort's soul stuck to her for most of her life. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her. Especially now that the damnable thing was ashes in the wind.

I barged into my room and collapsed into my Lazy Boy chair, ignoring the rest of my coven for the moment. My eyes closed and I let out a tortured sigh. Thank Merlin for the little things in life like upholstered leather and overstuffed stuffing.

The chair shifted as a body sat down on its arm, leaning onto my body. From the lean muscle and small frame, I knew who it was without opening my eyes.

"Hello, Heather."

"Hey, Teach. How'd your talk with Dumbledore go?"

"Terrifying," I sighed. "I'm pretty sure I'm scarred for life in multiple ways now."

"That's okay!" Luna cheerfully exclaimed, mounting the chair's opposite armrest. "Scars are cool!"

"Aren't you overreacting slightly?" Hermione asked, obviously not believing my words.

I remembered Dumbledore's new robe and the story behind them, and shuddered, "No… No, I'm not. The tentacles… The tentacles, Hermione!"

"My god! What did you two do?!" Hermione gasped, disgusted by the vehemence in my tone.

"Fed the giant squid in the Black Lake," I deadpanned.

My delivery got giggles and Hermione scowled at me, "Oh, do grow up, Atlas. Jimothy is perfectly harmless."

That just made Heather laugh harder, "Jimothy?! And why do you even know the name of the giant squid, Hermione?"

Hermione sniffed, turning up her nose at us, "It's in Hogwarts, a History."

I blinked, "Before or after the intensely erotic adventures of the Founders?"

"Before, of course. Though he is mentioned after as well… For… obvious reasons."

"That makes sense. It's been a while but I remember the second half of that book really as entirely different from the first. Much more enjoyable though. I feel like the characters really began to pop once we'd seen them naked and bent into a pretzel while they took two fat cocks."

"Wait, wait! Hogwarts, a History is smutty?!" Heather asked with an extremely baffled expression on her face.

All of us looked at her like she was the weird one for not knowing. Hogwarts, a History (the second half of the book, at least) was just about the raunchiest thing I'd ever read. And that was before the stuff with Helga Hufflepuff and the centaur came up…

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You would know that if you ever bothered to try reading it. And it's not smutty. It's educational. There's a difference."

Heather gaped at us as if her entire world had been turned upside down. Well, I might as well pile onto that shock while I could. I mean… I could wait until the opportune time and break the prophecy news gently. But where was the fun in that? This way, it was like ripping off a bandage and Heather could lean on all of us to help her process the news.

"Uh, Heather?" I said, changing the subject off Hogwarts, a History. "There was something Dumbledore and I talked about. Something that relates closely to you. Did you know you're the subject of a prophecy?"

Thankfully, Heather could roll with the punches rather well. She snorted, "No but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. Might even explain my luck. Let me guess, 'Fated to defeat the big bad Dark Lord' or something?"

"Yeah…" I nodded, hesitating slightly before forging ahead. "Voldemort. It's this whole thing and why he went after you and your family in the first place. 

"He marked you as his equal. You're fated to defeat him or die trying. You'll have a 'power he knows not'… Though Dumbledore and I think that 'die trying' bit has been derailed thanks to some things I don't really want to get into at the moment."

Heather huffed, leaning further into me and basically sliding into my lap, "Figures. God, what a wanker…"

I wrapped an arm around her, "Too true. Try not to worry too much. You've got the coven on your side now. And Dumbledore — the only Wizard Voldemort ever feared. We've already broken fate once. We'll figure out how to deal with this."

"Though…" I said leadingly. "There was one thing about the whole 'prophecy situation' that I thought might tickle your sense of humor. Apparently, the original prophecy was given by — wait for it —… Sybill Trelawney."

"That hack?!" Hermione let out a shrill shriek that seemed to have been building since I mentioned the prophecy. "She probably just made it up when she was on a bender then! This-! This is shite! Bullshite!"

"Language, Hermione," Heather giggled, utterly amused as the tension of 'fate' was dissolved by her best friend's rare cursing.

Hermione was left fuming and Heather was suitably distracted. Which, I thought, was for the best. The uncomfortable implications of prophecy ruling her life, since she was born, could wait until everyone was a little bit less than sober.

