Potters Planning
James POV
He should have known not to follow or trust Narcissa, they were now in some secret room he had never seen before on the 7th floor. She was sending one of the school owls out a window (that had appeared suddenly) to his mother.
She had locked them up in separate cages. Regulus had entered with the other 2 boys in tow shortly after, Madam Pomfrey apparently well taken care of with an excuse that she had sent them on their way after assisting and clearing them of their ailments.
Regulus had giving his other 2 friends some dreamless sleep after explaining that he had nicked some since it seemed to be the best chance to sleep off Snapes potion. Peter had been all too eager. Remus wasn't too eager but after James and Sirius had vouched for their agreements, since their animal qualities might become too otherwise aggressive if left unsupervised, he too fell asleep.
Narcissa conjured a fireplace with a floo connection and before they knew it, James mother- Euphemia Potter, had stepped through with not a hair out of place. Her long ruffled petticoat dress with its high collar was pressed and pleated to perfection in maroon, with white lace. She looked as put together as ever, her brooch a stunning gold lion. She looked at each teenager in the room and finally fixed her eyes on him. James ducked his head down.
His mother was going to be so furious they were attempting to become illegal animagi.
But instead of the expected lecture, she glanced towards Narcissa. "I'll need a private room for myself and Sirius to discuss things over. I take it no other adults are privy to my visit?"
"No Ma'am. Up until today I wasn't aware of his conditions. I sent the letter to you with every private and protective charm on it I knew. I trust your discretion in this matter."
She nodded and Narcissa conjured a privacy screen that she then levitated Sirius's cage behind.
James was not a fan of this idea! "Now wait just one minute, I should be ap-"
"Hush puppy. I'll speak to you soon, James."
His mother thought herself funny, hm? He scowled as a privacy bubble his parents often used when discussing things without him, went up.
He paced his cage, unrealized until he heard Regulus speak up for the first time in a while after he'd coaxed Remus into taking the sleeping draught, "He's fully shifted! He hasn't finished the full month yet, for the animagus ritual. That shouldn't be possible."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Snape's potion intended for some sort of forced animagus or animal transfiguration via chemically inducing the change. They're the hardest potions to make, and the few that are out there are typically used in experiments. They are highly regulated and restricted in the department of mysteries from what I gather. I know he's hoping for a spot as an Unspeakable, but this was a rather reckless and dimwitted move. If tied to him, he'd be put in Azkaban for at least a 5 year sentence since he has no monetary means to payout any fines for any adverse side effects that these boys may linger with." Narcissa mused. "The Malfoys already have you hitting the law books so you'll stand strong as Lucius's spouse should you ever need to speak on behalf of his seat on the council or wizengamot, hm?" Regulus quipped. "Of course. Or should something happen to him before our son is of age to take on his lordship."
"So sure of a son so soon?"
"Malfoys only ever have sons." Was her answer.
James was occupied with chewing at the bars of his cage. He could still smell the sweet ambrosia of Sirius. If he could just get free!!!
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Sirius POV
"I've been appraised of your situation, my dear. I've brought a change a undergarments for you once the tail protrusion has cleared itself. The charms you are used to placing every few hours are already interwoven into the fabrics in a arithmetic pattern to sustain you all day. Simply discard them to be cleaned before bed and keep showered every morning, and no one will be the wiser. I've brought you plenty a pair. And these will be equipped for your male bits for ease of urination as well." She brought out a large stack of the aforementioned lacey y-fronts that immediately popped away, he assumed the castles magic had placed them in his trunk back in his rooms. Only one was left behind.
"Oh..." Sirius couldn't help the blush of mortification he felt over the subject. "How did you...so fast?" He aimed for a nonchalant tone but failed. "I had a friend in school, at Durmstrang before I transferred here to Hogwarts and met my Monty... she was similarly equipped. Her parents also married as... well, closer than is probably suggested in polite company. She identified as female, even helped create these undergarments. They're quite handy and I regularly buy sets from her for myself. Though I don't need every aspect of course, and though I'm up in my years, I have yet to hit what is called menopause. My fertility hit late in life. I was, as they say, a late bloomer."
He failed to keep from flinching at that. "I am not sure what all Cissy mentioned in her letter... but..."
"But, my dear, a lot of the purebloods have some... old ways of thinking that are not necessarily sound of reasoning. Superstitions, and concepts of old that have only ever hurt women, or thos le with organs of the like. I haven't a clue how some of these irrational ideas stay alive."
