Chapter Three
Arcturus hadn't felt rage in a long while but he hadn't expected the way Holly was treated by her family to be so vile that he wanted to skin the muggles alive. Arcturus truly wished to kill them, but he knew there were more other things that took priority.
“Would you like to come stay with us, Miss Potter?”
“Can I?”
Arcturus almost gasped as her green doe eyes turned to him, and even with the wrong hair and eyes, the way she tilted her head brought him back to his youth when Dorea would plead him to teach her a spell.
"Of course, you will never have to return to them again," his grandson interjected, his voice not bored for once, but resolute and determined.
It turned out that Black Hall was an impressive estate. Regal, intimidating, well-tended to, and obviously belonging to a rich, influential family. A very solicitous servant had prepared a small suite of rooms for Dori, (she had never even heard of such a thing!) and unpacked her new clothes.
Somehow , the puke-green dress from Aunt Petunia had been lost on the way to the laundry room, so the young witch had to contend herself with one of her new robes. Madam Malkin had told her what color indicated the level of formality those were intended for, so she slipped into a blue one for dinner after a quick, refreshing bath. (Lupus had warned her beforehand to dress appropriately for a semi-formal dinner.)
Uncertain what to do about her hair, the young witch was startled to find a new set of silver brushes and combs on a small vanity when she eventually exited the ensuite. Trying her best to brush the wild mane of curls into a semblance of order, the brunette sighed deeply.
Things were moving so fast, she didn't know what to think. A week ago, she wasn't even aware of Magic! And here she was with a fiance, an heir ship and blessedly rid of the Dursleys. It was the last thing that was the hardest to believe really, was she really lucky enough that she was finally free?
A polite knock brought Dori out of her musings, "Yes?"
Lupus opened the door, but didn't step over the threshold. He was slouching again, hands buried in his pockets. "Ready?
Sighing lightly about her hair, which was as untamable as always and still the same old bird's best in spite of her best efforts, Dori nodded nervously.
"Don't worry. Great-Grandfather, Aunt Cassiopeia, you, and I will be the only ones dining together tonight," Lupus explained helpfully, leading her down the corridor to a large, imposing staircase.
Only when the couple arrived in the small dining room did Dori notice that he had been touching her lower back like one of the gentlemen in the aristocratic tv show her aunt liked to watch.
A woman sat next to Lord Black. She sported nearly pearly-white hair, wore a monocle, and had alert, calculating blue eyes. Cassiopeia Black was an intimidating, regal woman with the same aristocratic features as Lupus, Lord Black, and even Healer Tonks.
Dori found herself scrutinized from head to toe; eyes lingering on her short hair disapprovingly.
"Cassiopeia, this is Heiress Potter. Miss Holly, this is Madam Cassiopeia Black," Lord Black introduced sternly. In the meantime, Lupus helped his betrothed into a seat before taking his own.
"Very well. Child, what happened to your hair?" Madam Black demanded right off the bat.
Dori blushed hotly in embarrassment. The older witch had not sounded particularly pleasant, tone implying it a great shame. "My aunt cut it," she admitted quietly.
That caused arched eyebrows from both Lord Black and Madam Black. Lupus just handed her a cup filled with watered-down pumpkin juice to wash down the unpleasant after-taste of her potions.
"Why in Merlin's name would she do such a thing?" Madam Black inquired rather forcefully.
Dori was sure her flush now extended to her neck and had probably turned her into a ripe apple. She was staring intently at her plate as she replied, "Aunt Petunia says she doesn't have the time to bother with my unruly hair in the mornings."
Madam Black scoffed disdainfully, "Does your aunt not know that all Potters have the same untamable hair?"
Under the older woman's calculating eyes, the young witch shrunk even further into herself, yet braced herself. "No. My relatives are not fond of magic. I didn't even know I was a witch until last night."
This softly spoken revelation happened to stop the conversation for a long bout of silence. "What of your accidental magic?" Madam Black demanded sharply.
Dori held her gaze that time, recalling vanishing the glass of the snake exhibition, Apparating (the term had been learned after her short excursion to the hospital earlier in the day) and even turning her teacher's hair blue.
Dori could see Lupus giving her an encouraging smile and so she continued, "It was explained away."
Madam Black nodded thoughtfully, her eyes now narrowed and focused, "I see," she said rather absentmindedly.
Then the older witch turned to Lord Black.
"You win. I'll take her on. Can't have our future Lady ignorant of her heritage, can we?"