It wasn't like the prophecy told Heather anything she didn't already know. She'd already faced Voldemort three times in her life (soon to be four if my quest for the tournament was to be trusted). The prophecy only gave those frequent confrontations a reason and told us to start preparing.

The hardest part was already done. The Horcrux in Heather's scar was no more. She would not have to die to destroy it. And she wasn't alone, despite the fact the prophecy said only she could defeat him. She had multiple brilliant Witches, one of the greatest Wizards to ever live, and a Gamer on her side. In all likelihood…? Voldemort was fucked.

IIIII

"Look at him, Cissy! Isn't he just oh-so-precious?! Isn't he?! Squeeeeeeeee~! Look, look! He's noticed us~!"

"You came together, Bella," Narcissa replied flatly. "Of course, he's noticed us."

I tried my best to smile at Tonks and her mother like nothing was wrong. To be honest, though? A little embarrassment was a small price to pay to see Bella this happy.

Bella, Tonks, and I had come to Malfoy Manor the day before New Year's Eve for what I'd tentatively dubbed the Black Family Reunion. When we arrived, we were greeted by Narcissa, Andromeda, Sirius, and Draco of all people.

I wasn't expecting to see my promising but annoying student here and he clearly wasn't expecting me either. He was home for the Yule Break, though, and so had naturally been roped into our 'reunion'. He seemed content to spend most of his time alternating between glaring at me and sulking in the corner of the Malfoy sitting room. It was almost cute in that moody, teenage sort of way.

"I know~" Bella whined. "He's just soooooooo~ perfect~! Everything he does gives me life. Haaaaaaaahhhh~… My baby boy~"

My smile strained. Andromeda acted as if she didn't notice, no doubt used to her middle sister's eccentricities. Tonks just smirked at me. Sirius was trying to stay as far away from Bella as possible. I didn't think there was any bad blood between them. I think Sirius was just rightfully terrified of Bella.

Good lord… We'd barely even started and already the tangled web of relationships I now called a family was making my brain hurt. Sirius and Bella had hooked up to make me but they weren't actually together. Bella herself was both the woman who birthed me and a member of my coven.

Narcissa was my aunt…? Cousin…? And yet I'd also killed her husband. Draco… I was simultaneously his Lord, teacher, cousin, and the man who killed his father. Andromeda and Tonks were the most normal familial relations I had, and even then, I was still Tonks' 1.5 times removed cousin or something stupid like that.

Forget a circle, the Black family tree had to look like a spider's web. Thank Merlin for magic keeping the effects of inbreeding to a minor inconvenience. Something I'd been able to confirm rather easily. It seemed Pure-Bloods were quick to defend their circular family practices and had spent a lot of time researching the interactions of magical incest. I wonder why…

"You must be quite proud of yourself, Atlas," Andromeda said, pulling my attention off of Bella and Narcissa. "Accomplishing so much as a presumed orphan is no small feat. You didn't have your name or blood status to rely on. Instead, you proved yourself through merits and ability alone."

I smiled sheepishly, "I didn't know anything else until recently. And I don't think my newly revealed heritage really changes anything. I worked hard to get where I am. If people suddenly treat me differently, that's their problem, not mine."

Andromeda nodded, "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You had nothing else to fall back on. And that just makes what you've done with your life all the more impressive. I'm proud to call you family, even if I cannot call you my Lord."

I looked at her queerly, "Would you want to? Call me your Lord, I mean."

Andromeda glanced at her sisters as Bella glomped Narcissa, "I certainly would not say no. Now that our prejudiced parents are no longer in the picture, I think I would like to be able to call myself a Black again."

"Consider it done," I was quick to agree. "Though hopefully, I won't have that power for long. I'm hoping Sirius will take up the Black Lordship once his name is properly cleared. I'm already the Lord of three other Houses. I don't need to add the Black House to that number just yet."

Sirius whined from the corner of the room, "Aww, shit."

"What are you complaining about, Mutt? You get to be Lord Black!" Draco snapped at him.

Sirius just continued sulking, "I know… That's the problem. I get to be Lord Black. Responsibility is bullshit…"

"Imagine all of the pranks you could pull with that power though," Tonks stage-whispered to Sirius, making his eyes light up suddenly with the possibilities.

Ignoring that byplay, Andromeda's eyes seemed to see right through me, "You'd give up power that easily?"

