Chapter 50: Graduation
The few practical exams Rick had left had been fairly easy as they were his best subjects. Really, there wasn’t much to talk about.
As such the year and school for the seventh-years ended and a special feast happened in the Bell Tower courtyard. It was the occasion for the ones graduating to finally meet as adults and not as students, the people who taught them for years.
Lily and Rick were talking with Horace and Minerva. Not Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall, no, but really Horace and Minerva. There wasn’t any Miss Evans or Mister Wald either.
“Lily, my dear, did you decide what you’re going to do?”
“I’m apprenticing with Rick’s mom. I don’t think I really need it but I’d like the certification. It will give me more credits for the products I will sell. Although I think I’ll apprentice in charm too but I have yet to find someone interested in taking a student.”
“Hm, good thinking about your potions mastery. Your wolf-easy pill is truly marvelous. I heard from Damocles himself that it inspired him in his research for a cure. Right now he was successful in making a potion that allows werewolves to keep their human mind during the full moon.”
“This is great news! We definitely need to speak again, if we could combine our potions it would make the transformation almost pleasant.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for but more than that, I was hoping you could help him refine it. The number of ingredients and their prices are way too expensive for werewolves to afford it.”
“I’m definitely sending him an owl.”
To the side Minerva and Rick were speaking too about his job prospects.
“Did you get a letter from the Department of Mysteries in the end?”
“Yesterday.” The annoyed tone in Rick’s voice barely hid the anger he felt about it which surprised Minerva.
“Isn’t it a good thing?”
“Normally, yes but not when it was addressed to Corvus Potter.”
Minerva felt outraged. “... I can’t believe they would… I mean the Department of Mysteries? The one department more in the know than anyone that blood purity is a fallacy?”
“Yeah, well… Only Lily’s perfect. You’d be glad I didn’t take up the offer though.”
She immediately knew what he was about to say when she saw the smirk on his lips. “Magpies?”
“Magpies.” he confirmed with a nod. “I’ll have to prove I’m better than the other substitutes but I don’t think that would be a problem. I’m hopeful more than anything else.”
“Good. I’m sure you’ll be the starting seeker in no time. And in a few years, maybe the one on the national team?”
“Minerva, stop trying to interest me in quidditch. It never worked the last six years, it won't work now.” Rick gave her a deadpan look.
“Is that so? The way I see it, I’d say it does. For Merlin’s sake you’re going to play for the best quidditch team in the United Kingdom! There is no way for that to happen if you didn’t have a bit of love for the game. It’s not just about loving to fly.”
“... Maybe.” he begrudgingly admitted.
“Do you have a recommendation for your replacement as captain of the team?”
“Hm… I’ve got two actually. My first choice is Isolde.”
“Gallagher? She will be in her third year!”
“I know but she’s really mature for her age and is quite smart. She had bright ideas regarding tactics and training practice. It’s true that she’s young and that she might need a bit more experience. In that case my second choice is Mira. She has a good head on her shoulders. It’s not like there are many options anyway. The two of them and Abigail are the only one who would be on the team next year from the current line-up. They may not win the cup next year but maybe the year after.
“True. Now, I heard a fascinating thing the other day.” She changed the subject for something more interesting.
“Yes?”
“Apparently your patronus changed to a lioness?”
“And Lily’s to a Lion.” he chuckled.
“Gryffindor through and through the both of you.” she smiled pleasantly.
“I see it more as making sure Marlene wasn’t the only one with a big cool cat as a patronus. We do everything together after all.”
“That, you do.”
The conversation drifted off to another topic and Marlene (accompanied by Sirius) joined them. Despite his pranks and his past attitude, Minerva was fond of Black, especially since he matured after the incident with Lupin in their fifth-year. Furthermore he was being influenced positively for the better by Marlene.
“Mister Black, still insistent on becoming an Auror?”
“Yes, ma’am. With everything that’s happening out there and my personal history with blood purists, I can’t do nothing.”
“Be careful then.”
“Did I mishear? It almost sounded like you cared about me, Professor.”
“I do care about every single one of my lions. Especially you and your friends with how many points I took and how many detentions I gave to make you grow up.”
“There were a lot.” he chuckled.
“I think that in your seven years at Hogwarts you broke every single rule.”
“Not all. I never succeeded in passing those infernal stairs to the girls' dorm.” Both Marlene and Rick snorted when they heard that.