Lupus smiled his strange smile again, eyes curving into half-moons. Apparently, Dori had somehow passed some sort of test and been somewhat accepted into Remedial Wizarding Etiquette For Beginners. (Madam Black definitely would fit the bill for the 'strict governess' or 'grumpy grandma' in any movie she'd auctioned for.)
And as she later learnt, Cassiopeia was apparently her grandmother's sister and so her grand-aunt.
Now, Dori just had to decide if that was actually a good thing.
Over the following weeks, Dori learned how to politely address others in Pureblood society, how to dress for different events, how to tame her magically regrown hair, how to eat properly, and began to learn how to dance. She also had to cram the history and names of her family, her family's allies, enemies, one-time rivals and known associates into her head.
For an hour every single day, Lord Black would instruct her and Lupus on the political movements, as well as the various fractions and noteworthy individuals involved, in the Wizengamot.Usually by reading the Daily Prophet aloud around tea time.
He explained in great detail which fraction sought what goal, their allies and rivals, and how their government was structured.
Dori usually confused a few fractions with each other-there were a lot of strange names in addition to what grand-aunt beat into her brain each day, and asked tentative questions only after Lupus quietly encouraged her several times in the beginning.
She had chosen to learn French, Madam Black had informed her it was pragmatic and expected of a young witch to learn a language her future husband did not know already and apparently the Potters owned some kind of property in France, while Lupus was taught Japanese, Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish and Swedish.
He seemed to like learning new languages and never confused one for the other. His tutor even frequently praised the Black heir as a genius.
Furthermore, Lupus also received private lessons from both elders to which his betrothed wasn't privy to, while Dori studied the supplemental reading material they had bought or Owl-Ordered and read through her school books.
She finally settled on naming her excessively proud owl Hedwig, a name the bossy bird seemed to like, and wrote a thank you letter to Hagrid for his kind treatment and his help. He replied a few days later, telling her he was happy to know that she liked her gift.
Apparently, he liked that she adored her owl, so the gentle giant asked the brunette to visit for tea on her first day off at school. Which Dori accepted after asking Lupus if he wanted to come along. And surprisingly, the older boy did want to tag along.
As she learned more about her family Dori decided she didn't want to be called Dori anymore. Aunt Petunia had always told her that Holly was a weird name but she liked the name her parents gave her and quietly asked Lupus one day to refer to her as Holly from now on.
The sole two children in the large mansion often spend what little free time they had free, together. Lupus even taught Holly how to ride the horses in the stable. They were non-magical, but huge. He always made sure to reserve the gentlest mare for her, so nothing unpleasant could happen to her to impede their joint lessons.
One sunny day, three weeks into her stay at Black Hall, the two children had settled down in one of the meadows belonging to the extensive estate. Popi, her personal house-elf, had packed a large picnic for them to snack on while recovering their strength. At the moment, the young witch and wizard were lying next to each other on a large, red and white checkered blanket, drowsily watching fluffy clouds move across the blue sky overhead.
The Black heir had made no move to touch her - other than squeeze her wrist once, during their short acquaintance since the day they had met.
"Lupus?" Holly asked quietly, still quite shy.
"Yes?"
"Are we friends?"
He stayed silent for a long time. Holly was certain that her betrothed didn't seem to like her enough for a friendship and nearly accepted it, disappointed in herself. Perhaps she had asked too early on in their relationship?
And really, why would someone like Lupus want to be her friend? She was a frea-
"Do you want to be?" Lupus interrupted her thought. He had turned over, so the raven-haired boy could watch her reaction.
Of course!
Holly blushed a bit, but nodded shyly. "Yes. I've never had a friend before."
He smiled a little sadly.
"Alright then. But there's something you should know about my father."
Attentively, the young witch listened as he began to speak, "My father is Sirius Black. Allegedly, he joined the ranks of Voldemort as his right hand man. The Ministry put him into Azkaban, Wizarding prison, on November 1, 1981."
Holly's eyes widened in shock. Silent, mysterious, helpful Lupus was actually the son of a Death Eater? Or was he? Didn't he say allegedly ?
" Supposedly, he killed thirteen people and betrayed your parents to Voldemort. However," the raven-haired man interjected smoothly, cutting off any horrified protest she might have made, "he was your godfather and your father was mine. I have some memories from before their deaths. My mother was killed in a Death Eater raid before you were even born, and he loved her more than anything in the world. Her death devastated him. So why would he suddenly join the very organization that murdered his beloved wife? It doesn't make sense to me.”