"I'm more than content to be heir in this situation," I shrugged. "Hell, I'm hoping to appoint proxies to my other three Lordships as well. My plate is full enough with teaching and helping Heather survive a death tournament."

"That was something I hoped to talk to you about, Milord," Narcissa said, making me jump slightly as she seemed to silently appear beside me.

Bella was still practically hanging off of her sister, "Oooooh~, 'Milord'… I love it~! So perfect for my perfect baby boy~!"

"It's just family here, Narcissa. You can call me Atlas."

"Very well, Atlas. I wish to inquire about your future plans for the political sphere. You now wield a tremendous amount of power and you've been wronged by prominent members of our society. Our whole family has been wronged. You could — and should — make our enemies' lives into a living hell."

I blinked, "I wouldn't know the first place to start with exacting political revenge."

Narcissa smirked dangerously, "I suspected as much. Luckily, you will have plenty of help. Even just one of your Houses could stir up major trouble for the Dark Faction, Fudge, and his lackey. To say nothing about the weight the Malfoy and Black names wield or the combined leverage of all four Houses."

That caught my interest, "Well… I would like to see Fudge and his toady plummet from grace. And blood purists could always do with being taken down a notch or two. I knew I wielded a lot of power now but I didn't know how to leverage it."

"Leave that to me, Atlas~" Narcissa purred, sounding almost aroused by the idea of throwing around my political weight like that. "I'll leave your enemies penniless, destitute, and suicidal. The Wizarding World will once again cower before the House of Black."

Slightly unnerved by her passion, I said, "Right… We'll have to set some ground rules. I don't want to hear about you supporting blood purist nonsense. Or even toeing the line, for that matter. Be radical. Turn the whole Wizengamot on its head. Make sure shit actually changes."

Narcissa smirked at me as if my idea was quaint, "I've never been on the side against tradition. That will certainly make things interesting at the very least."

"Well, you are now," I firmly asserted. "Consider yourself the patron saint of Muggle-borns, Half-Bloods, and sentient Magical Creatures. If there's even a hint of prejudice, discrimination, or corruption in the motion, oppose it."

"You'll ruin our whole society!" Draco protested. "You don't even know what you'll be ruining-…"

"No…" Narcissa shushed her son. "No, I can work with this. It might even be… fun~"

The smile that followed was the most genuine one I'd seen on Narcissa's face. It was almost concerning and for a moment, I felt bad for the blood purists I was siccing her on. Then that moment passed and I snorted.

"Yeah, have fun. Go crazy. As long as you're fighting the good fight, I won't stop you. And anything you need, you'll have. Make Fudge bleed. Make Umbridge cry. Make the whole Wizengamot question their reality that the Pure-Blood princess Narcissa Malfoy nee Black is fighting for Muggle-born and Creature rights."

Narcissa's smile grew vicious and calculating, "I'll need to be appointed as the proxy for your Houses so people know I speak with your voice. Not House Parkinson though. I can work with Phoebe Parkinson. In fact, I think she'll enjoy this little experiment as much as I will.

"I'll still need your signature for things every once and a while too. That bridge can be burned when we get to it though. I may need certain insurance and privileges as well. Nothing extreme. Access to the family vaults. We'll want to clean Yaxley out quickly so she doesn't try to undermine us."

"Done. I can do that when I visit Gringotts soon. What 'insurance' do you need?" I asked.

"Oh, just a bit of protection from the usual. Assassination attempts, libel and slander, kidnapping, etc. The Manor's wards are top notch but outside of them, I won't always be safe," Narcissa nonchalantly explained.

"You expect things to escalate so quickly?"

She tittered behind her hand at my naivety, "They've already begun, Atlas. I happen to know the former Lord Flint currently has an attempt on your life in the works."

"I'll kill him!" Bella hissed.

Narcissa absently patted her sister on the head, "The company Lucius kept will not take lightly to my change of agenda. Neither will Fudge, though I am less worried about anything he can cook up. The Dark Faction, however… they could easily see me dead or wishing I was dead."

I was still slightly reeling from the news that I had someone trying to assassinate me. I knew I'd deeply wronged Flint but… No, actually this wasn't surprising at all. Of course, the darker Pure-Bloods would be well used to using force to get their way.

"Bella won't allow you to come to harm, Atlas," Narcissa continued. "But I am not lucky enough to have such a potent attack dog forever by my side."