“That’s like the easiest thing to do, Sirius!” the blonde witch revealed.
“You’re a girl, how would you kn- No! Rick?”
“Yep. Ever since the first evening of our sixth-year I never spent a single night in my own bed. Instead I spent every night in Lily’s.”
“Mister Wald! How could you?!”
Differently from Minerva’s outrage, Sirius was almost foaming at the mouth in frustration. “Yes, how could you?! No seriously, how?”
Rick transformed into a crow and landed on Minerva’s shoulder before taking up the air again and turning back into his human form.
“Holy… The crow on Lily’s shoulder we saw sometimes wasn’t your familiar! It was you!”
“Yes.” The bright smile full of teeth that Rick gave was blinding. “Most of the time. I just flew through the window. I think the stairs check for human boys and nothing more. For example, if you were a four legged animagus you could go up the stairs. It’s just a theory though.”
“Oh, I will definitely check.” The seriousness in Minerva’s voice was almost palpable. “I can’t believe you.” she added with a bit of disappointment.
“It’s not like I was going around every bed, Minerva. I just visited one and it belonged to my longtime girlfriend, now fiancée. See the bright side of it, I discovered a flaw in the security that needs to be dealt with.”
The rest of the feast, Lily and Rick stayed together. They came across a few of their year mates and had a talk. One Pandora Ellesmere, now Lovegood, was particularly sad that she wouldn't get to brainstorm ideas with them anymore. After reassurance that she could send owls or meet with them, the blonde witch’s mood rose.
When time came for the students to leave, they did it the same way they arrived at Hogwarts in their first year. They rode the enchanted boat and crossed the Black Lake to Hogsmeade Station. It was a beautiful departure but quite a sad one. For Rick it was a last goodbye to the place he had called home for so many years. A place that made him happy and who allowed him to have everything he had today. Friends, family and love. He looked at Marlene and Lily, the only two people with him on the ride and took them in a group hug.
“What is that for?” the blonde witch wondered but answered his hug, nonetheless.
“It feels like I’m losing everything if it makes sense. I… wanted to make sure I’m not.”
She shared a glance with Lily and both understood what he was really talking about.
“Don’t be silly. You’re not losing me, ever and you’re not losing Marlene either.”
“Oh, yeah? We’re losing her to Sirius.” His petulant and childish answer made the girl react differently. Marlene rolled her eyes and Lily giggled. Both were amused.
“You’re not losing me to Sirius, you idiot. Just like I didn’t lose you or Lily to each other.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and put an end to the group hug.
When they got on the Hogwarts Castle, they naturally took their usual compartment. When Rick and Lily began to be frisky. Marlene complained about it. Now that she was dating Sirius she couldn’t participate anymore in the couple’s sexy time. Be them together or alone. They had tried to not have sex in the girls bedroom but they couldn’t help themselves and Marlene had to take care of herself in both envy and jealousy when that happened. Lily pointed out she could find Sirius and an empty compartment and have fun. Marlene smacked her forehead for not having thought of that and ran out of the room with haste.
Two hours later, she came back all disheveled with Sirius in tow who wasn’t faring any better and looked in fact as if he had been put through the wringer.
“One last rule to break, huh?” Rick teased and Sirius gave him a dopey grin.
“Yup.”
“Better late than never.”
“... Of course you already did it.” the unamused tone at the realization that Rick had already had sex on the train before him. “I’m finding out that you’re quite the rule breaker.”
“Not that much in truth. When I did it was just the big rules, like not leaving Hogwarts during the day or the night.”
When they arrived back in London, Rick found his parents there. It was to be expected, news of his true lineage had already circulated (even though some idiots in the house of the snakes thought he was just lying and committing line theft). He found them talking with another couple which looked a bit older than Dorea and Charlus were.
“That’s James’ parents. Fleamont and Euphemia.” Sirius filled them in.
“Like father, like son.” Marlene commented, seeing how Fleamont and James were looking almost identical.
“I guess that’s your mom, there? Definitely has the Black look.”
“And the temper if you piss her off. Let’s go, I think introductions are in order.”
They walked towards both couples which put an end to their conversation when Dorea noticed him and shouted his name. In no time she ran to her son and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug. Everyone present snickered at Rick’s situation until they realized he wasn’t embarrassed at all and took his mother’s affection in stride.