Holly quietly absorbed his words. Tentatively, she gave him a hug, mimicking what she had seen on the playground when another girl's friend was sad. "It doesn't matter. You are you, and your father is your father. Have you shared your thoughts with Lord Black?”
Lupus nodded warily. "Yes, but he has given up on Father's generation. Healer Tonks is the only one not a suspected or convicted Death Eater, and she has been formally disowned since long before my birth. My second cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, was also carted off to Azkaban for torturing a number of people into insanity. She was one of the most devoted followers Voldemort had."
This was a rather hard pill to swallow. However, were her own relations so much mored desirable?
Perhaps on a lesser scale, and in different scenarios, but the Dursleys weren't what anyone might consider nice people either. And her grandmother was a Black too, so she was related, however distantly to them.
Holly sighed nearly inaudibly: "My relatives aren't exactly something to be proud about either. There's a Muggle saying I like; you can't choose your family. We can always choose our own friends though, can't we?"
He chuckled a little, allowing her to hug him again. The two children were touching from shoulder to toe. Their two ponies grazed peacefully in the background.
"So, friends?" Holly reiterated tentatively, even managing a small smile.
He ruffled her already messy hair (although the very much increased length had tamed it somewhat) and nodded slowly. "Friends."
"Even at Hogwarts? Even if we aren't in the same House?" The ting witch insisted, shy but determined.
Lupus pulled her close to his side. "Always. You're mine now, Kohana-chan."
She nestled against him, feeling a wave of drowsiness. "Okay. What does that mean?”
Predictably, Lupus simply ran his fingers through her hair, leaving her question unanswered. Moments later, the tiny witch was fast asleep in his arms.
The day before they were supposed to leave for their first year at Hogwarts, Madam Black organized a small dinner. She seemed to think of it as a sort of graduation exam for Holly and Lupus.
They were served a formal five dish meal, followed by a request to dance several randomly chosen dances to her satisfaction. Lord Black sat out when it came to the dancing, content to smoke a pipe in his favorite stuffed chair.
After eating so much, Holly enjoyed moving around a bit. Lupus appeared to agree, skillfully twirling her around the small dance floor.
She had noticed how gracefully he moved and never knew when he would sneak up behind her, seemingly intent on giving her a heart attack.
At the end of the evening, Madan Black smiled making her appear younger.
"Satisfactory. You may now address me as Aunt Cassie in private," she declared formally, obvious pride glinting in her striking eyes.
Holly curtsied neatly, thanking the older woman politely for that rare privilege.
"Tomorrow, Pip will pop you to the train station at nine. I expect that you have already packed your trunks?" Lord Black contributed sternly from the stuffed armchair he was sitting on, though Holly spotted a slight upturn to his lips.
"Yes, sir," both children affirmed obediently.
Aunt Cassie nodded regally, "Have you decided what to wear tomorrow or do you require assistance, Holly?"
Holly blushed faintly. "I thought I could wear my blue dress and change on the train, Ma- Aunt Cassie."
"Very well. I suggest both of you remember your manners. Work hard, l expect you to achieve your absolute best. Anything else will shame the Family and is thus not acceptable," the old witch continued in her usual stern voice.
The children obediently chorused: "Yes, ma'am."
The frail, white-haired woman nodded politely and excused herself, wishing everyone a pleasant night. Holly watched her go, reflecting on how Aunt Cassie often seemed to exaggerate her frailty. Despite her outward appearance, Aunt Cassie had a sharp mind and a strong spirit.
During one of their personal lessons, Aunt Cassie had taught Holly that appearing weak could sometimes be a strategic advantage, especially for a woman. It made others underestimate their true capabilities. This lesson in subtlety and deception was something Holly was sure she would come to appreciate in the future.
Lord Black shooed them off to bed as well, accepting a bow and curtsy from his great- grandson and future great-granddaughter-in-law.
Lupus escorted Holly to her room, allowing her to hug him goodnight. He ruffled her hair in return, so they were even.
At times, she still felt like she might wake up one morning and find it all had been a dream.
Holly wasn't sure what the world had in store for her or what Hogwarts would be like, but she was certain her betrothed would be by her side every step of the way.
And maybe some people would have resented their father for an arranged marriage but all she felt was gratitude towards her dad. He made sure she would always have someone in her corner who could never betray her; someone she could implicitly trust.
Holly could hardly wait for Hogwarts!