I hummed, "Hmm… Hey, Tonks? Do you want a job? Can you even take side contracts as an Auror?"

The Metamorphagus grinned, "Technically no. But when I have reason to suspect foul play of this level, I can't rightly sit around doing nothing. And I just so happen to have a backlog of vacation days built up."

"Amelia could probably be sold on the idea if you let her in on what you're planning," Andromeda offered. "She has a seat on the Wizengamot as well so Narcissa may well be able to gain a cooperating vote from her in the process."

Narcissa's eyes lit up, "I could start building my own voting bloc! I might even be able to take over the Gray Faction. Oh, Atlas, you give such good presents to your dear auntie~"

For some reason, the look in her eyes reminded me of Bella, "… If you think that's for the best, you have my permission. I'm dumping Sirius on you too. Partially so he can keep healing and partially because having a dog can be useful."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!"

"I'll accept the responsibility with grace, Milord," Narcissa said, ignoring Sirius' unrepentant, grinning response. "I never got the chance to babysit him when we were children. Besides, looking after a manchild like Sirius will be good practice for the child Milord eventually blesses me with."

"What…?"

"What…?"

"What…?"

Tonks, Draco, and I all had the same reaction to that shot out of nowhere.

"Hey!" Sirius' exclamation quickly devolved into manic laughter at the dumbfounded looks on our faces.

Andromeda rolled her eyes and Bella gave her sister a double thumbs up, seemingly way too eager to propagate the Black family tradition of incest babies.

Narcissa nodded as if she hadn't said anything wrong, "It is only proper for the Lord of a Household to give his Lady a spare heir or two."

"I-… Merlin, is Phoebe expecting this too?!"

"Of cour-…" Narcissa was nodding again before she was interrupted by the only sensible Black sister.

"Don't listen to her, Atlas," Andromeda said. "She's just scheming to get something she wants and trying to wrap you around her finger. She always does this. It's not malicious, just annoying and slightly self-absorbed."

Narcissa blushed, the first bit of red I'd seen cross her cheeks, "… A second child would be nice, is all. Lucius didn't touch me once after Draco was born."

Seeing that Andromeda was right about Narcissa not being actively malicious in her trickery, I said, "I'll-… Good Lord, I can't believe I'm saying this… I'll consider it."

She nodded, "That is all I ask."

I let out a sigh, suddenly drained, "Anything else you can think to mention that's on the same level as 'give me a child'? Might as well get it all out now."

"Not that I can think of."

"Alright then," I said. "Shall we-… Ah! Just remembered one last thing.

"If a Russian woman named Svetlana contacts you and inquires about taking Draco's hand in marriage, say yes. She was his date to the Yule Ball and Septima and I rather like the idea of giving him away with a dowry."

"W-Wait, what?" Draco paled. "Am I to be the bride? Y-You can't do that! She'll eat me alive!"

"Now, now, Draco," Narcissa tutted. "I think our Lord's idea is splendid. You don't have to wait until you finish school to give me grandbabies."

"Mother, I will quite literally die. Svetlana will Amazon press me until I have nothing left but dust and a broken mind," Draco deadpanned.

Sirius whistled, "What a way to go."

"Then I better have no shortage of grandbabies to spoil, my Little Dragon."

"I hate that she calls me the same thing…" Draco's grumbles were ignored by the rest of us.

Narcissa turned her attention back to me, "Though that does actually remind me of something else, Milord. Are you aware of the contract between House Black and House Greengrass?"

"What kind of contract?" I asked cautiously.

"The marriage contract, of course. It's quite important to the future prosperity of both Houses, as well as any political plans I may enact in your name. House Greengrass is a potent ally within the Gray Faction.

"Worry not though. It is not a barbaric contract like… Bella's. Merely an alliance and agreement between our two Houses, along with an exchange of dowry and Line Continuation clauses."

Dread pooled in my gut, "This contract wouldn't happen to be with, say, Astoria Greengrass, would it?"

"No, no, Milord. She's too young yet," I saw hope at the end of this conversation. Perhaps it was with a Greengrass cousin I didn't know about and not one of my students. I almost breathed a sigh of relief. Then Narcissa continued.

"It's with the oldest Greengrass child, Daphne, and you as the most eligible full-blooded Black heir."