"I don't think I'm good enough for James." He blurted. Keeping his thoughts to himself? Something it seemed all the Potters excelled at was getting Sirius to talk. Euphemia simply smiled.
"I'm sure James disagrees. We have only ever heard of you, and your friends of course. But Monty and I have long since suspected he had feelings for you that he had been... dodging. Thats an apt word for what I believe was going on."
Sirius shook his head in disbelief. Wouldn't he have noticed? All James did was antagonize Lily and Snape! Well, mostly. Maybe 2 or 3 times a school year there would be a major event. And he really only ever approached Lily when there was a crowd. He pondered these details as Euphemia went on.
"From the very first moment, he's gone on and on about 'Sirius this and Sirius that, Mama guess what - oh, and of course Sirius Black was there too!' You might remember when the two of you first met, don't you dear?"
Sirius blinked and considered his memories. "Wasn't it at Madam Malkins? We were getting our robes fitted."
She chuckled, "No. It was at your 9th birthday party. Your parents had paid our Fortescues ice cream shop and anyone of hogwarts age and under was welcome to enter the shop to meet you - the birthday boy."
Sirius's breathe hitched. "I have tried to forget that day. I was depressed because nobody would come in, except for the kids I already knew and they were all ignoring me in favor of eating their ice cream and playing or sticking close to their best friends. But... nobody would come near me because Bellatrix had lied and told everyone I had some invisible disease they'd catch."
"Hmm... I didn't know about that. Though that would explain James swearing upon Merlin himself that the girl was evil incarnate."
"He did what?" Sirius huffed incredulously...tail wagging, despite the discomfort of the cramps riddling his midsection. "He hid behind my skirts the entire time, and kept on that" he tone became mockingly childish "'they're too pretty, mama- makes me nervous!' And just kept watching you. After that, by the time you met again he had talked himself up to being brave enough to impress the 'Pretty Hieress'."
She is grinning in a way that reminds Sirius of James in the worst way, when he's teasing but being totally honest despite. "When you told him off for his presumptions, he cried that whole night about how he'd ruined his chance to be your friend."
Sirius chuckled, "But I found him on the train, he'd just met Remus. Peter had been following me to find an empty compartment. I sat next to him and we all hit it off."
Euphemia simply nodded. "Sirius. What do you want for your future?"
Sirius sighed, "I don't want an arranged marriage. My parents were looking at putting me together with Pandora Malfoy, even though she's a bastard child, shes from 'good pureblood stock'..." he rolled his silver eyes "but that was before the the healer revealed my... status... and then they talked that those plans and ideas should be shelved for later discussion until a backup could be decided. Last letter I got, a few days ago, they were looking at possible family's with male spares that had such inclinations. Corban Yaxley was at the top of the list. His older brother, Credence, has already produced a child in his first year of marriage." He winced "He has a reputation." His tone expressed his discomfort.
Euphemia simply hummed. "If your parents are already placing names..." She let the sentence hang between them. Sirius pressed his nails into the palms of his hands "Then the contracts, whichever is completed first, will be legally binding the moment they prick my blood and place it onto the parchment." He said, head hanging and face hidden behind his curtain of dark hair. "Well. That just won't do."
Sirius looked up at her, curiosity brimming "My parents will never consider a Potter. Especially not James."
"Too bad. I'm going to take you to Gringotts as soon as this little chaos is over. The Blacks are like the Lestranges - correct? It's all male this and men hierarchy that, correct? Daughters don't inheret unless solely the last blood standing?"
"Yes. But even then, I'd get it first before Bella, because I'm an in-between. Despite her being older and through the elder line." He titled his head curiously as the older woman chuckled. "I don't understand what's so funny."
"Oh, I just love a good gray area. See, my sister in law is a Black. You've heard of Dorea?"
Sirius hesitated, but nodded. "She's that best friend I mentioned." She motioned to the undergarments. "OH." Sirius's eyes were wide. "I'll just request her presence at Gringots. You see The Blacks and Potters have a few controversial contracts. But you'll learn more when we get to the bank."
Sirius's ears were ringing. Controversial contracts? How does one even... he was so confused.
Was it really possible? He'd possibly marry his best friend?
Had Snape stunned him during that duel and this was one, long, strangely lucid dream?