“Good to see you too girls and you… Sirius, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“ ‘Yes, ma’am?’ “ she snorted in amusement. “You definitely got the rebel trait of the family. Arcturus would rant if he heard you greet me like that.”
“Well, grandfather can go eat a bag of… well…”
“I think so too. He’s my brother and I love him but sometimes he’s just… Ugh! In any case, it’s good to finally meet you, Sirius and if you need anything don’t hesitate to owl me, alright?”
“Sure, ma’am.”
“Oh please, no ma’am. Aunt Dorea would do.”
“You got it, Auntie.” Sirius grinned at her. He was definitely liking this new Aunt he knew nothing about.
“Good.”
“Mom, do you think you can put Sirius and Andy in touch?”
Sirius nodded vehemently. “Yes, please. Andromeda is like the only one I got along in that mad house ever since my mother put her poisonous fangs into Bellatrix. I’d like to catch up.”
“Certainly! In fact she’s coming with her family this Saturday for lunch, why don’t you come too?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“With a bit of luck we can get Aunt Cassie to show up too.”
“Excellent idea, Corvus. Now, come. Let me introduce you to Fleamont and Euphemia.”
She wasn’t just speaking to Rick, she was also speaking to Lily who was her soon-to-be daughter-in-law and Marlene who was Sirius’ girlfriend. Same Sirius that had been taken in by the couple in their sixth-year, when he ran away from home.Dorea introduced the group and Rick was surprised that they were pleasant people. He didn’t have to share a look with Lily to know that she wondered too how such good people could have produced James.
Fleamont had been delighted to learn that his cousin’s son had been found. Not only House Potter had his rightful heir back but the house wasn’t on the brink of extinction with two young males. Possible plans for a Potter family reunion were made and the group separated.
“I’m not sure it was a good idea.” Sirius commented as he stayed with Fleamont and Euphemia.
“Why, dear?” inquired Euphemia.
“Because, James and Rick don’t get along at all.”
“How so?”
“Well… The Lily you just met? It’s the Lily.”
“The one James kept talking about since your first year?”
“The very one and she’s Rick’s best friend but also fiancée. Add to that that James didn’t take it well to learn he wasn’t the heir of House Potter and was consistently outperformed academically by Rick…”
“He’s jealous and holding a grudge.” Fleamont connected the dots.
“But I thought James was winning her over?” confused was an understatement for describing Euphemia’s expression.
“It was probably wishful thinking, wasn't it?”
“Yes. Rick and Lily have been secretly dating for four years and Lily never showed any interest in James. We all told him so but he didn’t want to hear it. Now he’s not in a very good mood. All the time.” The sadness in Sirius’ voice was not missed by the older couple. “Rick is… alright though and a good friend to have. Since he’s also Marlene’s best friend, I got to know him better this past year. Good guy, really.”
“Ah, yes! Marlene. Glad to see a young lady was able to chain you down!”
“Fleamont! Chain him down? Perish the thought. She did make him grow up though.”
Sirius groaned in displeasure at his parental figures having fun at his expense.
The other side of the family went back to Potter Manor using the floo. Tagging along with them was Lily’s parents. They had planned to spend the day at the manor to celebrate their children’s engagement. Rose of course was delighted and was already asking for their timetable about grandchildren. Thankfully before she could delve into the subject too much Luke intervened and dragged her away. He got a silent ‘thank you’ from his daughter who mouthed it. Rick had expected Luke to not be happy about him taking his daughter away but it turned out that he was a way better option than Vernon Dursley. So much that to Luke, Rick was the perfect son-in-law.
Discussion about the wedding date began and Lily put her foot down.
“This is our wedding. It will take place when we want it to take place. Meaning this Autumn.”
“This Autumn?” asked a puzzled Rick.
“Summer is too hot.”
“I mean this, note the emphasis on the ‘this’, this Autumn?”
“Yes. Why? Do you have a problem with it?” it wasn’t a challenge she was issuing, she was genuinely curious and wanted Rick’s opinion.
“Not at all. It’s quite soon but if you want to marry this Autumn, we’ll marry this Autumn.”
“Good. We need to act fast though. For the preparation and the date. Since it’s just a few months away, the guests need to be warned as fast as possible so they’d be free for that day.”
“How about the 23rd of September? It’s the Autumn Equinox and a Saturday.”
“That’s the beginning of Autumn! I was more thinking of later in the season!”
“And it’s perfect. It’s in Autumn, it’s a week-end so guests would be able to attend and it’s the very first opportunity we have since you want to marry as soon as possible. Now we only have to decide the place and which type of ceremony you want. Muggle or magical?”
“... Both?”
“... We’re not getting married twice, Lily.” he preempted her, knowing perfectly well what she was thinking.
“Please! Both traditions are beautiful!”
“Lily…”
“Don't tell me you don’t want to put your coat of arms on me.”
“Well, yeah I do.”
“But you wouldn’t get to see me in a white wedding dress.”
“...”
“We do two and you get both.”
“...You’re driving a hard bargain, Lils.”
Lily leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. His eyes comically widened and he gave her a questioning look to which she nodded.
“Fine.”
“Yes!”
She went for his lips and laid hers on them, happy to get what she wanted. To the side their parents were watching them amusedly. They said nothing but watched their children plan their own wedding without any help. Rick and Lily agreed on one thing, they wanted a small event with only a handful of guests.
By the end of the day, they knew who they wanted to invite, when and how it would go down. The only thing they were missing was the location. Lily had in mind a small isolated church close to her home, so her family wouldn’t have to travel much. It was something to work on later however because it was already late. Lily left with her parents to spend some more days with them before she moved into Potter Manor for good.
They didn’t really have a choice on the matter. With the Dark Lord and his followers becoming more and more active, the powerful wards of the Manor gave them ample protection in comparison to a regular home. Furthermore, they didn’t want to test Dorea who was hell bent on having her son living with her forever.
The family dinner this Saturday had been quite an ordeal. Cassiopeia didn’t want to come, despite Nymphadora’s presence. She changed her mind when she learned that Sirius, the former heir of her house, would be there. She definitely wanted to meet another rebel of the family who stuck it to her little brother. Little brother that would be present too.
Of course, words were spoken and insults thrown. Or not (besides Cassiopeia and Actrurus talking to each other). Lunch had been a nice affair if a bit surreal for Sirius who for the first time saw his grandfather as something more than the stern, ruthless and implacable man he knew him as. His eyes bulged out of his head when he saw the man hug Andromeda and bounce Nymphadora on his knee. He had to give it to Marlene, the little metamorphmagus was adorable. If anything, his girlfriend undersold how much. With how hyper active and wild she was he was sure she would make a great prankster one day, especially with her shapeshifting abilities.
After dessert, the three Black siblings went to Dorea’s parlor to have a word. Sitting around a round table with a great view of the garden, they drank tea in silence. That was until Cassiopeia got tired of waiting for her brother to speak.
“If you’re not going to say why you wanted us gathered here I’m leaving. Better things to do.” Dorea didn’t voice her agreement but nodded along in support.
“Our house is going down the drain.” he blurted out with as much control of his emotion as he could.
“Not a surprise when the parents in charge of your grandchildren are insane and idiots. I don’t know who’s the worst? Cygnus or Walburga?” Cassie commented.
Dorea had an answer to that question. “Definitely Walburga. She’s a fanatic. Cygnus on the other hand is doing everything for profit. He would sell Melania if it was useful.”
“The sad thing is… You’re both right. Which poses a problem for the succession.”
“How so? You have Sirius. He’s a good young man. A bit immature but-”
“He can’t, Dorea. Sirius will just spit on everything our house stands for, just to spite his mother. If it was only the pureblood agenda, that’d be fine but no. He’s rejecting everything. Regulus has his mother’s hand so far up his ass, I’m surprised I don’t see her fingers inside his mouth when he talks. He’s too weak-willed to be Lord Black.”
“Then you’re in quite the pickle.”
“You could make it so the house is not patriarchal anymore?” Cassiopeia suggested as a joke. She wasn’t prepared for Arcturus taking this seriously.
“I thought of that too.”
“Merlin’s balls! You did?!”
“Arcturus, really?”
The old Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Black raised his eyes from his teacup to look at his sisters one after the other then nodded.
“I had great hopes for Bellatrix. The greatest, really. She’s smart, powerful, charismatic and holds dear our values. And that cunt of a niece of ours poisoned her through Cygnus. Sold her to the Lestranges ilk and now… She’s changed. As if she had stopped reigning in her madness.
I’m pretty sure she joined that Dark Lord with her moronic husband and his even more moronic brother. She loathes him and won’t give him an heir anytime soon if ever. Now Narcissa? Married to that silver tongued Malfoy. Oh, he’s polite and has manners but I can see through him. He doesn’t love her, he loves her pedigree. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next twenty years all our family is dead and our fortune in the hands of the Malfoy. Poor Narcissa doesn’t even notice.”
“And Andromeda married a muggle-born and got disowned for it.” Dorea added.
“So you do have no one left to succeed you.”
“From my line? No.”
“Absolutely not, Actrurus!”
Dorea understood on the spot what her elder brother wanted. If there was no one from his line fitting the bill then that left someone from his sisters’ line. Cassiopeia had no children because she didn’t want any, which left only one candidate.
“Corvus? Really?” Cassie finally understood who he meant. “I mean… Sure, he’s respectful of pureblood traditions but do I need to remind you he’s marrying a muggle-born?”
“You’re not breaking them up.” The glare Dorea gave her brother told him he was very close to seeing her unleashed her own brand of madness.
“That wasn’t the idea I had in mind.”
“Then how-”
“Morgana’s tits! You want him to have a second wife?!” exclaimed Cassiopeia in utter shock.
Polygamy was a thing of the past because of line theft and because usually one wife killed the other or her children. However, it wasn’t illegal.
Dorea lost it. “Are you mad?! Not only do you want him to be the Lord of TWO Ancient and Noble House but you want him to take a second wife too?!”
Arcturus uncharacteristically sighed out of tiredness and resignation. “That’s the only solution I have to save our house.”
“No!”
“What other choice do I have!?”
Neither Cassiopeia and Dorea had an answer to that question and Arcturus knew it. Undoing Andromeda’s disownment wasn’t possible. Arcturus would appear weak to the other Lords of the dark families and to his family.
“I talked with you about it out of love and courtesy, Dorea. Corvus is an adult and can make his own decision.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing. I know my son, Arcturus. One misplaced word from Walburga or Cygnus about Lily and he will kill them without a second thought.”
“Or you’re very well aware and hope for it to happen.”
“Despite what you think of me, Cassie, I do not want my own son to die. No matter how much a piece of dragon shit he is. Neither Walburga for that matter but it’s out of love for Orion, not her.” He let out a long sigh before speaking up again. “I’m fifty nine this year and I feel like I’m a hundred years older. I don’t have it in me to lead our house anymore. Not when Melania…”
He didn’t expand on the topic of his wife’s health, his sisters were well aware of it.
“Everything would have been simpler had Lucretia had a son but no, neither she nor her Prewett husband of hers wanted children.”
“That’s what you get for being such a stick in the mud about traditions and everything. Family should always come first, Arcturus. Traditions seconds.”
“...”
“Cassie… Nevermind.” Dorea turned to her brother. “Even if Corvus agrees because by some miracle, Lily agrees to him having a second wife…” The thought of Lily being attracted to women and men alike made her think it was, perhaps, possible. “She’s still a muggle-born. From a prestigious lineage, true but a muggle-born nonetheless. Other families won’t accept it, second wife or not. And knowing Corvus though, he will shift the house from the dark faction to the neutral at the very least. You may not like the direction he leads.”
“Better a change in direction than extinction.”
“For once you make sense, little brother.”
After a few minutes of silence Dorea made her decision. Her name may be Potter now but she was first and foremost a Black. She couldn’t let her house burn down because of its members’ stupidity. However she had a different idea than Arcturus. Just slightly.
“If Corvus agrees. You make him the Lord on the spot.”
“What?!”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree with him: What?!” added Cassie. She didn’t know what her little sister had in mind but she sure as hell wasn’t expecting this.
“The House of Black urgently needs to change. The more time passes the more that Dark Lord gains in strength and the more we’ll lose. Knowing Walburga she will serve Regulus on a silver platter and you won’t get him back. We may even get back Bellatrix and Narcissa. The problem is, you can’t do it. You said it yourself, you don’t have it in you to lead anymore. So, give your title to Corvus. There is no time to waste.”
Both older siblings looked at Dorea in silence, pondering if that was really the best way to save the Ancient and Noble House of Black.